The trees are getting barer and barer by the day. Our lovely time of Indian summer seems to be passing, although the weather is still much milder than I think it should be for this time of year. Even though it has quieted down greatly, the town still feels lively; people are in and out of the library and town hall. Thanksgiving will soon be upon us, and there will be an influx of visitors then. Deer hunting season is on; bow hunting will continue until Nov. 28, and on Nov. 30, get your guns ready for shotgun season. So be careful walking in the woods, wear your bright orange, or maybe just don’t walk in the woods right now except on Sundays.
At the library last Saturday, we said goodbye to Morgan Stanley-Kominers, who will be spending more time with her family. Thanks, Morgan, for all your great programming and your sense of fun. We will miss you.
The Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School Fall Ball is this Friday, Nov. 13, at the P.A. Club in Oak Bluffs. Not one but two bands will be performing: Johnny Hoy & the Bluefish from 7 to 9 pm, and the Dock Dance Band from 9:30 to 11 pm. There will be a live auction from 9 to 9:30 pm. There will be a cash bar, and this event is for adults only (which makes it even better).
Have you been to the Chilmark library to see the exhibit about up-Island wampum bead makers and artists? You really should if you haven’t. You will see many people from our town. The exhibit is up every day the library is open, and this Saturday there will be a sale of beads and jewelry from 3 to 5 pm. Great Christmas presents can be had!
The second talk in Phil Weinstein’s Russian seminar about “The Brothers Karamazov” will be this coming Wednesday at the Katharine Cornell Theater from 7 to 9 pm. This event is sponsored by the Vineyard Haven Public Library, and for more information you can contact Betty Burton at 508-696-4211, ext. 16, or email bburton@clamsnet.org.
There is a free annual Health Fair this Saturday, Nov. 14, from 9 am to 1 pm at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School cafeteria. It will host holistic, traditional and nontraditional health care, dental hygiene and health providers, along with organ-donation screening and data. There will be speakers on two timely issues: At 10 am, Dr. Roni DeLuz, N.D., will speak about “Lyme Disease — How It Affects You,” and at 11 am, Marie Doubleday, LMHC, will speak on “Hidden Issues with Drug Abuse” in the high school library. This event is sponsored by the NAACP. For more information or questions, please call Dr. Lorna Andrade at 508-627-9074. Across the street at the Martha’s Vineyard Community Services campus, there will be an Island Wide Youth Collaborative Open House from 11 am to 3 pm. The collaborative is an alliance of many Island groups and nonprofits to help better serve the youth of Martha’s Vineyard.