Some of the sweet little shelter kittens have been adopted but there are seven left, with more expected in the next week or so. This is such a good example of why everyone should have their cats spayed or neutered. It is sad to see so many unwanted kittens end up at the shelter. Anyone who finds it difficult to pay to have their animal neutered should contact SPAY or PAWS for financial assistance. Call the shelter for information.

Jesse Sylvia took second place in the 2012 World Series Poker Wednesday morning after a marathon all-night session. The 26-year-old West Tisbury native won $5.29 million in prize money. Throughout the contest Mr. Sylvia stayed within striking distance of the eventual winner and new world champion, Greg Merson.

A large group of friends and fans traveled to Las Vegas to watch the match, including his family. Marlene DiStefano, Mr. Sylvia’s mother, lost her voice after the nearly 12-hour event.

Yesterday Vineyarder Jesse Sylvia secured a spot as one of the three finalists in the 2012 World Series of Poker Main Event and will be contending for the $8.53 million jackpot when play resumes tonight at 9 p.m. He is assured of winning at least $3,799,073.

The world series tournament began in early July, initially narrowing the field of 6,598 players down to nine, with Mr. Sylvia in the lead when the tournament took a two-month hiatus. On Oct. 29 play resumed.

As the regular sports season drew to a close, Senior Day proved a rousing success for the three Vineyard teams competing at home on Saturday. The field hockey team took on Division 1 Needham in a morning match-up, fighting to a 1-1 tie. Senior Kendall Robinson scored the lone Vineyard goal on an assist from senior Alex Clark in the first half, but Needham evened the score in the second.

While the Island was spared the brunt of Hurricane Sandy, reports early Tuesday confirmed severe erosion, especially on south-facing shorelines. The ocean washed over Norton Point Beach at Katama in Edgartown, turning the eastern end of the beach into a sandbar covered with water at high tide, said Chris Kennedy, superintendent for The Trustees of Reservations.

With Hurricane Sandy still hundreds of miles south of the Vineyard Monday afternoon, the Island was feeling its blast with many roads underwater from extreme high tides and huge ocean waves pounding the shoreline. Winds were gusting up to 60 miles per hour in places, and there was one report from Cuttyhunk of a gust clocked at 81 mph. There were scattered power outages through out the Island and some reports of trees down, including one in Vineyard Haven that caught fire.