“On Martha’s Vineyard, community is a verb.” –Island Grown Initiative
Shout-out and big thanks to our parks and recreation department for all their hard work creating beautiful new plantings in town parks! Chris Joyce and crew have been spotted all over town digging in new shrubs and plants — it really makes a difference.
My favorite community event is coming up on Saturday, Sept. 19 — Tivoli Day! I just read a great article by Ken Goldberg about the origin of Tivoli Day in 1978. The characters involved in beginning Tivoli Day include Ed Coogan and Michael Wild, and at the start, the main event was a bicycle race around the Island. That race was then managed by Bill and Margaret Stafursky, with 425 registered racers in the final year!
These days Tivoli Day is a great all-day street fair, with vendors, music, and food taking over Circuit Avenue. It is a great chance to catch up with friends you haven’t seen all summer, find bargains, and dance in the street. See you there!
Galaxy Arts MV is holding an art sale for Habitat for Humanity on Friday and Saturday, the 18th and 19th, up at the Grange Hall from 10 am to 6 pm. Works by Island artists, plus a silent auction with all kinds of offerings, will be included: galaxyartsmv.org.
The Strand Theatre is the home for country music this weekend, presenting the M.V. Songwriters Festival, with the Nashville “Hitmakers” on Friday, in a concert featuring the songwriters of the hits performing their own songs. On Saturday, it is Music City’s “Rising Stars,” showcasing the newest talent on the scene in Nashville. Both shows start at 7 pm, and I’m looking forward to it!
The 24th annual George V. Tankard Jr. Memorial Road Race is Saturday, Sept. 19. Proceeds support the NAACP MV Scholarship Fund. The Fun Run starts at 9 am in front of Summercamp Hotel, and the 5K Run/Walk starts at 9:30 am from Ocean Park. Info and registration at naacp.org.
The library continues Maritime Month activities with “Touch-a-Boat” on Tuesday, Sept. 22, from 4 to 5 pm at Oak Bluffs Harbor. Bring your kids ages 4-plus to explore different types of boats hands-on.
Sundays in the Park features the JayWalkers this Sunday, from 5 to 7 pm. Bring your chairs and a picnic to enjoy another outdoor concert.
Happy birthday on Sept. 18 to my firstborn, J.J. Cheney! I’m not going to tell you how old he is, but some of you might remember him as that skateboarding kid always getting in trouble for practicing his ollies down by the Steamship terminal in the ‘80s. He’s a responsible adult now with kids of his own, but his skateboard is never far away! Happy birthday to Mary Lombardi on Sept. 20! Mary shares the day with another amazing young woman, Hallie MacCormack. Kim Serpa and Michael Blanchard celebrate on Sept. 21. Super-Grandma Katrina Araujo celebrates on the 22nd, and so does Mike Magaraci. Birthday balloons go to Sean Conley on the 23rd!
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