A cell tower expansion in West Tisbury got a provisional green light from the Martha’s Vineyard Commission last week after a lengthy public hearing process.

In a hostile standoff with the commission over whether renting out restricted workforce housing as short-term summer rentals violates a condition attached to a prior approval, the owner of the Lampost said he is not out of compliance.

The event began 40 years ago as an antidote for a town with a dearth of holiday cheer. Since then the town has shaken its holiday enthusiasm deficiency. For four days this weekend the town will be a magnet once again for all things Christmas.

The recent surge in Covid-19 cases on the Island has included an increase in hospitalizations, even as appointments for booster vaccine shots have been hard to come by.

Expansion plans for the historic Shearer Cottage in Oak Bluffs remain undecided, as longtime family owners attempt to balance a need for economic survival with environmental impacts.

Two major projects on the Island cleared key hurdles when select boards in Edgartown and Oak Bluffs awarded separate bids to the nonprofit Island Housing Trust (IHT) and its Boston partner.