JOHN S. ALLEY

508-693-2950

(alleys@vineyard.net)

Well the month of March came in like a lion, no doubt about it. On Monday, there was about three inches of snow followed by about an inch of sleet making it a heavy, crusty snow to remove from driveways and paths. It snowed just enough Tuesday night to lightly cover the walkways you had shoveled during the daylight. The old saying is that March will leave like a lamb ­— we shall see. Thoughts of spring, just two weeks away . . . milder temperatures, warm sunshine and the daylight getting longer each day gives us hope. By Sunday, sunset will happen around 6:30 p.m. as we will have switched to daylight saving time. Eleanor Neubert reports that the lambing season began on Flat Point Farm last Sunday. Ten new lambs were born.

A vacation round up: Beach Bennett and family went to Puerto Rico, as did Arnie Fischer and his wife, Christa; Coco Brown flew down to her house in San Miguel deAllende, Mexico; Richard Andre, his wife, Ina, and son Nicholas skied in Colorado; Spencer Booker, his wife, Belinda, and family went up to ski on Mount Cranmore in North Conway, N.H. to visit Spencer’s sister; Tina Miller, her husband, Steve Gallagher, and their children Theo and Henry went down to Key West, Fla. to visit her father Allan and other friends. They took in a spring training game in Jupiter, which she described as “wonderful.” Eleanor Neubert went over to Falmouth visited with her sister Mary and did some shopping.

Barbara Day of Willow Tree Hollow reports that she and her husband, Bob, enjoyed a few days in New York with their daughter Catha, her husband, Dave, and their children Luke and Scott in their new apartment. They managed to see a number of relatives whom they had not seen for a while including Bob’s cousin in Stony Brook, Long Island, and Tom and Ann Robinson who are long-time Chilmark summer residents.

Kristen Buck of State Road reports that the Martha’s Vineyard Women’s Network is hosting a social networking and breakfast event on March 12 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at Cafe Moxie in Vineyard Haven. You do not need to be a member to attend this free event. Bring your business card. The network’s small business grant will be announced as well.

Lynn Fraker reports that the Fishing for Energy program has started and will run until March 27. This is a no cost opportunity for fishermen to recycle old and unwanted fishing gear. Dumpsters will be available during business hours at the refuse district near the Airport. Take advantage of this program sponsored by NOAA and the National Fish and Wildlife department. For more information or questions, call Lynn at 508-627-0848.

Eighty years ago on a Monday evening, Vineyarders gathered around their radios to listen to president Franklin D. Roosevelt holds the first of his fireside chats. In an era before television, FDR used the most immediate and intimate means of communicating with the public available at the time: the radio. The president talked about a range of topics from New Deal economic policies to the aid for Europe in the fight against fascism to reporting on the military and domestic fronts during World War II. While listeners could not actually see him and he was not actually next to a fireplace, photopgrahs show FDR at his desk surrounded by microphones. The phrase “fireside chat” was coined by journalist Robert Trout, a frequent summer visitor before the war, and evoked a comforting image during a time of great national anxiety.

On March 2, 1948 the Agricultural Society announced it would sponsor a three-day fair, which was a return to the original custom and a fulfillment of the wishes of most lovers of the institution. A two-day fair became the rule in the years prior to the war. The society to resurrected another custom of a bygone era — an open admission night on the evening of Aug. 26. All previous records for attendance were smashed that year’s fair, which was one of the most successful ever held.

Remember that daylight savings time begins on Sunday morning, so set your clocks ahead at bedtime on Saturday so you won’t be late for church in the morning!

Well, that is all of the social news for this edition. If you have any news, please call or email me. Have a great week.