JOHN S. ALLEY
508-693-2950
Well, it sure has felt like summer; it’s warm and it is crowded everywhere. The activity at the Agricultural Hall is at a fever pitch preparing for the fair. Some college students have just begun to leave, some fall semester classes begin in two weeks. Before the end of the month a significant amount of summer traffic and visitors will begin to head in the other direction as the season slowly begins winding down for another year. Tomorrow and Sunday the sales tax holidays will be in effect on many products in the commonwealth. So now is the chance to save some money on back-to-school items and other household necessities. Next week brings us the parade from the Grange to the fairgrounds on Tuesday (George Hartman is hard at work getting his 1902 Rambler ready for the parade), Illumination night on Wednesday, the fair proper opens on Thursday, the Oak Bluffs fireworks are on Friday and to top it off, President Obama is scheduled to arrive for a family vacation.
“Give attention, kind friends, and harken good neighbors,
And for a brief time abstain from your labors,
For our fair is approaching and whatever your vocation
We entreat your heartiest cooperation..
Come one and come all, builders, tradesmen and teachers,
Come mechanics, lawyers, printers and preachers,
And to each and all, just a moment to wait
At the little office that’s near the gate.”
“A Call to the Fair,” Vineyard Gazette, September 4, 1894.
The 150th annual Agricultural Fair begins next Thursday and runs until Sunday evening. They are now accepting entry forms and will until Monday at 5 p.m. You can drop your entry forms in the entry box on the front porch of the hall, mail, or fax them in. There will be some livestock and antique farm equipment on display in their new barn. The woodsmen’s contest has several new events this year. A full program of events is available at the hall. Also a complete schedule of events is published in the fair booklet and will appear in next week’s editions of the Gazette. Glenn Jackson is in charge of the 11th annual Fiber Tent exhibition again this year. He reports that the attractions are working dogs and sheep-shearing demonstrations daily, plus your old favorites, spinners, weavers and knitters. There will be various demonstrations of their talent throughout the fair and animals will be available for viewing each day. A special treat will be three performances on Thursday and Friday by the famous Flying Wallendas Family Circus. The Cushing Carnival will again offer a special price for the rides if you purchase a wristband on Friday night.
The Vineyard Transit Authority for the 17th consecutive year will extend bus service to include the fair on Routes 2, 4, and 6. The 8 bus will run express service from Edgartown to the fair. As an added bonus for riding the bus this year, the Agricultural Society will offer a $1 discount on the purchase of an admission ticket. Be sure and have your hand stamped before exiting the bus to qualify for the discount. A complete bus schedule will be posted on the front porch of the hall. The bus service will run hourly from 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. On Sunday the last bus is at 8 p.m. If you choose to bring your automobile there will be two parking lots available; one operated by the society and the firemen and the other by the Whiting family.
Lee Revere of Forrest avenue, chair of the book sale committee, reports that the 54th annual sale raised $20,374.17 — the second highest amount on record. With the change of venue this was particularly impressive. Congratulations on a job well done.
The Farmers’ Market will be hosting the second annual Seafood Throwdown, starting at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow with two local chefs: Chris Fischer of Beetlebung Farm and a vendor at the market, and Josh Aronie of the Menemsha Café. They will be facing off with a mystery fish, to be judged by a panel of three; one of them is our friend, Charlie Kernick, of Edgartown Road. This event will bring awareness of our fishing industry and is being sponsored by the regional marine alliance.
Ed and Jane Knick and grandchildren, Cameron and Katie, of Webster, will be arriving next Thursday to attend the fair and visit with friends. Ed reports that Jane plans to enter the skillet throwing contest.
Lisa Lewis and Neil Miller, of Newton, returned home on Sunday after a glorious vacation at her Deep Bottom camp. With her was her daughter, Evie Lewis-McNeil, her friend Chris Ditomasso, and her niece, Beatrice Masters.
Michelle Berlyne, her husband, Rick Chisolm, and their children, Timothy and Sarah, of Toronto, Canada arrived last Tuesday to visit her mother, Shanti Blum, at her Music street home.
Patti Carroll, of Houston, Tex., spent the weekend visiting with her cousin, Anna Alley. She reports being thrilled with the weather, especially the cool evening that forced her to wear a shawl (“delightful”). You see, it has been over 95 degrees every day in Houston for over a month.
Marian Irving, of Old County Road reminds you that the West Tisbury First Congregational Church’s third annual Peach Festival will be held tomorrow from noon until 4 p.m. It is a super fundraiser for the church, and like the strawberry and ice cream festivals, it is an outreach to the community and visitors. They will be serving fresh peaches, peach shortcake with ice cream or whipping cream, peach smoothies, special iced tea (their own blend of hibiscus and Turkish black tea), and Mad Martha’s own peach ice cream — made especially for the occasion. They also have a peach tree, donated by Mahoney’s and will raffle it off during the festival; the winner will be notified by phone after the drawing at 4 p.m. Bring your family and visitors for a special treat! Proceeds will benefit the preservation of the historic church.
Reverend Cathlin Baker reports that it has been a joy to have Laurel Johnson working and worshipping with them again this summer! Laurel’s last day in the office is August 26, at which point she will be returning to Bennington College to complete her senior year
John Kelleher, senior deacon, reports that the Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock, senior pastor at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Ga., will be the guest preacher at the Congregational Church on Sunday at 10 a.m. Child care is available, and additional parking will be available behind the Grange Hall and Howes House. This marks the third visit to the church by Rev. Warnock. All Island residents and visitors are invited to this service.
John Christensen, emergency management director, reports that he has started using Twitter to communicate timely information about potential severe weather. Included in those Tweets is a link to the National Hurricane Center, so you can see for yourself, without wading through the Internet to find the latest information. Twitter, he reports, is surprisingly easy to use. He compares it to a ticker tape, or an individualized wire service. It broadcasts to anyone who signs up on their phone or computer, and it’s archived in the Library of Congress. You sign up to follow him, and he will try to supply you with daily useful information. Severe weather is his first priority, but if roads are impassable due to downed trees, power lines, snow drifts, flooding, he will Tweet that also; if he hears that a beach is closed, or open, or dangerous due to surf, that will be passed along.
Paddy Moore reports that Setti Warren, mayor of Newton, a candidate in the Democratic primary for the Senate seat presently held by Scott Brown, will speak at the Howes House on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. This special meeting of the Vineyard’s Democratic Council will start at 9 a.m. and end approximately 10:30 a.m. The public is cordially invited for spicy conversation, good information and no fund-raising. For more information, call 508-693-1627.
The Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society summer concerts continue with performances on Monday at 8 p.m. at the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown and 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Chilmark Community Center featuring the Harlem String Quartet.
Ginger Duarte reports that the Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club will hold its election of officers at the annual meeting on Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Old Mill. Tim Simmons will present a program on Global Warming: Plants and Habitats. A hospitality hour including refreshments will follow the program. Anyone interested in horticulture, home gardening and flower arranging and preserving the best qualities of the Island environment is welcome. Free for members; $5 for guests.
With all the controversy surrounding this important social program, a timely trivia item at your next party is this: Monday marks the 76th anniversary of the Social Security Act, signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
From Vineyard Gazette archives: “On August 16, 1945 Miss Marjorie Manter was the hostess to 16 young people in town at a scavenger hunt birthday party. The guest list of friends attending the festivities were, Ladies: Muriel Doane, Cynthia Riggs, Rosemarie Duys, Sally Raymond, Virginia Rebello and Jane Austin. Men: Jack Reed, Ted Brown, George Manter, Lincoln Foote, Robert Doane, Robert Austin, John Raymond, Daniel Bryant, James Alley and David Engley. Duplicate lists containing 30 articles to be collected were distributed to the guests and the hunt was on. The participants went door to door in an effort to collect the items. Robert Doane and Lincoln Foote were the only two to collect all the articles and to find a 1940 license plate and won first prize. Marjorie Manter and Jack Reed garnered second prize and Muriel Doane, James Alley and Robert Austin third prize. Mrs. Nelson Bryant and Elizabeth Manter assisted in checking in articles from the hunt and the serving of refreshments.”
Happy birthday to: Sam Stevenson, Eric Turkington, Susan Fieldsmith, Joe Schroeder, Jesse Myers and Alyson Wolocott today; Linda Jean Hanover, Peter Rodegast, Leslie Sterns, Roberta Mendlovitz, Pricilla Fischer, Vickie Crowley and Andrew Salzman tomorrow; Bea Whiting, Aaron Myatt, Mark Hutker and Sarah Catchpole on Sunday; Bill Hoff and Bob Huebscher on Monday; Nick van Nes, Marjorie Rogers and Katherine Long on Tuesday; Karin Stanley, Michael Saunier, Chase Sellers, Michelle Myers and Sarah Murphy on Wednesday; Gerry DeBlois, Christine Gault, Christine Napolitan, Erica Woodcock and Joel Lewis on Thursday. Belated birthday wishes to Cameron Bernier and Drusilla Hickie, who celebrated a milestone, her 90th, last month. Belated anniversary greetings to Kristi and Barry Zonfrelli, Marni O’Brien and Charley Hoffshire, and Richard and Martha Doane.
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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