JOHN S. ALLEY
508-693-2950
Well, it was a toasty warm weekend with the temperature reaching almost 70 degrees. Lots of folks worked outdoors, then held backyard barbecues. It is getting busier by the day and if you drove down to Vineyard Haven last weekend you experienced your first traffic jam of the season. This Sunday is Flag Day and the following Friday summer begins. If you do not subscribe to Comcast and your television doesn’t get a picture, remember this is the day that the country switches to digital television reception.
Jose Vilaca, who is an expert at floor sanding work, reports that the first Brazilian soccer match of the season will take place at the school on Sunday.
Linda Alley, known as the jelly queen, reports that the West Tisbury Farmers’ Market will begin their summer season tomorrow at 9 a.m. at the Grange Hall. Andrea Rogers will begin the Artisans’ Fair on Sunday for the season.
Dr. Sara Rosenthal and Dr. Julie Prazich, and their cat Margaret Rose, of San Diego, Calif., arrived Memorial Day weekend to spend time at their house in the cove. They have had several guests including her brother Carey last week.
Dick and Diana Reishe, of Runner Road and Wilton, Conn., arrived recently to pass the summer at their home on Town Cove. Dick reports that they spent last weekend on the mainland but are back for the summer season.
Ernesto and Lee Diakopoulos, of Providence, R.I., spent a long weekend at Phyllis Meras’ house on Music street. Lee worked in her garden and has it in first-class condition. Ernesto mowed the lawn and trimmed the yard. Phyllis returned home yesterday after a week-long visit in New York city.
Emily Gadd, of Bozeman, Mont., and South Road, has been busy planting her gardens this past week even though she had a problem with deer. She reports that she is planting some new types of veggies this year to go along with her oceans of flowers.
The First Congregational Church will host the 20th annual Strawberry Festival next Saturday, June 20 between the hours of 1 and 4 p.m. Enjoy the native berries on shortcake with whipped cream, or berries with ice cream, or berry smoothies! Tables will be set up on the lawn. Proceeds from this popular event provide funding for the continuing maintenance of the historic building and grounds. Mark this popular event on your calender today.
Bob Luskin, of Edgartown Road, has returned to his home to spend the summer season. There will be a significant event at his place this weekend. He also reports that his son, Cass, graduated last week with high honors in government from the University of Texas and won the Williams Jennings Bryan prize given by the university for the outstanding undergraduate honors thesis. Proof that the apple does not fall very far from the tree!
Arsen Hambardzumian and Nicole Alley, of East Taunton, came down for the weekend to visit her parents. They both were very busy, Nicole painting her room and putting her parent’s kitchen in first-class condition. Arsen completed 15 septic inspection jobs in Vineyard Haven.
Kathy Chaves, of Great Plain Road, reports that her daughter Sammi is having a marvelous time on her school exchange trip in England with the eighth grade class from the West Tisbury School. They arrived safely last Saturday morning and will be returning home tomorrow late in the evening. Sammi’s host family in Warrington, England treated her to a fun weekend of indoor snow skiing in a man-made facility as well as an IMAX movie and a trip to the Chinatown area of Manchester for good food and interesting sight-seeing. Sammi also got to ride a horse over there which was very exciting for her as she is a true pony and horse lover. She tries to ride anytime she gets the opportunity to travel to a new place. The 8th grade group is going to visit the big Manchester United Soccer/Football stadium as well as a big amusement park with rides. There are day trips planned with both groups to visit a castle and enjoy the local beauty of the area.
The students and their families did a great job fund-raising to make this amazing trip possible. The school chaperones are keeping everyone together and are doing an incredible job. Special thanks go out to vice principal Bob Lane, Bob Aldrin and his wife, Judy Boykin-McCarthy and parents Karen Overtoom and Ron D’Agostino for taking such great care of the students. This educational and fun trip is the highlight for the eighth grade group which will graduate on June 18. With the help of e-mails, cell phones and even Facebook pages, it has been fun to track the students on their adventures and see pictures right away from the beautiful places they have seen.
Nancy Arruda, of Edgartown Road, is home from the hospital and resting comfortably. She would like to thank all of the emergency personnel, doctor and nurses who made her mother’s last day very comfortable. Services will be held for her on July 11 in the cemetery.
The First Congregational Church will host the 20th annual Strawberry Festival next Saturday June 21 between the hours of 1 and 4 p.m. Enjoy the native berries on shortcake with whipped cream, or berries with ice cream, or berry smoothies. Tables will be set up on the lawn. Proceeds from this popular event provide funding for the continuing maintenance of the historic building and grounds. Mark this popular event on your colander today.
Colleen Morris, over at the library, reports that they will be having their usual busy week. Tomorrow at 4 p.m. Joanne Scott will continue with her health and wellness series with Tai Chi; on Monday at 5 p.m. the Congregational Bell Choir will be performing Handel, Bartok, and original pieces.
Judy Mayhew reports that the Chilmark Community Church will be selling lobster rolls on Tuesday nights, starting this week, through the summer from 4:30 until 7:00 p.m. To order ahead call 508-645-3100 after 3:00 p.m.
The Park and Recreation Committee reports that beach stickers will be available starting on Saturday, June 20, everyday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the tennis shed at the school near the tennis courts on Old County Road. The hours are weekdays 9 a.m. to noon and weekends from 4 to 7 p.m. Also, swimming lessons begin July 6. Register at the same place you buy your beach sticker. A new rule this year is that all taxes must be current in order to obtain a beach sticker. For further information call the department in the Town Hall 508-696-0147.
Richard Olsen, Superintendent of Streets, would like to notify motorists using the lower end of North Road that it will be closed to automobile traffic for about three days for repaving.
Perhaps the most elaborate and certainly one of the most popular events in the history of the Agricultural Hall was held on June 15, 1920. The play “Gifts of the Past” written and directed by Emma Whiting was written so that most all of the people in town had a part in it. The show was enthusiastically received by an overflow audience in the Hall. The play was a historical drama with 14 different scenes depicting highlights in the life of the town. We were part of Tisbury until we seceded in 1892. The entertainment was under the auspices of the ladies of the Congregational Church. The pageant captured the history of the town from 1750 up to 1920. Many descendants of the first settlers played a part in this elaborate extravaganza. It was widely known that the costumes and family heirlooms used in the play were priceless. At the close of the production all of the people in the play gathered together on stage and sang Auld Lang Syne and the audience joined in with them.
Happy birthday to: Dick Philibosian of Auburn, Anti Botti and Les Leland today; Bea Amaral, Elaine Pace, Sandra Hakala and Bill Haynes tomorrow; Joyce Currier, Cynthia Riggs and Fred Barron on Sunday; Mike Diaz, Ruth Campbell, Don Davis and Anne Fischer on Monday; two special women from Webster, Donna Annese and Deborah Kokernak, Leslie Baker, Don Rogers and Erin Rathmell on Tuesday; Maggie Barron, Peter Eldridge and Randi Baird on Wednesday; Debra Levesque, Sam Mitchell and Sarah Montrowl on Thursday. Belated birthday greetings to Mary Jane Pease, Becky Baxter, Natalie Grewal and Simi Horwitz and belated anniversary greetings to: John and Elizabeth Churchill, Ed Levine and Vicki Bijur will celebrate their special day on Monday.
Well, that is all of the social news for this week’s column. Congratulations to all of the graduating class at the Regional High School. If you have any news please call or e-mail me. Have a great week.
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