JOHN S. ALLEY
508-693-2950
People and cars are everywhere. The weekend weather was superb, hot and dry. Mary Blake’s pie stand has been very busy, and Mary is struggling to keep up with the demand. She has kept her husband, Gary Ellis, busy selling pies in the gazebo every day.
Frank Adams would have described the weather we have been having as “hotter than a burn boot,” as that was the description he wrote in his diary about the heat of summer in 1941. Last week the sun began setting at least two minutes earlier each day as we slowly head toward fall; Why, there are only 166 shopping days until Christmas, and Jane Konicki up in Webster has half of hers done!
Of course, it is summer and we are not taking notice of such things. Outdoor activities are at fever pitch and sales of bagged ice and charcoal have skyrocketed. Unfortunately, the month is half over. It seems like the day before yesterday we were preparing for the Fourth of July.
Sarah Mayhew of Davis, Calif. arrived recently to visit her mom and other members of her family. There will be a memorial service for her dad, John, on July 24.
Tara Whiting of State Road reports that her brother Daniel and his children, David and Emma, arrived in time to celebrate the Fourth of July and visit her for two weeks. They all participated in the parade; David walking on stilts with his dad spotting him, while Emma and her aunt were in a golf cart decked out in New England Patriots colors and symbols for the Fouth. They all had lots of fun!
The horse council monthly meeting was held yesterday at the agricultural hall. The next show will be held on Sunday at the hall. For more information visit their website, mvhorsecouncil.org.
Shanti Blum of Music street has her daughter, Michele Berlyne, and her children, Sarah and Tim, of Toronto, Canada visiting with her for two months. They have been enjoying the warm weather, beaches and cookouts. Michele’s husband, Rick Chisholm, is in London working at the Olympic games.
Don and Marcia Klepper-Smith of Durham, Conn. are concluding their annual two-week vacation at their Old County Road home. Don is operating his business part-time out of their home this summer. He is the chief economist and director of research of Data Core Partners LLC. His wife, Marcia, is the chaplain at Manchester hospital. Both are looking to retire soon and spend more time on the Vineyard.
Denise Mount, of Canton, Conn. and her sister, Pam, of Westchester, N.Y. are usually our house guests to help celebrate Anna’s birthday. This year Denise and Pam flew to London to attend an Adam Lambert concert and the Olympic Games.
Matthew and Donna Annese and daughter Tallia of Thompson, Conn. made a surprise visit to town on Monday. They visited Polly Hill Arboretum and some old friends.
Lee Revere reports that the library book sale is just around the corner. The sale begins on Friday, July 27, at the school cafeteria and runs until Monday, August 2, from 9 a.m. till 3 p.m., so mark those dates on your calendar today. For more information about donations or the sale, contact the library staff at 508-693-3366.
Cherrilla Brown, in addition to waiting on customers at Alley’s General Store and doing landscaping work on the weekends, also produces her own By the Sea salt. It is a combination of kosher salt and selected herbs made right in her kitchen from her mother’s special recipe. She also bottles her own Jose Can You Sea Salt with a little kick to it. She reports selling more than 5,000 bottles last year Island-wide. In addition to being a helpful addition to any spice cabinet, it is a useful souvenir to take back home or send as a gift.
The church was packed with family, friends and former students of Pricilla Fischer last Saturday afternoon as they gathered to attend her memorial service. They held a reception at the Agricultural Hall. Our condolences to all her family.
Jim Crave called to inform me that his mother, Jane Austin, had died last Wednesday. She lived on Music street for many years and was active in the Grange and the local school. Our condolences to Jim and his family.
Marian Irving reminds us that the popular attic and barn sale will be happening on the grounds of the church tomorrow from 9 a.m. till 2 p.m. The rain date is Sunday from 1 till 4 p.m. For more information call 508-693-2842 or 508-737-8089).
Jennifer Tseng over at the library reports that on Thursday at 5 p.m. Jorie Graham will read from her new book, Place. Refreshments will be served. On Thursday at 10:30 a.m., Kate Feiffer will be reading from her new book, No Go Sleep, for story time at the library. Also at the library this month they will be showing family movies on Mondays at 7 p.m., free and open to the public. Popcorn included! This Monday’s film is Toy Story. On the 26th at 5 p.m., veteran travel writer Phyllis Meras will be talking about her new book, In Every Season: Memories of Martha’s Vineyard, illustrated by Thomas H. Cocroft and Robert E. Schwartz. Bob will also be on hand to sign books.
The Martha’s Vineyard Democratic Council will meet tomorrow from 9 till 10:30 a.m. at Howes House.
Jane Coakley reports that the second concert of the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music series will take place on Tuesday at 8 p.m. at the Chilmark Community Center.
Find the time tomorrow night to stop and have a bite to eat at the Portuguese Holy Ghost Feast. The food is always terrific, and there will be music, dancing and games of chance. The annual event is held on the Portuguese-American Club grounds on Vineyard avenue in Oak Bluffs. On Sunday morning at 11 a.m. the annual parade from the Steamship Authority dock down Circuit and up to the club will be held. The feast will start at 6 p.m.
In July of 1969 our town became the first on the Island to have radar and two police cruisers. Police Chief George W. Manter reported that the radar unit had been in service for two weeks and the new cruiser was due to arrive any day. The new car did not replace the 1965 model then in use, but was considerably more up to date and would be used more frequently. The new vehicle, like the present one, was a Ford station wagon designed not to tip at high speed, and equipped with a two-way radio and stretcher. Its cost was $4200. The portable radar unit, which was brought to the Island by the state police for a test but was not bought by them, automatically recorded the speed of an oncoming car as much as a mile away. Then-chief Manter said that radar was a good psychological tool that would make the motorist think twice before speeding through town. The cost of the radar unit was $895.
Happy birthday to Paul Karasik, Rev. Cathlin Baker, Michele Ortlip and David Perzanowski today; Tina Miller, Jay Schwartz and John Walsh tomorrow; Bob Lee, Tom Reynolds, Barbara Scherlis, Jackie Clason and Stacey Witt on Sunday; Margaret Logue, Rosie Shgrue and Lenny Fogg on Monday; Eleanor Thayer and Daniel Van Landingham on Tuesday; Arnie Fischer, Sue Leland and Mark Yale on Wednesday; Linda Jones, Jessica Branch and Susan Austin on Thursday. Belated birthday greetings to Denise Mazzuchelli, Lauraye White and Julie Moon. Happy anniversary to Sig VanRaan and Susan Dickler on Tuesday.
Well, that is all of the social news for this edition. Please call or e-mail me with your news. Have a great week.
Comments
Comment policy »