The Christmas Eve candlelight service at the Community Baptist Church was conducted by Rev. Roger H. Spinney. Get well wishes to Rev. Ellen P. Tatreau, her husband Douglas and their daughter Elise. We will look forward to their return to the Vineyard in the New Year.

Aquinnah Public Library will close at 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Many new books and videos are in for your holiday enjoyment. The library’s regular weekly programs will continue in the New Year. You may also have your fines forgiven if you bring donations of non-perishable foods for the food pantry during the month of January.

One of the latest books in the Aquinnah library collection is Everyday Heroes: The True Story of a Lighthouse Family. It is written by Seamond Ponsart Roberts, who had the great fortune of living in the Cuttyhunk Lighthouse, as well as the West Chop Lighthouse for many years. She spent her youth in West Chop attending the Tisbury School and still has many schoolmates who remember her. Everyday Heroes is available at the Aquinnah library, and is for sale at Edgartown Books, as well as at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum. It’s a fascinating story.

The elders of the Wampanoag Tribe recently enjoyed their luncheon at the Square Rigger and were delighted with the cuisine of Tony and Doreen Rezendes. Following the luncheon, the Elders met with the staff at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, enjoying the toy collection, the stages of the permanent Wampanoag exhibit and viewing photographs of many of our ancestors.

Thank you to Lang Gerhard, his wife Irena and their daughter Sasha for once again lighting the peace sign from the banks of their home overlooking Menemsha Pond. The peace sign is certainly welcoming as you enter Aquinnah, especially at this time of the year.

Charles Hoye and Katherine Olsen have arrived from the west coast for the winter to spend time with their daughter Nolie Taylor, her husband Isaac and their children Emmett and Tillie.

Bill and Joan Kistner arrived Friday evening to spend Christmas week with our grandson Noah and his parents Paul and Theresa. Family and friends gathered at the Manning home on Sunday evening to celebrate Theresa’s birthday.

Dr. Curtis Langer, his wife Molly Purves, and their son Rodeo will return home this weekend after spending Christmas in Vermont. They stopped in Boston first to visit with Molly’s sister, then off to Vermont for more family gatherings and skiing.

Theodore Leslie has remained a patient at Massachusetts General Hospital throughout the week, still undergoing a multitude of tests. Kristina has been travelling back and forth to be with him as much as possible.

Tom Murphy, his wife Chris and their son Tim have all arrived at their Aquinnah home in time for Christmas. Tim met his sister Kate, her husband Tim Kausch, and their son Noah upon their arrival from Utah to drive them to the Vineyard. One-year-old Noah will enjoy his second Christmas in Aquinnah, which will be especially fun this year with a 10-foot Christmas tree.

All the children of Jay and Millicent Smalley have arrived home for Christmas, Zachary being the last to arrive from his studies at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. Faith arrived from her senior year studies at Miss Hall’s School in Pittsfield, and of course Tiffany is already at home preparing for admission to law school.

Captain Hugh Taylor and his wife Jeanne have arrived for a two-week stay at their Outermost Inn to celebrate the holidays with their children, their siblings, and especially their grandchildren Olive, Violet, Emmett and Tillie.

Happy 8th anniversary wishes to Philip Scipio and Mitzi Pratt on Dec. 30.

Happy 22nd anniversary wishes to Richard Skidmore and Joan LeLacheur on Dec. 31.

Happy birthday wishes to Lang Gerhard on Dec. 28. He shares the day with Barbara Sunderland, Smith Previantand Paul Vandal. Walter Delaney will observe his special day on Dec. 29 and shares the day with Charlotte Bologna who will be two years old. Our young neighbors Olive Mae and Violet Jeanne MacPhail will be eight years old on Dec. 30. In the new year, happy birthday wishes to Stela Plamenova Duncheva who will be two years old on Jan. 1. Also ringing in the new year will be Barbara Flynn, Gary Haley and Karen Truchon-Altieri. Dr. Timothy E. Guiney, not only my cardiologist but also my forever guardian angel, will observe his very special day on Jan. 2 and shares the day with Donald Widdiss. Cody Coutinho will party on Jan. 3 and shares the day with Evelyn Vanderhoop, Christopher Fischer and Matthew Scott.