HURTFUL LESSON

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Dating back to the early 1940s when the Steamship Authority’s ferry would leave from New Bedford, it has been a tradition for my family to vacation in the summer on Martha’s Vineyard. Therefore, when my grandsons were born, this tradition continued.

Routinely in the morning, the boys (now 11 and 13) and I would have our breakfast and then read a few chapters from our respective books. After reading at least three chapters, we would have a discussion.

Health Insurance Check

Individuals who purchase health insurance on their own have until August 15 to take advantage of the last open enrollment period this year.

Open enrollment is the only time those consumers can switch or change plans. If their current coverage expires outside of the open enrollment period, the only option for coverage will be to renew the same plan.

Power Talk

The Aquinnah/Gay Head Community Association will host a wine and cheese gathering at the Vanderhoop Homestead on Aquinnah Circle at the Gay Head Cliffs on Monday, August 15 (rain date August 16), starting at 5 p.m.

The evening will feature a talk by Mark London, the executive director of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, about the issue of wind power and how it will affect Aquinnah and the Vineyard generally. Advocates and opponents will be invited and questions will be taken.

The Holmes Hole Sailing Association continued its summer season of handicap sailboat racing from Vineyard Haven harbor with a Thursday night race on July 28 and a Sound race on July 31.

This Sunday, August 14, is Founders Sunday at the Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs. As a part of this celebration, the Union Chapel is honored to have the Rev. Dean K. Denniston Jr. as its guest preacher. Born in Boston, and raised in Boston andon the Vineyard, Mr. Denniston is the grandson of the Rev. Oscar E. Denniston, who in 1907 founded Bradley Memorial Church, the Island’s first African American church.

Find out all you ever wanted to know about eelgrass restoration with conservation (elastic) moorings, from the director of the Mass Bays Program, Jay Baker, on Thursday, August 11, at 5 p.m. at the Tisbury Senior Center.

Did you know the Vineyard community is exploring the habitat and security benefits of elastic moorings? Why, you ask? Elastic moorings eliminate the scour that disturbs the bottom when a heavy anchor chain swings on a traditional mooring.

It’s official: Kindle and e-books may flourish, but real books with pages you can turn are here to stay. Just as television thrived without disposing of movies, books and book lovers will never go away. Last Sunday’s Martha’s Vineyard Book Festival proved it.

It was an evening of good news and appreciation at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum annual meeting at the Federated Church in Edgartown on Monday.

The Martha’s Vineyard Medal, an annual award, this year went to Marian Halperin, Francine Kelly and S. Bailey Norton Jr.

Library of Your Dreams

The Vineyard Haven Public Library is planning ahead and setting priorities and goals for the next five years. Input from the public is critical as the library develops a new long-range plan. To begin the process, the library has developed a survey to find out what library services are most important to the community, and what could be improved to make the library more valuable.

Please Adopt Us

This week our featured animal is our one and only dog available for adoption — Rocky, a boxer-rotweiler mix. Rocky is a big, beautiful animal who loves people, gets along well with other dogs and needs some space to stretch his big body. He came from a very small house where he had no room to be a big dog. He is gentle and obedient and really needs to find a home where he can be loved and have an owner who will take him for nice, long walks. Please come and see Rocky — you will love him.