JOHN S. ALLEY

508-693-2950

(alleys@vineyard.net)

The weather has been seasonally cold with rain on and off. In the evenings the past several days, however, the temperature dipped below freezing and sand trucks were called out. All sorts of decorations, wreaths, outdoor lights and Christmas trees are being put up and decorated each day around town. The spirit of the holiday season is upon us.

I am sure most of you have your shopping mostly done and are well prepared for Christmas and wrapped, as Jane Konicki and Judy Hall have done. The rest of us are just beginning that frantic mad scramble to get it all together for the holiday. We promised ourselves we would not let it slide after last year but once again are frantically working against the clock.

The holiday party season has begun. The town holiday party at the agricultural hall was held Thursday night, and the annual county party for employees and guests will take place at the Portuguese-American Club in Oak Bluffs next Friday. Tom Vogl and his wife Katherine Long, of Scotchman’s Lane, and Glenn and Rosemary Jackson, of Stoney Hill, will be hosting their 28th Annual Winter Solstice Party Sunday at their home on Dec. 23 from noon till 8 p.m. Their parties are nothing short of superb and are sure to be one of the highlights of the season.

Tara Whiting of Old Parsonage Farm reports that work on the Parsonage Pond (also known as Whiting’s) has been completed. It took the Aquatic Control Technology firm of Sutton three days to clear the pond of weeds that had choked it to nothing more than a mud puddle last summer. Her cousin Everett Whiting still has to clean up the weed piles to on the shore and cart it to a compost pile on the farm and plant grass in the spring. Tara’s great-grandfather, Johnson Whiting, created the pond before the turn of the last century, most likely to provide a water source for his sheep and cattle. It was improved in the early 1950s by her grandfather and others with a trench that goes back to the Scotchman’s Lane Bridge in order to provide additional fresh water from the brook that leads into the Mill Pond. In the winter, because the pond is shallow, it freezes often, making for excellent skating and hockey. Forty-five years ago, her father Danny and family friends would place kerosene lanterns borrowed from Judge Davis’s barn around the pond to illuminate it for evening skating.

Linda Gandel and her friend Sandy Frey of Waldron’s Bottom Road returned home on Wednesday after a pre-holiday trip to Disney World in Orlando, Fla. Linda returned home with most of her shopping completed. She works at the Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown.

The school library’s annual book sale for the benefit of the Red Stocking Fund ends next Wednesday. School will be dismissed at noon on Dec. 21. Students and teachers will enjoy a 10-day holiday recess. School will not open again until the New Year on Jan. 2, 2008. Michael Halt, Bob Lane, Gloria Sylva, Judy McCarthy and Sue Merrill wish everyone a very happy holiday season.

Paul Garcia reports that Molly Gray of Chicama Path has joined the staff of Garcia’s Bakery. He is also waiting for Linda Alley to return right after she finishes managing the Holiday Gift Shop at Pyewackets on Beach Road in Vineyard Haven after Christmas.

Ina Andre’s mother and father, Manfred and Sabine Buettner of Berlin, Germany, arrive tomorrow to spend the Christmas holiday with their daughter, son-in-law Richard and grandson Nicholas. This is their second Vineyard Christmas with their daughter. Richard is excited to show them how much he has learned about farming this past year.

Cherrilla Brown and her daughter Coco of Buttonwood Farm Road returned home recently from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Cherrilla reports that they had a wonderful time, the weather was great and they had a chance to do some Christmas shopping. While they were there they visited with family and friends. It turned out that Katie Plasse, Steven Hammond and Sam Decker were also in San Miguel.

Senior deacon Marian Irving reports that the annual church fair was a rousing financial success. The holiday wreaths, handmade by the members, sold out in a blink of the eye, the baked goods were superb and everyone seemed to have a good time.

Susan Whiting reports that, after a year and a half of research and work, Vineyard Birds II is in Vineyard Bookstores. Co-author Barbara Pesch and Sue updated Vineyard Birds and added thegreat photographsof Lanny McDowell and superb illustrations by Karen Ogden. It is truly a Vineyardwork. Barbara is in Colorado at present but will be coming tomorrow and they will have a book signing at the Bunch of Grapes in Vineyard Haven on Dec. 22.

On Friday, Dec. 12, 1941, four days after entering World War II, the town civil defense committee held a rally at the town hall in North Tisbury. They were told what is expected of them during an air raid: first, do not use the telephone and second, build and use blackout curtains immediately and when the warning signal sounds after dark turn off all your lights. The chief air raid warden announced that Dorothy Russell would be in charge of North Tisbury. Her assistants were Mrs. Robert Flanders Jr. and Mrs. Forrest Bosworth. Lillian Manter was in charge of West Tisbury village. Her assistants were Lillian Magnuson, Hilda Austin, Elizabeth Campbell and Lorraine Armitage. Mrs. Raymond Cottle was the new warden for Lambert’s Cove. Her assistants were Misses Mabelle Benson and Barbara Cottle.

Happy birthday to Kathleen Gibbs, Catherine Brennan and Brett Fisher today;  Michelle Brescia, Rachel Schubert and Tim Sylvia tomorrow; Deborah Vincent-Coutino, Jon Fragoza, Ben Rossi and Sue Hruby on Sunday; Anne Holmes, Ian Warner, Amy Eisenlohr and Renee Rudd on Monday; Howard Borggaard, Nyama Wingood, Warren Hollinshead, Susan Kaeka and Carol Brandon on Tuesday; Jeff D ando, Marcy Klapper, Allison Carr, Pat Hughes and Janice Manter on Wednesday; and Martha Doane, Ray Gale, Rosalie Powell, Sara Roan and Christina Bradlee on Thursday. Belated anniversary wishes to Jermy Berlin and ChantaleLégaré.

Well, that is all of the news for this week’s column. If you have any news, please call or e-mail me. Have a great week and start your shopping now.