Popular lore has it that oysters are an aphrodisiac. This will be put to the test, literally, on Saturday at the Harbor View Hotel as part of the annual Romancing the Oyster event.

The hatchery on Lagoon Pond that has spawned a valuable shellfish industry on the Vineyard will be renamed the Richard C. Karney Solar Hatchery.

On Saturday, the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group is throwing their annual benefit party at the Chilmark Community Center.

In January after over 40 years with the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group, I will be stepping down as its director.

Rick Karney, executive director of the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group, announced that he will shift to part-time status beginning Jan. 1.

The Vineyard Gazette will donate $9,000 to the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group, the result of a successful subscription promotion drive that called attention to the plight of the Island’s coastal ponds.