JUNE MANNING

508-645-2574

(lthslnks@gis.net)

It is apparent that perhaps global warming is catching up to us or we are to it. As many reminisced on Wednesday of where we were thirty years ago during the blizzard of 1978 and compared it to the 54-degree temperature of the day in 2008, it was quite a difference.

The next wave of reminiscing was that of when the Vineyard was predominantly Republican. Everyone tries to pinpoint the change to a Democratic phase in the 1960s.

As a follow-up to my concern a few weeks ago about the art and music program at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School being shredded — we should all stay tuned for the performance of A Chorus Line this month. Perhaps they will perform Chicago in 2009. As a footnote, I would be remiss not to mention Naushon Vanderhoop who sang with her choir from Georgetown University at the White House during the Clinton era — another former Minnesinger. Several students from Aquinnah also have performed at Symphony Hall in Boston. Two former Vineyard high school students who have flourished with their talent are Max Butler and Jesse Wiener, who will be recording their year.

Paul Benedict arrived on Monday to spend the remainder of the winter on the Vineyard. He campaigned vigorously on Tuesday at the polls for his favorite candidate.

Francis Brown will remain at home to work as his wife Laurie heads to France, their daughter Amanda, a senior at the high school, will be going to Austria with the Minnesingers, and son Eli will be on his way to Italy with the eighth grade students from the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School.

Welcome to Kathryn Corjulo who has moved to their family home on Harpoon Hollow. Kathryn has a home bookkeeping service while her husband commutes to his job as an information technology director in Connecticut.

Congratulations to Jeffrey and Emily Day on the birth of their son Matthew at Falmouth Hospital on Feb. 3. Matthew arrived one day before Jeff’s birthday on the 4th.

Raymond Dineen, 13-year-old grandson of Walter and Nancy Delaney, performed at Jordan Hall in Boston in January for the Chamber Festival with piano, cello, and violin. Raymond performed a Beethoven piece on his violin and with a string quartet. At the Winchester School, he performed a Schumann piece at a recital on Jan. 30. This past Saturday, he performed at a contemporary music festival. On Feb. 23, he will perform at the Copley Plaza Ballroom at a $1,000-a-plate black-tie dinner as a school fundraiser, as one of 16 best prep students with the chamber group.

Betty Joslow enjoyed the weekend spending her birthday of Feb. 2 with her daughters Nancy, Wendy and Laurie in Rockland. Betty was accompanied by her Boston terrier Molly for the visit with sister Lexie, and their Labrador retriever cousins Chewie and Java.

Congratulations to Samantha Maltais, the high scorer on the West Tisbury School junior varsity basketball team during the game on Wednesday. Samantha received 6 out of the 11 points the team made in the game, which it lost 16 to 11. She was joined by her fellow fifth grade tribal team mates Chantal Booker and Faith Smalley.

Little Maeve Sheehan celebrated her first birthday on Jan. 5 at her home in Aspen, Colo. Maeve is the daughter of Jennifer Butler and her husband Kevin Sheehan, and granddaughter of Lenny and Mallory Butler of Aquinnah. For Maeve’s first Christmas, grandmother Mallory spent two weeks with her and her parents in Aspen, and they were joined by aunt Nina P. Butler for a week. Mallory will fly out to Aspen this week for another two-week visit. Grandfather Lenny will remain at home while recuperating from a leg injury. Nina Butler has completed her first semester at Wellesley College where she loves her advanced math class. Maxwell Butler is in Boston and will soon be heading to the recording studio to record the last three songs for his CD. He now is with the William Morris Agency and is looking forward to the release and tour in June of the new CD with the Patrick Droney Band. Patrick is 15 and one of the best young blues guitarist in the United States.

Maxwell and Nina are both graduates of the Vineyard high school — Nina was a Minnesinger. Max studied music in Italy for a semester while he was at Bates College. Less than two years out of college, Max already will have a CD on the market and will be going on a national tour, which may turn into a worldwide tour.

Julianne Vanderhoop Mahoney recently returned from a trip to Germany where she toured Karlruhe, Ulm, and Munich as the guest of the Geiger family. She immensely enjoyed the wonderful holiday celebration with real candles on the Christmas trees and carols being sung in every home in the villages. She anticipates visiting Germany to capture the essence of each season. For now, she is renovating her Orange Peel Bakery in time for the spring season.

Jesse Wiener, a Vineyard high school alumnus of 2004, is a senior at Harvard University. He is the son of Jerry Wiener and Carolyn Feltz of Aquinnah. Jesse will be music director for Sweeney Todd on the main stage at the Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge. This will be the spring main stage production of the Harvard-Radcliffe Drama Club, to be performed the last weekend in April and the first weekend in May.

On Jan. 3, Jesse and seven fellow Harvard students attended a master class at Harvard given by Steven Schwartz, Broadway composer and lyricist who wrote Wicked, Godspell, Children of Eden, and Pippin, to name a few. Each student played and sang an original song for their performance. Mr. Schwartz had great praise for Jesse’s song and recommended he pursue his dream. Carolyn shared Jesse’s CD of his original song with us on primary day while we were at the polls. Great job, Jesse.

Happy 11th anniversary wishes to Philip and Victoria Moreis on Feb. 1.

Happy eighth anniversary wishes to James and Eloise Boales on Feb. 12.

Belated birthday wishes to Andrew Fischer on Feb. 1, who shared the day with Anastasia Sargent. Betty Joslow celebrated on Feb. 2. Jeff Day celebrated on Feb. 4. Twins Ashlee and Zachary Moreis celebrated their eighth birthday on Feb. 4. Mavis Camillo partied on the 5. William H. Maynard celebrated his special day on Feb. 5. Selectman Spencer A. Booker partied on Feb. 6. Julien Glasser Ortiz of Old South Road celebrated his third birthday on Feb. 7.

Happy birthday wishes this week to Ezra Blair on Feb. 11. Albert O. Fisher 3rd will have a celebration on Feb. 13, as will Michael Washington. Heather Vanderhoop parties on the 14th. Trina E. Kingsbury parties on Feb 15. Kayla V. Manning will party on Feb. 15.