Aquinnah is at last warming up from a cold and dreary winter. April showers brought bright greens in abundance all across town. Wild iris have blossomed as have the lilacs on time for Memorial Day. Cliffhangers opened at the cliffs on Thursday for your dining pleasure.

Deacon Priscilla Belain, a delegate of Community Baptist Church of Gay Head, has returned from recently attending a Baptist conference in Leominster. Priscilla received an award for Community Baptist Church as did Reverend Leo Christian who accompanied her to Leominster.

Lilly Duetsch has arrived to spend the summer with her uncle George and aunt Christine Katilus, following her freshman year of college in New Jersey. Lilly will work at Cliffhangers for her second season. They all await the arrival of George, Jr. from his sophomore year studies at Tufts University. George Jr. is looking forward to his second year as a lifeguard for the Town of Chilmark.

Paul Henry Jeffers-Mayhew has arrived home following his junior year of studies at U-Mass Boston.

Sarah Herrick Morris and her wife, Megan Morris just celebrated their first wedding anniversary at the Herrick family house on Sandcastle Lane this month. In July, Sarah is starting a post-doctoral fellowship in Clinical Psychology at Brown. Sarah’s brother Nicholas Herrick Morris will be moving from Brooklyn to Boston in September where he will seek a Masters in the Arts in Education Program at Harvard. Lisa Herrick and husband Drey Samuelson will be happily hosting the whole family in Aquinnah throughout August.

Kathryn Myrtle has arrived to spend her summer with her aunt Jamie Sue Vanderhoop and uncle Durwood Vanderhoop and their family, returning to work at Cliffhangers for the summer. Kathryn has just completed an internship with Congressman Langevin with the Rhode Island College Congressional Internship Program. She will be a senior at Rhode Island College in the September, completing her college education in three years.

Michael Pollan has a new book out: How to Change Your Mind. He has been featured on several television talk shows over the past two weeks and will be at the Martha’s Vineyard Author Series in Chilmark in August.

Barry and Dorothy Sullivan arrived on May 3 and have been busy sprucing up their property for the upcoming summer season. Barry drove to Bethlehem, Penn. to pick up Dottie’s Mom on Thursday. She will have a nice stay with the family until June 4. Then a few days later, son Patrick and his wife, Donna and two sons, Caden (4) and Brecken (2) will arrive for a nice visit. They look forward to several relatives and friends visiting throughout the summer and fall. In the meantime, they look forward to seeing their Aquinnah friends.

All the best to Marcia Rogers Valentzas who will retire as a phlebotomist at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital on June 1 after 48 years of dedicated service. Marcia spent her nursing career at the hospital, working in nearly every department and ending her career in the laboratory. She is looking forward to spending more time with her grand-daughter Lowen Jane Shaw who will be one year old on June 4.

Condolences to the family and friends of Benjamin Moore and his sister Gay Moore Nelson who passed away on May 10 and May 13. Many fond memories of times spent with both over the decades.

Condolences to the family and friends of Barbara Ball Rivers who passed away in Florida, in the presence of and surrounded with the love of her daughter Diane and her family friend Liz Wilson. Barbara remained as active as possible while still residing at her Chilmark home prior to moving to Florida about three years ago. She enjoyed her weekly book club, the birds at all the post in their yard, and doting on her grandsons.

Monday is Memorial Day, be mindful of the significance of the day and remember those no longer with us. Volunteers are needed to raise the American flag at Avenue of the Flags at Oak Grove Cemetery in Tisbury at 7:30 a.m. and to lower the flags at 3:30 p.m. on Memorial Day. Today is the day Vineyard school children march to the sea to place flowers in the harbors to remember those who served.

Have a safe Memorial Day weekend.

Happy Anniversary wishes to Greg Clark and Maureen Williams who celebrated their 17th anniversary on May 21.

Happy Birthday wishes this week to Roberta Kinnecom Evans as she parties today; Kayden Keith Devine parties on May 27; and shares the day with Janice Brown and Dr. Richard Koehler; Nonie Madison will party on May 28 and shares the day with Cora Keegan, Susan Anderson and Christy Vanderhoop; Nancy Carlton Benoit parties on May 29, sharing the day with Fan Ogilvie; and Leanna McKenna and Susie Crowell will party on May 30, sharing the day with Michael Gilman. Roxane Ackerman parties on May 31 as will Bradford Lopes and Jasmine Devine.

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