Another week of winter we have experienced with snow, more snow, a little more of a dusting. Temperatures were at a high on Sunday at 39 degrees, and went to a low of -20 with the wind chill factor. We had an evening of rain, brief periods of sunshine and blue skies. Nashaquitsa Pond is mostly frozen over except around the private docks with bubblers. It has been too cold for shellfishing. Spring is just three weeks away!

Congratulations to all of my cohorts at the Vineyard Gazette for once again bringing home a multitude of awards from the annual New England Press Association dinner and ceremony held in Boston over the weekend. Rather impressive collection. Kudos!

Thank you to Sen. Dan Wolf for his immediate response to a request that I made to him through Cape Air. His overwhelming generosity will ultimately assist many Vineyarders over the ensuring years. His kindness has allowed a member of our community to attend a vital conference, and without his assistance the travel plans would have not happened the way that they did. Upon their return, there will be further acknowledgement in the newspapers. Thank you, Senator Wolf.

Please let our senators and Congress in Washington know that the circumstances facing our Coast Guard men and women described in the below message is unacceptable to us. You can find more information online at seapowermagazine.org, or search “fund our Coast Guard” to find a petition that one may sign to send a message to Washington. Your participation is vital. Thank you.

“Today, United States Coast Guard men and women are standing the watch around the world in service to our Nation. Our efforts and mission success depend on reliable and predictable funding. The Coast Guard is currently operating under a continuing resolution that expires on Friday. Secretary Johnson has highlighted some of the key impacts this continuing resolution has on maritime security, emphasizing the need for a clean, full-year Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2015 to support the necessary operational, personnel, and acquisition funding for the Coast Guard. Unreliable funding jeopardizes aircraft, cutter and boat maintenance and operations. It unnecessarily places an increased burden on our extraordinary people — 88,000 active duty, reserve, civilian and auxiliary members — who go into harm’s way every day, and they deserve safe and effective operational platforms. Although Coast Guard men and women will continue to protect life and property at sea and preserve national security interest because of the oath they took, a lapse in funding will require the Coast Guard to curtail operations in several key mission areas, including routine law enforcement patrols and facility inspections; fisheries enforcement; mariner licensing and credentialing; certain vessel inspection and waterways management activities; and recreational boating safety. If our appropriations lapse, Coast Guard men and women standing watch globally will not be paid. Further, over 6,000 valuable Coast Guard civilians — or nearly three quarters of our total civilian workforce — will be furloughed. Again with no guarantee of pay. Also in the event of a lapse in appropriations, nearly $1 billion in acquisition and maintenance contracts will continue to be deferred or otherwise disrupted — reducing the long-term operational availability and effectiveness of the Coast Guard. These delays erode the security of our maritime borders. Finally, a lapse in appropriations will adversely affect our retired personnel. These dedicated veterans, who often live on fixed incomes, will not receive their retired pay. I echo Secretary Johnson’s support of America’s Coast Guard and his call to action in passing a clean, full-year appropriations bill.”

Aquinnah Public Library will celebrate kid crafts Saturday from noon to 3 p.m., with many crafts for the children to enjoy. Saturday is also the last day of fines amnesty so return your books, DVDs, CDs and magazines, and bring nonperishable food items for the food pantry. Coffee and tea will be served throughout the day on Saturday.

Stanley Larsen at the Menemsha Fish Market will reopen Friday after taking a few days off. Stanley and Lanette and their staff have been working hard all winter to stay open for our ability to have fish and shellfish on a year-round basis.

Martha’s Vineyard Museum will present Pecha Kucha night on March 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the Menemsha room at the Harbor View Hotel. Presenters are needed for the presentation. One would show 20 slides that are 20 seconds long each on any topic of your choosing. For further information, please call Katy Fuller at the museum 508-627-4441 extension 123, or email Kfuller@mvmuseum.org. Past presenters have shown slides on antique collectibles, artwork, variety of hotels around the world, fabrics, Katama landscapes, whatever your imagination allows you to share.

Molly Purves has noted that the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival will be March 19 to 22 at the Chilmark Community Center. This year they will feature a film entitled Hip Hop-eration about an elderly hip-hop crew (it’s a documentary) and will be co-presented with the Martha’s Vineyard Center for Living. The program will be printed this week with the exact day and time of the film.

Condolences to the family and friends of Robert W. Sylvia who passed away at Falmouth Hospital on Feb. 17. He was affectionately known as Pesky or Uncle Bob to many. He was the son of the late Albert and Celia (Swartz) Sylvia of Oak Bluffs. Bob was born and raised on the Vineyard, as was his wife Ann Pearl (Andrews) and their children Steven, Thomas, Patricia, Douglas and Catherine. He was the brother of Eileen White and her husband George. He was the youngest brother of my mother in law Betty Rose, and thus uncle to Robert, Kenneth, Albert and Dennis Rose and their families, to Michael, Sylvia and Lisa Lima and their families and to Albert and Kathleen Sylvia and their families. He was predeceased by his brother Albert Sylvia by three weeks, and by his sisters Dorothy Riley and Betty Rose. Services were held on Monday at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.

The town of Aquinnah is rather quiet this winter school vacation week. Many have journeyed south to warmer climes that are just lukewarm by reports. Then there are those who have not had enough of the Vineyard winter, but needed to go farther north to try out the ski slopes.

Happy 37th anniversary wishes to Kenneth and Roe Belain on Feb. 28.

Happy 46th anniversary to Al and Cookie Perry on March 1.

Happy birthday wishes to Dora Morrow of DoraLu Manor and Montreal, as she observes her special day on Feb. 28. James I. Millman will be 12 years old on Feb. 28. Kristle Rose will celebrate a major milestone on the 28th. Remy Tumin will party on Feb. 29th.

Heather Ferreira will party on March 2. Fellow Vineyard Gazette columnist Kathie Noble Case will party on March 3 and shares the day with Jan Wightman. Sharon Spiller will party on March 4. Bob Rosenberg will observe his special day on March 4. Ruth Rocha, Wendy Andrews and Helene Hall all share the day on March 5. And my school buddies David and Douglas Seward will party on March 6.