The weekend weather was windy, soggy and cold. We got the much-needed rain but we could have lost the wind and cold. Cookouts were canceled and the beach was definitely out. But the towns were busy and people made the best of the weekend.

Happy birthday to all who celebrated their day this past week. Big balloons go out to Amanda Da Costa, Wells Lowry, and Scout Sherman who all celebrated on May 29; Evelyn Lavigne and Aiden Ryan on May 31; Filipe Filho and Isabella Silva on June 1; Kyle Levy on June 2; and Deion Estrella, who celebrated his day on June 3.

Congratulations to Vinny Alestra, who made his last UPS delivery on June 4. Vinny is retiring after 21 years of service on the Vineyard. He has made many new friends and even met his wife of 17 years, Sandy Luce, on his route. Vinny has a long list of things to do after his retirement: sitting still is not in his vocabulary. Whatever Vinny does, we wish him and Sandy a very happy retirement and much happiness in the next chapter of their lives.

Congratulations to Kara Shemeth, who is now a lieutenant on the Edgartown fire department. Kara, along with others, went through many hours of lectures and hands-on training to receive her certification. Kara comes from a family of firefighters: her grandfather Al Doyle and father Peter Shemeth were both chiefs of the Edgartown fire department. Her husband Tom Igancio is a member of the fire department and so is her brother in law Paulo DeOliviera. Now I cannot wait and see if maybe she will follow in her grandfather and father’s footsteps and become the first female fire chief. Who knows?

Congratulations to Ellie Dolby, who will be one of the seniors of the class of 2021. Ellie is the daughter of Chris Dolby and Liza DaRosa Dolby. She will be attending Emerson College in the fall.

Have a great week and keep the home candles burning.