King of the Irish Pipes

To get your Irish on, and we’re talking real Irish, not just some do-si-do with a leprechaun and too many Guinness, you need to go to the core of your very Irish soul. On Friday, March 16, KCT concerts is providing just the guide.

Paddy Keenan is not exactly a regular on the Island, he doesn’t live here, but he returns often, fiddle in hand, to remind us what Irish music can be in the hands of a master.

St. Patrick’s Parade

Forget about Boston and its river of green, Edgartown is the place to be for St. Patrick’s day.

The first ever St. Patrick’s parade begins at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. The route is from Dock street to the Kelley House.

Sustainable Book Club

Next up for the sustainable book club is Eaarth by Bill McKibben. The book is an in-depth, sobering, yet ultimately optimistic approach to dealing with sustainability on a rapidly changing planet. Mr. McKibben has long been a leader of the a leader of the environmental and climate awareness movements, and is the bestselling author of many books including the seminal End of Nature.

The book club meets on Wednesday, March 21, at 5:30 p.m. at the Vineyard Haven Public Library.

Calling All Artists

The Friends of Family Planning art show is seeking artists for its 2012 show which takes place Memorial Day weekend, May 25 to 27.

New artists are invited to participate and returning artists are welcomed back. Paintings, all media and furniture, pottery, three-dimensional art, jewelry and weaving are all encouraged for this show.

To submit work, call Marston Clough at 508-693-9190 to request an application. The deadline for applications is April 16.

Farm Institute Farm Plots

The Farm Institute has received funding from the USDA’s Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education to support Island farmers who want to experiment with innovative crops or processes. The result is the Pilot Parcels Project, where interested farmers from all backgrounds and experience can apply to use one-acre plots at the Farm Institute.

A downloadable application form for interested farmers is available on the Farm Institute website at farminstitute.org.

Health Care Movie Leads Film Festival

Tonight, March 16, at 6 p.m. the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival gets under way with an opening reception. Try out the comfy couches, sample food prepared by Chris Fischer of Beetlebung Farm and get ready for a weekend of the year’s best documentary and feature films, many of which cannot be seen anywhere else.

Dean’s List

Katharine Clarke, daughter of John and Nancy Clarke of Edgartown, has been named to the dean’s list at Endicott College for the fall term. Katharine is a junior majoring in English.

Edey Grant

The Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the Edey Foundation for the creation of an environmental education curriculum at Cedar Tree Neck Sanctuary.

The foundation aims to have the outdoor curriculum completed by Oct. 31 and ready for use in the spring of 2013.

Many decades ago I brought home a yellow lab puppy and named him after a fishing port in Oban, Scotland. I had read an article about Oban in National Geographic and learned also that there is a scotch brewery by this name there. Being a lover of scotch, the choice of name was easy.

Todd McGrain, artist, advocate and film maker, never wants us to forget the species that we have lost. His film, The Lost Bird Project, which screens this weekend at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival, memorializes five birds that are gone forever.