Community
Laughter hung in the air over Sunday lunch at Debbie Lesser’s Chilmark home as a group of women traded stories about their children. It had been more than 30 years since the group had met weekly as young mothers.
With colic, breastfeeding and all the other things associated with new motherhood well in their past (though some are now experiencing these things as grandmothers), the women came together 33 years after their first meeting on the Island. They all had their children in 1980, and met weekly to vent, cry, share stories and support each other.
Rymes Propane Gas recently announced its first donation of $5,000 to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital as part of its Pink Ribbon propane truck effort. In the spirit of local community involvement, Rymes has partnered with Martha’s Vineyard Hospital to support breast cancer awareness through its Pink Ribbon propane truck. “Few things draw more attention than a pink truck. We want every person who stops and asks the question ‘Why is that truck pink?’ to become more aware, not only of the disease, but also of what they can do to promote early detection,” owner Jim Rymes said.
The headline of this column is a plea that Greta, the great dog, would utter if she could speak. She is becoming a longtime resident of the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard. She does have a human admirer who comes to take her for long walks. When he walks in the door her ardor is hard to miss what with the wiggling and tail-wagging she displays. Unfortunately, this person cannot adopt her at the moment, but he will be happy to write her a reference.
The Edgartown Lighthouse Children’s Memorial is a way to keep alive the memory of children who have died. Each year the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, steward of the lighthouse, sponsors a Children’s Memorial Ceremony of Remembrance for family and friends of the children memorialized in the cobblestones at the lighthouse. There are currently 615 stones in the memorial, which was first constructed in 2001.
Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center is in the midst of its annual Hunger Drive, which supports the Island Food Pantry. During the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur holidays the Hebrew Center distributed empty grocery bags, courtesy of Cronig’s, to all who attended services. Attached to each bag was a note requesting the bag be filled with nonperishable food items.
The day was all balmy breeze and blue-sky perfect, and Flat Point Farm and Tisbury Great Pond looked like a canvas painted by Ray Ellis. Island native Ryan Begley, son of Kevin and Patty and brother of Keegan, was about to marry longtime seasonal resident Adriana Stimola, daughter of Michael and Rosemary and sister of Aubrey Stimola Ryan. And as natural as wedding rings and heartfelt declarations, the Vineyard spirit infiltrated the ceremony.
Officiate Dr. Bette Kerr (a longtime friend and associate of the Stimolas from New York) welcomed everyone.