“Peace is not something you wish for; It’s something you make, something you do, something you are, and something you give away.” –John Lennon
It was 1980, I was working at Checkers Pub on Circuit Ave. (formerly the Boston House; later it was Seasons). I was a daytime bartender, and I had Tuesdays off. Howard Cosell announced late on Monday Night Football that John Lennon had been murdered outside his home in NYC. Waking the next morning to that news felt surreal. I couldn’t focus on whatever it was I had planned to do that day. It was snowing lightly when I took a walk up Circuit Ave. around noon. Inside the pub, Mary Barclay was behind the bar, and people were gathering, watching the news, hugging and crying. Nobody was rushing back to work that day.
My deepest sympathy to the family of Robert Francis, who passed away on Nov. 24. He was well-known for his big heart and personality, and he will be deeply missed.
Pat Law and her band ESP, featuring Merrily Fenner, Chris Seidel, and Christine McLane, will be performing at the P.A. Club on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 6 to 9 pm. There will be some of your favorite Christmas tunes performed throughout the evening, as well ESP standards that will get you dancing.
Chick Stapleton let me know that ISK and Friends of Sengekontacket are hosting a beach cleanup on Dec. 10. Meet at the Little Bridge between 9 and 10 am; you will be given gloves, trash bags, and a Santa hat, as well as hot chocolate and doughnuts. Clean up along State Beach and the Pond, and return your trash bag for disposal when you’re done. Thank you for helping keep our shores clean!
Hanukkah begins at sundown on Thursday, Dec. 7. The Festival of Lights continues for eight nights, to celebrate the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem after it was retaken from the Greeks in the 2nd century BCE. It is a celebration of religious freedom, and of the victory of light over darkness. I was happy to see that Oak Bluffs will celebrate this holiday and these themes with a lighted menorah in Ocean Park!
Speaking of lights, the Gatchell family has turned on the lights at their annual holiday spectacular. Every night from 5 to 8 pm, you can stop by to see the 20,000 lights and the beautiful sights, and don’t forget to bring a donation to the Island Food Pantry.
Christmas in Edgartown is this weekend, Dec. 7 to 10, with so much to do and see. Our Island holiday parade, craft fairs everywhere, lighting of the Lighthouse, Minnesinger concert, and more. Check christmasinedgartown.com for the complete schedule.
“A Christmas Carol” will be presented in a live reading by the O.B. library staff on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 9 and 10. These spirited performances will bring Ebenezer Scrooge to life at 7 pm on Saturday and 2 pm on Sunday. On Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 5:30 pm, the Hand Bell Choir from the W.T. Congregational Church will perform at the library.
The P.A. Club announced the annual Holiday Bazaar dates are Dec. 13 and 14, from 3 to 8 pm. This will be a great chance to shop local, toast the holiday season with friends, and grab something delicious from Mo’s!
The O.B. Council on Aging will be hosting a Christmas cookie swap and luncheon on Dec. 14 at noon — bring some cookies to share, and bring the recipe too! There will be a centerpiece-making workshop later this month — check the COA newsletter for info.
If you or someone you know would like to sign up for a Christmas Day meal to be delivered, please call Rose at the senior center by Monday, Dec. 11. 508-693-4509.
The Vineyard Committee on Hunger distributed food for Thanksgiving to 150 families. The next distribution will be Friday, Dec. 15, at the First Baptist Church Parish Hall from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. If you can donate or volunteer, call 508-400-7600, or contact Alicia at anicholson@mvcommunityservices.org.
Happy birthday on Dec. 7 to Doctor Dave Tuminaro, who cares for our animals. Also sending birthday hugs on the 7th to Lynn Rebello and Rose Cogliano, two amazing women! Vamp Campbell celebrates on the 8th. Margaret Oliveira celebrates on the 9th, hopefully on a sunny beach, or on a horse, riding along a palm-tree-lined trail. Margaret shares the day with Martha’s Vineyard’s Hawaiian son, John Cruz. Happy birthday to Patrick Parker and Lorraine Parrish on the 10th! I hope Laura Hilliard gets the day off on the 13th to hike some trails and jump in the ocean. Happy birthday to Ray Santinello; hope he’s raising the roof as only he can do! Birthday salute to Peter Tennant, who also celebrates on the 13th.
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If you have any Oak Bluffs Town Column suggestions, email Joanne Lambert, joannelamber@gmail.com.
