Haiti Slide Show

Harvey Beth and Jeanne Staples have just returned from Haiti and will be showing slides of their trip at the Vineyard Haven Public Library on March 1 at 7 p.m. These are not your typical home movies.

These slides tell the story of Haiti in 2011 as it continues to suffer from the earthquake of 2010. The rebuilding has been very slow. But still, hope is evident as the talk will address.

Waxing Poetic

Chilmark resident Donald Nitchie and Oak Bluffs resident Barbara Peckham will read their poems in honor of Ms. Peckham’s new book A Jar of Summer and Other Poems. The reading will take place on Saturday, Feb. 26 at 4 p.m. at the West Tisbury Free Public Library.

Before settling permanently on Martha’s Vineyard, Barbara Peckham served as the Society and Women’s Page Editor of the Journal Courier in New Haven, Conn. She has written radio and television commercials and was an English teacher for many years.

The Eagle Has Landed

The Eagle is the largest tall ship flying the Stars and Stripes and the only square-rigger in U.S. Government service. Currently, it is celebrating its 75th anniversary of offering generations of Coast Guard Academy cadets, and more recently officer candidates, a unique leadership experience at sea.

On Wednesday, Feb. 23, Lt. Cmdr. Jorge Martinez, the executive officer of the Eagle, will be the featured speaker at Sail MV’s winter dinner/lecture series.

The cost for the evening is $20.

On Wednesday, Feb. 23 from noon to 1:30 p.m. there will be a brown bag lunch at the Old Whaling Church entitled An Arts and Cultural Collaborative for Martha’s Vineyard: Lessons from Cape Cod.

The title of the talk sounds intriguing in a friendly neighbor sort of way. Hey, let’s see what’s up on Cape Cod.

But in truth the event is an important milestone for the Island because it is the inaugural meeting of the Martha’s Vineyard Arts and Culture Collaborative.

Herbal healing, the art of healing naturally and without expensive drugs, is the subject of a new series of classes by Vineyard herbalist Holly Bellebuono.

Ms. Bellebuono is the proprietor of Vineyard Herbs and the soon-to-be author of upcoming book Everyday Herbal from Shambhala Publishers in Boston, due out in spring of 2012.

But that’s a whole year to wait in order to study up on which herbs to take for which ailment. And besides, a book, no matter how good, can’t compare to the live version.

Drugs and the Teen Brain

The Youth Task Force will feature Janina Kean, president and chief executive of High Watch Recovery Center in Kent, Conn., as well as a board member of Vineyard House, as their guest speaker on Wednesday, Feb. 16.

Ms. Kean’s talk is entitled Their Brain Never Had a Chance, Use, Abuse and Addiction In Adolescence.