There was quite a crowd attending Beth Toomey’s retirement party at the Ag Hall last Saturday night. Lots of speeches, lots of hugs and tears, lots of memories. It was a wonderful party. Thanks to everyone who worked to make it the special evening it was. Thanks, too, to Beth for the past 16 years. You have served West Tisbury well, as chief of police, as friend, as confidante, and as neighbor. As you and Ben begin this next chapter, we all wish you well.
Pat Waring and I were talking about the last time we were at the Ag Hall, for Danny Prowten’s memorial gathering. Pat was saying how grateful she and Diana were for all the kindness and support they were shown throughout that day. Although the food was bountiful, because of the nature of the day, Pat was unable to eat a thing until someone came up and handed her a plate. It held a piece of chocolate cake. It was late afternoon by then, and the taste of that chocolate cake was something memorable, now woven into the fabric of the day. If the person who made it would share the recipe with Pat, it would forever be celebrated as Danny Prowten’s Remembrance Chocolate Cake.
Pat also asks that whoever is missing a round glass serving plate please call her. She has it.
May 6 was a big day for the Atwood family. Tristan Atwood (MVRHS 2006) graduated from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor of Environmental Design degree, emphasis in architecture. He was on the dean’s list throughout. Following the ceremony, the family held a party at The Old Corral in Centennial, Wyoming. Steve is sentimental about the old gold mining town of Centennial, population 37. It was the site of his graduation party from the University of Wyoming in 1975. Tristan will be moving back to the Island.
In an update from last week’s column, Sue Hruby and Jared Hull saw the western tanager in Sue’s yard on Tiasquam Road, behind Dick Burt and Nancy Cramer’s. Later in the week, Sue and Nancy ran into each other and asked the same question, “What were you feeding it?” The bird had been spotted only once in each yard, so suspicion was that better birdseed had lured it to remain in the other spot. Not so.
Congratulations to John Hough, writer extraordinaire. John’s latest novel, “Seen the Glory,” has won the American Library Association’s 2010 W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction. The award honors the best fiction set in a period when the United States was at war and recognizes the service of American veterans and military personnel. The award will be presented at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on June 29.
Paddy Moore reports that two upcoming community forums will consider the Island’s most pressing health needs. The first will be held at the Howes House on Tuesday, May 18, at 7 pm. The second is scheduled for Thursday, May 20, 7 pm, at the Vineyard Haven library. Both are a result of our hospital’s expansion, which triggered a state requirement that a percentage of the project’s total cost be donated to community health initiatives. Over $1,000,000 will be available as grants. To find out more, attend one or both of the forums or take a survey online. In English: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/M7KR3D2. In Portuguese: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MCPLRKM.
The West Tisbury library will hold its second community forum Wednesday, May 19, at 7 pm. All are welcome to attend and to share your ideas about the future of our library.
On May 20, from 6 to 9 pm, come to the Ag Hall for Slow Food’s potluck dinner and learn about the Martha’s Vineyard Permaculture Guild. Bring a potluck dish to share, your own place setting, and drinks. Free for Slow Food members, $5 donation for others.
Thirty-two young Islanders have been nominated as delegates for Martha’s Vineyard Youth Leadership Initiative/Stone Soup Leadership Institute. They are: Amoy Anderson, Delmont Araujo, Rebecca Barbosa, Ana Carvalho, JeVaughn Crooks, Jonathan Dimos, Evan Hall, Emma Ryan Hall-Bilsback, Anna Zen Hughes, Randall Jette, Kayla Johnson, Dwight Kaeka, Rafael Maciel, Alyssa Mayhew, Zee McBride, Meagan McDonough, Grant Meacham, Max Moreis, Alex Nugent, Ruth Oliveria, Anthony Piland, Chris Pitt, Gylezelle Rodrigues, Livia Sampaio, Edgar Sanchez, Sarah Swift, Ben Syslo, Oscar Thompson, Gracie Vanderhoop, Mary Vogel, Jordan Wallace, and Lisa Wilson. Congratulations to you all.
My brother, Andrew Graham, has been growing his hair for the last three years, a project called Locks for Love. At the end of this month he plans to have his head shaved. His long, curly, gray hair will be matched and made into a wig for a cancer patient. There is a website where anyone can donate money to this: http://www.stbaldricks.org?participants/mypage/participantid/407863.
Lindsay Lehman is walking in honor of her mother, Brenda, in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Help support her at www.avonwalk.org/goto/BrendasDaughter.
Under unintended consequences, as a result of Cronig’s curtailing use of their paper bags, the Friends of the Library face a crisis. Long reliant on those bags with handles, they are hoping to stockpile a supply for the future. Please drop off as many as you can spare at the WT library. Thanks.
