JOHN S. ALLEY
508-693-2950
Well, we had over two inches of rain Saturday and Sunday to say goodbye to August. It was excellent, weatherwise, for most of August, but all good things must come to an end. Today is the start of the long holiday weekend; Labor Day is Monday and the end of the high summer season. All municipal buildings and the post offices will be closed. The SSA summer boat scheduled ends next Wednesday. School starts next Thursday. Many other school systems in the Commonwealth opened last week. The automobile traffic has dropped dramatically in the past few days. The VTA buses begin their fall schedule on Monday. There were several end-of-the-season parties last weekend and probably a few more are planned over the holiday weekend.
Activity around the school will increase dramatically; teachers returned to work yesterday morning preparing for the opening of school. The high school will open on Wednesday for the freshmen and for all of the other students on the following day. Judy Pizzella reports that 45 new freshman students will be attending from our town; the exact number of students will not be available until the Oct. 1 school census. Sue Merrill over at the elementary school estimates, as of yesterday, that 263 students will be attending classes this year. School buses are now on the road, so be prepared to stop when you see the red flashing lights at the top of the busses — that means the driver is about to stop to pick up or discharge students. Most all the bus stops do not have sidewalks so students may be standing near the edge of the road waiting to be picked up.
School librarian Stephanie Dreyer and assistant Kate Athearn are looking forward to sharing new titles as well as beloved classics with readers of all ages. Please share with us your summer reading favorites. If you found any library books from last year while cleaning your rooms, bring them to school with you.
Sarah Monast and Elton Nascimento, of Beaten Path Road, were married at sunset last Wednesday on Lambert’s Cove Beach. Family and close friends attended the ceremony.
Carol Carrick and Jack Burton returned from a month’s vacation in Vermont last Saturday. Meanwhile her son, Christopher, and his fiancée, Samantha, have been enjoying her house in Island Farms. Her other son, Paul, joined them for a short reunion.
Professor Carey Rosenthal and his wife Abby of Upper Darby, Pa., were in residence last weekend. They came up to take a break before he goes back to his college job next week. They left for home on Sunday.
Don Evon and his wife Denise Mount, of Connecticut, arrived to spend several days relaxing and enjoying the beach. They took a side trip to our sister island of Nantucket on Tuesday. They are both fabulous cooks and we enjoyed some fine meals. They are frequent visitors and enjoy their trips to the Island.
Hunter Moorman and Leslie Gray of Panhandle Road and Arlington, Va., celebrated the wedding of Hunter’s daughter Anna to Steffen Lentz in the area of Zurich, Switzerland, where the newly married couple works and lives. Following the wedding, Leslie and Hunter joined other family members in Grindlewald for some hiking in the Swiss Alps fueled by roesti, schnitzel and beer. Leslie reports that “late blight” plagued her tomatoes this year, but she was able to win a blue ribbon for biggest tomato at the fair.
Andrea Rogers, manager of the 14th annual Artisans’ Labor Day Festival, reports that it begins tomorrow and runs through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. over at the Agricultural Hall. Many Island artisans will take part in the show; all types of art work will be on display — furniture, jewelry, photography and much more. There also will be music, catered food and free admission. She reports that the $2 parking fee will go toward the Vineyard Artisans’ Scholarship Fund. There will be a special invitation-only sneak preview of the festival tonight from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
John Cronin, of Plumb Bush Point, and his wife Ellen, of New York city are vacationing at the Plum Bush Point home. Their son Mark, of Los Angeles, Calif., will be with them over the holiday weekend. Mark is the president of Mindless Productions in California.
Phyllis Meras and Sal Laterra entertained about 75 guests in her annual backyard pre-Labor Day cocktail party last Sunday. Sal had everything looking shipshape for the party and Phyllis was the genial hostess.
Sam Alley, of State Road, returned to Framingham State College on Monday. He will be entering his senior year.
Dr. Alan Temple and his wife Margaret, of Westport, Conn., have been vacationing at their home on Runner Road for most of last month. They returned home yesterday.
The 64th Annual Bass Derby begins a week from Sunday and runs until Oct. 17 this year. For more information contact the Chamber of Commerce at 508-693-0085. Joyce Bowker, Director of the Council on Aging, will be setting up a schedule this week when free fish will be available to the seniors. So call the staff next week at 508-693-2896 for further information.
Coco Adams reports that the Martha’s Vineyard Antique Association will be holding a show today at the Grange Hall from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Colleen Morris, over at the library, reports that their will be an artist’s reception for Betsy Burmeister at 4 p.m. on Wednesday. The event is free, and refreshments will be served.
Hilda Bijuir, of New York city, is vacationing at her cottage off of Tiah’s Cove Road. Her daughter Vicki is staying with her.
Tom Thatcher, a longtime resident, returned to this town on Tuesday after spending several years in Viet Nam.
Last Saturday John Taylor married Dr. Carrie Fyler in Crow Hollow at the old Athearn farm. Nearly 100 people attended the ceremony on a hot muggy afternoon. Leonard Athearn’s restored Model T beach wagon was parked on the lawn and drew a lot of attention by the guests after the ceremony.
Greg Orcutt, of Willow Tree Hollow, reports that the community preservation committee invites the public to review the town’s community preservation plan and to discuss new applications and eligibility for Community Preservation Act funds in the 2010 fiscal year. The committee will be meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 9 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Howes House. Please call him with any questions at 508-693-5000.
Simone DeSorcy, administrative assistant to the planning board, reports that her board and the zoning board of appeals are appointing a committee to look into writing a zoning bylaw addressing wind turbines in town and they are seeking an “at-large” member of the public. If you are interested call her at 508-696-0149.
Richard Paradise reports that the Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival begins on Thursday and will run for the remainder of the week from noon to midnight in Vineyard Haven locations.
Sept. 9, 1946: “The Grange will commence their meeting schedule for the fall and winter. They will start off with a special meeting at the Agricultural Hall. The public is cordially invited to attend the Booster Night observance. All Grange meetings are closed to the public and shades drawn in the meeting room unless a special exception is made by the Master. There will be slides accompanied by an explanation of the pictures by Miss Hope Gray. Several other special features are planned for entertainment and there will be dancing and refreshments.”
Happy birthday to Ward Just, Gloria Sylva and Perry Dripps today; Laura Marshall, Melissa Hackney and Michael Jackson tomorrow; Barbara Hull, Nancy Richards, Nancy Cramer and Chris Turner on Sunday; Harry Athearn, Dan Larkosh, Doug Bardwell and Joan Murphy on Monday; Geoff White and Spencer Hughes on Tuesday; Don Mohr, Dot Fisher, Scott Campbell, Jim Branch and Owen Jones on Wednesday; and Bob Holt, Ann Evasick, Maria McFarland, Ryan Rossi and Jullian Hickman on Thursday. Happy anniversary to Don and Tina Fisher on Wednesday. Belated anniversary greetings to Don Evon and Denise Doreen Mount who celebrated their 16th and to Claire Harrington and Ed Mossy.
A bit of cocktail party trivia for you. Sunday marks the 92nd anniversary of the first telephone cable connection between the Vineyard and Nantucket. 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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