Happy April. I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. Our kids are 15, 17, and 18, and they still enjoyed an Easter egg hunt out in the yard. I have to admit, the Easter baskets have changed over the years. Gone are the stuffed animals. And the candy was minimal this year as well. In their place were gift cards for the kids to buy what they need. Did we take the easy way out? We had three happy kids so, even if we cheated a bit, we succeeded.
Happy birthday wishes go out to Carla Cooper, who celebrated on March 31.
I sure have been hearing a lot of positive feedback about the SeaStreak running this past week or so, transporting foot passengers back and forth to Woods Hole. I didn’t have the pleasure of the experience firsthand but my cousins did travel that way over the weekend, and enjoyed the speed of the trip immensely. The Martha’s Vineyard seems to be back up and running consistently, but the Woods Hole and Island Home are still down for the count. As such, the SeaStreak will run until Wednesday this week.
My condolences go out to the family of Judy Norton. I grew up with the Norton kids, Melissa, Mark, and Rachel, and years later worked with Allen, whom I adore. Judy was perhaps one of the most faithful people I’ve ever met, and she relied on that faith while she battled her illness. Her optimism and strength during that time were remarkable, and I don’t think that it is a coincidence that she left this earth around Easter. My thoughts are with the family at this time.
Mass Audubon, the state’s largest nature conservation nonprofit, will hold its 35th annual Bird-a-Thon fundraiser, starting at 6 pm on Friday, May 11, through 6 pm on Saturday, May 12. During this event, birding teams across the state will compete to see or hear the most bird species in 24 hours. Locally, birders and fundraisers will compete to raise money for Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary. To learn more about how to get involved in this fun competition, contact Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary team captain Dani deRuyter at 508-627-4850, or dderuyter@massaudubon.org. If you cannot participate this year, but would like to support the team, donations can be made online at .massaudubon.org/birdathon, by calling the sanctuary at 508-627-4850, or by mail to P.O. Box 494 Vineyard Haven, MA 02568.
Don’t forget the Minnesingers’ reunion, coming up in May. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Minnesingers’ founding, and they are celebrating with a reunion of all former Minnesingers, along with this year’s Minnesingers, in the spring concerts May 12 and 13. If you are a former Minnesinger, and would like to participate, please let Nancy Rogers know ASAP at nrogers@mvyps.org. If you know any former Minnesingers, please pass the word along.
I forgot how busy this time of year is in school! This week is MCAS week in Edgartown, which is always a challenging week. These days, the tests are done on computer, so the technology use in the building is maxed out. We’ll do these tests this week, then one more week until vacation, then do the math and science tests in May, and then it is a very slippery slope into the end of the year. Did life pass this fast when we were kids, or is it just since I’ve gotten older?
We head off to Lowell again this weekend for another dance competition with our Rise Company crew. The girls will be competing the same numbers they competed back in February at the same venue and shared on the island a couple of weeks ago at the PAC. These weekends are always a busy but fun time for everyone.
The Edgartown fifth grade is holding a Shenandoah Fundraiser–Pancake Dinner on Friday, April 6, from 5:30 pm until 7 pm in the school cafeteria. I did this trip with Amelia back when she was in the fifth grade, and it’s an incredible experience for the kids. If you don’t feel like cooking on Friday, head on over to the school and fill up on pancakes while supporting a great cause.
Eighth grade advisors Darren Belisle and Gail Lachapelle wanted me to extend their thanks and appreciation to everyone in the community who has helped the kids with their fundraising efforts for their trip to Washington. The annual auction was last week at the Loft, and was a great success. The kids couldn’t get to D.C. every year without the support of our community members, so thank you very much!
The Edgartown School PTA was well represented at the Live, Love, Tri event at the YMCA last weekend. Deanna Laird and Susan Sanford rocked their first Tri event. This indoor spring equivalent consists of a 20 minute swim, a 25 minute run, and a 25 minute bike. Congratulations, ladies. You can visit ymcamv.org for pictures and results.
I wish you all a wonderful week ahead. Remember there is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.
