In light of gun violence around the country, the Chilmark selectmen Tuesday offered words of gratitude to their town police force, most of which gathered shoulder-to-shoulder in the town hall meeting room.

Senior managers at the Steamship Authority confirmed this week what many people already knew: there are substantially more cars and people coming to Martha’s Vineyard this summer.

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission is urging more public participation in an annual planning process that helps determine which transportation projects on the Island receive federal and state funding.

When the Steamship Authority holds its monthly meeting on Martha's Vineyard Tuesday, the retirement of general manager Wayne Lamson will top the news. The meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Oak Bluffs library.

As the town of Tisbury pursues options for restoring Lake Tashmoo and the Lagoon Pond, the Massachusetts Estuaries Project, which has provided the scientific foundation for the efforts, has come under fire.

As piping plovers continue to recover along the East Coast, federal and state agencies have announced a long-term management plan to allow communities to reopen beaches that would otherwise be closed to vehicles during nesting season.