NANCY GARDELLA

508-693-3308

(vhavenvgazette@yahoo.com)

The ceremony to honor our troops who have served in far too many wars was elegant and stirring at our cemetery last Monday. We now have over 450 flags on our Avenue of Flags so we shall never forget. Anna Duarte, in her 15th year as Poppy chair, distributed more than 350 poppies this year. A new addition was our opportunity to stop at the monument honoring the U.S. Merchant Marines in World War II. This monument is not at the cemetery but right on the grounds of our Legion Hall. Stop by to see it. Thanks to all who attended and all who helped put up and take down the flags. We shall need your services again on July 4.

It was delightful to see seasonal residents Bob Klein from New York and his brother and sister in law, Marvin and Susan Klein, from Los Angeles last week. The Kleins came to open their houses and meet me for breakfast. News from Marvin and Susan is that son Andrew is living and working in Sydney, Australia. My best to you, Andrew.

Congratulations to Michael Shea of Vineyard Haven. Michael graduated from Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I., on May 16. Michael has earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. We are all so proud of this dedicated student and very hard worker.

Bad news in the neighborhood: my friends, Walter and Gail Burke, recently erected a beautiful sign on their property with their name and street number for emergency services. It was stolen in the night last Sunday. Why? What are people thinking? Is your name Burke and you have the same street number? Pitiful. I shall have better Burke news next week when I can interview them about the Memorial Day visit of their daughter and grandchildren.

Mareda Gaither-Graves came to work on her house and prepare it for the season. Mareda wants you to know that the Performer’s Workshop, which she has run during summers here for the past 15 years, is on hiatus this summer. Hopefully, same time, next year. Mareda did take time to attend Rebekah Nivala’s piano concert last weekend and was very impressed.

Joyce Tucker Stiles at our Tisbury Senior Center wants you to mark your calendars for Sunday, June 6, from 2 to 4 p.m. when the center will host its 18th birthday party. You are all invited. Refreshments will be served and Ray Frazio will entertain you.

I know there are those of you who will not agree with me, but it’s my column and my opinion, and I’m going to say it anyway. I have the dubious honor of belonging to three organizations which often annoy me and sometimes cause me to want to quit, although I haven’t given up yet. The three are the Catholic Church, the Democratic Party, and the Town of Tisbury. All three manage to shoot themselves in the foot every time. Thank you, Chief Cashin, for your service to this town. I thought your work was professional and ethical, your education and background stellar, and your sense of humor incomparable. I am going to miss you more than you will ever know.

Women Empowered still has room for tomorrow’s celebratory luncheon at Mediterranean, the former Lola’s restaurant. The event is from noon to 2 p.m. and honors Cindy Doyle. Our famous storyteller, Susan Klein, shall regale you with tales of Vineyard women. By the way, this is our Island Susan Klein, not the Susan Kanowith Klein from Los Angeles I mentioned in paragraph two. I am very sensitive about this stuff now with the two Nancy Gardellas thing going on on-Island. Tickets are $50, cash or a check at the door, please; we are not able to do credit cards at the door. Any questions, please call 508-696-8880 or go to women-empowered.org. This nonprofit group helps men and women with life skills. I highly recommend it.

While the children’s programs at our library are on hiatus for the month of June, the adult programs continue. The focus for the month of June is the culture of India. Free, for your viewing pleasure, is a movie Tuesday, June 2, at 7 p.m. This is a famous movie of the life of a Mumbai teenager, raised in the slums, who enters a game show. Now, let’s pause. For whatever reasons, I am not allowed to mention the name of these movies that are shown free at the library and have had substantial success in our theatres. Don’t we all recognize them anyway? I’ll bet all my readers could name this film right now. What’s with this rule?

In other film news, our film society presents The Grocer’s Son tomorrow night at 8 p.m. at the Katharine Cornell Theatre. Enjoy the countryside of Provence in an appealing story directed by Yric Guirado. The film is in French with English subtitles, always a great way to review the language you took in school.

The birthday bandwagon pulls along Marina Kaufman today. Tomorrow is shared by Maura Begley and Olivia Gomez Blanco. May 31 is for Tamma Cimeno. June 1 belongs to Mary McPartlin, a.k.a Grandma Florida. June 2 is a party for Robbie Hale, Louisa Leuning, Anna Nivala and Al Koster. June 3 sees Myra Stark, Taylor Pierce, Sarah Lolley, Chaya Rubenstein, Bill Blakesley, Arthur Battistini, Justin Smith and Raiver de Costa age gracefully. And on June 4 Arthur Lenna, Ben Crisman, Josh Kochin and Peggy Tileston take the cake. Many happy returns.