JOHN S. ALLEY

508-693-2950

(alleys@vineyard.net)

February has been the snowiest and coldest month of the winter. It sure has been like a ghost town all week largely because it is the school’s winter vacation and many families are on the move. People have left Dodge for a warmer climate while others have gone up north to ski. Even the usually busy Reliable Market down in Oak Bluffs has suffered a slowdown from its normally brisk pace.

As we head into March, starting tomorrow it is National Pig Day. Daylight saving time will begin in eight days, spring on March 20, followed by Good Friday and Easter.

The political season this year will exhibit a number of choices for elective offices. Richard Knabel and James Powell are challenging incumbent Glenn Hearn for selectmen. Greg Orcutt, Cynthia Riggs and Paul Garcia will run against incumbents Hermine Hull and Linda Hearn for the two positions on the ballot for library trustee. Jonathan Revere reports that he is not seeking elective office. The town meeting will be one of the lengthiest on record with a 54-article warrant that could and should last two nights. The annual town meeting will be held on April 8 and the election on April 10.

Ebba Hierta, library director in Chilmark, invites all of you next Thursday, March 6 at 5 p.m. to stop by the Chilmark Library as they will host a celebration in recognitionof Peggy Freydberg’s 100th birthday. Peg has many friends in this town and is a regular patron at our library. In honor of the special occasion they will have cake, punch and poetry. She respectfully requests that you do not bring a gift. Happy birthday, Peggy!

Ed Konicki of Webster was browsing in an antique store in Dudley last week, and found a July 1935 boat schedule of the old Steamship Line that the owner was about to throw away.

In the summer season, 73 years ago,  a total of 14 round trips were offered daily, with just six on Sunday, by three steamers, the Naushon, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. They served several ports in those days: Vineyard Haven, Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, Woods Hole and New Bedford. Connecting motor coach service was offered between Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven and Edgartown. Included was a New York boat schedule that served New Bedford, Fall River, Boston, Providence and Newport, R.I. Those were late afternoon departures that arrived at Pier 14 in New York city early the next morning. A handwritten note in the book recommends that in case you miss the last sailing from Woods Hole, reasonable places to spend the night were Cottage Inn, Charlotte Crest Tourist Camp and Elm Arch Inn where the meals were 50 cents and up and they had all the modern conveniences.

Liz over at Vineyard Gardens across from the post office reports that on Palm Sunday, March 16 they will be hosting an open house from 11 a.m. till 3 p.m. Visit the nursery to see the many new varieties of plants and gardening supplies available this spring. Refreshments will be provided as well as a free plant for each family.

Sean Conley, chairman of the historic district commission, reports that a hearing will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, March 10 at the Howes House on an application by the town for major renovations to town hall including removal of original materials and characteristics of the existing structure and replacement with modern materials. Plans are available for viewing during normal business hours at the town hall annex.

The library, in collaboration with the Fine Arts Work Center of Provincetown, will present a winter reading series every Wednesday in March at 5:30 p.m. Listeners will enjoy work center fiction and poetry. The events are free and refreshments will be served.

On February 28, 1946 Willis Gifford, of Laconia, N.H., arrived in town and spent several days preparing his house directly across the street from the Grange Hall for rental. Mr. and Mrs. Grafton King and their family of New Bedford, former residents of this town, are planning to return on the first of April and have agreed to occupy the house. They will have a next-door neighbor by the fall as Albion Alley has purchased the former Sanderson Mayhew house owned by his daughter Mabel Mayhew Watkins. Grafton will again be employed as the lead mechanic at Donaldson’s Garage, owned and operated by Bert and Inez Cahoon, just two doors up the street. He will also drive the school bus with students from the fifth through the twelfth grade to the Tisbury School.

Happy birthday to Sam Alley who was born on Leap Year’s Day 20 years ago today; Susan Phelps, Donnie Mills and Anna Christensen tomorrow; Josh Emin and Greg Drake on Sunday; Tom Church, Francine Fischer and Roger Sylva on Monday; Vicki Broscheit, Diana DeBlase and Valentine Estabrook on Tuesday; Ira Lowe, Kenneth Vincent and Sofia Tanhauser on Wednesday; and Doug Seward, Victoria Segel, Carol Eno and Patricia Kirwin on Thursday.

Well, that is all of the social news for this week. I don’t want to miss the news about your vacation, so please call or e-mail me with details. Have a great week.