Is someone missing a bunch of tennis balls? Because there had to be at least 50 balls bouncing around the streets of Edgartown this weekend. I was talking to Nick Prescott, who had seen a ton of them downtown, and I said, That’s funny. I saw a few near the Stop and Shop parking lot, and didn’t think much of it. Then Alyssa Starzyk also asked about the tennis balls, and we all agreed that it was officially “A Thing.” At least, the kind of “Thing” that passes for entertainment or perhaps even performance art in our sleepy town on a frigid afternoon in January.
In other winter exercises in futility, we found ourselves stuck in the standby line in Woods Hole — or as I prefer to call it, the place where homeward-bound dreams go to die — during yet another weather event on Friday, so of course I took the time to catch up on social media, wherein I discovered the others stuck in the same proverbial pickle. Kelsey Berry had posted a pic of her slipper-shod feet, taken from the vantage of the bed she had assembled in her back seat to wait out the wind. And once we were all aboard, Dave Lawrence got to witness what happens when I am extremely past due for a nap: I believe I came up with close to 25 puns for the word “hull,” much to no one’s amusement but my own.
Also aboard the motor vessel Martha’s Vineyard was first-time ferry passenger Greyson Lucero Antik, with just about two days as a human under his belt — or diaper tabs, as the case may be. This handsome little devil was welcomed by happy moms Hadley and Ruby Antik on Jan. 6, weighing in at 7.1 pounds of absolute perfection. Looks like we’ll have another one running around the fire station, ringing the bell, while Mama Hadley is out saving lives as a paramedic. Congrats to all.
It was not only stormy weather but heavy hearts we encountered this week, as we lost a beloved part-time Edgartonian and full-time friend with the passing of Boatner Reily. I will always remember Mr. Reily for his beaming smile and booming voice, and fantastic sense of humor. As a child, he taught me the right way to eat crawfish and the “real” way to play croquet; as an adult, a fondness for Irish whiskey and an appreciation of pink wine. I loved that his reading tastes were dictated by whatever he could find on the shelves at the Dock Street Coffee Shop, and though he could have his choice of automobiles, his favorite Island car was a 1995 Ford Escort that could barely contain his tall frame. We will miss you dearly, friend, and our thoughts go out to the whole Green Hollow family.
Back by popular demand, the Martha’s Vineyard Museum is once again celebrating the faces of Martha’s Vineyard with a second “Island Faces” portrait competition in collaboration with Featherstone Center for the Arts. Three years ago, the museum held its first portrait contest, inspired by the National Portrait Gallery’s annual contest. A panel of judges from the Island’s art community will jury the competition. The winning portraits will debut in an exhibit opening at the Museum on Sept. 4, 2015. The public will once again be able to vote on a separate “People’s Choice” category, the winners of which will be featured at Featherstone beginning Nov. 8, 2015. Details and rules are available on the museum’s website:mvmuseum.org/portraitcontest.php.
As part of their new Veterans Outreach Program, Martha’s Vineyard Community Services will host a presentation on traumatic brain injury on Saturday, Jan. 31, from 10 am to 12 noon at the American Legion Post 257 in Vineyard Haven. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has become the signature injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the second session of the Martha’s Vineyard Veterans Support Series, representatives from the Home Base Program, Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, Providence VA, and SAVE (Statewide Advocacy for Veterans Empowerment) will be speaking on the signs, symptoms, and treatments available for TBI. Following the presentation there will be an expert speaker’s panel, including an interactive discussion. Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP by Jan. 23 to Julie Meader at 508-693-7900, ext. 222, or jmeader@mvcommunityservices.com.
Birthday wishes go out this week to Jill Zadeh, who celebrates Jan. 16; to Eric Klaussmann, Jan. 17; and to Barbara Morgan, Jan. 19. Have a good one, and GO PATS!
