Michael West rang a Tibetan bowl to begin the Winter Solstice Gathering of Poetry and Song held at the Vineyard Haven Library last Wednesday evening. William Waterway then raised the tone to celestial spheres as he played a Native American pipe; long, wooden and wide and draped with leather fringe.

CLAMS Uncovered

Clam time in January? Well, think of it as bivalve meets bibliophile.

The Vineyard Haven Public Library is hosting a series of workshops on the CLAMS network, the library system that has traditionally included the down-Island branches as well as some on the Cape, but will soon welcome up-Island branches too.

Chowder Contest Winners

With a name like Martha’s Vineyard Chowder Company, you better have the goods to back it up. The new Oak Bluffs restaurant proved they did once again, walking away with the top seafood chowder prize at the 27th annual Great Chowder Contest, held Dec 10.

Edgartown’s Wharf Restaurant and Pub won all the clams for its clam chowder recipe. The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School culinary arts department took second place for its clam-only recipe; the Harbor View Hotel and Restaurant took third.

Committee on Hunger

This is the time of year for giving and remembering those in need. The Vineyard Committee on Hunger works hard to give families enough to eat all year long through their Serving Hands Food Distribution. They also help provide holiday meals through their Family-to-Family program. During Thanksgiving they gave out 186 dinners. They want to do the same for Christmas.

Kids Activites

For families sticking around on the Island during the school break and wondering what to do with the kids next week there is hope. The Edgartown Library is holding craftime every day starting at 2 p.m. There will be activities and crafts, movies, popcorn and hot cocoa. For more details, call 508-627-4221.