Few things in life are free, but I think I found one. I became a Big Brother this summer, and it has been one treat after another. I have found a friend, a comrade, someone who likes to do the things I like to do.

Thank you, Remy Tumin, CK Wolfson, Chris Scott and the Vineyard Gazette for your much-deserved tributes to our esteemed friend, Ray Ellis.

I have just returned from the Harbor View Hotel where I had the good fortune to attend the third in a series of presentations in the Creative Economy Speaker Series.

The following letter was sent to John Checklick, president of the Cape and Vineyard Electrical Cooperative (CVEC).

There is definitely a feel-good quality to your story and editorial on Oct. 4 about Aquinnah’s efforts to save its iconic lighthouse with assistance of Community Preservation Act money contributed by all the Island towns under a new provision in state law allowing for regional CPA projects.

The Trayvon Martin tragedy in my opinion not only illustrates the racial issues that haven’t diminished over time, but also points to another danger not much discussed. That would be what happens when neighborhood associations are overly empowered.