JOHN S. ALLEY

508-693-2950

(alleys@vineyard.net)

The weekend started out gray with a threat of rain and lawn mowers could be heard buzzing most everywhere in town. It really did not rain very much after all, however, and many outside chores were completed. Many people had an opportunity to go to the beach for the first time. The rhododendron bushes at the Foote tennis court were in full bloom and magnificent last weekend. Sunday and Monday gave us picture-perfect weather.

Linda Alley, the homemade jelly queen of the Island, reports that the first Farmers’ Market of the year will be held tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. at the Grange Hall. Also, Andrea Rodgers reports that the initial Artisans Fair of the season will be held on Sunday.

Todd Follansbee and Jack, Betsey, Sarah, Deborah and Shirley Mayhew traveled to Boston earlier this week to attend to the Boston Pops Sing-Off, in which Katie Mayhew competed with other high school singers from all over Massachusetts. She was among the six chosen to sing the middle of this month at Symphony Hall with the full Boston Pops Orchestra. The six will compete for the honor of singing with the Boston Pops Orchestra on the Fourth of July in their annual Esplanade concert. Our congratulations.

Kevin Wojcik and Lynn Dolan opened their house in Vineyard Meadow Farms for the season over the Memorial Day weekend.  Today Kevin welcomes his old friends from the University of Connecticut for their annual reunion andretreat. He usually has a rigorous schedule of events, although this year’s schedule is a little more relaxing. Plans include a badminton tournament and porch sitting, along with something new, sunset buffoonery at Menemsha Beach. He is noted for supplying good food, fine wine and expensive cigars, plus a generous supply of adult beverages. He is confident it will set the tone for another memorable adventure.

Ellen Weiss of Old County Road arrived last week to spend the summer at her home. She is a professor of architecture at Tulane University in New Orleans, La. Ellen reports that she is not going to have a vegetable garden this year and that it is great to be back on the Vineyard.

Pete Karman and his wife, Jill Carlton, of New Haven, Conn., arrived on Friday to stay at her house on State Road for the weekend. Jill worked in her garden while Pete was busy working on his new blog but took time to play a game of horseshoes on the newly installed court. They returned home Monday.

Carol Craven of New York city arrived last Saturday to spend the summer at her Music street home. She owns and operates an art gallery in Vineyard Haven and it will open for the season soon.

Noah Block and his wife Susan, from New York city, arrived last Sunday to discuss with their builder, Will Monast, their plan to restore the Frank Adams house on Music street. The historic district commission also approved their application at their Monday meeting. Will and his wife Leslei hosted everyone at a dinner party at their house that evening. Will made his famous fish chowder and you haven’t lived until you have tried it. The Blocks plan on moving here permanently once all of the work has been completed. They returned home pleased with their accomplishments.

Last weekend Bill Honey and George Hartman traveled off Island to an antique engine show. George reports that they came home with more than which they left the Island. They also met Dan West, formerly of the Vineyard, at the show. Dan now lives in Maine. They had good weather and a wonderful time.

Deb and Ron Kokernak of Webster were in town last weekend visiting her sister Lynne, and her significant other Steve Hart. Ron took my old truck back to his shop to see if there was any chance of it ever running again. They left a vintage Volkswagen with the hope that someone would like a reliable Island car. They expect to return this weekend with her stepfather, Ed Konicki, who is known by many folks in town.

Kendall Gifford Miller, of Newark, Ohio, arrived earlier this week to open his Edgartown Road home (the old Gifford’s Store) for the season. He planted a garden of day lilies and some sweet corn. He plans to bring the entire family back for the Fourth of July holiday.

Sarah Monast of Waldron’s Bottom Road, a recent graduate of Wheaton College in Norton, is home for the summer. She will once again work at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum.  

The school is a beehive of activity as the school year draws to a close. The eighth grade class departed for England last Saturday. It is a part of the student exchange program they have participated in for many years. They will return home on Monday. The last Bank Day will be held on Wednesday with an award ceremony in the cafeteria at 8:30 a.m. There will be a number of field trips to various locations. The graduation ceremony will be held at the agricultural hall on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. 

The First Congregational Church’s 20th annual Strawberry Festival will be held on June 21 from 1 to 4 p.m. Enjoy the native berries on shortcake with whipped cream, or berries with ice cream, or berry smoothies. Tables will be set up on the lawn. Proceeds from this popular event provide funding for the maintenance of the historic building and grounds.

Chantale Legare reports that recently more than 50 volunteers recently constructed a new garden at West Tisbury school courtyard. Nine raised beds were built for classes to use as a learning and teaching tool in the years to come. The project was spearheaded by parents Nicole Cabot and Kathy Joba. Nicole reports that the garden was a true community effort and they couldn’t have done this without the generous donations from several members of the business community and many volunteers.

The May 1976 annual town meeting lasted over five hours, a record, and many issues large and small were discussed at length. The matter of spending $9,600 to maintain the town dump drew a variety of opinions. T.J. Hegarty wanted to know why the money spent annually wasn’t put toward the purchase of machinery to do the job. Fred S. Fisher Jr. of the finance committee responded by saying, “For years we have tried to stay away from that. You would then need a place to house it and a man to run it; he would want a salary and health insurance. Eventually we’ll have all this, I suppose we will be spending 40 or 50 grand and providing money to fix his teeth — but as long as we can stay away from it we should.” An informal standing vote indicated the town did not want to purchase their own machinery to cover the dump. The budget request was then approved by a vote of 131 yes, 96 no.

Happy birthday to Hilby Mitchell, Mary French, Dorothy Gregory and Ernie Barrett today; Jonathan Hart, Andrea Hartman, Steve Berlucchi and Cheryl Grimes tomorrow; John Powers and Judith Tucker on Sunday; Woollcott Smith, Jodi Baron Blair and Josh Gothard on Monday; Susan Kennedy, Susan Safford and David Shay on Tuesday; Mary Lu Hough, Minor Knight and Joan Mancuso on Wednesday; and Kib Bramhall, Jean Wexler, Martha Stackpole and Mike Black on Thursday. Belated birthday greetings to Beth McElhiney and Prudence Burt. Belated anniversary greetings to Dan and Dorothy Whiting.

Well, that is all of the social news for this edition. If you have any news, please call or e-mail me. Today marks the 64th anniversary of D-Day, a significant turningpoint in World WarII. Congratulations to all the high school seniors who willbe receiving theirdiplomas on Sunday. Have a great week.