Oyster farming is no longer a promising trend but a vibrant reality and a million-dollar industry on the Vineyard, five members of the Island aquaculture community told a gathering at the Gazette newsroom Tuesday.

The problem-plagued ferry Martha's Vineyard was returned again to service Thursday morning, as Steamship Authority officials pieced together a plan to get travelers to and from the Vineyard for the upcoming holiday weekend.

Although the collapse of Vineyard Youth Tennis’s bubble structure has added a new complication in the proposed merger between the organization and the YMCA both organizations said talks were ongoing.

Business owners who rely on the ferry to transport cargo to and from the mainland have dealt with late and cancelled shipments that have cost them thousands of dollars.

With a holiday weekend approaching, the Steamship Authority was scrambling Wednesday to provide reliable service in light of continuing mechanical problems that have sidelined the two main passenger ferries to the Vineyard.