Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs shellfishermen saw a banner start to the bay scalloping season, and they share their reason why: Lagoon Pond.

Derek Cimeno, shellfish constable for Tisbury, is watching shellfishermen surrounded in bay scallops. "Six hundred bushels of bay scallops were taken in the first two days by family shellfishermen," Mr. Cimeno said.

The Martha's Vineyard Land Bank, the Felix Neck Wildlife Trust and the Massachusetts Audubon Society closed on a land purchase last week that will

Lagoon Pond has millions of baby bay scallops. On Tuesday afternoon, David Grunden, shellfish constable for Oak Bluffs, was out moving some of them around. There is a gold mine of baby bay scallops out there. While this doesn't help the fishermen of today, it may be a sign of a good year to follow.

While the Martha's Vineyard Refuse Disposal and Resource Recovery District committee negotiates costs, facility capacity and logistics with the Rhode Island-based Waste Options company to build a composting facility on the Island, many Islanders seek answers to more basic questions.

With all the worries plaguing aviators these days, the thing that's got Trade Winds airport manager Joe Costa all worked up is dog droppings - on the runway and taxi lane.

The Martha's Vineyard Land Bank wants your ideas on how to spend some $10 million of accumulated revenue. Plus, commissioners at the land bank are game for fielding questions on policies that govern the almost 2,000 acres of public lands it owns.