JOHN S. ALLEY

508-693-2950

(alleys@vineyard.net)

The weekend weather was anything but springlike. But spring flowers are making an appearance in any event. The days are getting longer and the sun stronger. Soon, we trust, it will warm up and spring will burst upon us.

Another sure sign of spring was the stocking of the Mill Pond with trout on Tuesday. We can expect kids and their fathers will be fishing this weekend.

Bea Whiting reports that the farm has 30 new lambs out in the barnyard so far. The big news at the farm is that her cousin Davis Solon’s wife, Gina, gave birth to a baby girl on March 11. Her name is Isla Jane. She was born at home, the first in the family since her great grandpa, Everett. Just two days before the blessed event occurred, a baby shower was held for her at the Davis House for family and friends. Our congratulations to Davis and Gina.

Paddy and Ben Moore returned home recently from a great week in Puerto Rico. They spent the first three days in charming Old San Juan in a special inn, housed in a number of adjacent, 300-year-old, renovated buildings two to three stories high with interspersed interior courtyards, antique furnishings, special views to the Atlantic Ocean, and many creative clay sculptures created by the owner. Many excellent restaurants were in the vicinity, plus two large forts built in the 16th and 17th centuries to protect Spain’s empire in the Caribbean from the English, Dutch, and French, none of whom succeeded in taking over the island (only Teddy Roosevelt succeeded.) The Moores also report excellent tours by the National Park Service.

They spent two days in El Yunque, Teddy Roosevelt’s first national park: a very large rain forest with many hiking trails, guided tours, mountain streams, waterfalls, and natural pools for swimming. Their final two days were spent in Isabella on the north coast near the west end of the island. Ben reports that they had a fantastic time.

Town clerk Prudy Whiting reports that the absentee ballots for the annual town election have arrived. If you are going to be out of town on Election Day, you may cast your vote at the town hall during normal business hours until April 9 at noon.

It is official: James Powell has withdrawn as a candidate for selectman. However, he will still be listed on the ballot as they had already been printed. So now we have a two-person contest between incumbent Glenn Hearn and challenger Richard Knabel. The only other contest on the ballot is for two library trustee seats. Incumbents Hermine Hull and Linda Hearn will face Greg Orcutt and Cynthia Riggs. The ballot also will include a question asking you to exclude from the provisions of Proposition 2 1/2 the amounts of money required for the bonding in order to renovate and restore the Town Hall. Both the town meeting article and the ballot question must receive approval for the project to go forward.

The League of Women Voters of Martha’s Vineyard invites the public to meet the candidates for town offices at 7 p.m. Monday at the Howes House.

Sam Alley has returned to his studies at Framingham State College. During his spring break, he worked with Will Monast over at the Frank Adams house. Will is about to begin remodeling work on the house, which was built before the Civil War. Sam uncovered a disconnected fuse box, installed by Frank Adams, a master woodworker and jack of all trades. The date of 1925 was clearly printed on the cover. He wired his house for electricity and had a generator on one of the now abandoned cement pads outside the building. Electricity supplied by the power company did not come to our town until 1930. He also found in the kitchen, behind a mirror, an oil bill from R.M. Packer dated Feb. 28, 1946 made out to Mrs. Adams (Frank passed away in 1944.) She had purchased 26 gallons of kerosene for $2.48! The owner, Noah Block and his wife Susan, of New York city, plan to move here in the fall.

Al DeVito, chairman of the finance committee, reports that the selectmen and finance committee are seeking voter opinion on the vital matter of the town’s budget.

Central questions for which they seek answers are: Is the budget growing too rapidly? Is the town providing enough services? Is your tax money being well spent? They want to know what you think about these and other financial issues you will be facing on this year’s annual town meeting warrant. You are invited to a public forum at Howes House tomorrow, Saturday, March 29, at 10 a.m. Come share coffee and opinions on the town’s finances with the Selectmen and Finance Committee. The town’s health depends on the input of its citizens. It’s time to make your voice heard. Mystery prizes will be given away to a few lucky attendees.

Nan Doty reports that we should light some candles and turn out your lights tomorrow night between 8 and 9 p.m. Join Islanders in raising awareness about energy conservation during Lights Out Martha’s Vineyard. Have fun with a candlelight dinner or a beach clean-up. If you have any questions, call her at 508-645-3393.

Chantale Legare reports that sixth grade students Claudia Taylor, Sam Entner, and fifth graders Gayla Walt, Lucy Hackney and Charlie Parkhurst had their works published in an annual Cape Cod Times supplement on March 17.

Shortly before April 3, 1965, Chris Murphy and Allen Whiting, both students at Cornwall Academy in Great Barrington, had arrived home for a two-week spring break recess. Chris was celebrating his 19th birthday that weekend. His father, Stan Murphy, had observed his birthday the day before. He reported that when a person tells you their age, they are said to “celebrate” a birthday; when they won’t reveal “how much water has passed over the dam,” it is said that they “observed” the occasion.

Happy birthday to Warren Mead, Holly Wayman and Ken Hurd today; Charles Deary, Arthur Marx and Larry Greenburg tomorrow; Andrew Nelson, Pat Fitzpatrick and Donna Paulock on Sunday; Linda Gandel, Nancy Cole, Mary Keenan, Lori Ionnitiu and Robert Berosh on Monday; Joe Cataloni, Alison Barrett, Mickey Stone and Bob Woodruff on Tuesday; Joan Huston, Randi Sylvia and John Stanwood on Wednesday; and Rosemarie DeSorcy, Stacey Gouldrup and Wyatt Jenkinson on Thursday.

Well, that is all of the social news for this edition. Please call or e-mail me with news you wish to share. Have a great week.