Belated 95th birthday wishes go to Dorothy White. She was a schoolteacher at the Edgartown School and the first kindergarten teacher in Oak Bluffs in 1955. Mrs. White can still hum a good tune, and loves music as she has for 95 years; it is in her soul. You may remember Mrs. White as the teacher who taught you to read. She rightly believes that reading is the basis of all education. Treasure your memories. Think kind thoughts of all those teachers who helped you along the way. I do remember many good ones and a few who were very special as well.
Get well wishes to Pauline Sylvia and Helen Alwardt. Hope you are both soon feeling much better.
Grace Church asked me to remind you that the community supper is served tomorrow night from 5 to 6:30 pm. The meal will be hot, nutritious, and family-friendly. Free. All are welcome. More at 508-693-0332.
Never mind spring cleaning. Try a New Year’s cleaning. That is the only way I find I can put Christmas away properly. I recently discovered I have a number of books to pass on, and just in time. The Library Friends of Oak Bluffs have a book drive this Saturday, from 12:30 to 2:30. See you there.
The Rev. Bill Clark will touch on the topic of Black Lives Matter next Sunday at 11 am at the Unitarian Church. You are invited to honor and celebrate Dr. King and examine this issue. The church is just past the Vineyard Haven library on Main Street. All are welcome.
This weather has simply been too much. We live on a dirt road off a dirt road. Fortunately, ours is not too heavily traveled. But the electric company right-of-way seemed a grand collection of the Great Lakes after Christmas. Then some kind soul smoothed out the bumps and puddles so that it was just fine for a few days. There is a lot of traffic, with heavy truck traffic as well. That means it only takes a day or two for the damp road being churned up to turn into what looks like an obstacle course. I do hope our kind soul will be back soon. Last week’s heavy rain has created another horrible mess. Don’t tell me we needed it. You probably live on a paved road. It never occurred to me to consider such things as dirt roads and streetlights until we moved back here 30 years ago.
A good Island friend now in Florida thought of our weather and mailed me a lovely box of books. She has found some good simple mysteries by Emily Brightwell that are soothing to read. These cozy English puzzles, similar to Agatha Christie’s work, present wonderful characters “downstairs” who help the Scotland Yard inspector “upstairs” solve the crimes. I had never heard of Mrs. Jeffries, the housekeeper who leads the group. Now I am a devoted fan.
ACE MV classes begin Sunday. A wide range of classes includes “Shipwrecks” (the history of ships sunk off our Island), “Graphic Designs for Small Businesses,” and “EMT Training.” Sign up at acemv.org.
The West Tisbury library is offering a class on dried flower arranging next Tuesday. Call for more information.
A week from Sunday, from 2 to 4 pm, is the first “Sunday Crafting” class at the MVCS Thrift Shop at Chicken Alley. Space is limited. Sign-up is required: Anna Marie D’Addarie at 508-693-2278 or chickenalleythriftshop@gmail.com. Learn how to turn an old sweater into a comfy bed for your cat or dog. There is a $5 materials fee.
Happy anniversary to Featherstone. They are celebrating their 20th year and have just produced a full new schedule of educational and artistic events coming up this year. I used to take writing classes there, dipping my toe into the introductory shallow waters of such things like poetry and playwriting. It is fun to run occasionally into a student met years ago now presenting his play in Boston or publishing her poems.
The writing group that now meets at the Oak Bluffs library on Thursday mornings invites interested Islanders to join in. Drop in on the second or fourth Thursday of the month at 10 am.
Big bunches of birthday balloon wishes go out today to Tyler Paulson. Chuck Downing parties on Sunday. Wish the best on Monday to Steve Soriano. Lots of chocolate-covered wishes go out to Patti Linn on Tuesday.
Heard on Main Street: You can celebrate Benjamin Franklin’s birthday on Sunday — fly a kite.