Heard on Main Street: If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague. Here’s a reminder that Sunday’s holiday open house at the Tisbury Senior Center scheduled for this Sunday has been cancelled.
I was disappointed for all Mayhews when I began to read Tom Dresser’s latest book on Martha’s Vineyard.
At the beginning Dresser says Thomas Mayhew appointed himself “Governor.” In fact, Mayhew was given that title after the British took over the New York colony, which included the Island. Francis Lovelace, the colonial governor, gave the title ‘Governor for Life’ to Mayhew in 1671, at the same time that Edgartown and Tisbury were incorporated. Mayhew was old for a man in the 1600s, but it was an honor given him. A copy of that proclamation can be found at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum.
Chilmark library’s Big Book Sale continues through this weekend and on Tuesday starts at half price, during regular library hours.
The capital campaign is still gathering funds through the Vineyard Haven Public Library Building Fund Inc. (VHPLBFI), a nonprofit organization established in 2019 with the sole purpose of raising funds for the library’s building efforts. Online donations can be made through the VHPLBFI website, vhlibrarybuildingfund.org. Pledge forms and more details about the project can also be found on the VHPLBFI website. Donations by check and pledge forms can be sent to VHPLBFI, P.O. Box 4961, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568.
They also offer the online monthly meeting of the Martha’s Vineyard Haiku Club at 6 pm on Tuesday, Dec 21. This is led by Caroline Joy Adams, whose published books include “Have Fun with Haiku.” This month’s theme is Winter Solstice. Register for one or both programs with vhpl_mail@clamsnet.org.
I am so happy to have a new washer and dryer. Mine died just before Thanksgiving. My wonderful son helped me select new ones which just arrived. Of course, they have symbols to touch instead of knobs. Fortunately, my son also walked me through the process for the first time. It was a little odd to look into the glass in the lid to watch the process. Never saw that before. But the machines work for me, and so far we have coexisted peacefully.
Do you wear a mask when needed? I am not too happy with the fact that while we supposedly have rules and even laws about mask wearing, there seems to never be such a thing as enforcement. Even at the federal level. State and federal laws mandate masks on the public buses — that includes the SSA ones to and from the parking lot. But no one, not the driver nor the state police, enforces these rules. Heaven only knows who is responsible for letting those unmasked visitors on the ferries. Or whether anyone ever even considers enforcing the law. I am selfish. I don’t like others willfully endangering my life. And yours, as well.
Big bunches of birthday balloon wishes go out to Laura Beebe today. Happy birthday tomorrow to Lyrae Littlefield and Kate Malkie. Best wishes to twins Mattsen and Sutton Koster on Monday.
Heard on Main Street: Remember that Santa can appear in mysterious disguises, in the uniform of FedEx or UPS or even the Post Office.