The Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School 2012 Scarecrow Festival has arrived and more than 75 scarecrows are now living on the Island. The festival is a fundraiser for the school as each Island business that participates makes a donation to the school in return for a homemade scarecrow. The scarecrows stay up until Nov. 1. Visit mvpcs.org to take the grand scarecrow tour.

Jacqueline Woodson, 49, stood in front of the seated crowd of Oak Bluffs School eighth graders last Friday morning, holding a copy of her 2005 young adult novel, Behind You. The book was a mere prop, though. Ms. Woodson never glanced at its pages as she pulled the book’s first vignette from memory.

Even though folk musician Kevin Keady was singing, “You can’t always get what you want” at the opening Winter Farmers’ Market at the West Tisbury Agricultural Hall last Saturday, it would have been hard to agree with the lyrics. Everything from soap wrapped in alpaca fleece and wrinkle cream made from herbs and honey, to hot curried butternut squash and apple soup was available. Maybe you can really get what you want after all.

Paul Brissette stood in front of the Grange Hall Thursday evening to receive the Permanent Endowment Fund’s 2012 Creative Living Award and pulled from his pocket a small white carton. On it were written the words The Box. “The Box contains all the knowledge and experience human beings have accumulated thus far,” Mr. Brissette told the gathering of friends, family members, colleagues and community members.

Paul Karasik walked into the West Tisbury Free Public Library late last Saturday afternoon looking for a gong. At the same time library director Beth Kramer was busy helping someone fill out a passport application. Lisa Nivala and her daughter Karinne were looking for their favorite book in the children’s section.