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Oak Bluffs Town Column
Did you miss me last week? My Internet connection failed on Monday, so I was unable to send my column. However, thanks to the good techs at Verizon, I was back on in just one day. Not only did they schedule a tech to come to my house between 8 am and noon, but he actually arrived a little after eight. Good service, I say.
Congratulations to Linda and Eddie BenDavid on the birth of another grandchild. Nathaniel James BenDavid first greeted this world on Feb. 22. He was welcomed by his parents Aaron and Debby BenDavid, big brother Evan Christopher all of Groveland, Fla., and his maternal grandparents Doug and Diane Gordon.
The Act of Random Kindness award goes to Rick and Pat Kelley and daughter Shelagh. If it were not for Shelagh's keen hearing and persistence in searching for the source of the cries she heard, the rescue of a near drowning victim by this family might have ended in tragedy.
The Oak Bluffs School staff practiced their first lock-down drill on Feb. 15. The drill was done without the students but in the future, they will be practicing this drill while school is in session. The school administration will send a letter to parents giving them more details when a date is decided. Police Chief Blake and his officers were there to assist in the drill and were very pleased with the results.
We send birthday smiles to Kaitlin Marchand, Rita Jeffers, and Karla Martel who celebrated on Feb. 22, Melanie Marchand and Kristen MacLean on Feb. 23, and Earl Peters on Feb. 27. Heather Ferreira will party on March 2, followed by sister Alison Ferreira on March 4.
And take time to wish a special lady a happy 96th birthday. Elizabeth Alley will be celebrating on March 1. Friends and relatives are invited to stop by her house on Vineyard Avenue on Saturday from 12 noon until 3 pm to extend good wishes to her.
On Thursday, March 6, at 6 pm, the Oak Bluffs library will be showing a new DVD release on their big screen. Popcorn and soda will be served. Please call the library for more information at 508-693-9433.
Today is Guitar Hero and DDR for ages 10-18 at the library. Then tomorrow at the age 6-11 story time, it will be happy leap day and bird feeding month. Children will make peanut butter, birdseed, and pine cone bird feeders. If you are allergic, you can color a picture instead. The Wednesday, March 5, pre-school story time at 10:30 am will have stories and crafts with a March "comes in like a lion and out like a lamb theme."
Robyn Gurney is the Title 1 Parent Coordinator for the public schools and wishes to inform everyone of two up-coming workshops that are open to parents. On Monday, March 10 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm in the Megan B. Alley Community Room at the school the workshop titled "MCAS: What is it and why is it important?" will be offered. On Wednesday, April 2 at 7 pm the workshop will be "Handling Homework Horrors." This will be held in the MVRHS library conference room.
Doreen Anderson recently completed her studies at Goddard College's Health Arts and Sciences Program and earned her BA degree. Her focus of study was Integrative Nutrition. This was no easy task as she continued to work while traveling back and forth to college. Her husband William Anderson Jr. and her three sons, Matt and David Stamas and Billy are justifiably very proud of her accomplishment.
Nana the black Lab was the mother of my yellow Lab Sophie and she came to live with us when she was ten, due to the fact that my daughter, her owner, found that rarest of treasures on this Island: a year-round rental. Of course attached to this rental was the No Pets Allowed clause. So, because I have a heart as hard as butter, Nana was added to our family. Now you have to understand that unlike Sophie who was spoiled as an only child, Nana was a streetwise dog that was raised with three rough and tumble boys who were 5, 6, and 12 when she became their pet. Her happiest moments were spent chasing "her boys" on their bikes or playing ball or just hanging out with them. She was so tough she even survived being hit by a car and being stuck under it until neighbors Joe and Allan deBettencourt heard her yelps and her boys' cries and came out and lifted the car off of her. With a shake of her head and a slight limp she was off again looking for her boys. On Friday last, Nana slipped on the stairs while we were going for a walk and dislocated her hip. Surgery and a long recovery period does not work well for a 14-year-old Lab, so sadly it was time to say goodbye. Her boys, now men of 19, 20 and 26, their parents, Sophie and myself all have an empty spot in our hearts where she used to be.
Peace.
