JOHN S. ALLEY

508-693-2950

(alleys@vineyard.net)

September has slipped away as quick as you can say Jack Frost! We know he is waiting just around the corner but it doesn’t seem possible with this beautiful Indian summer weather we are having. As the leaves are just beginning to turn, folks have harvested the last of their vegetables from their gardens, and berries for canning. The sun is now setting around 6:30 p.m. Last Saturday, the last weekend of summer, about 40 weddings were held on the Island.

Bob Day of Willow Tree Hollow reports that they went to New York last weekend to attend a birthday lunch for Reta Robinson, who turned 95 years young. She is the wife of the late Horace Robinson and they had a summer home in Chilmark for many years. One of their sons, Dr. Thomas Robinson of New York and his family still summer in Chilmark every year. Bob and Barbara spent the weekend with their daughter, Catha Carlson and her husband Dave and their two boys, Luke and Scott in the city. Their granddaughter, Jessica, is attending boarding school in Massachusetts.

Shirley Mayhew of Music street, proudly reports that her granddaughter Katie has been invited to perform at the Inspiration Awards for Women at Cadogan Hall in London, England, on Oct. 6. This performance is the result of Katie being discovered on YouTube by English producers. Katie is a graduate of the regional high school and is a descendant of Gov. Thomas Mayhew, one of the first Europeans to settle the Island in the 1640s. Katie will sing Being Alive in her first United Kingdom performance.

Jill Carlton and her husband, Pete Karman, of New Haven, Conn., came down last Friday for the weekend at her home on State Road. Her brother Bruce and his friend Julia arrived from California yesterday so he can enter the derby and do some fishing.

Nori Duncan of Pawtucket and Eliza Childs of Barrington, R.I., came down last weekend to visit my wife Anna. They enjoyed shopping, Tivoli Day, sightseeing, visiting, the warm weekend and a Saturday night dinner party.

Greg Donovan and Lucia Maria Sandel were married in a quiet ceremony on Saturday under a warm blue sky. Lucia is a native of Sao Miguel in the Azores. It was her first time to the Vineyard and she had a wonderful time in addition to tying the knot.

Kendall Gifford Miller of Athens, Ohio, was in town last week. He was working on the east side of the old store that abutted the now removed ice cream parlor. This last month has been the first time in about 100 years that side of the building has been exposed to the sun and rain.

Henry Bessire of Edgartown Road reports that he and his wife Louise will be staying until Oct. 15 this year. They are enjoying the fall season.

John and Ellen Cronin returned home to their home in Fox Hill, Pa., on Monday after spending part of the summer at their Tiah’s Cove Road home. Their son Mark from California arrived yesterday to spend the fall in the house.

The antique power show starts at 9 a.m. on Oct. 2 and runs until 5 p.m. George Hartman of Panhandle Road, known far and wide as the guru of steam engines, reports that this will be the Antique Power Association’s 23rd annual show at the antique power museum in the Agricultural Society’s newest barn. All owners of old or not-so-old machinery (gas and steam engines, toys, cars, trucks, motorcycles, tractors and machinery rusty or otherwise) are invited to participate. For more information, call him at 508-693-6039. Volunteers to help set up on Friday afternoon would be very much appreciated.

Richard Paradise reports that the Manhattan Short Film Festival will take place at the Katharine Cornell Theatre in Vineyard Haven tonight and tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.

Colleen Morris over at the library reports that tomorrow they will be celebrating Johnny Appleseed day. Kids can make apple crafts with Colleen from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Of course she will have a tasty apple for everyone. On Monday the second public forum on library expansion plans will be held at 5:30 p.m. They are asking the public for thoughts and ideas.

Orlaith Estes over at the school reports that Back to School Night is on Monday; there will be a homestyle barbecue and harvest potluck dinner put on by seventh grade families. They also will be pressing apple cider from the school apple tree and making mint tea from mint grown in the school garden. The Scholastic Book fair began yesterday at the school and will run until Tuesday. That busy bee, Colleen Morris from the library, will be there to talk to kids and parents about signing up for a library card, the kids’ book club, fall arts and crafts, Halloween activities and more.

Matthew Stackpole will be speaking at the Vineyard Haven Public Library on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. about the Charles W. Morgan, the last surviving wooden whaling ship, and how she is being restored.

Happy birthday to: Manuel Estrella 3rd, Cynthia Wayman and Cheryl Metell today; Amelia Adler, Ann Fielder and Ashley Hunter tomorrow; Wayne Smith, Amanda Pachico and Mariko Kawaguchi on Sunday; Natalie Conroy, Nancy Isenberg and Leonard Schoenfeld on Monday; Jane Baker, Heather Hoff, Frankie Flanders, John Abrams and Jill Bouck on Tuesday; Kent Healy, P.J. Kirby Jr., Ed Child and John Scherlis on Wednesday; Chris Stein, Lynn Christoffers, Linda Izzo and Wesley Look on Thursday. Belated birthday greetings to Charlie Kernick, Ruth Van Brakle and Susan Block.

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