NANCY GARDELLA

508-693-3308

(vhavenvgazette@yahoo.com)

The gang has assembled. Wes Stokes came up from Connecticut for fishing and clamming, and his parents Bill and Jan returned for a long summer stay on Lenny’s Loop. Wanda Denton is back with daughter Laurie Marotta. And John Doyle of White Plains and West Tisbury very kindly drove Nonna here on Tuesday. The neighborhood kids were so excited to have their Italian grandmother back that Amber Willoughby, a special friend to Nonna, had a sleepover at my house with Cheyenne and Monique Cormier on Nonna’s first night here. Many people came to visit her, among them Tamma Cimeno and Shelly Plesser with Shelly’s twins. Now that’s four females, two dogs, two fish, one cat and two guinea pigs in residence with me for the summer. Does anyone have a room for rent???

The icing on the cake is that my cousins from California, Lou Jannace and Lisa Quartiroli, flew out on Sunday to their Island home. Uncle Manlio and Aunt Joan, my Mom’s brother and her sister in law, drove over from Farmington, Conn., also on Tuesday, and dear friend Maryanne from Boston arrived Wednesday. Nothing but a huge family dinner reunion would do. Here’s to the start of the season!

Grace Church is presenting a wonderful guitar concert at the church, corner of William and Woodlawn streets, on Saturday, June 30 at 7:30 p.m. Admission is a freewill offering. Noted guitarist Peter Griggs will explore classical guitar music for the last 500 years, from the Renaissance until now. Johann Sebastian Bach to Thelonius Monk to Flamenco, Brazilian, contemporary styles and Peter’s own compositions will be demonstrated. Save me a seat.

Music will abound at Featherstone on Musical Mondays for the summer. Hear your favorites in the open theater under the stars from 6:30 until 8 p.m. The range of tunes will be jazz, funk and blues. Grown-ups get in for $7, kids for $5, but an Island card gets you a discount. I’ll see you there.

Our library paid a special price, so I may list the name of the free film offered next Tuesday, July 3, at 7 p.m. in the program room, free lemonade and popcorn. The Artist, which won five Oscars and details the life of a silent screen star, is the presentation. Nonna and I will be there.

In other library news, the kickoff to the summer reading program is tomorrow at 11 a.m. Go register, kids and adults, at the Ag Hall where there will be prizes, presentations, and live music.

The Martha’s Vineyard Magazine has several Vineyard Haven winners in its Best of the Vineyard 2012 contest. Just some of them are our favorites: Morrice Florist, Art Cliff Diner, the Black Dog, The Spa at the Mansion House, C.B. Stark Jewelers, and, of course, the Bunch of Grapes.

Beginning in July our Martha’s Vineyard Film Society will hold screenings at Union Chapel, not at Katharine Cornell Theater. Tonight there is a special film festival preview at the Modern Theater at Suffolk University in Boston. All summer screenings begin at 8 p.m.

Ed Colligan reminds us to help put up the flags in our Vineyard Haven Oak Grove cemetery on July 4. We put up over 450 flags in honor of or in memory of our servicemen and women. Usually we are asked to help take them down at 3 p.m. This year, so you can all make it to the parade in Edgartown, we ask you to help us at 2 p.m. This is a stirring sight. I’ll see you there.

Ed also pointed out that Post 257 of the American Legion on Martin Road offers lobster rolls and chowder on Tuesdays, 4:30 till 7 p.m. This is a favorite stop — no cooking! — for Nonna and me on Tuesday nights.

Anniversary bouquets go out to Joe and Joan Didato on July 1, Doug and Leslie Hewson on July 3, and Tim and Rosemary (Tootie) Kieffer on July 4.

The birthday bandwagon pulls along John Doyle, Flavia Stanley, Alexander Douglas Grant II, and Lynn Weber today. July 1 is shared by Dick Clark, Jenev Schilling, Cynthia Schilling and Mya Rendall. July 2 is a party for John Clark Wallace, Jean Dowling, Penelope Bonelli and John Scott. July 3 honors Larry Gomez and Hans Bruder. The flags fly on July 4 for Cora Medeiros, Steve Nichols, Derek Araujo and Steve McCarthy. And on July 5, Michael McCluskey and Pat Murphy take the cake. Many happy returns.