The up-Island regional school committee voted this week to certify a budget for the coming fiscal year of $9.1 million, a 3.5 per cent increase over last year. Increases can be tracked to money that must be set aside for post-retirement benefits for school workers and funds for Chilmark school renovations. Schools are now required to set aside money to cover the cost of future health benefits for employees who will retire.

Grace Episcopal Church in Vineyard Haven is inviting one and all to its annual Community Christmas Dinner held from noon until 2 p.m. on Christmas Day. The traditional feast includes roast turkey and ham with plenty of side dishes, sweets and pies. Volunteers prepare and serve the food, which is donated by Grace Church parishioners and Island businesses.

A small but vocal group of residents, builders, realtors and members of town land use boards turned out to express their opinions this week on a proposed Chilmark bylaw that would regulate house size. Some quibbled over specifics of the plan, while others argued that the proposed regulation is not strict enough. The town planning board presented the latest version of the much-debated bylaw at a public hearing held Monday night.

Tonight, Dec. 21, is the winter solstice. This, of course, is an annual event but this year, if one glances at the Mayan calendar, which many are doing, there is a special significance. To put it bluntly, today is the end of the Mayan calendar, something that has existed for 5,000 years.

The staff, volunteers and especially all the animals at the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. The shelter would like to share the Prayer for Animals by Albert Schweitzer.