Car Wash

Just in time to wash off the pollen (do cars get allergies, too?) or the trail dust from the long Memorial Day weekend drive to the Vineyard, the Charter School is hosting a car wash on Saturday, May 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The washing takes place at the West Tisbury Fire Station on State Road, where fifth and sixth graders from the Charter School, all of whom have majored this spring in the fine arts of soapy suds, will clean cars to benefit their upcoming sailing tip aboard the Schooner Alabama.

March to the Sea

Every year the Tisbury School and the Edgartown School pay homage to Memorial Day with March to the Sea pilgrimages. Today, March 25, starting at 12:30 p.m. in Tisbury and 1 p.m. in Edgartown, students walk from their respective schools down to the water where they will throw flowers in the harbor to commemorate those who have given their lives for their country.

In Tisbury the march heads to Owen Park via Spring and Main streets. In Edgartown students finish at the Memorial Wharf.

Tisbury Town Picnic

The town of Tisbury is sponsoring an old-fashioned Memorial Day picnic (on May 28), open to all, from noon to 4 p.m. with children’s games, music, rowboats, and free ice cream. Grills will be available.

The location of the picnic is at the old Tisbury Waterworks, just off Spring street and State Road near the Tashmoo Overlook. You can’t miss it. Just look for the barbecue smoke and follow your nose.

New Fast Ferry Face

There’s a new boat on the block. A newly constructed $6 million vessel from Rhode Island Fast Ferry will be put into service in June.

The 150-passenger Ava Pearl will provide service between Quonset Point, R.I. and Oak Bluffs, and will replace the company’s current 400-passenger vessel, Millennium. The all-aluminum catamaran includes a snack bar, five flat-screen TVs, indoor and outdoor seating, and space for bicycles.

Grant Inquiries Accepted

The Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation is accepting inquiries for its 2012 Intellectual Disabilities grant cycle. To be eligible to apply, organizations must be located in Barnstable, Nantucket, Dukes or Essex Counties in Massachusetts and serve children, adolescents and young adults to age 26 with intellectual disabilities. The deadline for inquiries is June 6. More information can be found at thetowerfoundation.org.

Excellence in Design

Martha’s Vineyard Interior Design announced that Liz Stiving Nichols has received New England Home’s 5 Under 40 annual award for excellence in design.

After receiving her BFA in Interior Design from Harrington Institute of Interior Design in Chicago, Ms. Nichols moved to Martha’s Vineyard. For the past 11 years, her work has been featured in several design magazines and her portfolio of work includes Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod, Boston, New York, Chicago and Philadelphia.