The Coast Guard began work in the Menemsha harbor Wednesday to remove several sunken boats, and the harbor has been reopened to recreational boating, as the town takes steps to restore function in and around the village after the fire that destroyed the historic Coast Guard boathouse early last week..

The charred remains of the boathouse and wooden pier leading out to the West Dock remain largely untouched, but town officials and employees, in conjunction with the Coast Guard, are working diligently behind the scenes to facilitate the reconstruction process.

They’re not moving far away, but the upcoming departure of the Edgartown Hardware store from Main street will mark the end of an era for downtown Edgartown.

“One of the core businesses, the only core business left, is leaving,” said Edgartown zoning board of appeals chairman Martin V. (Skip) Tomassian Jr., at a public hearing where Edgartown Hardware owners John and Pat Montes were granted permission to move their business into the former Old Colony car dealership building on the Edgartown-West Tisbury Road.

Criticism comes from some unexpected places when you’re a playwright attempting to star in your own play. That much is true for New York playwright Sam Forman, whose play The Rise and Fall of Annie Hall opened in preview last night at the Vineyard Playhouse (official opening night is Saturday). He’s seen the central role of Henry played by others in the three years since the play was written, and he has heard the actors lodge lighthearted complaints about the challenges posed by the dialogue. But before now, he’s never experienced it firsthand.

Parking lots are filled and people are once again crowding the restaurants, shops and fish markets of Menemsha.

But the village did take a hit to business, at least in the few days following the fire.