Good news and bad news. Bad news first. My go to place for delicious pizza with my favorite four toppings, Porto Pizza, is closing for the month of February. Good news is they shall reopen March 1. Good news is they are closing to spend some family time, and so Taylor Armer and Tony Breth can get married. Love in the time of Covid. And right near Valentine’s Day. Congratulations to two of my favorite people. May you live happily ever after.

The verdict is in: Adam Epstein announced it will not be possible to hold Beach Road Weekend this summer. But he is already working on a plan for 2022.

We have more changes. The Portuguese American Club will now host the food dispensation for the Island Food Pantry. I want to thank the Methodist Church in Vineyard Haven for hosting the food pantry for so many years. Thank you all. This is a good time to remind you that a wonderful Valentine’s gift would be to make a donation in the name of someone you love to Island Food Pantry and the Vineyard Vegan Society.

Intrepid poet Arnie Riesman is still holding a monthly off-season poetry cafe at 5 p.m. The cafe meets the first Wednesday of each month on Zoom.

Congratulations to Arthur Hardy-Doubleday who was just sworn in as the new president of our NAACP of Martha’s Vineyard.

I had a wonderful catch up call with retired nurse Christine Paffendorf who lived in my neighborhood for so many years. Chris relocated to New Mexico. I miss her. We caught up on news and, of course, discussed the weather. I do hope she can visit next summer or fall.

I have some very specific instructions on how to make entries for the art contest for all Island kids K- 6th grade. You can find the information on the MV Chamber of Commerce website or call me. Winning art will be displayed on this year’s Island Book. The deadline is Feb. 26. Ready, set, draw.

Last week, I mistakenly wrote that Katie Nevin’s birthday would have been Jan. 30 but it was Jan. 29. What a wonderful friend who left us too soon. I think of Katie everyday.

The birthday bandwagon pulled along Jarrett Campbell on Jan. 31. And on Feb. 3, Declan Farrell and Barney Zeitz took the cake. Many happy returns.