JOHN S. ALLEY
508-693-2950
Today is the beginning of the Columbus Day holiday weekend and the end of the extended shoulder season for the tourists. Town buildings, schools and the post office will be closed on Monday. The last Farmers’ Market and Artisans Festival will be held this weekend at the Grange Hall. Linda Alley asks you to look forward to their first winter market at the Agricultural Hall on Oct. 23. Last weekend’s weather was noticeably cooler but delightful fall weather nonetheless. Many outdoor chores were completed including mowing the lawn, perhaps for the last time this year. Colleen Morris reports that the library staff will be in a staff meeting today from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the library will be closed during that time. The charter school will soon be displaying their Halloween decorations all around the town and the Island. Can you believe that a month from today we be operating on standard time?
Large crowds attended the Harvest Festival at the Agricultural Hall last Saturday, and it was a big success. The exhibits and demonstrations were very popular, including the catapult built by Morning Glory Farm. One kid called it a super pumpkin smasher. Over 250 people attended the harvest festival potluck dinner at the hall in the evening.
Ed Konicki estimates that nearly 1,000 people, a sizeable gathering, attended the popular Antique Power Show located at the back of the property. George Hartman, who organizes the event each year, could barely contain his enthusiasm when he pronounced the event “a major success and the best show ever held.” Indeed there were many antique engines, a number of cars, Ford models A and T, three World War II jeeps, tractors and several trucks. Ed asked George what his proudest moment of the show was and he responded that he had given a free engine last year to Henry Jephcote, who had expressed an interest in old engines. It was a 1941 Briggs & Stratton, 2 HP in near hopeless condition; Henry worked on it over the winter and had it running at the show. Next year George hopes Henry will move up to a better and more challenging engine. George is willing to give a young kid who shows interest in antique engines at their show a free “starter engine” to restore once he receives parental approval. However, the engine supplies are limited.
Ron and Deb Kokernak, of Webster, came down especially for the show and Ron brought with him a gasoline-powered hacksaw owned by his grandfather and displayed it to everyone. He was very excited and vows to return next year with another engine he will restore over the winter.
Two schedule changes that will affect most everyone will go into effect early next week. On Tuesday the Vineyard Transit Authority begins its winter bus schedule, and the VTA operations manager reports there will be four busses serving us, the numbers 2, 3, 5 and 6. The bus stops in town will be at Cronig’s, across from Alley’s and in front of the town hall. Also each bus will be serving more than one route during the day. Be sure to pick up a copy of the new schedule or access their Web site, vineyard transit.com; it also has a lot of additional ground transit information and schedules; or call the VTA at 508-693-9440. Angela Grant reports that ridership numbers for all VTA buses serving this town in July and August were 86,846. The Steamship Authority will begin operating the late fall boat schedule on Wednesday.
Ed and Jane Konicki, of Webster, visited with us over the weekend. They attended the power show, potluck dinner, visited with friends and enjoyed the fall weather. Jane reported it was remarkably different from last August.
Larry and Judi Schubert’s cat, Makita, has been missing since early last Tuesday morning. They live on South Vine Lane off of Tiah’s Cove Road. Makita is a very large, long-haired tabby, tan, brown and some black with a white chin and beard. He is blind in his left eye but looks quite normal. If you see him, please call them at 508-693-8881.
Jeanne and Fred Barron, of Campbell Road, went to New York city in mid-September to spend some time with their daughter, Julia, son in law Dave Katz, and their seven-month-old grandson, Henry, before the three of them returned to their home in Newport Beach, Calif. Henry and his parents had previously spent the month of August here at the Barron home, his first visit to the Vineyard. Jeanne reports that he is an intrepid traveler, enjoying adventures on airplane, train and the ferry. His least favorite mode of transport is in his rear-facing car seat.
Brook and Kristin Zern are back in their house on South Vine Lane after a summer in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., and they have been joined by their daughter, Jennifer, who is here working on a novel set on the Vineyard. Brook and Kristin will be going to Spain for a month in early November. They host the expat Thanksgiving in Jerez de la Frontera (home of sherry and flamenco) as they are the only ones with an oven large enough to accommodate a turkey. Spaniards don’t roast whole turkeys; in fact, they have to place a special order with their poultry specialist several days before. In the end he asks if they want it cut up. It confuses him when they ask him to remove the feet and head. They import an ample supply of cranberry sauce and make do with a squash pie in place of pumpkin.
The Martha’s Vineyard Horse Council is hosting a Fall Hunter Pace Ride in the state forest on Sunday. The first riders go out at 10 a.m. Visit mvhorsecouncil.org for entry forms. Contact Stephanie W. Dreyer for further information, at 508-627-1738.
The Martha’s Vineyard Museum requests that you save some time next weekend to attend the fourth annual Food and Wine Festival in Edgartown. For more information, call the museum at 508-627-4441.
Cathy Minkiewicz, of Mayhew Norton Road reports that tomorrow morning Soo Whiting will be leading a bird walk for Garden Club members and guests at $10 per person. It will be a day after her birthday, so you can extend to her birthday wishes on the walk. The meeting time is 8:30 a.m. sharp at the Old Mill on Edgartown Road.
Lynn Ditchfield reports that on Oct. 15 from 6 to 9 p.m. over at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School there will be a benefit for ACE MV and a celebration of Ethnic Studies Week with an ethnic food court, booths, displays, demos and a fabulous concert featuring the Black Brook Singers, Jemima James, Dan Waters, Nina Violet, storyteller Susan Klein and much more.
Tara Whiting, town clerk, reports that her town hall office will be open until 8 p.m. on Wednesday, the last day to register to vote in the state election that will be held on Nov. 2. Absentee ballots are scheduled to be available at the town hall today so you may cast your vote early if you are not going to be in town for the all-important state election.
Liz over at Vineyard Gardens reports that next Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. they will host their 21st annual Harvest Festival at their nursery on State Road. It will be a fun time for the whole family, with fall displays of plant materials, nature craft activities for the young and old, and the food will be fantastic: chili, hot dogs, caramel apples and jalapeno corn bread!
Colleen Morris, over at the library, reports that their artist of the month is JoAnne Scotford Rice and her work will be on display all this month. You are welcome to come by and meet her at an artist’s reception today at 4 p.m. Also the library is hosting the Vineyard Writer’s Residency every Wednesday this month at 5:30 p.m.
Jeanne and Malcolm Campbell invite you to the preview party for the seventh annual Art of Chocolate Festival at Feathestone Farm tonight from 7 to 9 p.m. The festival continues on Saturday and Sunday from noon till 4 p.m. each day. For further information, please call 508-693-1850.
Oct. 21, 1946: “The Grange held a husking bee and barn dance following their regular business meeting at the Agricultural Hall on Monday evening. The committee in charge of the event was Arnold and Pricilla Fischer, George and Lillian Magnuson, Harry West and Percy Burt. A host of local musicians performed at the dance, Mike and Leonard Athearn, Everett Whiting, Ernest Correllus, Stan Murphy, Artie Look and Gale Huntington. George Magnuson sang several songs. The hall was decorated with pumpkins and cornstalks and by all account it was a delightful and memorable evening.”
Happy birthday to: Richard Anderson, Lincoln Higgins and Maxwell Ferro today; Steve Lohman, Richard Rooney, Whitney Hyde and Sophie Abrams tomorrow; Jon Harris on Sunday; Hanna Beecher, Julie Keefe, Bob Mone and Martha Post on Monday; Lisa Amols, Bob Eisendrath, Sherri Church, Alison Shaw and Catherine Ferreira on Tuesday; Steve Atwood, Carly Look, Maeve McAuliffe and Margot Parrot on Wednesday; Jeanne Borggaard, Enos Ray, Dave Christensen, Ryan Dwane, Orlaith McCarthy-Estes and Shelia Rayyan on Thursday. Happy anniversary to my wife, Anna Alley, tomorrow. Anniversary greetings to Don and Hildy Mitchell today. Belated birthday wishes to Holly Eger and her daughter Julia, also Aki Miranda. Belated anniversary greetings to Peter and Karen Socorelis and Dan Herbert and Maki Crum.
Well, that is all of the social news for this week’s edition. If you have any news, please call or e-mail me. Have a great week.
Comments
Comment policy »