Substance Abuse Grant

The Dukes County Health Council’s Youth Task Force is scheduled to receive a $90,297 grant. The money will be used for a program promoting environmental approaches to preventing alcohol, prescription drug and other substance abuse by youths. Attorney General Martha Coakley notified the task force of the grant.

Sail Martha’s Vineyard will present a fireside dinner and slide presentation at the Black Dog Tavern on Wednesday, Jan. 16 at 6 p.m. Capt. Peter Arenstam of Plimoth Plantation will speak on the unique history of the Mayflower II.

The ship, built in England in 1957, crossed the Atlantic in 55 days with a crew of sailors, schoolteachers and its mascot, a small kitten named Felix. There was a great deal of speculation whether this oddly shaped ship, such as had not been seen on the ocean since the 17th century, would make it safely to America.

Curl up in the early winter dark and enjoy classic American literature as part of the new travelling Islandwide reading group called Fictions of Race in 20th Century America.

Martin Luther King Walk

A walk to commemorate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will start Monday, Jan. 21 at 9:30 a.m. Participants will meet in front of the Court House in Edgartown. The walk will start on Main street and end at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church on North Summer street. There will be a brief talk, followed by a video of Dr. King. Refreshments will be served.

More information is available by calling Lori Sue Herman at 508- 627-9088 or Maureen McManus Hill at 508-627-9241.

Fish Talk

Fish, Fish, Fish will be the topic of Louis Larsen’s talk at the next Friends of the Library speakers bureau at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20, at the Vineyard Haven library. Mr. Larsen is the owner of the Net Result. Refreshments will be served following the talk.

The Vineyard Golf Club Foundation has announced the donation of about $66,000 in cash in the past year to nonprofit organizations on the Island.

The foundation also gave more than $24,000 in donated golf games in the past year. These games generated even more money when auctioned for the benefit of Vineyard nonprofits.

Over the past six years, the foundation’s cash and golf-game donations total more than $652,000.

To fund the foundation, each member of the Vineyard Golf Club is asked to give a minimum of $500 annually.