A Shark Drops By

It didn’t take much. A large shark was sighted on the morning of July tenth off South Beach in Edgartown. Within twenty-four hours, three Island beaches had been closed and reopened, a false sighting hoax at Joseph A. Sylvia State Beach had been perpetrated, and media around the world had picked up the story.

The shark probably still doesn’t know all the fuss it caused.

Fido and Kitty on Holiday

From the Vineyard Gazette editions of July, 1958:

Certainly worth a first page position is the fact that James Thurber, the American humorist, whom the Vineyard proudly stakes a proprietary claim to because of his visits here, lunched in London with the editors of Punch.

The significance of this event can be understood from the facts as set down in a Reuters dispatch as follows:

HEART RENDING

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Time and Timing

July Days

The last of the summer hay has been cut and baled. Swallows swoop around the farm fields, feasting on crickets and insects in the grassy stubble. The terrier chases the swallows in endless wide circles. The midday sun is hot now, the ocean water cold and perfect for swimming after a dusty morning spent leaning on the mower.