The shade is gone from my neighborhood this summer, as so many trees have been rendered leafless by the gypsy moth caterpillars. My yard has been thinned out a bit of leaves, but across the street you would think it was winter, as all you see are bare limbs and no cooling green foliage. However, last Wednesday was a different story when I, along with two high school chums, Harriet Otteson and Sarah Shepard, and our friend Katharine Colon, rode up-Island to enjoy lunch at the Galley. We enjoyed the scenery along the way, including stone walls, colorful flower beds, grazing animals, and the shade of the trees proudly sporting their green leaves along the sides of the roads and among the meadows. Hopefully the trees harmed by the invasion of those hungry caterpillars will recover and bloom abundantly next spring. The drought continues in spite of last week’s rainstorms, and even with the assistance of lawn sprinkler systems, many lawns are suffering from the lack of adequate water.
So sorry, but the info I entered in my column last week about the Featherstone House Tour fundraiser was a month too late. The fundraiser had already been held on June 15. My apologies for anyone inconvenienced by my error.
Two important events are coming up this month to help raise money for the program that houses the homeless during the winter months. On Saturday, July 9, a classical piano concert by Charles Whitehead will be held at the Whaling Church. It is sponsored by the All Island Clergy and Hospitality Homes. There will be a silent auction beginning at 7 pm, and the concert starts at 8 pm. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Call 210-391-8299 for ticket info.
An evening of jazz by Charles Whitehead will be held at 1 Sengekontacket Road on Sunday, July 10. The suggested donation is $25. Call 210-391-8299 to reserve tickets.
The library once again has so many programs scheduled, I think it would be impossible to see all of them. Island siblings Susanna and Duncan Caldwell will be displaying their art all month in the meeting room. Refreshments will be served at a reception on Friday, July 8, from 6 to 8 pm.
Friday, July 8, is also date of the Tisbury Street Fair, so our friends at Grace Church in Vineyard Haven want to let us know about the change in hours for their lobster roll sales for that Friday only. The rolls will be sold from 1 to 6 pm instead of the usual 4 to 7:30 pm.
A free concert at the Oak Bluffs library is scheduled for Wednesday, July 13. The rock band Martha’s Vineyard Ferries, which contains local guitarist Elisha Wiesner (of the band Kahoots), will play a free concert at the library at 6 pm. It will be for all ages, but loud. A series of book- and comic-related classes, taught bilingually in English and Portuguese, starts on July 14 with “DIY Bookbinding: Staples and Stitches” from 6:30 to 7 pm. “Book and Comic Making for Kids” is July 15 from 10 to 11 am, and for young adults it’s also on the 15th from 2 to 4 pm. All these classes are free.
On July 12 there will be a Tuesday at Twilight concert at the Grange Hall in West Tisbury featuring Nina Violet and Friends. The concert is sponsored by the West Tisbury Library Foundation. All proceeds go to the West Tisbury Free Public Library.
The United Methodist Church of Martha’s Vineyard welcomed a new pastor, the Reverend Roberta I. Williams, to their congregation on Sunday, July 3. She is a native of Brookline, and most recently served in Wellfleet.
The Lagoon Pond Association will hold its annual meeting on Saturday, July 9, from 9 to 11 am at the Sailing Camp Park on Barnes Road. The meeting will include discussion with Oak Bluffs town officials about what can be done to protect the Lagoon. Gail Barmakian, chairman of the Oak Bluffs board of selectmen and head of the town’s wastewater committee, and Dave Grunden, shellfish constable, will be there to answer questions and give updates about what’s being done to help maintain water quality of the Lagoon. The meeting is free and open to all.
We send birthday smiles to Hope deBettencourt, Fronzee Conlin, and Josh Correllus on the 10th, Colleen Farrissey on the 11th, Lauren Weaver and Jeff LaBell on the 13th, and David DeBettencourt on July 14.
Summer is here with its crowds of people, cars, mopeds, bikes, and pedestrians. So let’s be patient as much as we can, and be on the lookout for others who may have lost their patience. Stay safe, everyone, and enjoy your week. Peace.