Tisbury

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Ray and Carol Pearson and their seven-year-old grandson, Gabriel Elisha Hastings, are visiting Carol’s father and Gabriel’s great-grandfather Elisha Smith and his wife, Denise, this week. Gabriel is excited to be returning to visit Grampa Great and Grammy Denise and to help out at the farm. The Pearsons live in Hart, Mich., and Gabe lives with his mom Jodi in South Lyon, Michigan.

Kudos to the Steamship Authority: The new ferry schedule is smaller so that it fits nicely in your wallet. The green one lists the three spring schedules including boats into Oak Bluffs from May 23 through June 22. Thank you, SSA!

I love the basketball excitement in March, but I dread the beginning of the games. Usually the singer isn’t at all sure what the national anthem is and never comes near to the tune. This time it was a real pleasure to hear Yolanda Adams sing at the beginning of the men’s Final Four. She sang beautifully and deserved all the cheering she received from the crowd. It was a pretty good game, too.

Don’t forget to go to town meeting on Tuesday night at 7 pm at the Tisbury School.

On Wednesday the libraries on Martha’s Vineyard will join libraries across the nation to provide a snapshot of what happens in a day in the life of a library. How many books are checked out? How many people get help finding a job? Doing their taxes? Doing their homework? During Snapshot Day, the library will collect data and photos that help demonstrate the value of libraries, showing that libraries are busier than ever.

Everyone can participate in National Library Snapshot Day just by doing their regular library business, using the Internet, checking out books, doing research, or attending a program. Director Amy Ryan says that programs next Wednesday at the Vineyard Haven Library include a movie for children ages 6 and up at 1 pm, Wii games for “Tweens” (ages 8-11) at 3 pm. A lecture about Island artist Captain John J. Ivory has been postponed until April 20.

Busy days are the norm at libraries across our state, where libraries have experienced a dramatic rise in usage. The Commonwealth has reduced library support by 39 percent although libraries are seeing a 50 percent increase in library use.

As you know our library sells those wonderful bags good for books or groceries. These are bags for people who care. Did you ever stop to think why this is a good thing for our world? Just 14 plastic bags contain enough petroleum to drive a car a mile. Americans throw away about 380 billion plastic bags a year. In manufacturing, paper bags emit 50 percent more global warming gases than plastic bags. Paper bags do not biodegrade in landfills. Save the world one bag at a time. See www.1bagatatime.com

Ever notice that the bags sold at Trader Joe’s have a tag that says, “I used to be a plastic bottle.”

A few people on the ferry were discussing the dimensions of the ideal front porch. Suddenly one man declared, “That’s why we don’t know our neighbors. People used to sit on their porches. TV is part of the problem. But the real reason is that no one sits out on the front porch anymore.”

Meet artists in business on the Island this Thursday from 6 to 8 pm at Featherstone. Today’s world demands artists use business tools to be successful. A panel discussion with four successful artists will talk about having mastered these tools. The panelists are Nancy Shaw Cramer, Elizabeth Whelan, Jennifer McCurdy, and Patrick Phillips. You must register ahead at www.mvwomensnetwork.org

Happy anniversary on Sunday to Donna and Ed Herczeg.

Big bunches of birthday balloon wishes go out on Tuesday to Jerry Tilton. Wednesday is a special day for Debbie Eggers and Allan M. Davey.

Heard on Main Street: Remember when cars had hood ornaments?