JOHN S. ALLEY
508-693-2950
The holiday weekend weather was delightful, fall-like in the evenings but bright and sunny during the days. It was busy on this last holiday weekend before Jack Frost arrives. There were yard sales just about everywhere in town over the weekend. The sunset, regrettably, is now taking place just before 6 p.m. and is dropping faster each day; when daylight saving time ends and standard time begins on Nov. 7 we will plunge into darkness around 5 o’clock.
Pumpkins and Halloween decorations now grace many front lawns around town, and it is time to shut off the outside water taps and put any garden hoses away for the winter. The leaves already have begun to turn but not with brilliant colors as we have seen in past years, more than likely because it was so dry this summer. They will probably reach the peak of color later next week.
Congratulations to all of the winners in the 65th Bass and Bluefish Derby that ends on Saturday night.
Paul Karasik reports that the 11th annual Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School scarecrow contest will be in full swing next week. Last year over 80 Island businesses made a contribution to the school, and in exchange they received a handsome scarecrow. This year’s scarecrow contest will have a literary theme, so keep your eyes peeled for Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter, Huckleberry Finn and all their pals!
Many weddings were held last weekend on the Island, in the beautiful weather just perfect for an outdoor ceremony. Amanda Mead married Mike Patricio last Saturday, and on Sunday, taking advantage of the special date 10-10-10, Melanie Johnson married Dustin Butler at her uncle’s home off of State Road.
Martha Moore, of Middle Point, returned home last week after spending most of September with friends and her son, Alden, in a little town in the Languedoc region of France near St. Chinian. They explored small towns in the area where houses were built into limestone and granite outcroppings, hiked in the hills around Cazo, walked on Mediterranean beaches, shopped in farmers’ markets, and watched border collies herd sheep and goats from a barn to pastures outside the village. She spent the last four days in Paris near the Sorbonne and visited the Cluny, Orsay and Pompidou Museums. She reports it was a wonderful time but is now recovering from culture shock.
Dan Moriarty and his wife, Robin, of Cambridge, spent the holiday at their house on Sweet William Way. Dan took the opportunity to do some chores around the place.
Don Evon and his wife, Denise Mount, and her sister, Pam, from Canton, Conn., and Denise’s three dogs came down to visit us over the holiday weekend. They prepared an anniversary dinner for us Saturday night and they belatedly celebrated theirs as well. We were all sitting down to a candlelight dinner when there was a knock on the door. It was a young couple looking to be married the next day. The groom asked me why the lights went out, because they were on the way to their rehearsal dinner. One has to be lucky to have house guests like these; they took care of everything, including unusual anniversary gifts, and the dogs thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
Orlaith Estes, over at the school, reminds parents that there will be a professional development day on Wednesday and all students will be dismissed at noon. The English exchange students will arrive on Thursday for a 10-day Vineyard visit. Each British student has been paired up with one of our eighth grade students and will live with that student and their family for the time they are here. While here, the British students will get an assortment of on and off-Island experiences, including a tour of the Island, a visit to the Martha’s Vineyard Museum in Edgartown, a Chappy dunes tour, a trip to Boston to walk the Freedom Trail, and a trip to Plimoth Plantation. The week will culminate with the traditional International Cup Challenge, which is a soccer match between the two groups.
Congratulations are in order for Dr. Carrie Fyler and her husband, Matt Taylor, of Crow Hollow, on the birth of their second child at the hospital last week.
The Martha’s Vineyard Museum requests that you save some time today or tomorrow to attend the fourth annual Food and Wine Festival in Edgartown. For more information, call the museum at 508-627-4441.
Lynn Ditchfield reports that tonight from 6 to 9 p.m. over at the 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, Susan Klein and much more.
Tara Whiting, town clerk, reports that she still has not received the absentee ballots at the Town Hall. She expects them any day so you can cast your vote early if you are not going to be in town for the all-important state election.
Next Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. over at the Agricultural Hall, on Panhandle Road there will be an appreciation gathering for Congressman William Delahunt and state Senator Rob O’Leary to thank them for their long-time service to the Vineyard.
Chris Wiley reports that the 21st annual Vineyard Gardens Harvest Festival will be held tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at their nursery on State Road. There will be fall displays of plant material with nature craft activities for all ages and of course refreshments, including, chili, hot dogs, caramel apples, jalapeno corn bread and cider.
The United Methodist Church of Martha’s Vineyard’s 39th annual Harvest Supper at the Stone Church in Vineyard Haven will be held next Saturday and seating’s are at 5 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. For reservations or more information, please call 508-693-1608.
The Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Wakeman Center. The topic for this month’s program is Do You Really Know What Organic Is? Lisa Fisher and Nancy Weaver will present the program. A hospitality hour with refreshments will follow the program. For information, please call Ginger Duarte at 508-693-6570 or the Garden Club Hotline 508-693-5334.
Colleen Morris, over at the library, reports that on Monday at 6:30 p.m. Dr. Enid Haller will hold a discussion of Lyme and tick-borne diseases; the kids book club will meet on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.; and perhaps most important to you is, starting this Sunday the library will be open from 1 to 5 p.m. for your convenience till spring. This just in: there will be an appreciation party and potluck for Diana Manter for all her years of service to the Friends of the Library on Friday, Oct. 22 at 4 p.m. She and her husband, Whit, are moving to Boston shortly.
“A social note from the past: on Oct. 12, 1946 Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Newhall, of San Francisco, California who had spent several months at their home opposite Brandy Brow on South Road departed for home. Their daughter Miss Jane Newhall, who had joined them last month for a vacation, will be accompanying them back home to their Pacific Avenue house.”
Happy birthday to Geoffrey Borr, Fanny Howe, Denise Paige and Zoe Benjamin today; Ed Mossey, Eleanore Rodegast and John Washbrook tomorrow; Polly Bassett, Rick Reinhardsen and Kate Hubbell on Sunday, Cynthia Walsh, Kendra Yale, Sara Dexter, Polly and Gail Tipton on Monday; Bill Bennett, Ben Retmier, John Early and Bob Levine on Tuesday; Linda Carnegie, Eric Luening and Ronnee Schultz on Wednesday; Bob Doane, Mary Hinckley, Ted Powell, Lisa Adler and Amy Hoff on Thursday. Belated birthday greetings to Shannon Brown, Teresa Thompson and Judy Drake; also belated anniversary wishes to Spencer and Belinda Booker.
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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