Only 15. Only 15 hardy Islanders showed up at the Inkwell last Saturday morning at 8 a.m. for the second annual New Year’s Day dip. I am ashamed for the rest of us, myself included. And I might add: I did not hear that my editors Bill Eville and Elizabeth Bennett were there!

The Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse did not run a movie last Monday. It’s always a bargain at five dollars cash at the door. Was it a weather call? I know school children had early dismissal for the snowstorm that never was. Now we have weather warnings out for this Friday. Meanwhile, the Playhouse has the 12 x ‘20 Play Project streaming for free from Jan. 10 until Jan. 16. Check them out.

I know you are waiting for La Choza to reopen. The word now is it will open in January. Burritos again in Vineyard Haven!

I highly doubt that our town will ever get a rep as honky tonk. But after much voting, it looks like we might be able to go to a Tisbury restaurant and sit to have an alcoholic beverage without needing to order an accompanying meal. Does this make us grown-ups at last?

Congratulations to the Grey Barn. Their cheesemaking skills have been chosen as one of the top fifty in the United States. I hear they mail to everywhere in the world.

The West Tisbury Congregational Church is beginning their community supper program. It runs from Jan. 12 through April. As always, we are looking for volunteers. Please call 508-693-2842 if you can assist.

An Island legend has left us. Kern Grimes died last week. Friend to all, helper when you needed something, a smile that never ended. We shall miss him so.

Get well wishes to my buddy Curtis Sayles.

The birthday bandwagon pulled along Angela (Piper) Murphy, O. W. Weekes, Clare Ferro and Roberta Kirn on Jan. 5. Thomas G. Murphy, Carolyn Rogers and Uma Datta party on Jan. 6. The sun shines on Ben Touchstone and Rhonda Griffin on Jan. 9. And on Jan. 10, Dominic Leigh Clark, Aja Stamp and Brenda L. Tucker take the cake. Many happy returns.