Casting Call

Auditions are being held on Thursday, April 21 and Friday, April 22 for ten speaking roles in Policing in America, a video project of Detrick Lawrence Productions of Edgartown. These are paid positions for filming which will take place on May 4 and 5.

Auditions are by appointment and will be held between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. at 140 Cooke street in Edgartown.

Family-to-Family Meals

The Vineyard Committee on Hunger is asking for donations for Island families in need this spring, in particular for Passover and Easter meals.

The cost to sponsor a family meal is $25 and includes 1 ham or turkey, 5 pounds of potatoes, 2 pounds of onions, 1 pound of carrots, 3 pounds of apples, 3 pounds of oranges, 1 bunch of celery, 1 dozen eggs and canned pineapple.

The meals will be distributed on Wednesday, April 13.

Living Beyond War

Living Beyond War by Winslow Myers will be the subject of a book discussion group taking place on Sunday, April 10 at 5 p.m. at the Unitarian Chapel, 238 Main street in Vineyard Haven. A second discussion will be held on April 17.

The discussions are in preparation for Mr. Myers’ visit to the Island on May 15.

For more details, call 508-693-8210.

YMCA Free Play Day

From zumba to jujitsu, pony rides to sailing, and swimming to tennis it’s all happening at the YMCA at their Healthy Kids Day free-for-all that’s literally free for all.

The day in question is Saturday, April 9. The activities get going at 11 a.m. and continue to 2 p.m.

The event is part of a nationwide YMCA effort to highlight the importance of fitness in the lives of families. The aim is to teach healthy habits to kids and inspire a lifetime love of physical activity.

Horseshoe Crabs Get Busy

Everything you wanted to know about horseshoe crabs but were afraid to ask, in particular their mating habits, will be revealed at the Chilmark Library on Wednesday, April 13 at 5:30 p.m.

This has been a busy fall and winter for the Martha’s Vineyard Masters Swim Club. Four members of the team competed in the New England Short Course Yards championship meet held in Harvard’s Blodgett Pool on March 12, 18, 19 and 20. This is the largest masters meet in New England with over 850 swimmers competing. Masters teams from all of the New England states as well as New York, New Jersey, the eastern seaboard and several other parts of the country ranging from Florida to the Pacific Northwest were there.

Ocean Eversley, 53-year-old Vineyard Haven athletics ace — she is national and New England champion in the 60, 200 and 400-meter races and long jump — is training hard for the Penn Relays that will be held on April 28 and 29. Part of the Mass Velocity track club, she’s aiming to break the masters women’s national record in the 4-by-100 and 4-by-400 meter relay in front of up to 60,000 thousand fans.

Ms. Eversley is being coached by the eight-time open 800-meter national champion and Olympian Khadevis Robinson.

Solar Sanctuary

Like magic, they appear. Hocus crocus!

One doesn’t need a wand to make crocuses. Spring is to thank for the coming of the crocus, though there is also a man who can take some credit for their creation. He couldn’t make longer and warmer days, but he could make those new little cup-shaped flowers.

Every bit of garden advice I give is a result of painful experience. I have learned everything the hard way.