My beloved Olympics have come to a close. In my opinion, with a few exceptions, our athletes performed admirably and showed great sportsmanship and respect for the Games, as did so many other athletes from other nations. I think that’s why I love these Games so much. Besides the obvious beauty and athleticism, the Olympics can truly capture the best in people, from Abby D’Agostino, who collided with New Zealand’s Nikki Hamblin in a race and then helped her up and encouraged her to finish the race so they could both still qualify for the finals, to U.S. Army Reserve 2nd Lieutenant and track and field athlete Sam Kendricks, who stopped his practice pole vault mid-run to stand at attention when our national anthem played for another athlete in the stadium, to Usain Bolt stopping an interview midway through to show respect for the U.S. anthem and then turning back to finish his interview. Great heroes for our youth!
The Edgartown library is trying to help families out with some extra programming during the last official week of summer, when many camps have ended. Kids’ events at the library are as follows: Hear Rick Felty discuss his books about Tabitha the One-Eyed Cat on Friday, August 26, at noon; watch a movie on the big screen in the program room on Monday, August 29, at 2:30 pm; see Trevor the Juggler who will amaze you with his talents on Tuesday, August 30, at 3 pm. Learn about pickleball, a popular sport for all ages, at the town recreation area on Wednesday, August 31, at 2:30 pm; join in a Mario Kart racing competition on the Wii machine and the big screen in the program room on Thursday, Sept. 1, at 2:30 pm; join the summer-ending Rock Out event, collecting rocks from the library lawn from 10 am to noon on Friday, Sept. 2 (rain date is Saturday, Sept. 3); watch a favorite movie on the big screen in the program room on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 2:30 pm. In the event of bad weather, outdoor activities may be rescheduled.
Don’t forget the fourth annual Pennywise Path 5K Run/Walk to the library. This USATF-sanctioned event is set for Monday, Sept. 5. Runners will gather beginning at 8 am at the library, and be shuttled by bus to the start on Pennywise Path, which runs parallel to the Vineyard Haven Road. The route winds along the path, connecting with the bike path for the last mile through town to the library. You can pick up registration forms at the library, or visit edgartownlibrary.org to register online.
While we are on the subject of the library, Doris Ward mentioned that we can still donate to the compass rose walkway that is planned outside the library. She saved some of the bricks from the old school and those, combined with some other masonry work, will commemorate the old school, walking over the old to access the new! The fundraising goal is about $10,000 and she said they are within a couple of thousand dollars of reaching the goal. Checks may be made out to the Town of Edgartown, earmarked for the Edgartown School Memorial, and dropped off at the selectmen’s office or mailed to P.O. Box 5180 in Edgartown.
Have you noticed the MV license plates popping up around the Island? These specialty plates benefit Martha’s Vineyard Community Services and other Island nonprofits that help youth and elders. Out of the 1,007 plates sold, 729 orders were placed by Martha’s Vineyard residents.
First-round applicants are receiving letters in the mail from the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) informing them that their plates are ready to be picked up. For those applicants who selected Martha’s Vineyard as their branch of choice, when you head to the RMV, you must have your letter stating your plate is ready for pickup and a Massachusetts RMV-3 form obtained from and certified by the car insurance agent. Applicants will need to know their plate number to complete this form. If the plate number is unknown, email info@mvlicenseplate.com. Applicants with leased vehicles must bring in a power-of-attorney letter from their leasing company along with the RMV-3 form and a $20 payment to RMV (cash or check only) to cover the plate-swap fee. Old plates do not need to be turned in.
In order to keep the MV plates a permanent specialty-plate option, 3,000 plates need to be sold by August 2021. The Massachusetts RMV has taken over the plate ordering process, and they will become available toward the end of September. Going forward, choosing a plate number will no longer be an option. Those interested in ordering a plate can sign up at mvlicenseplate.com to be informed when plates become available.
Massachusetts Service Alliance/Commonwealth Corps and Island Health Care Community Health Center are recruiting service members to engage the Island community in the Martha’s Vineyard Partnership for Health’s wellness and healthy living goals. Members must be Massachusetts residents, 18 years of age or older, with an interest in community advocacy and development, in keeping with the Commonwealth Corps mission. Members will serve half-time from August 29, 2016, to June 29, 2017, including training and development, with a semimonthly stipend, and assignment to specific project(s). For job description and application, contact ksamways@ihimv.org, or call 508-627-5797, ext. 114.
Enjoy the “final” week of summer. Relax a bit if you can. Get to the beach. Enjoy the eventual slowdown that will begin to take place now. And as alway, be kind to each other.