JUNE D. MANNING
508-645-2574
Sincerest condolences to the family and friends of retired Oak Bluffs fire chief Nelson W. Amaral, who passed away at his home on Tuesday. Many joyous occasions were spent with Nelson when planning for the annual Firemen’s ball, the muster in Dennis Alley Park, the fireworks in August, pig roasts at Tom’s Neck and the Oak Bluffs Firemen’s Civic Association auctions. He was a pleasure to work with on so many projects. Nelson will be missed by many, especially for his being a mentor to so many.
Sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Andreé Carter, who passed away at his home this week following a long illness. He had been cared for by Shelley (Devine) Carter and her daughters, Camille and Nicole, and his dear friend, Billy, as well as by Dr. Gerry Yukevich and Hospice. Services were held yesterday forAndreé.
Congratulations to Holly Bario, who sat front and center during the Golden Globe Awards in Hollywood this week at the same table with Elton John and with Morgan Freeman close by. She was personally thanked by actress Octavia Spencer, who received the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in The Help. Holly is the co-president of production for DreamWorks Studio which produced the film The Help. She was recently named as one of the top 100 women in entertainment for 2011 by The Hollywood Reporter. Holly is the daughter of Walter (Pat) and Joan (Waldron) Jenkinson and recently enjoyed her holiday time in Chilmark with her husband, Marco, and their children, Emma and Peter.
Congratulations to Emerson Mahoney, son of Julianne Vanderhoop and Michael Mahoney, for being selected as one of the “351” youth ambassadors representing 351 cities and towns across the commonwealth. Emerson is an eighth grade student at West Tisbury School and it seems as if he has played ice hockey since he could stand on his own two feet. He is quite the championship hockey player and will participate in his second year in a row in the state championship in February. Emerson and five other eighth graders from the Vineyard attended the second annual Project 351 day and were accompanied by their mentor/teacher, Robyn Wingate, to Boston on Jan. 16. Their community service project was at Cradles to Crayons where they organized donations for more than a thousand children. The Project is to inspire, challenge, and motivate the next generation of leaders to give back and to make a significant impact in their community. Emerson had the opportunity to meet Governor Deval Patrick while participating in the program. He enjoyed his experience and felt that “something so little can mean so much for so many.” The group will be called back and he looks forward to assisting again. Of course, his grandmother, Anne Vanderhoop Madison, is very proud of Emerson as well. For now, he is being sought after by boarding schools across New England.
Congratulations to Maxwell Moreis, son of Angela Grant and Martin Moreis, upon his acceptance at the Culinary Institute of America. Maxwell, a senior at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, toured the campus with his parents over the weekend. He is very excited about attending and perhaps we will see him at the fair again this year selling his delectable cupcakes and other treats.
Get well wishes to Baron Peter Von Ochs who is recuperating from his myriad of medical illnesses near his winter home in Vienna, Austria. He and his wife, Gudrun, look forward to their return to Aquinnah in a few months.
A few more discounts available for elders include the Martha’s Vineyard Community Services Chicken Alley Thrift Shop, which features a 20 per cent discount on Thursdays for those age 55 and above. The Island Club Card offers more than a 25 per cent discount for those 65 and above, either a single card or a card for a senior family of two.
Speaking of Martha’s Vineyard Community Services, congratulations to the Child Care Center for its recognition as one of the top 10 child care centers in the commonwealth. The child care center serves many from across the Vineyard from all walks of life.
Clifford the Big Red Dog will visit the Chilmark Library on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 10:30 a.m. hosted by children’s librarian Kristen Maloney and presented by the Martha’s Vineyard Library Association. It is always a pleasure to meet with Clifford author Norman Bridwell and to hear of his adventures with Clifford.
Rev. Veronica Lanier will speak on retired missions and ministers and answer questions at First Baptist Church parish house on Saturday, Jan. 28 at a potluck dinner at 6 p.m. On Sunday, Jan. 29, Reverend Lanier will speak at the Community Baptist Church of Gay Head with a Missions Moment. Following the service at 3 p.m., there will be a potluck dinner at the Totem Pole graciously hosted by Barry and Grace Reeves. We warmly welcome Rev. Lanier, who has been a guest minister at Community Baptist on several occasions over the years.
The Chilmark School PTO invites all to the 50s & 60s Sock Hop on Saturday, Jan. 28 at the Chilmark Community Center from 7 to 11 p.m. There will be lots of bobby sox music by Merrily Fenner and Friends. Tickets are $15 each and available at the Menemsha Texaco. Silent auction donations may also be dropped off at Menemsha Texaco as well. The fundraiser is for the benefit of the school outing program.
Thank you to Steve Ewing for his presentation at the Martha’s Vineyard Center for Living cultural luncheon on Jan. 14 at the Grill on Main. Steve was very amusing and informative, as well. Did you know that the first group of those with Scottish ancestry that formed on Martha’s Vineyard held its first meeting at the home of Walter and Nancy Delaney in Aquinnah? Do you realize that Martha’s Vineyard is represented with its very own tartan plaid? Thank you to chef Tony Saccocia and his staff for the cultural luncheon so tastefully prepared. The haggis was delicious and not at all what one would imagine after hearing all the stories over the years. Steve invited one and all to attend the Robert Burns dinner next week to learn more about the Scottish descendants of Martha’s Vineyard and beyond. Thank you to Howard Wall for his bagpipe presentations and to Ed Pierce and Deborah Medders for their Scottish input.
Feb. 18, 1884 was a disastrous day around Gay Head with the sinking of the City of Columbus in the early morning hours. From the Vineyard Gazette archives of 1884, one of the articles noted, “A prize problem in navigation — given: one Devil’s Bridge, one cold captain, one lookout who doesn’t look out, a mate who does not comprehend an order, and a warm state room; mix with three lighthouses, one steamship and 120 passengers; add a fresh gale and a supply of ignorance or stupidity, or both, sift out the intelligence supposed to exist in every pilot house, head for the nearest reef and calculate the result.”
History has a way of repeating itself, sometimes half way around the world. Those of us in Aquinnah are very proud of our ancestors who rescued many from the City of Columbus 128 years ago. The tales are passed down from generation to generation and the young ones of today know who their heroic ancestors were who were involved with the rescue efforts.
To the ladies of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School Class of 1964, have a fun weekend together!
Happy birthday wishes to Catherine Deese and Gloria Scher, who share the day on Jan. 21. Shawn MacPhail will party on Jan. 23. Al Clark will party on Jan. 25. Happy birthday wishes to Louis Paciello, who will observe a major milestone on Jan. 25.
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