While packing the car for a family vacation early in his college years, Dave Tuminaro spotted a skunk in distress. The animal had gotten its head stuck inside an empty yogurt container while attempting to lick the carton clean. He sprang into action, hoping to free the distressed skunk without triggering its defensive spray. The creature was unwilling to cooperate, though, and raised its tail each time it heard the would-be rescuer approach.

It may come as a surprise to some that growing up on an Island does not always ensure access to sailing. The water is always within reach, but there have long been socio-economic barriers to Island kids interested in learning the sport.

In the early 1990s, a group of Edgartown residents teamed up to tackle the problem. Nancy Hoffman and the late Nancy Haskell spearheaded the effort to found Sail Martha’s Vineyard (now known as Sail MV), a program dedicated to helping Island kids gain access to affordable sailing instruction.

or the first time in its nearly 40-year history on the Island, the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society will open its summer concert series by offering free admission to the first two shows. The series is a gift from Sam Feldman to Vineyard music lovers in honor of his late wife Gretchen. The performances of William DeRosa and Friends on Monday night at the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown, and on Tuesday at the Chilmark Community Center will be open to the public free of charge.

As filmmaker Roman Polanski once said: “Cinema should make you forget you are sitting in a theatre.” He clearly never saw a film screened at the Tabernacle. As riveting as the movie may be, it would be next to impossible not to appreciate the open-air theatre in which it was shown.

The Fourth brought eager Islanders out in full force on Saturday, ready to bid farewell to a rainy June and dive headfirst into the fun and sun that should characterize a Vineyard summer. It was a celebration of our nation’s birthday, and Edgartown proved that it still knows how to throw a great party.

Waiting spectators lined the streets, politely vying for front-row curb space along the parade route to catch the best view of the Island’s legendary Independence Day procession.