Commentary
While marching in this year’s Fourth of July parade, fellow campers and I, along with our fun-loving counselors, will be all thinking about Helen Lamb. The founder of Camp Jabberwocky died peacefully in her summer cottage in Oak Bluffs last August at the age of 97. Sadness engulfed us when we learned of her passing. This summer Camp Jabberwocky will remember, and celebrate, her life.
Polly Hill was well known for her love of stewartia trees. They are greatly admired by our visitors and represent years of hard work. Through Polly’s efforts and our continued devotion to these trees, we now have a recognized national collection. What does that mean exactly? The primary objective for the development of a national collection is to assemble the most comprehensive collection of plants within a particular genus.
Harry and Rose, two dear friends, asked if they could come up this summer as houseguests because, as they put it, they have “heard so much about the Vineyard that we want to see it for ourselves.” I replied this way.
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Dear Harry and Rose,
Ann and I were thrilled to hear you wanted to visit us on the Vineyard this summer. Please do come, as we know you’ll love it as much as we do.
Last Sunday was a perfect beach day and my first expedition to Lucy Vincent Beach for the season. The stunning coastline was resplendent, and with July still 10 days away, only a small crowd was gathered at the beach. I was pleased to note that a cozy blanket of sand had been magically/meteoroligically restored, and getting past the eroded cliff line was not a major obstacle. I also noted that the dunes that had separated Chilmark Pond from the Atlantic ocean had been vanquished by Mother Nature, leaving the volleyball area an expansive, sandy stretch.
Dear Rose and Harry:
I would have answered your letter sooner except that I have been in the hospital for the past three months here at the National Institute of Exotic Diseases in Washington getting shot full of needles and having rubber tubes run through me by heavy-handed but dedicated young medical researchers.
Editor’s Note: The following eulogy was delivered at the graveside service for Richard Lee in the West Tisbury cemetery on Tuesday. Mr. Lee, a well-known Island artist, died June 22 at the age of 79.
In 1933, Richard Eugene Lee was born on Jan. 15 in Pullman, Wash., on a farm. Later his parents moved the family into town and his grandparents helped raise him and his sister, Norma Jean.