NANCY GARDELLA

508-693-3308

(vhavenvgazette@yahoo.com)

It’s now six months into the year — time to check on how we are doing with the New Year’s resolutions. As Lorrie Morgan so famously sings on her CD, Show Me How, bathing suit season is creeping up like an assassin. Run for the hills, not the beach! I think part of the problem is we make those promises to ourselves during a cold, dark, short-sunned season. It’s difficult to get out of the house and run the Chop, or even drive on snow and ice to the health club, so we comfort ourselves with potato chips, ice cream, and the sofa. Let’s accept defeat and go with the solution that is so obvious. Every good Jew and school age child knows that the new year begins in September. It’s still sunny, it’s still warm, it’s full of hope and promise. Time to change our calendars and make Sept. 1, not Jan. 1, the start of the new calendar year. I promise, we’ll do better keeping our promises to ourselves.

Risto and Lisa Nivala are pleased and proud to announce that their daughter, Rebekah, will perform this Sunday, June 22, at 4 p.m. at the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown. This is her senior concert and it is open to all. Rebekah has diligently studied piano for seven years. Her teachers are Brian Hughes and Lisa Roan. Rebekah has received the Peter Boak Scholarship, the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society Scholarship, and the Nancy Schofield Fadely Music Scholarship of the Cape Cod Foundation. She will delight you with Claire De Lune by Debussy, a Hayden sonata, a Joplin rag, and much more. Best of luck to this bright young lady. I’ll see you there.

Kathy Stinson has been hard at work preparing the summer children’s and youth programs at our library. We are ready on Monday, June 23, to register kids for the Wild Reads@Your Library program. As always, it features gift certificates and T-shirts, as well as guest appearances by characters in costume, musicians, and authors. My two favorite four-letter words are book and read, so I’m in full support of this wonderful program.

The Friends of the Vineyard Haven Public Library are always looking for new members. They meet on the fourth Monday of every month at 1 p.m. and are efficiently finished by 2 p.m. The next meeting is Monday. I’ll see you there.

I reminded you last week, but there are still some table reservations available for tonight’s gala at Outerland presented by the Martha’s Vineyard Film Society. Across the Universe, an original musical film featuring many Beatles songs, will be shown after dinner. For table reservations, call 508-693-1137, extension 13. If you want to skip dinner, arrive before the screening at 8 p.m. so you can get a seat for the show.

Anniversary bouquets go out to Jack and Sue Rice today. Stephen and Marina Kaufman celebrate on June 21.

The birthday bandwagon pulls along Laura Kimball, Khalil Khalil and John O’Donnell today. Tomorrow is claimed by Denise Civetta. June 22 belongs to Pam Bahal, Michelle Alton and Eric Pachico. June 23 is shared by Byron Kennedy and Charley Wulshleger. June 24 is for Frank T. Bailey, Vanessa Williams and Hamilton Walker. June 25 is a party for Carly Simon, Camilla Balbino, Ashley Willoughby, Suzanne Webb and Jack O’Callaghan. And on June 26, Eileen Whiting and Charlie Mead take the cake. Many happy returns.