JOHN S. ALLEY
508-693-2950
Well, the weekend weather was reasonable with a few showers and the temperature was finally warming up. However, it has rained off and on all week long. The boat schedule changes on Tuesday and you can already feel from increased traffic on the roads in town that new visitors are here, with more expected this weekend. Many a backyard grill will be fired up for the first cookout of the season.
The new Massachusetts Inspection Station in town is Mid-Island Auto on State Road. Kenny and Janet Belain are the proprietors; an error in last week’s column reported the incorrect name of the business, so we want to set the record straight.
Madeline Tully, of Indian Hill, a third grader at the West Tisbury School, was selected from among hundreds of young New England performers to sing last month in Orlando, Fla., at a showcase for potential models, actors and singers aged six to 18. As a result of her Orlando appearance, modeling agencies and television stations in New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Manchester, N.H., have expressed interest.
While in Florida, Madeline, a great animal lover, took advantage of her visit to spend an afternoon among the lemurs at the Lemur Experience at Jungle World in Miami and to enjoy Disney World in Orlando. Madeline is the daughter of Leslie Meras Hurd Tully and Steve Tully.
Bob and Barbara Day, of Willow Tree Hollow, have returned from a recent trip out West and report that it was wonderful. For about three weeks, they traveled to Santa Fe, where they joined friends and drove to the Grand Canyon, then Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon. Bob says they were spectacular: “We had a magnificent tour of Monument Valley and then drove on to Canyon de Chelly as well. After that we flew to Los Angeles where we visited with daughter Elizabeth Churchill and family. Barbara reports that they then made a quick trip to New York where they visited their daughter Catha and her husband Dave and family.” They went down especially to see grandson Luke in the Trevor School play, Alice in Wonderland. Bob reports the whole cast was wonderful, in acting, singing and contributing additional scenes to the Eva LeGallienne/Florida Friebus play. Bob and Barbara also enjoyed the Metropolitan Museum’s show Rooms with a View — scenes painted out the studio windows by various 19th century artists. They are back home now awaiting summer visits from their children.
Bruce Blackwell reports that Brandy Mayhew Wight, formerly of Music street and the Red Barn, celebrated his 96th birthday this week at his home in Gainesville, Fla. A reception was held, and about 100 well-wishers stopped by. Many remarked that with his wide interests and travels, he is an inspiration. Brandon has attended more than 30 performing arts productions not including an excursion to the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia and the Disney Nature Conservancy preserve outside Orlando, plus he won a Mardi Gras contest for the best costume — all in the past year. Congratulations from us all, Brandy!
Kristin Buck and her husband, Brian Smith, of State Road, are pleased to report that their old friends Darah and Henry Whyte of North Carolina are coming for a short visit over Memorial Day weekend. They are looking forward to meeting their daughter, Alice, for the first time.
Bob Luskin was in town last week to open his Edgartown road home for the season. His wife, Charlotte, arrives tomorrow to spend the season with us.
Paul Karasik reports that the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School will celebrate the renewal of its charter by the state at the school today at 2 p.m. This is the school’s third renewal, marking 15 years of providing a public school option to Vineyard families. All are invited to join the school community for cake and song today. Also, the charter school will be holding an alumni reunion party for all past charter school students (older than high school-age) on Friday, June 3 at 6 p.m. with dancing, dining and celebrating. The charter school’s high school senior graduation will be held on Sunday, June 5 at 1 p.m.
Lynne Ditchfield, of Adult and Community Education (ACE MV) reports that on Wednesday from 5 to 9 p.m. there will be a food safety sanitation mini-course with Alice Robinson at the regional high school. For more information and registration, call 508 693-1033, extension 240, or 774-310-1131.
Liz, over at Vineyard Gardens, reports that there will be a lecture on cut-flower gardens tomorrow between 11 a.m. and noon. Annuals make the best cut flowers. Bachelor buttons, sunflowers, dahlias, asters and zinnias and many others will be discussed — how to grow them successfully and hints on how to cut and arrange them. They will offer coupons that equal 20 per cent off annual cut flowers and dahlia tubers.
The annual Friends of Family Planning Art Show Benefit at the Agricultural Hall is just around the corner. It will be held on Memorial Day weekend from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Gala preview party will be held on Thursday, May 26, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Emme Brown reports that Featherstone will be participating in Sharky’s Cantina’s Dine to Donate program on Tuesday, at both the Edgartown and Oak Bluffs locations. This means Sharky’s donates to Featherstone 15 per cent of all food purchases throughout the entire day, both eat-in and take-out meals.
Tara Whiting reports that on Sunday the Martha’s Vineyard Horse Council will be hosting the junior spring show. It is the first in the hunter series, with points going toward year-end awards. The show starts at 8 a.m. at the Agricultural Hall. She urges you to come out and support the kids and have some fun.
Stephanie Dreyer, school librarian, reports that she encourages parents of grade school children to enroll their child in the free summer challenge reading program. If you would rather your child not be registered, please call her at 508-696-7738, extension 242.
The park and recreation committee reports that beach stickers will be available starting June 18, and everyday thereafter during the summer from 9 to noon daily; on Friday, Saturday and Sunday they will be open from 4 to 7 p.m. as well, at their shed at the edge of the school parking lot near the town tennis courts. The Lambert’s Cove beach guards will commence their jobs on June 25. For more information call the park department in the town hall.
Colleen Morris, over at the library, reports that they will no longer be open on Sundays (until October). On Saturday she will help you make a woven bookmark. The library will be closed on Memorial Day.
Karen Flynn, of Indian Hill Road, reports that her take-out stand, The Bite, opens today for the season. It is a true family business that has operated in Menemsha for more than 10 years.
MJ Bruder Munafo, of the Vineyard Playhouse, reports that award winning Broadway, film and television actors Brian Kerwin, Andrea Martin and Debra Monk will appear in a staged reading of Dick and Lola tonight and Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. at the Vineyard Playhouse in Vineyard Haven.
“On May 24, 1945 Shirley Vincent, the nine-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Chester Vincent, was the guest of honor at her birthday party held at her grandmother’s house. Her guests were Margaret Duquette, Judy and Mary Perry, Esther Santos, Francis Medeiros, Gertrude Rogers, Natalie Bosworth and Lucia, Barbara and Walter Vincent. Games were played and prizes were won in the donkey game by Mary Perry. Favors of Indian hats were given the children and canoes filled with candy and nuts were presented by Miss Helen R. O’Donnell, Shirley’s school teacher, who makes her home at her grandmother Nellie Vincent’s house. The birthday cake was made by Shirley’s 12-year-old sister, Lucia. Assisting with the games and refreshments were Miss O’Donnell and Mrs. Robert Hoffman.
Happy Birthday to: Candace Widmer, Carol Carrick, Eliot Bilzerian, Ned Robinson-Lynch, and Dianne Moyer today; Veronica Conover, John Dutton, Kathleen Brady, Nina Gordon and Lorraine Calio tomorrow; Sally Hamilton, Judy Bryant, Stuart Rodegast, Susan Anson and Donald Beaton on Sunday; Eric Whitman, Jane Paquet, Deborah Cini and Nathan Belain on Monday; Tom Goethals, Chuck Hughes, Jason Gale, Dinny Montrowl and Lynn Buckmaster-Irwin on Tuesday; Ann Nelson, Meredith Aldrich, Matt Hayden and William Stewart on Wednesday; Wendy Turnell, Larry Yorke, Gail Shufrin and Richard Conover on Thursday. Wedding anniversary to Matt and Donna Annese, of Webster, on Monday.
Well, that is all of the social news for this week’s edition. If you have any news, please call or e-mail me. Another bit of trivia: On this day in 1940, Winston Churchill takes command as Great Britain’s new Prime Minister, and he assures Parliament that his new policy will consist of nothing less than “to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might.” Have a great week.
Comments
Comment policy »