JUNE MANNING

508-645-2574

(lthslnks@gis.net)

The Soloist will premier worldwide on Friday, April 24. It is based on a true story about a homeless schizophrenic pianist who lives on skid row in Los Angeles. He was a professionally trained musician and has dreams of playing at the Disney concert hall and by chance meets a journalist to make his dreams come true. The Soloist stars Jamie Foxx, Catherine Keener and Robert Downey Jr. The producer is Aquinnah’s own Gary Foster of East Pasture.

Spring has sprung around Aquinnah. The forsythia is starting to bloom, the daffodils are trumpeting their whispers, the osprey are nesting, Jocko McCarthy has had daily tours to the Cliffs, and the shops are beginning to open.

The WIMP/IMPers Get the IMPers to the Chicago Improv Festival Benefit was held on April 11 at the Grange Hall in West Tisbury. The show featured original Wimps Jamie Alley, Christopher Brophy and Laura Silber. Proceeds from the benefit will fund the IMPers’ trip to Chicago next week to attend the Improv Festival, where they will be met by former fellow Imper Edward Cisek and perhaps Kaitlyn Medeiros. Sarah Mendez Swift will be among those attending. Sarah is the daughter of Jermaine Mendez and Christine Swift, granddaughter of Gloria Mendez and Sonny Mendez, and great-granddaughter of Mrs. Barbara Perry Francis.

April is still amnesty month at the library. You may bring in your overdue books and for each item donated for the Island Food Pantry, you will have $5 removed from your fines. So, during your spring cleaning, find those buried books, DVDs, CDs and videos and return them without having to pay a fine. To start the school vacation week, there will be a movie at the library tomorrow at 2 p.m.

The Orange Peel Bakery is now open for the season. Julianne Vanderhoop-Mahoney has had her outdoor oven fired up and has been baking her specialty breads and delicacies. Stop by and see what the special of the day may be. The raisin snails are always the first to sell out each day. Wednesday evenings will be pizza night once again. Bring your favorite topping, the cost of the pizza is a donation of $10 but the talk around the hot oven is priceless. Pizza is served from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.

The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) quietly observed the 22nd anniversary of Federal Acknowledgement on April 10th.

Michael Hebert returned home recently after visiting with his family in Florida. Michael and his son Noah spent the first part of his vacation touring in New Orleans.

Noah James Manning returned home recently after spending the day in Boston with his uncle Mike Kistner, his wife, Margaret, and their children, Olivia and Ryan. They enjoyed their day at Fanueil Hall and the Boston Aquarium. Noah was accompanied by his mother, Theresa, and his sister, Kayla.

Durwood Vanderhoop and his fiancée, Jamie Sue Spears, returned from the annual pow wow which was held on the campus at Brown University over the weekend. Also attending were David Elliot Vanderhoop, Tobias Vanderhoop, Tom Fantasia and his sister Elsie, and many of their cousins.

Great news from across the world — Vineyarder Jared Meader will arrive home shortly from his second tour of duty with the U.S. Army in Iraq. We will all look forward to his arrival very soon. Jared is the husband of Julie Woods Meader, father of Hailey, Hunter and Savannah, son of Danny and Robin (Rebello) Meader, son in law of Walter and Linda Woods, and grandson of the late Anthony and Marilyn Rebello. Great job, Jared, and thank you!

Joseph Bozyczko, his wife, Vicky, and their children, Michael, Mikayla and Matthew, returned to their home in Holliston after spending the holiday weekend at their home on Lighthouse Road.

Congratulations to Anthony Devine, son of Kevin and Tabitha, who is a sophomore at Catharge Senior High School near Fort Drum, N.Y. Anthony was chosen as Rookie of the Year on the swim team. He is also a member of the track team. For school vacation week, he is spending time with his aunt Stephanie Devine and his cousin Chris Camacho, and you will find him jogging around Aquinnah to keep in shape.

It may or may not be official yet but President Obama and the first family may vacation on the Vineyard for the last two weeks in August. Of course I would not be privy to any inside information as to whether or not this is factual but we will all wait and see what unfolds over the next few months in preparation for such a visit. In the meantime, I will once again welcome the Clinton family for their annual vacation.

The new home on Echo Hill is nearing completion and appears to be complete with solar panels on the south facing roof. And yes, the echoes in the hill have returned. The two new spec homes in Cheepi’s field have been worked on all winter even in blustery weather. The massive mounds of clay and sand will soon return to the natural earth around the homes.

Happy 48th anniversary wishes to John Occouch Vanderhoop and his wife, Gabi, as they celebrated their special day on April 14.

Happy 35th anniversary wishes to Captain Hugh Taylor and his wife, Jeanne, on April 15 as they return to their Aquinnah home to open the Outermost Inn for the season, following their winter in the Caribbean.

Happy birthday wishes to our middle sister, Judith Manning Milavsky, as she celebrated on April 11 and shared the day with Sally Sherwood, Bob Rose and Ted Leslie. Ed Cisek partied on the 12th as he awaited the Impers upon their arrival in Chicago. Prudy Whiting partied on April 13.

Lucas Kenneth Belain had a great day as he celebrated being four years old on April 14. Samuel Vanderhoop Lee also celebrated on the 14th, now 19 years old and enjoying his freshman year at Yale University. Dakota Delviento turned sixteen on the 14th. Todd Keegan partied on April 15.

Basil L. Welch celebrated his special day on April 16 and shared the day with Peyton B. Jeffers who is now five years old.

Now, catching up with everything after displaying how technologically challenged I remain and forgetting or neglecting to attach my column of April 10!

Happy birthday wishes this week to Josie Lucia Iadicicco, who will be 12 on April 18. Peter Ives and Mary Shea share the day on April 18.

Mrs. Eleanor M. Hebert, Mitzi Pratt, Larry Mollin, Dr. Robert Tankard and Richard Randolph will all share the day on April 19. Joshua Tucker parties on the 21st. Our Up-Island Council on Aging director, Joyce Bowker, will celebrate on April 22. Rachel Millman Vanderhoop parties on April 23.