Oak Bluffs harbor had a record money-making summer. Josh Williams, the harbor marina manager, estimated income from slips and moorings were up 14 per cent over the previous year. Total income was $720,000, up some $86,000 from the summer of 2000.

Oak Bluffs harbor was the place to be. Slips and moorings were mostly full throughout the season and for the first time the town offered regular, dependable launch service that made money.

False albacore have yet to make a strong appearance in the first week of the 56th annual Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby. So far only small, undersized false albacore have been seen. The contest began on Wednesday morning with just two fishermen weighing in their fish in the first half-hour of the contest.

It began as a drill, and the more people became involved, the more believable it got. More than 100 public safety volunteers gathered Saturday for a mass casualty drill at the little bridge in Oak Bluffs. There were sirens, fake blood on the ground and children screaming in apparent pain.

The 56th annual Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby begins at 12:01 a.m. tomorrow, a minute past midnight. The first groggy fishermen of the month-long contest will line up to weigh in their catch when the derby headquarters opens at 8 a.m. in Edgartown.

The 129-foot Freedom topsail schooner Amistad was the celebrated guest of the Vineyard community this weekend, and will be back for another visit. Capt. William (Bill) Pinkney said on Sunday the community welcome received by the ship and her crew went beyond everyone's expectations. As a result, they hope to return.

"The response here was just exceptional," the captain said.

Oak Bluffs fire chief Dennis P. Alley was especially pleased with the fireworks on Friday. The display in the night sky was the spectacle everyone has come to expect over the years. Below, Ocean Park was ready for the thousands of spectators who gathered to watch from its lush, grassy lawns.