The Island Grown Initiative, the nonprofit farm and sustainability network, announced an $800,000 capital campaign this week to build the Vineyard’s first U.S. Department of Agriculture permitted slaughterhouse.

In an interview with the Gazette this week, IGI president Sarah McKay and Island Grown Meat coordinator Richard Andre said the organization is considering two locations for a 3,500 square foot facility – Thimble Farm or behind the new barn at the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society in West Tisbury.

At a meeting marked by emotional exchanges between neighbors, the Chilmark zoning board of appeals voted unanimously this week to uphold the town building inspector’s decision to allow a large house compound on Nashaquitsa Pond.

It had been 62 years since Cynthia Riggs had heard from Howard Attebery. The two had worked together during the summer of 1950 at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, sorting and counting plankton at the San Diego laboratory. At 18 years old, Ms. Riggs was a long way from her home in West Tisbury. It was the first time she had ever travelled to the West Coast but she was eager to emerge herself in scientific life.

The Gay Head Light, the beacon of light at the furthest end of the Island overlooking the historic clay cliffs, is likely to be put up to bid by the federal government sometime in the next year, the Martha’s Vineyard Museum confirmed this week. The disposition of the lighthouse follows the announcement by the GSA that it was looking to transfer ownership of 12 historic lighthouses.

Paul Karasik walked into the West Tisbury Free Public Library late last Saturday afternoon looking for a gong. At the same time library director Beth Kramer was busy helping someone fill out a passport application. Lisa Nivala and her daughter Karinne were looking for their favorite book in the children’s section.