It was overcast and chilly for both May Day celebrations I attended last week. It didn’t dampen the spirits of anyone in either group. The Chilmark School fourth and fifth graders had been practicing for weeks, and they put on an excellent performance. Our West Tisbury festivities were well-performed and well-attended, too. Children and adults held the ribbons, dressed in flouncy skirts or serviceable blue jeans, several adorned in flowered crowns or hats. Avril Espy called out directions for the complicated steps that turned ribbons into a woven coat-of-many-colors encasing the pole. I had never seen a Maypole dance, so it was a treat to see two only a day apart.
Sheila Morse, Avril Espy, Meg Carman, and Teri Mello formed the Friends of the West Tisbury Village committee after attending the town visioning weekend. They have hosted other events to bring West Tisbury residents together in our historic town center.
Walking or driving around town is such a treat in the spring, watching the season unfold. The pear trees at the cemetery are spectacular. They have grown so thick that the branches wove together above my head in clouds of white blossoms. On my way home, I stopped to watch Allen Whiting’s new lambs. I feel so lucky to live in a place with life cycles and seasons, to walk on earth instead of on cement.
M.V. Democrats will hold their monthly Zoom meeting this Saturday, May 9, at 9:30 am. Guests are Rep. Thomas Moakley, Sen. Julian Cyr, and Peter Enrich, member of the M.V. Democrats legislative committee. They will begin meeting weekly at the Howes House on Tuesday, May 26, 4:30 to 6:30 pm, to write and address Postcards tTo Voters. Interested volunteers are welcome.
Also on Saturday, kids in K through eighth grade are invited to “Seedlings bBy the Sea” from 2 to 4 pm, at the West Tisbury library. They will decorate pots, plant sprouts, and enjoy snacks. On Wednesday, May 13, the MVRHS Building Committee will hold another information session at 4:30 pm. It’s getting close to June 2, the day we will vote on the addition and repair of the regional high school. It’s important to be well-informed.
The Up-Island Council on Aging is planning a day trip to the Providence Performing Arts Center on June 6 to see “The Lion King.” Tickets also include the bus to and from Woods Hole and lunch. Call 508-693-2896 if you are interested. The UICOA has lots of programs scheduled for every weekday. Check out its schedule.
Painter Harriet Bernstein and cartoonist Mick Stevens are exhibiting their work together at the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse through May 16. Hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 11 am to 4 pm. There will be an artists’ reception on Thursday, May 14, from 5 to 7 pm.
When the new Martha’s Vineyard Times website debuted, I couldn’t find my town column. You need to look under “West Tisbury,” “Opinion,” or “Island Life.”