Heard on Main Street: Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
We love our visitors, but not so much all the trash from plates and cups. The Times told you about the idea by Drew Peterson of Island Eats, to use bowls and cups that could be returned to many places in exchange for tokens. You buy a $25 token in exchange for an item to hold a food order. Our own Waterside Market, Bobby B’s, Catboat Coffee, Little House Café, and Scottish Bakehouse are part of this. It works through an exchange system of dishes and tokens. Return dishes to participating restaurants for tokens. The items will be cleaned and put back in use. Beverages in these cups get a 50¢ discount. And it is good for the planet.
On Saturday, the M.V. Museum starts a new interactive family friendly exhibit called “1923: A Kid’s Life,” inviting all ages to immerse themselves in a day in the life of a child from a century ago. It highlights similarities and differences between childhood then and now. Try an old phone receiver playing an oral history, a wooden play kitchen, dress-up clothes, a chalkboard, vintage books, and a toy chest filled with old-style toys. It runs through early fall.
I was sorry I could not hear Bow VanRiper share the history of the William Street Historic District at the library, but I’m happy to tell you we can view the recording at bit.ly/VanRiper_William_Street.
Did you know you can see how to play Mahjong at the library on Wednesdays, from 10 to noon? When I was a child I found a box of the tiles in our attic. But no one could tell me what they were for.
In her latest book, “Renegade Teacher,” author and teacher Dr. Katherine Scheidler shows how schools can serve all students better, at any time. She shows the challenges of standards and testing of students, and how school must change to support those who work every day with children. The talk and book signing is at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, August 8, in the program room at our library.
There is so much going on at the Martha’s Vineyard Book Festival this weekend at the Chilmark Community Center. You can find schedules in the papers and online. All events on Saturday and Sunday are free, so you should certainly check it out. I’ve often been surprised and especially pleased when I’ve done that. You’ll also find some books you will be happy to read. So I recommend you try it.
I heard from a friend that her neighbor in the Campgrounds in Oak Bluffs needed someone to walk her dog. So I’m taking a chance you might know someone who would love an excuse to walk a dog in that lovely place.
A friend staying in a house with a pool in Florida says it was still 100° at 6 pm one night — but the water in the pool is just a lovely, cooling treat. We’ve really been lucky that the humidity dropped back for a while. It is terrible there are so many fires, but it has been a relief to not smell the smoke so much. I didn’t like the sound of the tornado alert, but I did appreciate those blustery winds for a while that cooled things down.
Big bunches of birthday balloon wishes go out today to Nancy Gardella, Sharon Coogan, and Thomas H. Colligan. Happy birthday on Sunday to Jesse James Little and Dr. Peter Laursen. John Coogan and Rita Brown will party on Monday.
Heard on Main Street: When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.
