JUNE D. MANNING

508-645-2574

(lthslnks@gis.net)

The Martha’s Vineyard Hospital will celebrate their grand opening of the new hospital in festivities over the weekend. May we all enjoy many great years in the new hospital, which means so much to so many of us on the Vineyard. It seems like just yesterday when the newest hospital was completed in May 1974, a facility that has served us well over the past 35 years. I still have fond memories of working in the previous hospital when I moved home from Boston in 1972 and the camaraderie of the staff after working in a large Boston hospital. Many of those staff members have since retired, but a few loyal ones remain after all these years. When we meet, we enjoy reminiscing about years gone by and remember the great times, the patients that were cared for, their families and the latest advances in technology.

The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) will host their second annual Environmental Health Consumer Expo on Saturday, April 10, at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The theme is Stewards of our Island — Local Concerns, Local Solutions. There will be exhibitors, speaker sessions, great giveaways and door prizes.

The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) observes the 23rd anniversary of Federal Acknowledgement on April 10.

National Library Week is April 11 to 17. The Aquinnah library will forgive any overdue fines. Please return all overdue books, videos, DVDs and magazines. Brenda Lehman will be honored with a Jimmy Buffet Night on Friday, April 16 at 6 p.m. at the PA Club on Vineyard avenue in Oak Bluffs. Tickets are $20 and are available from Barbara Phillips, Debbie Rogers and Betsy MacDonald. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door. Brenda is undergoing treatment for breast cancer at Dana Farber and is almost through with her chemotherapy. She will then have six weeks of radiation therapy. Please join Brenda and her family and friends.

Get well wishes to Aquinnah fire chief Walter E. Delaney, who is resting comfortably at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital following his recent surgery at Cape Cod Hospital.

Get well wishes to Elmer Vanderhoop, who underwent surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital on Tuesday.

Sincerest condolences to Marguerite, Wesley and Martha Cottle, their friends and the Chilmark community in the passing of Eric Cottle. Graveside services for Eric were held on April 8 at Abel’s Hill Cemetery. Eric was a multigenerational family friend and a great part of a fellow fishing family.

Sincerest condolences to the family of John Donald Hare, M.D., who passed away on April 3 in Rochester, N.Y. Don, as he was affectionately known, and his wife, Nancy, were longtime Aquinnah summer residents with their children Kathleen, Christopher and Jonathan. For many summers Don and Nancy organized the Aquinnah Public Library annual book sale in August and would then host the Friends of Aquinnah Public Library annual meeting and luncheon at their home. In recent years they generously provided new pew Bibles for Community Baptist Church of Gay Head. In addition to Nancy and their children, he is also survived by six grandchildren. A memorial service for Dr. Hare will be held on April 16 in Rochester. Donations in his memory may be made to the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (Class of 1954 Scholarship Fund), 300 East River Road, Box 278996, Rochester, N.Y. 14627

Condolences to the family and friends of Nancy Luedeman, who passed away over the weekend at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Nancy was instrumental in assisting many young people in all aspects of theatre. She was also an avid genealogist and always assisted with title searches and their mysteries. Services for Nancy were held on Wednesday at the Grace Church.

Happy 49th anniversary wishes to John O. Vanderhoop and his wife, Gabi, as they celebrate on April 14.

Happy birthday wishes to Taza Vercruysse, who celebrated his special day while at Wooster College, and Melinda Rabbitt DeFeo on April 9, who shares the day with Beth Kaeka. Judith Manning Milavsky will celebrateon April 11, perhaps with a new hospital in honor of where not only Judith but so many of us were born. Robert Rose, Salley Henley Aranjo and Ted Leslie all share the day on April 11. Ed Cisek will party on April 12. Prudy Whiting parties on April 13. Lucas Kenneth Belain will be five years old on April 14 and shares the day with Samuel Vanderhoop Lee and Dakota Delviento.