JOHN S. ALLEY
508-693-2950
Father’s Day was wonderful. Frank Ferro’s granddaughter, Ava, made him an apron. David Vigneault’s daughters, Ava and Willa, made him breakfast in bed. Steve Klebs went out to dinner with his sons, Hudson and Sawyer. Marjory Potts served up her famous peppercorn and mustard roast leg of lamb and for dessert rhubarb crisp at her birthday celebration.
It’s getting busier each day as people continue to arrive for their vacations; the first day of summer on Monday sure did feel like it. School was dismissed for the summer yesterday and the VTA summer bus schedule begins tomorrow morning.
I want to thank Colleen Morris for writing the column last week and Maya Sharp for sorting the mail; by all reports they did a wonderful job as Anna and I were vacationing in the Azores! Those islands are, without a doubt, spectacular, green, peaceful, with friendly, helpful people. It is a wonderful place to visit or vacation.
Over 100 antique automobiles, ranging from a Ford Model T to a 1976 Plymouth arrived last Wednesday for the annual show and cruise. The owners are members of the Boston Area Roadsters. Several stopped at the Field Gallery last Saturday and immediately drew a large crowd of people curious to see the cars and ask the owners questions.
Ginger Duarte reports that the Martha’s Vineyard Center for Living will hold its first fundraiser, Summer Welcome, at the Portuguese American Club in Oak Bluffs tonight from 6 to 10 p.m. The evening of Island-style fun includes dinner, dancing to a deejay, door prizes and silent auction. Tickets are only $10. Proceeds go toward finding a permanent home for the Supportive Day Program.
Carey Rosenthal, his wife Abby, from Newtown Square, Pa., and their daughters Brin and Blake came up to visit last weekend. Blake left on Monday and Brin and her boyfriend left on Tuesday for Canada. They plan to stay at the house for a month.
Bea Whiting reports that her father Allen and mother Lynne will be hosting their 29th annual opening art reception on Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m. Allen will have new oil paintings, landscapes, still-lifes and a selection of new charcoal drawings hanging in his home gallery at 985 State Road. Allen is a popular artist and his openings have become a special event for everyone. They typically attract hundreds of people from all walks of life.
This weekend Deb, Jack and Chico Szpila will be visiting Ed, Linda and Blue Swanson for a long-awaited reunion and celebration of their anniversaries of 21 and 39 years. Big Ed’s Cab will greet them at the boat and give Jack his first tour of the Island and head to Alley’s General Store for T-shirts and hats, and then on to Menemsha for lobsters.
Malcolm and Judy Hall of Oklahoma City and Pond Road arrived at their summer home last weekend. Malcolm has been kept busy with yard work and planting his wife’s vegetables that she grew from seed in Oklahoma. He had a surprisingly large crop of okra last summer.
Leon and Janette Sample of Alexandria, Va., arrived recently to spend the summer at the family compound on Cobb’s Hill. They opened the house for the season as other members of the family will soon be arriving from around the country.
Judge B.L. Bird of Fairfax, Va., is in residence at his home on Music street. He opened the house and is getting it ready for the summer.
Gordon and Chris Turner of Vineyard Meadow Farms returned to their home last week for the summer. They spent the winter at their home and art gallery in the Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla., area.
Nicole Alley and her husband Arsen Hambardzumian of East Taunton came down for Father’s Day. They took me out for a wonderful breakfast. Arsen also found time to make several septic inspections in Vineyard Haven in the late afternoon.
Ed Konicki of Webster was browsing in an old bookstore in Dudley recently and found this gem and passed it on. In 1925 Harleigh and Natalie Schultz started up and published a monthly magazine of Island life in this town. In the July issue there are several poems by Emma Mayhew Whiting, a story by her son John, photographs, a boat schedule, history of the Baptist Church and much more plus lots of advertisements and a letter dated June 3 from the high and grammar school students to President Calvin Coolidge inviting him to come to the Island to visit during the summer. They ask that all Islanders send a letter asking him to come down, with an emphasis on the fine vote the Vineyard gave him last year as practically every ballot cast was for him.
Karen Flynn of Indian Hill Road reports that Peace Quilts is having an opening reception of the new arrival of beautiful quilts from Haiti. The event will take place at the Bank of Martha’s Vineyard in Chilmark today from 4 to 6 p.m.
Gloria Sylva over at the school makes her final report of this school year next week and retires at the end of the summer after 23 years service in the school system. Also, acting principal Bob Lane will retire after 38 years in school system.
Dudley and Nancy Eppel of Pond View Farm Road and Princeton, N.J., arrived recently from Vero Beach, Fla., to spend the summer at their home. Dudley has already planted a vegetable garden in the back yard.
Marsha Winsryg reports that the African Artists Community Development Project is having a craft sale on Monday, July 5, at the Grange Hall from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. At 5:30 p.m. the Spindrift Marionettes will present Unanana’s Beautiful Children. For information call Marsha at 508-693-4059.
Colleen Morris over at the library reports that this afternoon the JC Jazz Trio will perform at 4 p.m.; the summer reading theme is Go Green at Your Library. An open house with froggy crafts and leapfrog races in the backyard is from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Come sign up for summer reading. On Saturday evening the library will host a tree planting ceremony celebrating the life and birthday of Paula Black at 5 p.m. All are welcome.
This is the last chance to see Paul Carrick’s exhibit, Wolfgang and Other Stories; come and meet the artist at a closing reception on Monday at 5 p.m. at the Field Gallery. On Friday Blooming Bids for Kids! is happening from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Field Gallery, a benefit for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Martha’s Vineyard. Items for auction include unique planters created by local artisans.
Tomorrow Chris Wiley will discuss shade coverings and perennials at a free gardening lecture over at Vineyard Gardens at 11 a.m. On Sunday there will be an artists’ reception at the Granary from 5 to 7 p.m. Come see the latest works by David Fokos, Claudio Gasparini, Preston McAdoo and Wendy Lichtensteiger. All featured exhibits are free and open to all. This is National Pollinators Week and Mass Audubon and The Trustees of Reservations will offer an information and training session focusing on inventories of native bees. Call Felix Neck or Long Point to register.
Laurel Johnson, from Lawrenceville, N.J., is the summer intern assistant at the Congregation Church. She is also involved with the Vineyard Playhouse and plays the part of Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This is her first time on the Vineyard, and she is very excited about it all.
Alex Moore and Kayla Oursler were married at the home of Chuck and Martha Schmidt over at Seven Gates Farm last Saturday. Alex is Chuck and Martha’s grandnephew and great-grandson of the legendary Fred Moore. Martha reports it was a wonderful day, a beautiful lawn ceremony for the 120 invited guests.
On June 28, 1950, a dozen members of the West Tisbury Grange #251 had nearly finished what seemed like an impossible task of clearing the Mill Pond of the dreaded parrot weed that was so thick it virtually choked the pond. Grangers volunteered their time for more than three months to pull out the weed from the manmade pond that was built to supply water power to the old mill building across the street. Joe White of Oak Bluffs and his crane helped out by building up the banks with silt material. When the project was finished, the Grange purchased the first pair of swans to inhabit the pond; the reason for doing so is that they are very partial to parrot weed and would help to keep it under control. Over the years several sets of swans have called the pond home. So many that people today often refer to it as the swan pond.
Happy birthday to: David Franklin, Nancy Brightman, Debra Phillips, Eric Johnson, Kristen Knight and Bess Child today; Lynn Bouck, Alicia Tonti, Sarah Murphy, Dennis Kaeka, Peter D’Angelo, Kathy Retmier, and Martijn Stuorman tomorrow; David Steere, Woody Bowman, Jonathan Belain, Samantha Schwager and Heidi Spruce on Sunday; Alvida Jones, Barbara Cotterill, Samantha Look, Colleen O’Donnell and Sam Decker on Monday; Harriet Bernstein, Jack Gray, Ruby Hoy, Antone Silva and Myles Thurlow on Tuesday; Clifton Athearn, Jean Levesque, Rebecca Norris, Ken Mastromonaco and Scott Yapp on Wednesday; Karl Hermanns, and Brian Jolley on Thursday. Happy anniversary to Chris Hind and Shannon Brown on Wednesday. Belated anniversary wishes to David Lewis and his wife, Danica Kombol.
Well, that is all of the social news for this week’s column. If you have any news, please call or e-mail me. Have a great week.
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