Edgartown: Back to school excitement

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What an amazing weekend weatherwise to celebrate another Vineyard summer on the books. In fact, I really think a shout-out to Mother Nature is in order for providing abundant sunshine and blue skies all summer long. Perhaps the lawns would have appreciated a little soak now and then, but let’s not get too technical here. I can tell you one plant that hasn’t seemed to be stymied by the lack of water, and that is ragweed. If only I could stop sneezing long enough to get this column written!

So all the little lovelies are back in school, and I have the Facebook feed filled with back-to-school photos to prove it. So much time and thought went into the first major decision of the 2015 school year: what to wear! Well, everyone certainly seems to be going back through the double doors in style this year. Now it’s time to coordinate some stellar thinking caps and get to the learning.

There are many folks with one thing on their minds now that the big holiday weekend has passed, and that of course is Derby season! The 70th annual Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby will ring the opening bell this Sunday, Sept. 13, at 12:01 am, and for the next four weeks, the weigh-in station at the bottom of Main Street will become the social hub of our town. So grab your rods and give those albies hell, or else grab an ice cream cone and meet me at weigh-in to watch those pros with the filet knifes go to town on the catches of the day. Derby registration is open at Island tackle shops during the Derby. Visit mvderby.com for information on special events, and to keep an eye on the leaderboard. Good luck, fisherpeople!

Hey links lovers, don’t put those clubs away quite yet: The Edgartown Firefighter’s Association will hold its annual golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 26, with rounds beginning at 8 am and 1 pm. Call Kathy at the Edgartown Golf Club to register your team of four: 508-627-5343. The tournament will benefit the scholarship fund for graduating Edgartown seniors.

Island and seafaring life in 19th century Massachusetts was widely documented by 3D photographers whose work has now been digitized, and thanks to the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, you can check out these photos in the exhibit “From Martha’s Vineyard to the Shore in 19th Century 3D Stereoviews” on Friday, Sept. 11, at 7 pm at the Katharine Cornell Theatre in Vineyard Haven. Dr. Bernard P. Fishman of Photoarchive3D will present a collection of historical stereoviews of Martha’s Vineyard, New England, and the world that capture what life from 1855 to the present was like. Complimentary 3D glasses will be provided for all who attend. Visit mvmuseum.org for more info.

Another out-of-town happening for you cinephiles will take place at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center, as the 10th annual Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival kicks off with an opening-night party, Thursday, Sept. 10, at 5:30 pm, that will light up the shores of Ferry Boat Pond at Tisbury Marketplace. The three days between the opening- and closing-night galas are packed with dozens of films — documentaries, dramas, and comedies — from around the globe.

Saturday, short films are the focus, with two popular forums returning. In the afternoon, animator Signe Baumane presents a curated collection of short animations from around the globe. Saturday evening is the juried International Shorts film competition. An astounding 2,000 entries were vetted for this year’s contest, and the 10 finalists will be screened and the winner of the $1,000 grand prize announced. Check out mvfilmsociety.com for info and schedules.

Birthday wishes go out this week to Emily Brown, who celebrates Sept. 10; to Bill Jacob, Sept. 13; to Sydney Mullen, Sept. 15; and to Bonnie Kingsbury, Sept. 16.