JOHN S. ALLEY
508-693-2950
Well, we received our first snowfall of the season, more than half a foot in some places, last Saturday. It made for some nice Currier & Ives photographs the next morning. The weather warmed to about 50 degrees on Tuesday. So far it has been a roller-coaster winter. The Patriots made it easier to endure with their stunning win on Sunday afternoon and are headed to the Super Bowl. We are just over a month away from the start of daylight saving time. This year it will begin on Sunday, March 11.
Cynthia Riggs, of Edgartown Road, extends an open invitation to everyone to attend her annual Groundhog Day party at the Cleveland House from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2. Please bring your favorite hors d’oeuvres to share with your friends, and be sure to park your car in the designated area off New Lane Road. Her party is also viewed as the kickoff event of the local political season.
Trina Gay, of Baltimore and Old County Road, has been finding out firsthand how we Yankees survive the winter and has done quite well so far. She ran short of medicinal spirits on Saturday and realizes there are certain items you need to stock up on. She is looking forward to attending her first Groundhog Day party.
Muriel Bye, the town election warden, reminds you that the Massachusetts presidential primary election will be held on Tuesday, March 6 over at the Public Safety Building across the street from Conroy’s Apothecary. Polling hours will be held from 7 a.m. till 8 p.m. She says that all the televised debates are sparking interest. She expects a turnout of more than 35 per cent, which is high for a primary election. Independent voters may choose to vote for either a Republican or Democratic candidate, and can change their party affiliation after casting their ballot. Mark that date on your calendar today.
Bob Luskin, of Edgartown Road, proudly reports that his son, Peter, returned home from Afghanistan last Sunday. Peter had been stationed there for over a year. Bob says it was the best birthday present ever.
Tara Whiting, town clerk, reports that the absentee ballots for the presidential primary election that will be held on March 6 have arrived. You may stop by any business day and vote, or you can send a request in to her and you will receive an absentee ballot in the mail. The last day to register to vote in the primary is Wednesday, Feb. 15. Also, she has had returned to her office a lot of envelopes containing census forms that were wrongly addressed. These need to be filled out, so if you do not get any town census forms by today call her office at 508-696-0148.
Tomorrow, Jan. 28, the annual WMVY Big Chili Contest is the place to be to warm up on a chilly day. Get out your recipe or just come to sample all the many different kinds of chili. It will be held from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Portuguese-American Club in Oak Bluffs. Advance tickets are sold out, but a limited number will be sold at the door. You may recall that the 9:30 a.m. boat from Woods Hole experienced a rare January passenger cutoff last year because of the number of people headed to the contest.
Tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. Michael Hopper from the Sea Run Brook Trout Coalition will be giving a talk about dam removal projects and funding sources and grants for such projects. Last week the Mill Pond Committee gave a presentation of their ideas to save the pond and this could be considered an alternative view.
Brian Hefler, over at the Mansion House, reports that Griffin Hughes will teach her foam roller workshop at the Mansion House on Saturday at 4 p.m. Brenda Wallis, health club fitness director, says a one and a half hour class is $20 for health club members, $35 for non-members, including a take-home foam roller. Participants can also bring their own rollers and attend the class for only $10. For more information call 508-693-2200.
Lynn Ditchfield, over at Adult and Community Education (ACE MV), reports that a wide variety of courses will be taught next week, mainly at the regional high school. Please contact her for the details at 774-310-1131 or leave a voice mail at 508-693-1033, ext. 240.
On the night of Jan. 22, 1951 the home of George and Lillian Magnuson, of Edgartown Road, was bulging at its seams as 43 people attended a penny auction put on by the home and community service committee of the Grange to benefit the March of Dimes. George Magnuson and John Forbes, master of the Grange, were the auctioneers, assisted by Natalie Vincent and Alma Benson. Home cooked foods were auctioned off after the penny sale. Refreshments were served by the hostess. The net proceeds of the sale were $63, the largest single sum ever collected for the charity. Lillian, town chairman of the March of Dimes, thanked everyone for coming out and supporting a worthy cause. She also reported that a total of $219 had been collected so far that month, with another week remaining for fund-raising — the largest amount of money ever collected during the March of Dimes annual drive in town.
Happy Birthday to Kristin Zern, Tim Mathieson, Susan Sigel Goldsmith, Taggart Young and Ann Vincola today; Jamie Alley, Mark McGoldrick, Susannah Tilton-Clancy and Mark Plante tomorrow; Abigail Stanwood, Janice Ovios, Joshua Rich and Pamela Speir on Sunday; Adele Schonbrun, Dr. Charles Silberstein, Alyssa Dubin and Tallia Emily Annese on Monday; John Hough, Gordon McArthur, Melissa Lawry and Jonathan Graham on Tuesday; William Deeble, Bob Salop, Leah Smith, Rosemary Hoeft, and Tammy Jardin on Wednesday; Gayle Mone, Kathleen Murray, Clara Marshall and James Irwin on Thursday.
Well, that is all of the social news for this week’s edition. If you have any news please call or e-mail me. A trivia report that could come in handy at your next social gathering: Our Market, in Oak Bluffs, received its first shipment of Krueger’s canned beer and ale 77 years ago Monday. Krueger was the first brewery to try this new method of marketing their product. Groundhog Day greetings to everyone on Tuesday. Have a great week.
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