Don’t blink. Don’t stand down. Don’t turn your back. Don’t turn around. Some of my gentle readers have asked why I am so supportive of the Women’s March on Saturday, Jan. 21, in Washington, DC, and in many towns and villages across the nation and in other countries. I have been here before, and I thought my marching shoes were on the shelf. But it is apparent we must always be vigilant when our rights are stepped on, trampled and ignored. Short attention span is the opiate of the people. I have had students be amazed when I told them that in my day the newspapers had classified ads for jobs that read: Help Wanted-Women, Help Wanted-Men. I am not sure they believed me. I told the youngsters about me going for a hack license in the days when there were no women driving cabs in New York, and men at the taxi test center told me I was taking a job away from a man who had to feed his family. I could go on listing all the wrongs that needed to be righted but I’ll leave you with what I consider the most needed reform of all: girls playing full-court basketball. I thought it was an elaborate joke on me. I grew up playing street ball, pickup games, playground basketball, but then I get on the girls’ team in school and I have to dribble three times, pass the ball and can’t run full-court? Wake me up, I’m having a nightmare. Don’t blink. Solidarity Saturday. Sisterhood is powerful.

No one is surprised that a large group assembled to skate to donate for Tony Lombardi last Friday night at our MV Ice arena. Some of Tony’s pals served hot chocolate and soup to add to the collection. Checks were welcome, made out in Tony’s name, to help with his recovery from a stroke. Tony is in Spaulding Rehab, but any checks, notes or remembrances for him may be brought to the front desk at the YMCA. The assistant director of Alex’s Place, Laurel Redington-Whitaker, will be in regular communication with him and bring him all the cards, wishes and drawings you want to send.

While we all back Tony, I still feel this country is sick in the head. Someone gets ill and we have a bake sale! I want single payer insurance and I want the government to be the payer. I want the same health care that members of our congress and government get. This is why we can never stand down.

Families on Island might want to attend a Zumba party being offered at Martha’s Vineyard Community Services from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday. This is sponsored by the Island-Wide Youth Collaborative. All are welcome and the party is free. My good friend Lorena Crespo is the queen of Zumba. I hope she is there.

MVCS is sponsoring a very important meeting at the MV Family Center on Wednesday, Jan. 25 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The talk is on raising a children with special needs, from infants to eight year olds. Dinner and child care will be provided for free.

Our library is hopping. On Jan. 21 from 10 a.m. to noon they are having a mini-book sale. Money raised goes to the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Library. Every Saturday free tech help is offered on how to use library eBooks. Call for an appointment. Peter Dryer’s photos in Art in the Stacks is still on display. The Luce Players will give a raucous free reading of two plays by Christopher Durang on Sunday, Jan. 22. This will be at the library. The show starts at 5:30 p.m.

I have lost touch with my Scottish Society of Martha’s Vineyard and desperately want to be reconnected. I think of this especially now because Jan. 25 is Robbie Burns’ birthday.

With great sadness I report that I learned this week my cousin and godmother, Frances Graziani of Windsor Locks, Conn. passed on Jan. 13. Frances was a delight, she was my mentor, and I am bereft that I never had an opportunity to live with her. Frances encouraged me in all I did. She and Nonna had a special bond. Frances gave me my first paint box when I was 10 years old and proceeded to give me lessons. Francis instilled her passion for the beach in me. She was my hero. Rest in peace.

The birthday bandwagon pulls along Kim Montanile on Jan. 20; Jan. 21 is a party for Carol Whitmarsh, Noah Casner, Cameron Moore, Annie McEvoy, Fred Hehre and twins Derek and Travis Fennell; Jan. 22 is claimed by Donna Bouchard; Jan. 23 belongs to Yesmin Silva and Lisa Jannace Meade; Jan. 24 is shared by Katie Campbell and Eva Balbino Dias; and on Jan. 25 Robbie Burns and Kristin Pacheco take the cake. Many happy returns.

Send Vineyard Haven news to iklean@yahoo.com.