JOHN S. ALLEY

508-693-2950

(alleys@vineyard.net)

It’s been quiet in town since the holidays. Not much traffic in the evening; we have had a few cold nights, but very little skating. Folks are going away on vacation or taking a breather after the holiday guests and that is about the size of it. A fence has been put up in the Howes House parking lot to protect people from the library construction that will start very soon.

Anna, Sam and I headed up to Providence, R.I., last weekend for the christening of our grandson Robert John Hambardzumian at Saints Sahag and Mesrob Armenian Church. His cousin Don Berry and his wife Christina Thomas were named as godparents and participated in the ceremony. Afterwards family and close friends enjoyed a wonderful luncheon at the CAV Restaurant. Robert was christened a day before his first birthday, which is also the traditional Armenian Christmas. We did some shopping and bought dinners to go from Antonio’s in New Bedford to eat on the boat when we returned Sunday evening.

Shirley Mayhew reports that Deborah, Sarah, Katie and her boyfriend Max, and Shirley spent New Year’s Eve in Chatham. A First Night celebration there was attended by more than 6,000 people. Katie had been hired to sing in two concerts in the Congregational Church, one at 9 p.m. and one at 11 p.m. The evening concluded with a gigantic fireworks display and at midnight they lowered not a crystal ball but a large cod! Deborah has posted several of the songs on YouTube; Katie received a standing ovation after she sang Pie Jesu.

Shanti Blum returned home last week after spending six weeks with her children. First she went down to New Jersey and visited with her daughter Leslei and family, then she went up to Toronto, Canada to visit daughter Michelle, her husband and family. She reports having a wonderful time.

Judy Hall reports that her husband Malcolm has taken down all the Christmas decorations at their winter home in Oklahoma City, and is busy planning their summer vegetable garden on the Island. He has started growing plants indoors to bring to the Vineyard. This year he is growing two different types of okra so he can transplant them immediately upon arrival. He knows Bob Ganz had a good crop of okra last year in his garden but lacked recipes so he will share them if Bob shows him how he grows them from seed. Judy just returned from Bethany Beach, Del., where she attended the annual Carmen Miranda winter art festival.

Paul Karasik has a full-page cartoon in the New Yorker’s Best Cartoons of the Year 2012, on newsstands now. Check it out!

Barbara Day reports that their holiday season started off with a trip to Bethel, Conn., to see their grandson Jackson Day in The Nutcracker. They have recently returned from Menlo Park, Calif., after visiting daughter Elizabeth and her husband John and children Freddy, Bob and Lucy. Barbara’s nephew Peter Whidden and his wife Leslie, who have Chilmark roots, joined them for Christmas dinner. They also saw cousins Jennifer and Phelps Jackson, Chilmark summer visitors, and their children in Oakland, Calif. They very much enjoyed visiting San Francisco as well.

Our condolences to the family of Marjorie Rogers of Indian Hill Road, who died last week and was buried at a well-attended ceremony in the West Tisbury Cemetery on Monday. She was the owner and operator of Pond View Farm for many years.

History note: On Jan. 14, 1949 the members of the Grange presented a three-act farce, The Campbell’s Are Coming before a large audience in the Tisbury School auditorium. All parts were exceptionally well acted and were received with roars of enthusiasm by the audience. The Grangers who had parts in the play were Mary Smith, Marjorie Manter, Doreena King, David Engley, Albert Robinson, Fred and Donald Fisher, Alice Magnuson, James Alley and Virginia Rebello. The play was coached by Crichton and Pauline Magee, Elizabeth King served as the prompter. Laurus Sutton was in charge of stage properties and lighting, Muriel Loud distributed programs and Carol Drew was in charge of ticket sales. Costumes were assembled by Lillian Magnuson assisted by Elizabeth Manter. Edna Robinson collected the proceeds from the homemade candy that was sold between acts by Ann Coleman and Jane Austin.

Happy birthday to: Jennifer McCann, Mal Jones, Astrea Young, and Christina Reinhardsen today; Kern Grimes, Gay Nelson, Adam Petkus and Oona Post tomorrow; PJ Kirby 3rd, Kelly Smith Robertson and Brian Athearn on Sunday; Barbara Day, John Mancuso, Mary Orcutt, Tanya Larsen and Bob Luskin on Monday; Butch Downs, Tara Kenny and Lisa McGuire on Tuesday; Lea Delacour, Jordan Clements, Jane Rossi and Paul Jackson on Wednesday; Wendy Benedetto, Dr. Judith Fisher and Dan Serusa on Thursday. Belated birthday wishes to Toni Kurasch. Anniversary greetings to Manny and Jessica Estrella on Tuesday.

Well, that is all the social news for this week’s edition. Colleen Morris reports that we will have reached the halfway point in National Oatmeal Month next Wednesday. Please call or email me with your news. Have a good week.