Edgartown: We all love fall, don't we?

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It really is a bittersweet time of year. It’s nice to be able to get around a little more easily now that the crowds are dying down. The package slips at the post office aren’t quite as dreaded as they were mere days ago. Early mornings are just a little bit cooler, and evenings as well. Spiral-bound notebooks, pink erasers, and freshly sharpened pencils are at the ready, waiting in crisp new backpacks for the yellow buses to show up, scooting everyone off to a new year of adventures and knowledge-seeking and ample mischief. We all love the fall, don’t we? But it is always sad to see the summer slip away.

I’d like to send a shoutout to our own K9 officer, Buster, and his human partner, Jeff Trudel, in coming to the aid of the Oak Bluffs police in the search for a missing 3-year-old girl, who wandered away from her summer digs last week, much to everyone’s terror and stress. Jeff and Buster, a 5-year-old black Lab, found the child on an overgrown path near her house in the Bayes Hill section of Oak Bluffs, and returned her safely to her family. Extra ears scratches and belly rubs for you, my furry friend.

Did you know there are Edgartown walking tours three times a week? This is the last week of this summer’s tour schedule, so go brush up on your Etown history Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday, beginning at the Old Whaling Church at 9 am, with the final tour slated for Sept. 5.

A knowledgeable guide will lead you down the narrow brick paths, through Edgartown’s past and into modern times. Learn about the evolution of Edgartown from a colonial settlement to busy whaling port. Then chart the town’s progress through “downtown Amity” of “Jaws” fame and into the popular summer resort community of today. Tours are approximately 75 minutes in length, and include sites of historic significance such as the old churches of Edgartown, the Dr. Daniel Fisher House and many whaling captain’s homes, the Lucy Vincent House, the landing site of Thomas Mayhew, and the Pagoda Tree. The tour also includes notable “downtown Amity” filming locations from the movie “Jaws” and local anecdotes, and an overview of Edgartown’s evolution from colonial settlement to whaling port, to a modern yachting and tourism resort. For more info and reservations, call 508-499-TOUR (8687).

Director and playwright James Lapine returns to Vineyard Arts Project Thursday, August 27, from 7 to 9 pm, where he previously developed his Broadway play “Act One.” His new musical, “Flying Over Sunset” is set in Los Angeles in the mid-1950s, where actor Cary Grant, screenwriter Clare Boothe Luce, and author Aldous Huxley embark on a journey of self-awareness as they come together in an LSD salon. Their “trip” is at times hilarious, magical, sexual, profound, scary — and true, based as it is on factual accounts of the era. Visit vineyardartsproject.org for more info and tickets.

The Edgartown Library Opera Club will offer a “listening class” led by Susan Grunthal of the Taconic Opera, Sunday, August 30, at 1 pm. In “The Art of the Voice,” Susan spends four sessions discussing the different types of voices and the roles they are most suited to sing, beginning with the soprano, and playing wonderful examples of the coloratura, lyric, dramatic, spinto, and others. In other sessions, she’ll cover the mezzos, contraltos, tenors, baritones and basses.

Although it’s over four sessions, it’s perfectly fine if you only can make it to one or two. In addition to the class Sunday, August 30, the three other sessions will meet Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 6:30 pm; Sunday, Sept. 6, at 1 pm; and Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 6:30 pm. Please note this is an adult program.

Everyone likes a little sip-and-shop, so go check out some cool Vineyard-made wares Tuesday, Sept. 1, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. The Wave Bar will continue its series of trunk shows that feature local artisans and jewelry makers with a Rebeccah J pop-up show, featuring Rebbecah’s awesome handmade leather goods, including bracelets, wallets, and earrings. Celebrate the last weeks of summer with some great new handmade accessories

Birthday wishes go out this week to Emily Weedon, who celebrates August 27; to Randy Walpole, August 28; to David Vaughan, August 29; to Daniel Carbon, August 30; and to Joanne Brine, Sept. 1.