It felt like an average winter morning and it seemed like the cancellation of school might have been all for naught, but that changed mid-morning. Kids donned their snow pants, grabbed their sleds, rolled giant spheres and called them snowmen. Cheeks were rosy, hair was matted, bodies were tired and at the end of the day it was a good one. It was also the perfect excuse to have hot chocolates with extra marshmallows.

Snow days can be great days.

A birthday is more than just a day on the calendar. It symbolizes the joyous celebration of life and growth. At its core, it marks the inception of a new year in an individual’s life, offering a fresh chapter filled with possibilities and potential. It’s a time of reflection to take stock of achievements, growth and challenges from the previous year.

Although February seems to be the month for many, many birthdays, one stands out in the crowd and that’s our very own police sergeant and West Tisbury-ite, Garrison Vieira.

Happy, happy, Garrison. We appreciate you, not as much as Carole and your gals, but heaps and plenty.

Aquinnah matriarch Anne Vanderhoop celebrated her 93rd birthday on Feb. 21. If June Manning were still around to get some insight in to Aquinnah’s nonagenarians, she’d have said Anne was one of the last contemporaries of her parents. They “fished together, scalloped together as families, shucked scallops together, raised their young families together in the Gay Head community, partied together, and enjoyed their intertwining lives.”

How do I know June would have said that? I robbed her exact words from a 2021 column she wrote. Like many of you, I miss her presence.

We’ve all likely heard the term community policing. The basic definition is “the system of allocating police officers to particular areas so that they become familiar with the local inhabitants.” The only reason I bring this up is because I had the nicest interaction with West Tisbury officer Brad Cortez the other day. I parked next to the cruiser the other day as I ran a quick errand at Up-Island Cronig’s. He rolled down the window and we had a nice little catch-up conversation.

He makes an effort to “roll the window down” and engage with his community and he goes above and beyond to be in the right places at the right time to share his smile and exchange a few words. I told him his approach to knowing his community is noticeable and appreciated.

I was saddened to hear about the death of Jennie Greene. She battled cancer long and hard but inevitably succumbed on Feb. 13. Jennie was a fair and consistent leader of Chilmark’s human resource board, former chair of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, mother, sister, aunt and friend and Spud Row sentinel.

High schooler Emily Boyd was busy, busy this past weekend with friends and classmates as they put on one heck of a show. Cast members and musicians, with Emily on sax, captivated audience members as they conveyed them to the magical island of Illyria in the multi-day production of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy Twelfth Night.

Steve and Emily Broderick skedaddled off to the lush greenery and blue waters of F-L-A for some much-needed rest and relaxation. After a few technical glitches along the way, they are settled in the warmth and sunshine.

A couple of up-island kids on the MVRHS boys swim team made their wat to the MIT Zesiger Sports and Fitness Center this past weekend for the MIAA Division 2 state championships. Emmett Silva, Andy Carr, Moses Thomson and Claus Smith, among numerous others, were in the mix. Although it doesn’t sound like it was a monumental, record-breaking day, all performed well and came home amped up about the experience.

Lena, the dear foster dog of Gloria, Lisa and Jennifer Burkin, continues to look for her furever home. She continues to make progress under their care and has proven she will better the lives of whomever she ultimately ends up with. You can find her details on PetFinder or reach out to the Burkins.