JOHN S. ALLEY
508-693-2950
The weekend weather was superb. It almost felt like summer during the day. However, we have not had one day so far that has reached the average July temperature. People seemed to be everywhere and the traffic was heavy but not as much as in other summers. Last week the sun began setting at least two minutes earlier each day as we slowly head toward fall. But it is summer and we are not taking notice of such trivial things. Outdoor activities are at fever pitch and sales of bagged ice and charcoal have skyrocketed but unfortunately the month is half over. It seems like the day before yesterday was the Fourth of July.
Last Saturday a 60th birthday party for my wife Anna was held at the Grange Hall. Our daughter, Nicole, planned the party and that meant we had to do a lot of cleaning and painting in the house first. About 50 people attended the party, family, friends and neighbors to celebrate the occasion. Her sister, Nina Berry, from Providence, R.I. prepared a collage of photographs of Anna in various stages of her life and showed them on the wall with the aid of her husband, Dieter Pohl’s projector. It was a hit. Other people, from far away places were her brother Curtis Berry of Oklahoma City, her youngest brother Donald Berry and his wife Christina Thomas from New York city, Hans and Ingrid Pohl, Dieter’s parents, from Cologne, Germany, Peter Ochs and his wife Guderen from Vienna, Austria, Malcolm and Judy Hall from Oklahoma City, Anne and Campbell Howard from Yardley, Pennsylvania, Eliza and Will Melton from Barrington, R.I, and Nori Duncan of Pawtucket, R.I. Sandra Polleys bunch from Hemlock Farms, Pa., who came a few days early and helped with many chores, our son in law’s Aunt Anahit and her husband, Vitali Grigorian, from Providence, Mary Fran Edge from Wellesley, Our neighbor, Carey Rosenthal and his daughter Brinton came up from Newtown Square, Pa. for the party. Our thanks to Tom Vogl and his wife Katherine Long for some serious help with food preparation when they take on a project it is in the best of care. Nicole’s husband, Arsen Hambardzumian, grilled pork chops with assistance from his uncle Vitali and our son Sam, who also took charge of the exterior clean up of the house and many other projects. After dinner homemade cupcakes and a variety of Armenian desserts prepared by Arsen’s mother were served along with a generous supply of adult beverages. The party adjourned to my backyard where Perry Dripps had set up his deejay equipment. There was dancing on the driveway, deck and lawn. Sal Laterra, of Providence and Phyllis Meras of Music street led the dancing in the driveway. When Perry packed up to leave, Anna’s brothers broke out their guitars and played some good old country music in the living room. It was a great event made possible by the efforts of many.
Our special correspondent, Danica Kombol and her husband, David Lewis and their family, from Atlanta, Ga. have arrived at their camp in Deep Bottom to vacation for three weeks.
Jill Carlton and her husband Pete Karman, of New Haven, Ct. will be winding up two weeks at her State Road home. Pete has been quite busy with his blog site and Jill is tending to her garden. They entertained guests on Sunday.
Don and Marcia Klepper-Smith of Durham, Ct. are concluding their annual two week vacation at their Old County Road home. Don is operating his business part-time out of their home this summer. He is the chief economist and director of research of Data Core Partners LLC. His wife, Marcia, is the chaplin at Manchester hospital.
Warren Hollingshead, of Pond View Road, reports that they had a weekend visit from their granddaughter Emma DeCourcey two weeks ago. Emma rode the Flying Horses, attended three art openings, went to the Island Women play, had a pony ride at Pond View Farm, attended the Chilmark Community Church and cut grass with her grandfather on his riding mower. Marilyn was out in Chicago last week at a library convention and who did she meet but Mary Jo Joiner.
Martha Tack, of Waldron’s Bottom Road and London, England, enjoyed a glorious Fourth of July with her husband Carl and family. She plans to be here for the remainder of the month at her house. She is planning a wedding for her daughter next month and had to fly to London last week to iron out some details.
Kathy and Volker Kaempfert, of State Road and the Farmhouse Bed and Breakfast, hosted Nina Berry, her in laws, Hans and Ingrid Pohl, of Cologne, Germany and Mary Fran Edge for Anna Alley’s big birthday bash last weekend. Also this week they hosted their family and grandchildren from Fishkill, N.Y. Kathy reports they got in beach time, soccer practice and Pictionary at night.
Patti Linn and John Kelleher reports that the annual Ice Cream Festival event will be held at the Congregational Church Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Last week’s event was a success..
Steve Lohman, of Waldron’s Bottom Road, will be unveiling a new series of large scale wire sculptures at the Old Sculpin Gallery in Edgartown on Sunday. There will be an artist’s reception from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibit will run through August 1.
Kristin Buck, of Panhandle Road, would like to remind you the annual clambake at the Field Gallery fundraiser to benefit the Vineyard Nursing Association is Wednesday at 6 p.m. All proceeds benefit home health care on Martha’s Vineyard. A live and silent auction will take place. The entertainment will be provided by Vineyard Sound. And there will be a traditional New England clambake compliments of Martha’s Vineyard Clambake Company. She promises that the 25th anniversary party will be the best one ever!
Cathy Minkiewicz, of Mayhew Norton Road, reports that the next meeting of the Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club will be held on Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Old Mill on Edgartown Road. The lecturer will be Laura Eisener, of Harvard University and the subject is gardens for period houses.
Remember the Friends of the Library benefit book sale at the school begins Friday, July 31, and continues until Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Monday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. All books remaining are free. Also, they are still accepting books for the sale over at the school. For more information about donations or the sale contact the library at 508-693-3366.
This week’s item about the past contains a modern day update. Will Monast has been mighty busy these days restoring the Frank Adams house on Music street. He has had help from Elton Nascimeto. Mr. Adams would be proud of the craftsman ability Will displays and his ability to figure out the near impossible. He says it is the most challenging project he has ever accepted. These are the things we now know about the house:
It has had seven additions over the years; the oldest part contains hand-hewn beams in the floor probably dating back to at least 1775 or earlier. The additions to the house in several instances consisted of other buildings being connected to it. It had a large brick cistern just outside of the main house, two driven wells, one in each of the kitchen additions to supply water. In the year 1925 Frank Adams added yet another addition he used as an indoor bathroom, a first floor bedroom and wired the house for electricity and installed a generator outside the house to supply electric power because it would be another five years before electricity would come to town. By 1935 he had closed in the front porch, designed and built sliding windows, added a porch in the back of the house, built twin dormers upstairs and paneled one bedroom with old wooden cartons that were commonly used until the mid fifties to ship appliances or other large items on the railroad and steamboat by cutting and fitting them in place with strips of wood not much thicker than a lathe. The boxes were clearly addressed to Miss Priscilla Hancock. She was a famous chocolate maker and these crates more than likely contained empty candy boxes. A date of some significance was written on the coal bin wall in the cellar on Dec. 7, 1941 by Mr. Adams, noting he was building his first coal fire of the season. Noah and Susan Block, of New York city are the current owners of the property and plan to move here by September.
Happy birthday to Cynthia Bloomquist, Rebecca Hodgson and Mary Giordano today; Arnie Fischer, Sue Leland, David Fielder and Mark Yale tomorrow; Susan Austin, Linda Jones and Jessica Branch on Sunday; Kara Rosenthal, Laura Wainwright and Pamela Danz on Monday; Laura Campbell, Karen Flynn and Jean Caron on Tuesday; Joan Jenkinson and Katie Hart on Wednesday; Dan Bradley and Stephen Young on Thursday. Happy anniversary to Sig VanRaan and Susan Dickler on Tuesday and belated birthday greetings to Denise Mazzuchelli.
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