JUNE D. MANNING

508-645-2574

(junemanning152@gmail.com)

We escaped the blustery snow, ice and high winds predicted for the east coast this week to awaken to a slight dusting of snow on Wednesday morning. Forsthysia has been blooming over the past two weeks.

Nearly 50 deer have been weighed in at the tribal weigh-in station over the past week and a half, which is about average for the season. Primitive firearms season is next to thin out the herd a little more, and to have less Lyme disease, perhaps.

Aquinnah Public Library is in the holiday spirit with greens being made into wreaths and other decorative pieces over the weekend. Tomorrow at the library, Barbara Lampson will assist with potato stamps and ink for decorating wrapping paper and cards which is always a favorite activity. Coffee, tea and treats will be served throughout the day.

The annual town of Aquinnah Christmas party will be held on Monday, Dec. 23 at 5 p.m. at the Aquinnah town hall. There will be a potluck dinner, so please bring a dish to share. Santa will arrive via his usual Aquinnah mode of travel, aboard the Aquinnah fire truck with his elves tagging along.

There will be a Chilmark Flea Market over the weekend on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Chilmark Community Center. Chilmark Church will have its table of handcrafted items and Christmas greenery. Stephanie Rossi will have her wooly ornaments for sale. Gwen Nichols will be there with her wampum jewelry. Many other vendors will be there as well for your shopping pleasure. Lunch will be available — lobster rolls and chowder. The holiday flea market is always a festive and fun time.

The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School drama department will be performing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats in nine short weeks. I was aghast when I learned they would be looking for used clothing, leotards, tails, etc., for the performance. For many students, this is their final high school performance and it reminds me of the students that have furthered their careers after college in acting and/or the music field. They deserve the best, and so I would ask for your support in donating to BravEncore, P.O. Box 1347, West Tisbury, MA 02575. Your donations, in any amount, will assist the students with their costumes for the performance. Bradley Carroll, a MVRHS senior, is in charge of costumes for Cats and will be studying drama in college next year. If you would like to drop a donation off at Menemsha Texaco, Bradley will be working there over her Christmas vacation. Thank you for supporting our students.

Now, across the street at the YMCA of Martha’s Vineyard, please go online and check the wish list for Alex’s Place and see if there is an item you would like to purchase to donate for the teen center.

Lisa Bibko-Vanderhoop has had the good fortune of following and photographing a snowy owl who visited west basin this week. Lisa’s 2014 Vineyard Sea Dogs calendar is available in time for Christmas.

Dan Sauer and his sons Waylon and Amos recently travelled to Pennsylvania to visit his mom. Next month they will be off to Montana to visit more family.

Just a reminder — 7A will be closing for the winter on Dec. 20. Stop by this week to indulge yourself in your most favorite delicacies.

Here’s another small world story. Tom and Chris Murphy and their son Tim were in Park City, Utah, visiting their daughter Kate Murphy Kausch, her husband Timmy and their son Noah for Thanksgiving. On Saturday they stopped for lunch at a small local restaurant and bumped into Adriana and Bruce Ignacio on a buying trip. After a quick visit, they departed saying, “See you in Aquinnah.”

Get well wishes to Jan Wightman who has been recuperating from a fracture.

Happy birthday wishes this week to Douglas Plumer and Ariana Felderg who share the day on December 16. Rosalie Vanderhoop Bellis will be four on the 17th and shares her day with Frank Scott. Steven Roth will observe a milestone on the 18th. Ingy Farat Lew will party on Dec. 19. Claus Maple Smith will be six years old on Dec. 20 and shares the day with Nancy Huntington Nitchie.