Edgartown

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There is no going back now, folks. The Fourth has passed, and the season is in full swing. Barbecues, beach days, sunshine, ice cream, boats, coolers, running through the sprinkler — welcome to the long, lazy days of summer, summer, summer.

The first day of July marked the second birthday of my nephew, Andrew Smith. Andrew had a tough go of it in his first year of life, so celebrating another year of having this smiley, ridiculously funny, curly mopped kid in our lives is pretty awesome. The Betz and Dolby cousins were there to help him celebrate, along with some of his best buds: Glen Searle, Eric Chase, and John Costa.

Ed is back! Those of us on Jernegan Pond Road anticipate with glee the day our friend and neighbor, Ed Gargan, makes his annual appearance from China. Ed’s porch, conveniently located in the center of our ‘hood, becomes a meeting place from the second he touches down on Vineyard soil, and his revolving cast of summer guests from points the world over provide a salon for discourse, entertainment, and delicious face-stuffing. This past weekend it was Irwin, health care, and crème brulée. Who knows what this week will bring.

Jim Butterick has sent a report on the goings-on of the Federated Church choir. In April, the Touring Choir (most of the regular choir members and some guest singers) did an 11-day tour of Northern Italy, sight-seeing and singing during church masses. Stops along the way included a 20th-century church in Mestre, St. Anthony’s Basilica in Padua, Montecatini Terme, and an ancient cathedral in Florence last renovated in the 12th century. The Federated Church Touring Choir will duplicate the services on July 8th at the Federated Church in Edgartown. They will sing the prelude, perform anthems during the service, and will conclude with a short concert of sacred music. The service begins at 10:30 and the concert will begin at about 11:30. There will be a reception afterward where enthusiastic choristers will share memories of the trip and show pictures of the tour.

The opening concerts of the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society’s 2012 Summer Festival will take place Monday, July 9, in Edgartown’s Whaling Church and Tuesday, July 10, in Chilmark’s Community Center; both concerts begin at 8 pm. And they are both free, thanks to Chilmark’s Feldman family who have dedicated the concerts to the memory of Gretchen Feldman, the late wife of Samuel Feldman. Gretchen was a distinguished artist and active supporter of MVCMS over the years.

The vibrant, imaginative and moving art of Gretchen Feldman is currently on exhibition at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore through January. For ticket information for the 2012 MVCMS Summer Music Festival call 508-696-8055 or go to TicketsMV.com.

Birthday wishes go out July 5th to Tina Humber-Floyd and Danielle Willett. July 9th, we send out cake and ice cream to Jonathan Laird, July 10th to Morgan Olson, and July 12th to Annie Sylvia. Have a good one, guys!

Finally, I’d like to say thank you to my gramp, Ted Morgan, for the forty-plus years he has organized and led the Fourth of July parade with the gusto of 76 trombones and 110 coronets. Great job, Gramp. Hats off to you.