There’s gold in them thar hills, as they say. Most of the lawns and roadsides in my neighborhood are covered with the bright yellow color of hundreds of dandelions. I used to make every effort to eradicate them from my lawn, but I just read an article somewhere that said please don’t get rid of them. Apparently they are a great source of nectar for the bees, and as we want to keep the bees safe, I’ll keep the dandelions too.

Vineyard Gardens is sponsoring a series of free Saturday lectures throughout the summer. This Saturday, May 6, at 11 am, the first lecture will be held at the nursery; the subject will be cold-weather annuals. All lecture attendees will receive a 20 percent coupon that must be used the day of the lecture.

Each year the Martha’s Vineyard Vision Fellowship grants fellowship awards to people seeking to enhance their understanding of the challenges to the Island’s environment and social fabric, with the goal of helping them become effective leaders in maintaining the unique nature of the Island for future generations. James Robinson, a senior at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, was one of the recipients. James plans to enroll in a five-year program to earn a master’s in elementary education, and also hopes to study theater. He will be interning with the Martha’s Vineyard Public Schools this summer, under the mentorship of Assistant Superintendent Richard Smith. Congratulations.

Katherine Wilson, a daughter of Liz Wilson and Alan Wilson, has become engaged to Casey Decker, the son of Chris and Nelia Decker of Vineyard Haven. The couple are planning a wedding for next spring, and as the prospective bride’s mother said, ”Everyone is happy.”

Russell Shapiro, a son of Drs. Gail O’Brien and Mark Shapiro, will be a legislative intern for the D.C. office of Congressman WIlliam Keating, Massachusetts 9th District, this summer. Russell was a 2015 graduate of MVRHS, and is a Tufts class of 2019 student. Congratulations, Russell. What an interesting summer you can look forward to.

Please mark May 18 for a special fundraiser: Evening Under the Stars. That date from 5:30 to 8:30 pm will be the annual fundraiser for the Martha’s Vineyard Cancer Support Group. The gala takes place at Farm Neck, and includes appetizers, buffet dinner, dessert, and silent auction and cash bar. All the money raised goes directly to Island cancer patients and their families to help with various costs of their treatments.

“What’s the Buzz about Native Bees?” is the title of the lecture and discussion on May 9 at the Ag Society Hall. The public will have the opportunity to learn about the Importance of native pollinators, and find out how you can put them to work on your crops. For tickets and info, call Annemarie Donahue at 508-627-7958.

The Oak Bluffs School would like middle school parents and guardians to know that there will be a cyber-safety workshop on May 15. William Burker and Deborah Martin from the Cape and Islands’ District Attorney’s Office will discuss with the students the importance of cyber safety. If you have any questions about this workshop, please feel free to call April Knight or Carlin Hart at 508-663-0951.

We send birthday smiles to Lisa Cottrell on May 8, Marguerite Cook and my grandson Marques Rivers on May 10, and we still remember Marilyn Rebello on May 7.

Happy anniversary wishes to Nora and Gary Jardin on May 19.

Enjoy your week. Peace.