Swim for Jesse

Swim for Jesse, an open-water swim race, will take place tomorrow at Joseph Sylvia State Beach, next to the big bridge. Registration for the event begins at 7:30 a.m., with races beginning at 8:30 a.m.

The event is organized by Rebekah Nivala, a student at Wheaton College, and sister Kaija, a regional high school student. Through the fundraiser, the two hope to raise awareness for eosinophilic disease, a chronic digestive system disorder.

Scores of Island families face a future without money for vital early childhood education for their children, and help with leaky roofs and inadequate heating and sanitation, all because of a clerical error which resulted in the Island missing out on $2 million in state grants.

The tale of two Island libraries took a new twist this week when the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners awarded a grant to the West Tisbury library for building a new facility, but Edgartown did not make the cut and will receive no funding, at least for now.

Please Adopt Us

Our featured animal this week is Missy, a one-year-old spayed purebred pit bull who is very obedient and knows all her commands. She loves children and adults and gets along well with other animals. She is a beautiful red-brown and white and really needs to be seen to be appreciated.

On Monday this week Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signed one of the tightest state budgets in years, leaving many Vineyard organizations that depend on state funding scrambling to assess the damage.

The lean $30.6 billion budget, scaled back some $750 million from the prior year, hit some Island organizations harder than others, but spokesmen from the Cape and Islands legislative delegation said this week that for the most part the Vineyard was spared the longest of knives.