Thank you to Jerome and Nancy Kohlberg for another wonderful evening of fellowship among the Vineyard Gazette staff and their significant others on Friday evening at the Harbor View Hotel. And, thank you to Jane Seagrave and Julia Wells, our publisher and editor. No matter what the venue, Steve Durkee is always my dinner companion along with his lovely wife Liz, who will soon have a significant document printed about the town of Oak Bluffs. This year we were joined by Bert and Linda Fischer, Sam Low and Nan Bacon, Shelley Christiansen and Jeremy Berlin. Jane Slater and I always travel down together as we enjoy the slow drive down and home to catch up on the latest news, but if there is a hot topic we may speed up a little on the way. Everyone’s interest was piqued at our table when Jane related the story of the earlier days of her Chilmark column and how it was handwritten on yellow lined paper, double spaced and hand delivered to the Vineyard Gazette office for editor Elizabeth Bowie Hough to proofread prior to her husband Henry Beetle Hough, the publisher, to print. Jane has written for the Vineyard Gazette for many decades. These days we sit in the comfort of our homes, write on our laptops and send it by email. Another wonderful evening — and until next year.

Well, I should never have complained a week ago about waiting for a little more than a dusting of snow. We had more than 24 hours of snow and wind that should suffice for the remainder of the winter. Thank you to all the police, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, plow drivers and shovelers who have been on call throughout the storm, and to the emergency management teams in each community. A well-orchestrated performance by all. In Aquinnah, our front lawn has very little snow due to the high winds. All the snow has melted from my car already. My grandchildren Kayla and Noah are headed out with their sleds.

Saturday at the Aquinnah Public Library, there will be a visit by Llama Llama at 2:30 p.m. Stop in throughout the day for coffee or tea.

First Baptist Church will host a good, old-fashioned ham and bean supper on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 6 p.m. at the parish house on William street in Tisbury. The evening menu will feature ham, baked beans, cole slaw, corn bread, dessert and beverage. Take out is available. There will be a free will offering.

Molly Fischer is completing her senior year at Ithaca College, my how time does fly. Her sister Lydia, a great musician, is working in Brooklyn, while brothers Andrew and Christopher are in San Francisco, at least for the winter. Nice to catch up on all the Fischer news.

Evan Hall, son of Norman Hall and Saskia Vanderhoop, was home over the holidays. He is completing his senior year at Berklee School of Music and considering graduate school. Following his graduation, he plans on remaining in Boston.

Congratulations to Anderson Oliveira and his wife Flaviane Noronha on the birth of their son on Jan. 26 at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. It’s their first child, whom we will look forward to seeing on his weekly visits to Aquinnah during the summer.

Faith Smalley headed off to her freshman year at Guilford College in Guilford, N.C., after deferring her first semester. She was accompanied by her mother Millicent Smalley. Faith was a 2014 graduate of Miss Hall’s School in Pittsfield.

Condolences to the family and friends of Albert E. Sylvia 3rd who died on Jan. 23 in Wilmington. He was the widower of Frances Finnerty who died in November 2013. Albert was the son of the late Albert E. Jr. and Celia Swartz of Oak Bluffs. After serving in World War II, he went on to work as a bacteriologist for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for 35 years, often conferring with his schoolmate and friend John Hughes who worked for the state lobster hatchery. Albert was a frequently called upon expert during the red tide scares in recent decades. He and Frances then started the North Reading newspaper as editor and publisher. He is survived by his sister Eileen White of Oak Bluffs and Robert Sylvia of Falmouth and their families, and by his nephews Kenneth Rose of Maine, Robert Rose, Albert Rose and Dennis Rose, all of Oak Bluffs, and their families. He is survived by his children Albert E. Sylvia 4th and Kathleen (Sylvia) Correale. He is also survived by numerous cousins across the Vineyard.

Have you watched Big Giant Swords on the Discovery Channel? As the storm subsided, we viewed two of the segments. The handcrafted swords are the creation of Irish Mike Craughwell of West Tisbury, assisted by his friend AmeriMike. Of course, his wife Amelia Smith keeps tabs on all the work performed. Others you may know as part of his staff are Jon Rich of Chilmark and West Tisbury, his go-to guy, and Jamie Rogers, blacksmith — but most of us know her for her beautiful jewelry. On the Tuesday night segment, Capt. Buddy Vanderhoop requested a special sword to resemble the harpoon once used by our great uncle Amos Smalley in his pursuit of the great white whale. All very interesting.

Happy birthday wishes this week to Christine Murphy on Feb. 1 who shares the day with Andrew Fischer and Angela Waldron. Feb. 2 is a day of celebration for Emmett Carroll, Betty Joslow, Dr. Ron Low, Mark Shea and Adam Gebb. Logan James Manning will be three years old on Feb. 2. Laurie Thompson parties on Feb. 4 and Bethany DeBettencourt on the 5th. A very special birthday wish to John Born of Clay Pit Road who will celebrate his 70th birthday on Feb. 5 — a nice milestone for a nice gentleman and rock of the large Born family.

Send your Aquinnah news to: junemanning152@gmail.com.