Editor’s note: On Sunday, Nicole Galland posted a thank-you on Facebook for all who attended the Saturday show by Shakespeare for the Masses, a loose group that stages hour-long edited-for-fun versions of the Bard’s plays for free; such a thank-you is not an unusual thing for her to post. Except she called it a “magic-sad night.” Asked why, she sent the following reply, which has been slightly edited for style and clarity.

If you saw a young child wandering too close to a swimming pool or campfire, you’d likely steer them to safety without thinking twice.

As a former South Beach lifeguard and Edgartown School teacher, I thought I had strong radar for detecting danger and redirecting kids in a friendly, firm way.

Winter Curtain Call

Yesterday winter gave the perfect curtain call, bowing gracefully, graciously. There was nothing overly showy to suggest that it was the final performance, but the program notes for this season suggest that it was.

Census Tales

More census figures emerged this week, enforcing with numbers the story of growth that has been told on the Vineyard for decades. The population of Dukes County, which includes Martha’s Vineyard, grew more than ten per cent in the past decade, the highest rate of any county in the commonwealth. We are now, give or take, sixteen-thousand, five-hundred and thirty-five people on this relatively small Island.

In Community

This winter the Island has experienced the deaths of many beloved residents. The passing of three men in particular, from very different walks of life, leaves a large hole in the life of the Island; Sheriff Christopher (Huck) Look, Edwin (Bob) Woods, and Jonathan Lipsky.

Each man made specific contributions to the Island, in law enforcement, conservation and the arts. On a deeper and perhaps even more significant level they represented through their actions what living in community means. This will be their lasting legacy.

By Chance

From Art Railton’s Just a Thought of March, 1997:

Chance encounters — we’ve all had them. Meetings that are unplanned, occurring by surprise. You happen to be somewhere and suddenly find yourself talking to someone famous. The conversation is of no consequence, just grist for some name dropping. “When I was talking with Ted Kennedy about his Wianno....” That sort of thing.