KATHIE CASE

508-627-5349

(kathleencase@comcast.net)

Well, the heat has come to the Vineyard. The beaches are packed and the sand is hot and the water is nice and cool. If you are a beach lover you are probably loving this weather.

Happy birthday to all who celebrated their day this past week. Big balloons go out to Elizabeth Dourian, who celebrated her day July 19; John Murray for July 20; and to Riley Craig and Shannon Morris, who celebrated their day July 21.

Armen Arrives

Laura Marashlian and Myles Thurlow of West Tisbury announce the birth of a son, Armen Zohrab Thurlow, born on July 2, 2011, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Armen weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces at birth.

Welcome Cameron

Joanna and Brian Stanton of Edgartown and Marblehead announce the birth of a son, Cameron Richard Stanton, born on July 7, 2011. Cameron weighed 6 pounds, 5 ounces at birth. Proud grandparents are Richard and Norma Stanton of Edgartown.

Artist Stephanie Danforth, one of the featured artists at this Sunday’s reception at the Field Gallery in West Tisbury, has an intriguing resume for an artist. For 20 years she worked as a pediatric nurse. She holds degrees in psychology and nursing and a master’s degree in maternal-child health.

Taj Mahal and Tosh 1 Play Nectar’s

This Sunday night, July 24, Taj Mahal is playing Nectar’s. Taj is huge and Nectar’s is small. Not small in taste or talent, mind you, but small in square footage. This is a very good thing. You will be just footsteps away from guitar greatness, rather than sniffing clouds while seated a football field away as at some arena stadium.

Natural Healing

Heal yourself, or at least let the bounty of nature, rather than lab created chemicals, do the job.

On Tuesday, July 26, local expert Holly Bellebuono of Vineyard Herbs, will conduct a hands on salve-making workshop from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Polly Hill Arboretum. The event starts with a walk to identify and collect medicinal herbs and weeds on the arboretum grounds. After the walk participants make their own oil infusions and beeswax-based ointments. Supplies are included and everyone gets to take home their new medicine.

Tennis by Design

Looking good and swinging good. Next Friday, July 29, Stina Sayre Design is hosting a fashion show and cocktail party to benefit Vineyard Youth Tennis. The event takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Shephard Fine ArtSpace located at 8 Uncas avenue in Oak Bluffs.

Governor Deval Patrick is coming to the Island but this is not just another baby-kissing tour. On Saturday, July 23, he will be reading from and discussing his new memoir, A Reason to Believe: Lessons from an Improbable Life.

Mr. Patrick was born in Chicago in 1956 and after junior high school he won a scholarship to attend Milton Academy in Massachusetts. From there it was on to Harvard as an undergraduate and for law school. In 2007 he became the first African American Governor of Massachusetts and was reelected last year.

The Chilmark Library is presenting an exhibition of paintings by Carol Barsha. There will be an opening reception held on Saturday, July 23 from 3 to 5 p.m.

Ms. Barsha’s exhibit is called Twenty Years at Beetlebung Farm. Her work chronicles her time spent painting at the farm for a few weeks every summer from 1998 to 2008.

Ms. Barsha’s primary medium is oils. Her attention, while at Beetlebung Farm, was turned toward its “fields and gardens, specifically, rows of plants and flowers and the fences that contain them.”

Alan Dershowitz Speaks

Local summer kid, and internationally acclaimed lawyer, author, and lecturer Alan Dershowitz will be speaking this coming Wednesday, July 27, at 5:30 p.m. at the Chilmark Public Library. His talk is entitled The First Amendment: From Pentagon Papers to Wiki Leaks.