JOHN S. ALLEY

508-693-2950

(alleys@vineyard.net)

We did not have any snow on Christmas Day, but the weekend before we sure did. The record books will credit us with a rare white Christmas, and one of the highest December snowfalls on record. The automobile traffic in town was nearly nonexistent most of the day, as families gathered around their tree to exchange gifts and enjoy a meal. Relatives and friends came by to visit in the late afternoon. The church was well attended at the two services held on Christmas Eve.

Well, this year is fast sliding away. As we enter a new decade of the 21st century, I will begin my 10th year of bringing you as much social news as I can find in the town each week, and I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have compiling it for you.

Jane Konicki, of Webster, reports that her husband, Ed, removed their tree, took down all of the decorations in and outside of their home, and packed them in boxes before dark on Christmas Day. They were the first couple to put up a tree, on the day before Thanksgiving, and it stands to reason they should be the first to take theirs down. Ed reports that he has been suffering from a bad back from all the snow he has shoveled in the driveway. On the other hand, Judy Hall, out in Oklahoma City, reports that she will wait until Jan. 6 to have her husband, Malcolm, remove the decorations and tree. She had purchased some nifty lighted holiday figures to add to the outdoor display and was mighty pleased to show them to the neighborhood. They all fared well in the blizzard that dropped 14 inches of snow on the city on Christmas Eve.

Ron and Deb Kokernack, of Webster, spent the Christmas holiday on the Island visiting friends. They stopped by, visited, had dinner, and Ron really liked the Armenian food. Deb reports that her sister Lynn, on her birthday, climbed one of the trails on Mount Washington and found granite rose de la claret stone.

Nicole Alley, her husband, Arsen Hambardozian, came down from Taunton, as did his mother, Aida, from Cranston, R.I., and our son, Sam, from Framingham State College, to be with us for Christmas. His mother prepared Armenian dinners that were delightful.

Trina Gay, of Old County Road, has been staying at her house for the last month. She has enjoyed the snowfall, long walks and visiting old friends. She plans to be here for an indefinite period.

Manfred and Sabine Buettner, from Schlagsdorf, Germany, have been visiting their daughter, Ina, son in law, Richard Andre, and grandson, Nickolas, during the holiday. They are enjoying the beauty of the Island, their family and the friendliness and kindness of Islanders very much. Richard is especially fond of the many German treats she has made.

Andrea and George Hartman, of Panhandle Road, traveled up to Brockton to visit her daughter Nina Gable-Jorgensen, granddaughter, Alison, and their new house. Her daughter Ellen Northrup and her husband, Peter, from Bridgewater, joined the group to make it a real family Christmas.

Steve Lohman and his wife Jenifer Strachan, of Waldron’s Bottom Road, will be ringing in the new year in Boston tonight. Jenifer’s birthday is on New Year’s Eve, and what better way to celebrate it than the first night parade.

Sal Laterra, of Providence, R.I., arrived on Wednesday to spend the new year with Phyllis Meras at her Music street home. Sal looks forward to spending more time on the Vineyard this year.

Jay and Celine Segel, of Pond Road, recently returned from a delayed honeymoon. They went to the award-winning spa, Body Holiday LeSport on St. Lucia in the Caribbean, famous for its location and for tending to the well-being of their guests. They reported that the food and service were outstanding. Good cooks that they both are, they brought back spices and recipes to try in their own kitchen. In addition, Jay connected with a doctor of Ayurvedic medicine who is the head of Oasis, the spa’s wellness and massage center. His knowledge of sports medicine and healing massage led to an interesting exchange of ideas, and he has been invited back in the spring to lead a staff training session to further their already extensive massage techniques. Another piece of exciting news from the Segel household is that Jay’s CD is now available for sale. A long-held dream is now a reality. Jay, a musician before he became a doctor, wrote the songs, plays guitar and sings along with best friend Mark Cohen. The CD is entitled Extended Family and the band is called Pond Road Project. Indeed, as the name suggests, family and friends, including several other Island musicians, have had a part in the easy listening style music. If you listen carefully, you can even hear the voice of Sammi Chaves, daughter of Kathy and Ernie Chaves, in one of the songs. Online samples of this CD can be heard now on DigStation.com, and will be available on iTunes and CDBaby.com in the next few weeks. His wife, Celine, a Web master for MVOL, designed the cover and also created the Web site, pondroadproject.com

Tara Whiting, town clerk, reports that the deadline has passed for registering to vote in the special election on Jan. 19. Absentee ballots are available at the town hall, or call the clerk at 508-696-0148 to find out how to receive one. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Public Safety Building. She also reports that her brother Daniel, of Surprise, Fla., and his children, David and Emma, arrived on Saturday for their annual Christmas visit at Old Parsonage Farm.

Happy Birthday to: Jenifer Strachan and Elizabeth Rothwell today; Barbara Flynn, Steve Bernier and Ashley Hunter tomorrow; Martha Sullivan, Dan Small, Nathan LeBlanc and Dan Gaskill on Saturday; Pat Vann, Chris Jones, Julia Mitchell, Elizabeth Cecil and Diana Manter on Sunday; Erin Alwardt, Volker Kaempfert and Peter Kleeman on Monday; Michael Goldfein, Lynn White, Roberta Kirn, Fred Murphy and Whit Manter on Tuesday; Ryan Tucker and Mary O’Connell on Wednesday; Ike Russell, Alexis Garcia-Holden and Sam Hiser on Thursday. Happy anniversary to Akia Sharp and Wayne Miranda today, and to Mike and Hermine Hull on Monday.

Well, that is all of the social news for this week. If you have any news of holiday guests, please call or e-mail me. I wish each and every one of you a very happy and healthy new year!