Martha’s Vineyard Community Notes

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Greg Orcutt to be honored with the Spirit of the Vineyard Award

This year’s Spirit of the Vineyard Award will be presented to Greg Orcutt on Wednesday, November 14, at The Grill on Main in Edgartown from 4-6 pm.

Sponsored by Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard, the award “recognizes and honors members of the Vineyard community for the depth and breadth of their volunteer efforts on the Island.” Mr. Orcutt will join a group of previous winners that includes Kerry Alley, Dorothy Bangs, Emily Bramhall, Polly Brown, Melinda Loberg, Ron Rappaport, Judy Williamson, and Denys and Marilyn Wortman.

Mr. Orcutt “truly embodies exactly what the Spirit of the Vineyard Award is all about,” according to a statement from the selection committee. “This is the story of a native Vineyarder who has contributed so much of his time and energy to make the Island a better place for all who live here…and he has done it quietly, in an ‘under the radar’ manner, seeing a need and stepping up to help meet that need.”

The presentation is open to the public. There will be a cash bar and refreshments will be served.

Please help, Family to Family

The Family to Family Holiday Meals Program, which provides holiday meals to distressed families and is distributed through the Serving Hands Food Distribution at the First Baptist Church in Vineyard Haven, is again asking for help. For more than 8 years, the good people of Martha’s Vineyard (with the help of generous off-Island friends) have come together to help make sure that all families on our Island can celebrate our most special holidays with a healthy, traditional meal. The tradition will continue in 2012. But it is endangered.

“Thanksgiving approaches,” Betty Burton writes, “winter will follow, and these are hard times. So hard, in fact, that the Family to Family program is only now paying the last of the due bill from our spring meal distribution last April. Our bank account is basically empty. We actually considered not having a Thanksgiving distribution this year. But based on past experience, and the incredible support from the Pacheco family at Reliable Market in Oak Bluffs, who supply us, we are carrying on as usual. The Thanksgiving distribution will take place on the week before Thanksgiving. And we expect to make a Christmas distribution as well, on December 21.

“But we’re broke. Obviously we need your support if this tradition is to continue. We earnestly ask you to help us if you can.

“Please join our Family to Family Program to help ensure that all Island families in need will have a great Thanksgiving meal and a great Christmas meal. You can sponsor one family by contributing the cost of one meal basket, $25. All money goes to provide food. The First Baptist Church provides the use of its Parish House without charge, and all of our workers are unpaid volunteers.

“Last Thanksgiving we gave out 179 meals to over 400 individuals, including 90 children. We gave out over 6000 pounds of food. The Island Grown Gleaners, Morning Glory Farm and Whippoorwill Farm contributed extra produce so families went home with lots of nutritious food.”

Donate to Vineyard Committee on Hunger (VCOH), and indicate on the memo line that your contribution is for the Family-to-Family Program. The VCOH is a registered 501 c charity and contributions are tax-deductible. Mail to VCOH, PO Box 4685, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568)

Introduction to simplicity parenting This workshop, on Friday November 9, 6 to 8:30 pm, at Co-Housing, Stony Hill Road, West Tisbury, is about Kim John Payne’s principles on parenting. He is the author of “Simplicity Parenting” and “The Soul of Discipline.” His work is intended to guide caregivers, parents and teachers by using the extraordinary power of less to raise calmer, happier, and more secure children. Presenters will be Janice Leary-Jones and Daniel Jones from the Waldorf School of Cape Cod. They have trained with Kim John Payne to go out into communities like ours to speak about simplicity parenting, creative discipline, simplifying the home, and many other great topics. Admission is $7. Contact 508-696-7701 for information.

Appraisal day at MV Museum

Three experts from Skinner, the noted auction house, Karen Keene, CEO, Stephen Fletcher, Executive Vice President and Director of American Furniture and Decorative Arts, and Judith Dowling, Director of Asian Works of Art, will be in the Martha’s Vineyard Museum Library on Saturday, December 1, to evaluate the public’s prized objects and collectibles. Skinner may consign items with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the Museum, according to a press release.

Museum officials encourage the public to bring any Chinese, Korean, Indian, and Japanese artwork and antiques they may have, including fine calligraphy, rare jade, furniture, decorative arts, and contemporary Chinese art to Appraisal Day as Asian Art specialist Judith Dowling will be on hand to evaluate such items.

Reservations are required for all appraisals. Museum members may begin making reservations on Monday, November 5. Non-member reservations can be made beginning Tuesday, November 13. Each individual is allowed to bring up to three items for appraisal.

Appraisals are $15 for one item or $40 for three items. To make a reservation, call Jessica Barker at the Museum, 508-627-4441, ext. 117 or email jbarker@mvmuseum.org.