Mark Alan Lovewell
Spirited sailors and their sleek sailboats arrive this week for the start of the 86th annual Edgartown Yacht Club Regatta. The regatta appears to be recession-proof. Sailors love to sail, no matter what appears to be going on ashore. Competition begins on Thursday and runs through Saturday. As many as 250 youths and as many people are expected to compete on the water, possibly more than a year ago.
Roughly 50 boats with captains and crew will participate in the day-long ’Round the Island Race, which starts early Saturday morning.
A top lobster scientist told a gathering at the Chilmark Public Library on Wednesday night that the Massachusetts Lobster Hatchery in Oak Bluffs should become operational again. With new advances in the understanding of how lobsters live, the use of hatcheries can be far more effective, said Jelle Atema, a professor and Boston University marine biologist.
By MARK ALAN LOVEWELL
Tomorrow morning at 12:01 begins the 10th annual Fluke Fishing Tournament, hosted by the Veterans of Foreign War Post 9261. The two-day fishing contest is expected to attract more than 100 anglers.
There were 170 fishermen in last year’s contest, and with fluke in abundance, there is plenty of reason for anglers to put down the $20 entrance fee and join this year. Teenagers and seniors are charged $10. Youngsters 12 and younger are admitted for free but they must register.
The Aquinnah Shop Restaurant atop the Gay Head Cliffs is a morning ritual for many early risers. What it lacks for convenience, it makes up for with spectacular vistas. The scent of blueberry pancakes, or the homemade fishcakes, adds to the sensory seductiveness. A metal spoon jingles in every hot coffee that is served, always in a glass cup.
A full year after the Fourth of July fire closed down Main street, Vineyard Haven, the sun, the crowds and the grand reopening of Bunch of Grapes Bookstore this weekend seemed to return a familiar summer life of leisure to the Island.
Fred B. Morgan Jr., a decorated veteran and former longtime Edgartown selectman, was the featured speaker at the Sunday service at Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs on Sunday, the day after the nation’s birthday.
Mr. Morgan spoke of a career of public service, from serving in the Army and invading Normandy in 1944 to being an administrator years later at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Mr. Morgan’s theme was patriotic duty and service to the community. He said serving the county is not necessarily easy.