JUNE D. MANNING
508-645-2574
Sincerest condolences to the family, many friends and former students of John W. Mayhew Jr., our beloved Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School mathematics teacher, fellow fishing family member, oyster fisherman, statesman, honorable veteran and valued friend. Mr. Mayhew passed away early Tuesday morning at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. It was an honor to celebrate his 90th birthday with him while he was a patient at Windemere. So often over the years he would celebrate with our Class of 1964 at our reunions and other gatherings. He will be greatly missed, but his legacy will carry on through his spouse of 64 years, Shirley; their children, John and his wife, Betsy, Deborah and her significant other, Todd Follansbee, and Sarah, and their grand-daughters Caroline, Lucy, and Katie.
Sincerest condolences to the family of Mary White Eglinas who enjoyed her visits with family and friends not only on the Vineyard but when everyone traveled to Florida for several months over the winter. Many of her Vineyard avenue neighbors would vacation surrounding her in Dania, Fla. over the years.
Sincerest condolences to the family of Sally Gibbons Ward Dunkley, wife of Dr. E. Malcolm Dunkley, who passed away recently in Florida. Sally and her family were neighbors for many years of their summer sojourns when they resided on the other side of Echo Hill across the way.
As baby boomers, we are now in our golden years of where our parents were 25 years ago. Our Medicare cards have arrived for most of us, our supplementary health insurance is being reviewed and we are concerned about our prescription medicines. To ease some of the burden, we are now at the age where we have certain privileges and advantages. The Martha’s Vineyard Center for Living oversees many of the challenges we face being over the age of 55 and programs are noted in the 55+ Times. Over the next few months, I will try to publish some of the offers that my classmates and I know are available to those of us at this age and have been sharing with each other over the past year.
The Vineyard Transit Authority has a senior rate of $15 for an annual pass — ride all over the Island for the calendar year for that one flat fee that covers all towns. Shirley’s Hardware offers a 10 per cent discount for those age 62 and older who pay by cash or check. Linda Jean’s Restaurant has had a senior rate for a number of years which is 10 per cent for those 65 and above. The Steamship Authority will give a discount of 50 per cent on passenger tickets only for those who are over 65 and residents of the Vineyard! While the Vineyard Gazette once offered a senior rate it was discontinued a few years ago. In place of a discount, at the present time you may be offered a Peter Simon calendar — perhaps more valuable than the previous discount. There are also other specials offered throughout the year. My fellow baby boomers and especially my classmates have asked me to try to keep everyone informed.
Occupy Wall Street will present a forum, Understanding the Occupy Movement, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center on Saturday, Jan. 15. There will be a discussion program from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., followed by a community potluck supper from 5 to 6 p.m. The program consists of short video clips and informal discussions to follow. Everyone is invited to attend for part of the discussion, for all of the program or for just the dinner. This is the first in a series of forums Occupy Martha’s Vineyard will conduct this winter at different venues in order to provide information, engage with the community and gather feedback. Anyone wishing for more information should call Jeri Dantzig at 508-696-0874 or Michael West at 774-563-1231
The First Baptist Church of Vineyard Haven will hold a Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. breakfast and program at 9 a.m on Monday, Jan. 16. The program topic is “a life of altruistic service, his inheritance, and our commitment.” A free will offering will be taken.
Get well wishes to Freda Belain Rocker, who is a patient at Tufts Medical Center. She would enjoy receiving a card from her Vineyard friends. You can write to her at TMS, Pratt Room 429, 800 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111. Her children, Jeffrey Madison and his daughter, Wenonah Madison, as well as Stephen and Kathy have been with her during her illness.
Safe journey to Celeste Glavin, Ruby Hoy and Whitney Swolinzky as they head out this week to Columbia, Ecuador, and Peru for a winter adventure. I’m always amazed by the travel opportunities our Aquinnah children have ventured away on over the years but especially in the past two decades.
Noah James Manning returned home on Sunday night after attending his second Christmas celebration with his grandparents, Bill and Joan Kistner, and his aunts, uncles and cousins in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The Kistner clan gathered for brunch at Bill and Joan’s home and exchanged their secret Santa gifts. Noah was accompanied by his parents, Paul and Theresa. Of course, he received even more Lego sets at the second celebration.
Emmett Taylor is still enjoying the visit from his grandparents, Charley Hoye and Kathie Olsen. Kathie has a fascinating career assisting American Indians in the Oregon area, while Charley is a master potter. Great to see them still enjoying the warmth and sunshine in Aquinnah.
A correction, John Alley actually started writing the West Tisbury column in 2001. Congratulations to John and Anna Alley on the birth of their first grandchild, Robert, who was born on Jan. 6. He is the son of Nicole Alley and her husband, Arsen Hambardzumian.
From the Vineyard Gazette files of Jan. 10, 1975, Dr. Alvin E. Strock has offered to return as a gift the Indian cemetery near the Old South Road radio tower site his family owns in Gay Head to the living descendants of the Wampanoag people who are buried there. It’s not that the Strock family ever took the cemetery away from the Indians. As the doctor explained it late Saturday afternoon to the members of the Wampanoag Tribal Council gathered in the Gay Head town hall, he and the late Dr. Moses Strock, his brother, came by the burial ground in the course of acquiring a larger piece of property.
Happy birthday wishes this week to Megan Woods as she celebrates her special day on Jan. 14. Faith Vanderhoop and Carol Mayrand share the day on Jan. 15. Chester Cook and Derrick Mays will party on Jan. 16. Jesse Wiener will celebrate on Jan. 18, hopefully without a blizzard that day. Roy Hope will also party on Jan. 18. Ciara Seccombe will celebrate at her new abode in Sydney, Australia. Anthony Vanderhoop, Ruth Major and Carrie Anne Vanderhoop Bellis will all celebrate on Jan. 19. Captain Gordon “Todd” Bassett will party on Jan. 20 and shares the day with Mark Owen Shea, who will be two years old
Comments
Comment policy »