Edgartown: Fun and excitement on tap

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Congratulations to everyone who took part in the MV Marathon and Half Marathon on Saturday. I waited along the route for my friends and co-workers Nicole Barlet, Nedine Cunningham, Denise Searle, and Megan McDonald, and was just in awe of the strength, stamina, and resilience of the runners. There were serious runners on the route, as well as some walkers, and every speed in between. And while I’m always in awe of a great runner when I see them, I was more in awe of the fighters out there this weekend. Those who shuffle along at a slow pace, sometimes walking, sometimes struggling, some stricken with Lyme disease, others battling and overcoming other illnesses and disabilities. It doesn’t matter how fast you go, or if you win. What matters most is challenging yourself and giving it your best. Well done, runners.

Martha’s Vineyard Community Services is still accepting Transportation Access Program (TAP) applications. TAP helps individuals and families with excessive costs of off‐Island travel due to long-term illness, health or mental health needs requiring services not available on the islands, chronic illness requiring regular off‐Island appointments, or acute health or mental health emergencies.

MVCS also offers other upcoming events. On May 29 at from 9 am until 9:40 am, they will offer Emerge, a skills and support group created to help girls cope with life’s challenges. The group will use dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to help teach girls how to handle difficult emotions, build better relationships, and be more present. Registration is required. Please contact Jaime Schwab at 508-693-7900, ext. 215, or Sara Leandro at 508-693-7900, ext. 233, to register.

On May 30, they will offer Drumming with Rick Bausman. This is an opportunity to play different instruments, learn about different kinds of sounds, and make amazing music together with your child. This evening offers a very strong multicultural/musical experience, and it is an excellent vehicle for reinforcing self-esteem, individual awareness, cooperative behavior, and self-regulation. Dinner and childcare are provided. Preregistration is required by calling 508-687-9182.

Happy birthday to Janice Donaroma on May 22, and Emma Baldino on May 24.

I’d also like to send out very happy anniversary wishes to Chip and Colleen Seadale. Chip and Colleen will be celebrating 35 wonderful years together on May 28. If you know them, mark your calendars to give them a call or drop them a note for their special day. Happy anniversary to you both, and I wish you many more happy years together.

The annual March to the Sea is on Friday afternoon. Weather permitting, the Edgartown School kids and staff will gather in front of the school at 1 pm and begin our annual trek to Memorial Wharf to honor those who have served our country.

This past weekend marked the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. This is a two-day holiday that was celebrated from sundown on May 19 to nightfall on May 21. The holiday celebrates the completion of the seven-week Omer counting period between Passover and Shavuot, and when Torah was given by God to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai more than 3,300 years ago. I hope those who took part in this celebration had a pleasant holiday.

Today, students and staff of the MVRHS took part in the (hopefully) first annual Islanders Give Back Day, where everyone went out in the Island community and performed different types of community service. My understanding is that the idea started and grew in one of Ena Thulin’s high school social studies classes, and I’m so glad it did. We had about nine kids come to Edgartown, and they did everything from working in the garden to helping in classrooms to helping me with a fourth grade class as we put some flags on the veterans’ graves in the cemetery in preparation for Memorial Day. A big shoutout and thank you to Andrew Kelly for meeting us with very last-minute notice, and allowing us to help with this important job. I know the kids will remember it for a long time.

Enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend. I know it is always a weekend full of fun and excitement, but please take some time to remember all who have served our country. It is what our weekend is truly all about. Thank you to all who have served.