JOHN S. ALLEY

508-693-2950

(alleys@vineyard.net)

It is clearly evident that the winter blahs have set in along with a bitter blast of cold weather. We had a temperature that reached 50 last Friday that dropped into the teens as we watched the Patriots defeat the Chargers for the American Football Conference championship last Sunday. We are just over a month away from the start of daylight saving time in March. I suppose we can feel that the worst of winter is behindus now that seed catalogues have started to arrive in the mail and we can read them in front of the fireplace.

Social news from the Allen Whiting household is that after a road trip with Nettie Kent, their daughter Bea enjoyed the snowy month of December in Salt Lake City, Utah, with Lynne’s family and friends. Bea escaped that winter wonderland recently to spend time in sunny southern California with buddies Hannah Keefe and Andrea Silva. Now back in Utah, Bea is working at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City before she heads east in February.

Cynthia Riggs of Edgartown Road extends an openinvitation to everyone to attend her annual Groundhog Day party at the Cleaveland House on Edgartown Roadfrom 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb.2. Please bring your favorite hors d’oeuvres to share with your friends. Her party is also viewed as the kickoff event of the local political season.

Trina Gay of Baltimore, Md., arrived last week to spend some time at her Old County Road home, sort of testing the waters to find out how we Yankees survive the winter. She said it is plenty warm inside her house but outside is another story.

Lynn Christoffers of Edgartown Road and New York city returned home last Saturday after working more than a month in the Big Apple on her book. She is a photographer and worked on a project photographing Vineyard cats last year. She is happy to be back home and looking forward to her second Groundhog Day party.

Casey Decker left on Monday to resume his studies at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. Sam Alley went back to Framingham State College on Tuesday.

Town election warden Muriel Bye reminds you that the Massachusetts presidential primary election will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 5 at the Public Safety Building across the street from Conroy’s. Polling hours are scheduled from 7 a.m. till 8 p.m. She says that with all of the debates on television sparking interest, she expects a turnout of more than 50 per cent, which is very high for a primary election. Independent voters may elect to vote for either a Republican or Democratic candidate and switch back immediately after casting their ballot. So mark that date on your calendar today.

Paul Karasik’s book, I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets: The Comics of Fletcher Hanks, has been appearing on all sorts of Best of 2007 lists that have included Entertainment Weekly and Salon.com. The book and an interview with him will be featured on the cover of the upcoming Best of the Year issue of The Comics Journal. If you are interested in seeing what the fuss is all about go to fletcherhanks.com.

That same Paul Karasik, over at the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School, reports that the sensational five-course Indian dinner at the Dr. Daniel Fisher House in Edgartown to support the International Travel Fund at the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School was a big success. The fund’s next and final sizzling supper of the year is coming up tomorrow night. This time they will be offering food Jamaican style. Seating for the previous meal was sold out so reserve yours in advance by calling the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School at 508-693-9900, or Midnight Farm at 508-693-1997. Dinner begins at 6 p.m. Bring your own beverage.

On Jan. 29, 1946 Eleanor Waldron received a telephone call from her husband Tom, private first class in the U.S. Army, informing her of his arrival in the states from Guadalcanal where he had been stationed since December of 1944. He expected to be discharged in a week. He looked forward to getting home and reuniting with Eleanor, son Richard and daughter Joan whom he had never seen.

Happy birthday to Abigail Higgins, Tony Omer, Mitchell Gordon and Liane Thomas today; Harold Lawry, Melissa Clay and Edward Sylvia tomorrow; Tim Mathiesen, Susan Sigel Goldsmith, Taggart Young and Tom Engley on Sunday; Shelton Bank, Jamie Alley, Abigail Stanwood, and John Barkin on Monday; Janice Ovios, Pamelia Speir and Charlotte Cole on Tuesday; Adele Schonbrun, Dr. Charles Silberstein, Jack Wilson and Tallia Emily Annese on Wednesday; and John Hough, Gordon McArthur, Jaqueline Balaschak and Brinn Schaffner on Thursday. Belated birthday wishes to Joan Ames.

Well, that is all of the social news for this week’s edition. If you have any news, please call or e-mail me. Have a great week.