Ah, the town of Tisbury’s annual birthday blowout approaches, to be held on July 8. It is now named for Mrs. Martha’s Vineyard, Cora Medeiros, who was devoted to her faith, her family, her friends, her community and her beloved Vineyard Haven. As Cora’s birthday was July 4 she considered this her annual birthday party. The street fair on July 8 has become a very popular event. There are free shuttle buses running from the high school to the party. So many in our community are actively working on the substance abuse problems which, sadly, have hit our community so hard.

I want to give a special thank you shout out to Lori Robinson Fisher who is committed to this cause. Daily on the Facebook page Islanders Talk, Lori publishes information on the list of available beds and treatment help in the Cape and Islands area for each night. God bless and thank you, Lori.

The Lagoon Pond Association wants to draw your attention to their annual meeting on Saturday, July 9, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Sailing Camp Park on Barnes Road, Oak Bluffs. The meeting is free and open to all. Town of Tisbury officials and Oak Bluffs officials will meet to work on plans for protecting the Lagoon. Your input is welcome. Refreshments will be served.

Our Vineyard Playhouse is hosting an exciting, one performance only, benefit at the high school’s performing arts center on Wednesday, July 6, at 7:30 p.m. Come experience Andrew Carroll’s journey through over 30 countries to find the most eloquent and interesting letters written about war. If All The Sky Were Paper will be a benefit for our Dukes County War Veterans Fund. Mary Steenburgen is making a special appearance. Don’t miss it.

With great sadness I must tell you that Joseph John Giamboi 3rd, affectionately known as Joey, passed last week at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York city. Joey was born on Oct. 2, 1990 and left us on June 20, 2016. He was a lifelong summer resident of Edgartown. Joey was an avid fisherman and enthusiastic tennis player at his home in Brooklyn and while on Martha’s Vineyard. Joey is survived by his parents, Joseph J. Giamboi and Eva Sierra Giamboi, as well as his sister, Elizabeth, all of Brooklyn, N.Y. and Edgartown. Joey’s funeral Mass was attended by over 500 mourners at St. Saviour’s Church in Park Slope, Brooklyn on June 25. He was interred at Green-Wood cemetery. Donations in his name may be sent to the Boy Scout troop he established at St. Saviour’s Church and to the Joseph John Giamboi III Memorial Scholarship Fund at Xavierian High School. Our love and condolences go to his family and friends. A young star, like a comet, streaked our sky.

Anniversary bouquets go out to Doug and Leslie Hewson on July 3. Tim and Tootie Kieffer celebrate many years of wedded bliss on July 4.

The birthday bandwagon pulls along Cynthia Schilling and her granddaughter, Jenev, on July 1, along with Dick Clark; July 2 shines on John Clark Wallace, Jean Dowling, John Scott and Penelope Bonelli; July 3 is a party for Charlie Moore, Christine Geddis, Larry Gomez and Hans Buder. On July 4 all the flags will be flying for Steve McCarthy, Derek Araujo, Steve Nichols and Marianne Thomas; July 5 is shared by Michael McCluskey and Pat Murphy; July 6 is for Selma Balbino, Carol Fleming and Kerry Sertl; and on July 7 Kyle Natichioni, Cathy Burdick and Julie Fisher take the cake. Many happy returns.

Send Vineyard Haven news to iklean@yahoo.com.