NANCY GARDELLA

508-693-3308

(vhavenvgazette@yahoo.com)

Commander Ed Colligan told me last Sunday’s breakfast at the Legion hall was well attended and a lot of fun. Remember, this is a “first Sunday of each month” off-season community event. I really meant to see you there but, as I usually don’t eat breakfast —­ I know, I know, not good­­— I forgot all about it, what with Halloween and the time change the night before. Ed also says Monday night bingo is well attended but we need a few volunteers to help out. You need not commit to every Monday; call to see the roster of what Mondays need coverage. If someone stepped forward to be a bugler at the funerals of our military heroes, that would be very helpful.

That reminds me, keep (bugler) Edson Rodgers and David Cron in your prayers, both on our Legion’s sick call list. The main topic of our conversation is always the flag-raising at our Avenue of Flags in Oak Grove Cemetery. All are invited to help at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Veterans Day, to put up over 450 flags in honor of our service men and women. Meet at 3 p.m. to take them down. Join us in Oak Bluffs at the Our Market parking lot when our parade steps off at 10:45 a.m. Attend, if you will, our ceremony to honor vets at Windemere at 1:45 p.m. This is always a very important day to me as it should be. A salute to my father, brother, son and many, many uncles and cousins who served so well. I’ll give you a heads-up on Friday, Nov. 13 at 5:30 p.m. at our Hebrew Center for the annual honoring of veterans. All are invited.

Anyone 50 years of age or older, under 50 but with a chronic condition, may attend the seasonal flu clinic at our high school from 8 a.m. to noon on Veterans Day. I must point out this is seasonal flu, not H1N1. Also, no one under age 18 will be inoculated. There are quite a few regulations and guidelines; pick up a form at any library, pharmacy or town hall. Note that only walkers, cyclists or VTA users will be allowed directly into the high school; if you are driving your own car you must first park at the Ag Hall or Dennis Alley (formerly Waban) Park in Oak Bluffs.

I took advantage of the graciousness of our senior center’s invitation to a light supper and terrific presentation last Thursday night. I also had the advantage of attorney Arthur Bergeron, an expert in elder law, speaking on probate, wills and trusts. Arthur will present clinics on Island from time to time, I shall keep you informed. He is a great and clear speaker, has a question and answer segment, and it was a delight to see so many of my friends there.

Like the big kid I am, I also took advantage last Saturday of the Martha’s Vineyard Rotary Club’s first Halloween free hayrides through town. The float was creepily decorated, the participating Rotarians were the craziest of the bunch and dressed to compete in any Halloween parade. We took off from Tisbury Wharf and startled people along the Main street route. Same time, next year.

Richard Paradise sent me an e-mail about his film society presentation tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. at the Katharine Cornell Theatre. It was a 2008 romantic debut film, Medicine for Melancholy. The premise? Two twenty-somethings wake up in bed together, don’t know each other’s names, and don’t remember a thing about the night before. I shall not comment, but I will see you there.

Betty Burton is so delightful and so on-target with her lecture series at our library. Join her next Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. She has invited Dr. Demaris Wehr to speak about Survivors of the Genocide, in this case, Bosnia. Demaris is a psychotherapist in practice on Island and author of Jung and Feminism: Liberating Archetypes.

Pray with me for Stephanie Berryman and Penha Prata. This is more than a get well wish; this requires the prayer chain.

The birthday bandwagon pulls along Ashley Tilton and Marilyn O’Callaghan today. Tomorrow honors Lynne Kressin and Jeff Masi. Nov. 8 is shared by Adelaide Silva and Nancy MacMullen. Nov. 9 is a party for Barbara Jo Cayer, Matt Medeiros, Maria de Pinha and Evan Scott-Jennings. Nov. 10 is the birthday of the United States Marine Corps, founded in a tavern in Philadelphia in 1775. Nov. 11 is for Willa Shalit, Lizanne Donegan, and Victoria Hehre. And on Nov. 12, Suely Oliveira, Tim Sylvia, Matt Brown and Isaque Silva take the cake. Many happy returns.