The Martha’s Vineyard Hospital’s Center for Women’s Health has announced that Nancy Leport, a certified nurse midwife, has joined the center’s medical practice.

Ms. Leport, a longtime Island resident, completed her midwifery training at Columbia University in 1997. She previously served the Vineyard community as a nurse in the maternity department of the hospital.

In 1964, spurred to action> by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, a group of Vineyard residents from all walks of life and all ethnicities joined together to carry on the charge for change and hope the president had urged. They held their initial meetings at St. Andrew’s Episcopal church in Edgartown and quickly became the first and only Island chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Dean’s List

Jacqueline Panek of Vineyard Haven made the dean’s list at Nichols College in Dudley for the fall 2007 semester.

Open Mike at Island Co-Housing, a new monthly series that continues Friday, Feb. 1 at 6 p.m., is designed to encourage any and all youngsters to play and enjoy each other’s music.

When organizer Paul Lazes read an article in the Gazette a few months back about surveys revealing the alarming attempted suicide rate at the high school, he decided he needed to take action. “It is my firm belief that a vibrant music scene of young performers is achievable on the Vineyard,” he said.

The best planetary show of the month takes place early in the morning. The two brightest planets in our night sky appear together as a close pair. Venus and Jupiter are doing a planetary dance and they can be seen close to the horizon an hour before sunrise.

HOLLY NADLER

508-693-3880

(sunporch@vineyard.net)

The moon has been so dramatically full this week — so fat and blazing and low on the horizon — that some people have had to break out sunglasses for their evening stroll with the dog.

The moon’s glow was particularly taunting on those extremely freezing nights earlier in the week when you had to wonder how a heavenly body could shed major light and zip heat.

Welcome Annie Grace

Annie Grace Combra was born at Brigham and Woman’s Hospital in Boston on Jan. 10. She weighed 8 pounds, 5 ounces. Annie Grace is the third child of Richard and Jennifer Combra and the baby sister of Sophie and Richard 3rd. The grandparents are Brenda and Robert Lynch of Rochester, Sue Curely of Oak Bluffs, Richard and Dawn Combra of Oak Bluffs and Jack and Roxie Curley of Marion.

English Conversation

The Edgartown library has begun a winter semester of free English conversation classes, led by Nancy Gardella. The class meets on Tuesdays from 5 to 7 p.m. at Edgartown town hall. Class dates are Jan. 29; Feb. 5, 12 and 19; and March 4, 11 and 18.

KATHIE CASE

508-627-5349

(kcase1@verizon.net)

The days are getting longer and the sun has been shining. We are not shivering as the temperature has been bearable. The Patriots are in the Super Bowl. What more could we ask for?

Happy birthday to all who celebrated their day this past week. Big balloons go out to Ryan Gosson who celebrated Jan. 19, Kylie Fauteux and Jared Rivard who celebrated Jan. 24, and Alec Cobban and Quinn Cobban who celebrated their day Jan. 25.

NANCY GARDELLA

508-693-3308

(vhavenvgazette@yahoo.com)