JOHN S. ALLEY

508-693-2950

(alleys@vineyard.net)

The weather was awful on Saturday, and Sunday we received nearly five inches of rain. Barbara Day reports that Saturday’s Living Local Harvest Festival events at the hall were well attended despite the weather. Not as many people as last year attended the harvest potluck dinner nor the Antique Power Show, likely because of the downpours. Some leaves have turned, displaying brilliant colors of fall foliage.

Many of you have wondered about the inability to purchase an Eileen Blake pie since the first of the month. Her daughter, Mary Ellis, who has been doing all of the baking for the past two years, gave birth to a baby boy, Caton, nearly two weeks ago. On a sad note her mother, who died in July, Eileen’s ashes were interred in the cemetery last Sunday. The service was attended by family and many friends. Mary reported that she will resume baking pies today. Our condolences to Roger and all the Blake family. We all will be happy to see her pies back on store shelves soon.

Ann Howes, of Tiasquam Road, will be holding a retrospective exhibition of her watercolor paintings at Featherstone Center for the Arts on Barnes Road in Oak Bluffs, opening tomorrow and running through Oct. 8, open daily noon to 4 p.m. There will be an opening reception on Sunday, Oct. 5, from 4 to 6 p.m. and she is inviting all West Tisbury folks interested in seeing some older pieces and new works of hers to stop by during this event. She will be happy to talk with you and answer questions. Please bring your friends along to enjoy the event.

The center of town is busy these days. Paul Garcia has had the stately old elm tree removed from his front yard; Adam Block had his mother’s place cleaned up and landscaped last week (if you want some stones, his brother Noah has a lot of them from the Frank Adams renovation); work has begun on the restoration project of the steeple of the Congregational Church; the contractor has taken possession of the town hall building, erecting a fence around the property as they are about to begin reconstruction work, and the shuttle busses have had to do some fancy scrambling to find a suitable location as the town failed to do it.

Hundreds of people, co-workers, friends and family attended an emotional and moving memorial service for Dave Willey on Tuesday afternoon at the Agricultural Hall. Dave was a pilot for Cape Air and died when his plane crashed Friday night near Nip ’n’ Tuck Farm in North Tisbury. Our condolences to his wife Jackie and his children.

Dr. Jay Segel, of Pond Road, a Harvard-trained podiatric surgeon, has been recognized by Cambridge Who’s Who for showing leadership, excellence and dedication in all aspects of medicine.

Liz reports that Vineyard Gardens’ free annual Harvest Festival will be held on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fun for the whole family. Free crafts, activities and refreshments, including chili, hot dogs, caramel apples and apple cider, plus beautiful fall displays of plants, demonstrations and hands-on activities for all ages. Learn to decorate with edible flowers and create autumn flower bouquets. Kids’ activities include making pine cone bird feeders and planting paperwhite bulbs. Also throughout the day there will be garden and nursery tours. Call the nursery at 508-693-8511 for more information.

Chantale Legare reports that you must reserve your space by Monday to participate in the Community Yard Sale being in the school parking lot on Sunday, Oct. 12 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. She says this will be the mother of all yard sales. This event is sponsored by the fifth grade class. Please call 508-696-7866 for more information.

Hermine Hull, of Edgartown Road, reports that there will be an Artists for Obama fundraiser at the Dragonfly Gallery in Oak Bluffs next weekend. Nearly 40 artists are donating a painting. The Alison Shaw Gallery is also joining them for the big event. For more information give her a call at 508-693-2525.

Judy McCarthy reports that the sixth grade class had a wonderful four-day and three-night stay at the University of Rhode Island’s Alton Jones Environmental Education Center in West Greenwich, R.I. They particularly loved digging up colonial artifacts from an archeological dig at the center.

Carole Early reports that the 21st annual COMSOG fall festival will take place on Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. at their greenhouse off New York avenue in Oak Bluffs. Just look for the yellow and green sign, next to Dick’s Bait and Tackle.

Happy Birthday to: Christy Phillipps, David Kelliher and Robert Tonti today, Saul Frankel, Elizabeth Bramhall, Jimmy Young, Kathy Logue and Fain Hackney tomorrow, Tim Maley, Kathy Chaves, Jon Nelson 3rd and Fred Fisher 3rd on Sunday, Ben Reeve, Teresa Thompson Catherine Flynn and Christine Cook on Monday, Akia Miranda, Molly Gray and Pat Benway on Tuesday, Rick Anderson, Timothy Walsh 3rd, Kathleen Hope and Lincoln Higgins on Wednesday, Steve Lohman, Richard Rooney, Whitney Hyde and Sophie Abrams, on Thursday. Belated birthday greetings to Lynn Christoffers. Anniversary greetings to Will and Leslei Monast today!

On Thursday, I too will be celebrating a wedding anniversary — thank you, Anna Alley.

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.