Puppies. There are a couple of new ones strolling their way around town. Casey Elliston and Julia Spiro, along with Bailey their wonder(ful) dog, welcome rescue puppy Oscar. I had the pleasure of meeting him: soft fur, wiggly body, nice-to-meet-you licks and all.

Tim Walsh, Bailey Gardner and big dog Wiley welcomed rescue puppy Dixie to the family. Her petite little self is full of personality and a bundle of love.
Well wishes to my father-in-law, Emmett Carroll, who’s a tad under the weather this week and taking in the Harbor view at MVH. He’s being doted on and cared for by the wonderful team of doctors and nurses whose main goal is to get him feeling better. It’s rough not being able to visit, but is reassuring to know some of his team personally.

Tucker Simonsen, on winter break from UVM, has been in town to do a little migratory game bird hunting. I had a nice chat with him as he fueled up his skiff.
There’s a big birthday taking place on Menemsha Crossroad this weekend. I’ve known the celebrant since her toddling days, when her legs seemed just a little too short; her school age days, when her smile seemed to get bigger than her head when she was happy about something—which was almost all the time; her early teen years when she really wasn’t all that awkward and now, as she gracefully transitions into the ripe old age of 18. Bella Flanders Thorpe, I am so happy to have had you in my life for all these years. You are a gem. Happy birthday.

And fundraising is on! The MV Fishermen’s Preservation Trust board of directors launched an urgent fundraising campaign to create the MV Sustainable Seafood Collaborative. The proposed MVSSC will stabilize local fishing businesses, increase the availability of locally sourced seafood, and utilize surplus fish to create meals to be donated to families in need. The ambitious goal is to raise $500,000 before the end of February so the MVSSC can be operational by the start of the fishing season in April.

This initiative is in response to the closure of Menemsha Fish House. The MVSSC will operate as a local seafood wholesale buyer, capable of purchasing hundreds of thousands of pounds of seafood year-round and distributing it on and off the island. Please consider making a tax deductible donation today and, thanks to a generous but anonymous Chilmarker, all donations from $25 to $2,500 will be matched!

Please check out the MVFishermenspreservstiontrust.org website for more details under the “projects” tab. You can easily click the Donate button on the website to make a contribution toward keeping the business of wholesale fish buying in local hands.