JUNE D. MANNING
508-645-2574
Family and friends will gather to celebrate the 80th birthday of Anne (Fleming) Vanderhoop Madison on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 20 from 2 to 5:30 p.m. at the Aquinnah town hall. This will be a potluck open house so please bring a dish to share and a tale or two to tell. One of my tales to tell is that after working at the Aquinnah Shop for two summers, I was always amazed at Anne’s incredible memory of each former employee, where they went to college, their spouse, their children, their families — this is her memory of hundreds of the young people she has worked with over the decades and she nurtured them all.
Anne is the matriarch of the William D. Vanderhoop Sr. family which includes her children, William D. Vanderhoop Jr. aka Captain Buddy, Erick P. (Ricky) Vanderhoop, David E. Vanderhoop, Matthew J. (Cully) Vanderhoop, Captain Brian F. (Chip) Vanderhoop, and Aquinnah baker Julianne G. Vanderhoop. Their families include 14 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Anne spends her winters with their family open house celebrations for the holidays, enjoys their daily visits, and especially looks forward to their assistance at the Aquinnah Shop over the summer season. She has been a resident of Aquinnah for the past 62 of her 80 years and has been a vital part of the community. Cheers to Anne!
Friends and family will gather this evening for a benefit for the family of John Wajda at the Portuguese-American Club in Oak Bluffs from 8 to 11:30 p.m. John died on Jan. 12 at the age of 43. He left behind his wife, Amy (Lowe) Wadja, and their five children, Allyson, Emma, Sarah, Elizabeth, and Matthew. Tickets are $20. Finger foods will be served compliments of Sharky’s. There will be raffles and dancing to Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish. If you are unable to attend but would like to donate, donations may be sent to Reverend Jeff Winter, Faith Community Church, 316 Meetinghouse Lane, Edgartown, MA 02539.
Reminder: Willy Wonka will be at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School Performing Arts Center this weekend, with a performance tonight at 7 p.m. and on Saturday at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door, $7 for seniors and students.
Aquinnah Public Library will have the weekly coffee hour tomorrow morning from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for a hot beverage and snacks. Storytime is at 3 p.m. for a story and crafts. Meet with your neighbors who have recently returned from Germany, the Mediterranean, Washington D.C., Disney World, Costa Rica, Australia, New Hampshire and India. Many of your neighbors are packing for their winter vacation during the school break which begins a week from today with distant places in mind.
Emma Young will conduct the next bookbinding class at the library on March 8 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. It is reportedly a fun class and only a small expense for supplies but a lifetime of knowledge to share with others. Next Thursday, Feb. 24 will be for the color red for children ages 3 to 7 to wear their favorite red clothing while working on a red craft project. Fun snacks will be served.
The library fund-raising efforts with refundable bottles and cans is getting slightly closer to the $350 level for a matched grant by Libri Foundation for books for the children. Please remember to donate your clean bottles and cans at the landfill on Thursdays and Sundays through March. If you do not have recyclable bottles and cans yet would like to contribute, a check may be mailed to Aquinnah Public Library, State Road, Aquinnah, MA 02535 to assist with the $350 requirement for matching the grant.
The Martha’s Vineyard Center for Living is still seeking community board members for each town except for Edgartown. We are also looking for valued volunteers who would like to assist with special projects. If you would like to serve on this board, please contact director Leslie Clapp at 508-939-9440 and inform her of your willingness and intent to serve. We still have a lot of work to accomplish following our recent intensive six months of the Great Awakening with the name change and your assistance is greatly needed.
The new Wampanoag coin will be presented on March 25 at Plimouth Plantation at 10:30 a.m. The 2011 coin represents the hands of Massasoit and Governor John Carver and the offering of a ceremonial peace pipe. It was through the efforts of the Hornblower family that we are all able to enjoy Plimouth Plantation.
Condolences to the family and friends of Florence Borges, who died this week in New Bedford. Florence, the mother of Jacklyn Dawley and Joan Gonsalves, was a longtime dedicated volunteer at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
The Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribal Youth Group returned home Sunday evening after attending the weekend of youth leadership programs, intertribal activities and a social at the Mohegan Tribe. Tribal youth attending included Benjamin Booker, Elsie Fantasia, Adahy Gonsalves, Yannick Gonsalves, Rachaya Lane and Tiara Lee. They were accompanied by Tribal Youth Group Director Theresa Manning and by chaperones Jamie and Woody Vanderhoop.
Happy 37th anniversary wishes to Mark and Susan (Lana) Shea as they celebrate on Feb. 23.
Happy birthday wishes this week to Linda Scott, Rose Marie King Roberts, and Olivia Sims on Feb. 19. Wendy Jones deGeofroy will celebrate her special day on Feb. 20 and shares the day with Cedric Belain. Leonard Jason Jr., Steven Garvin Jr., Constance Iadicicco, and Anne Vanderhoop Madison all share the day on Feb. 21. Ginger Duarte will party on Feb. 22 while at Woody’s in Puerto Vallarta. Chelsea Ives will celebrate on Feb. 22 as will Rita Jeffers. Jeanne Taylor will observe a major milestone on Feb. 23 while vacationing on her island in the Caribbean.
Happy first birthday wishes to Rocco David Marshall on Feb. 24. Darren Leport will observe a major milestone on Feb. 25.
Comments
Comment policy »