As I drove up to Pennywise Preserve last Saturday, I expected to see several other Island hikers waiting to join the pack. What I saw instead was an older man, sitting on a rock, legs crossed, no car, no bike . . . just by himself.

“Are you here for the cross-Island hike?” I asked. He smiled warmly and said, “Yes.” I informed him that I just heard the group was 45 minutes behind schedule, then worked on getting my backpack organized.

“Have you ever done a hike of this length? Are you able to do it?” he asked me.

Watching my three daughters Wendy, Jennifer and Ali, cook together in the barn-like kitchen behind my eldest daughter Wendy’s house has been one of the great joys of my life. Even before they thought seriously about writing a cookbook, they had their title: Three Sisters Cook And Their Mother Couldn’t Boil Water. Although the kitchen is silent now, food is what binds our family together.

Recently my wife and I drove to Edgartown to meet friends for an age-appropriate movie, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. It was the 4:15 p.m. screening, so considering the movie, which we liked and now refer to as Slumdog Pensioners, the theatre was packed. After the movie we had an early supper at an Edgartown restaurant and drove home.

JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

Chilmark’s roadsides are sporting leafy green cover-ups that now hide all that previously could be seen from the road! All the greenery is very lush and thick. The white bloomings of spring are beginning to fade and the major color now is green everywhere. No doubt the heavy rains this week have worked their magic.

Thanks to the hard work of superintendent Keith Emin and assistant Hutch Kirwin, the town roadsides are trimmed and mowed and looking good.

JUNE D. MANNING

508-645-2574

(lthslnks2004@yahoo.com)

With the opening of the Howwossee Trading Post this past week, all the shops at the Cliffs are now open for the season.

Congratulations to all the students of the Class of 2012 who will be graduating on Sunday from Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. Those graduating from Aquinnah include Spencer Booker, Clara Corjulo and Tiara Lee.

Announcing Aiden

Emily and Paul Galligan of West Tisbury announce the birth of a son, Aiden Thomas Galligan, born on June 2, 2012 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Aiden weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces at birth. Aiden is welcomed by grandparents Brenda and Neil Galligan, and Jennifer and Gary Dillon.

JOHN S. ALLEY

508-693-2950

(alleys@vineyard.net)

NANCY GARDELLA

508-693-3308

(vhavenvgazette@yahoo.com)

What is with this crazy weather? Did our friends from Connecticut bring it? Welcome back to so many seasonal faces. Wanda Denton has returned from West Hartford and is gardening. Jim and Trude Hart have returned from Florida and are gardening. Felicity Tuttle and Jim Weisman came down from Winchester and are gardening. Bill and Jan Stokes arrived from Waterbury and are gardening. It’s great to see them, but they all make me feel guilty because I’m not gardening.

Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School principal Steve Nixon has announced the honor roll for the third quarter of the 2011-2012 academic year.

Grade 12 high honors go to Ambika Datta, Riley Donegan, Celeste Ewing, Eva Faber, Oliver Filley, William Fligor, April Hargy, Christine Janak, Celia Mercier, John Shannon and William Stewart.

The Edgartown Free Public Library has a new director.

Jill Hughes, the former executive director of the Connecticut Library Consortium, will start the job June 25. She is replacing former director Felicia Cheney, who announced that she was resigning last December.

Ms. Hughes was introduced to the town selectmen Monday. After the meeting she said she and her husband, frequent Vineyard visitors, had wanted to live on the Island, and she has family who are year-round residents.