JOHN S. ALLEY
508-693-2950
The holiday weekend weather was rainy and downright cold for this time of year. Sunday morning’s temperature was a mere 42 degrees. The rhododendrons at the old Foote tennis court (the only clay court remaining in town) were absolutely beautiful this past weekend. Bunny Fales would have been so proud of them.
The first weekend of the busy season brought thousands of visitors, as was evident by the long lines at the grocery stores. Automobile traffic was up 15 per cent, according to a Steamship Authority official. Indeed, the boats were very busy all day Monday as people were leaving after a fantastic weekend. Many outdoor activities and cookouts took place on Memorial Day.
Andrea Rogers reports that the two-day Artisans Festival at the Grange Hall this past weekend was a huge success. Fiddlehead Farm opened last Thursday in North Tisbury, so now all of the businesses are open for the season in that section of town. The charter school will be graduating students on Sunday, with the regional high school graduation one week after. Congratulations to everyone!
Remember that beach stickers will go on sale Saturday, June 15 at the Park and Recreation shed at the school from 9 a.m. to noon daily; on Friday, Saturday and Sunday there will be extended hours from 4 to 7 p.m. Any questions, call 508-696-0147. The stickers will be required beginning June 22.
With the long weekend, many people have been coming and going, and starting to open their homes for the season. Marilyn and Warren Hollinshead’s daughter Dana received a PhD from the Heller School for the Study of Social Policy at Brandeis University. They recently returned from cheering her on, and were joined by the in-laws, Dana’s husband, Todd Gill, and their children, four-year-old Evan and two-year-old Lauren.
Kevin Wojcik and Lynn Dolan opened their house in Vineyard Meadow Farms last weekend. This weekend Kevin is hosting his annual reunion of old college friends. This year they will see guys coming from Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Tennessee. The group is excited that this year, for the first time, medical-implant pioneer Dr. Steven “Mags” McGuire will be in attendance. As the median age of the group is now approaching 60, discussions regarding hip and knee replacements are no longer purely academic.
Bob Luskin reports that he and his wife, Charlotte, and their cat will be arriving this weekend. Later in June daughter Natalie will be coming and will be working at the Farm Institute. Another daughter, Miranda, is staying in New York city this summer, where you can actually get a job that doesn’t pay any money. Bob said he had no idea you had to apply for an opportunity like that. The big news for them is that son Peter came back healthy from Afghanistan about a month ago. He has just finished a 10-day meditation retreat in California and plans on riding his motorcycle across the country, and is expected to arrive on the Island around June 20. Bob’s younger son Cass is working in Montgomery, Ala., for the Federal Defender program.
Carey Rosenthal of Newtown, Penn., and his daughters, Brin and Blake, were here to open their house for the holiday weekend.
Emily Hall of Pond Road, returned home on Tuesday for the season. She is planning on being married this September and has been quite busy attending to endless details.
Linda Baughman of Philadelphia arrived on Wednesday for her annual spring visit with Phyllis Meras. She will be surprised to see all of the trimming work that Sal Laterra has done on the property.
The Plakins sisters, Ava and Naomi, are scheduled to arrive today to visit to their Middle Road home and open it up for the season. They have had a considerable amount of work done to the house and grounds this winter in addition to losing several large branches from trees. All of this occurred from the severe winter storms.
Charlie Kernick and his wife, Stephanie Hughes, returned to his Edgartown-West Tisbury Road home after spending the winter in Hillsborough, N.C.
There were also many weddings this weekend.
Michael Pasch and Natasha Tinoco of Philadelphia were married Sunday morning near the ocean where they first met three years ago.
Cynthia Riggs married Howard Attebery Saturday at the Congregational Church. They will be living at her house on Edgartown-West Tisbury Road.
Also Scott Bell and Casie Kolodziej were married last Monday. An interesting thing about this union is that he proposed to her on the Fenway Park message board last month. So if you happened to be watching the Red Sox game, you had some advance warning. Congratulations to them all!
Marian Irving reports that there will be a piano and choral concert of Bach and Chopin at the Congregational Church on Sunday at 4 p.m. Music director David Rhoderick and the choir will present a piano and choral concert on Sunday, June 2 at 4 p.m. in the sanctuary. Suggested donation is $15. Proceeds will go to the support of the church and its music programs.
Betsy Burmeister, recreation director at Windemere, reports that the Residents Annual Auction at the Agricultural Hall takes place today from 6 to 8 p.m. The auction funds enable the recreational department to provide programs such as music, yoga and exercise, as well as outings to concerts and plays. Auction items include a weekend on a farm in Chappy, a ride over the Island in a bi-plane, handmade furniture, shawls, table runners and jewelry, also photographs by Alison Shaw and paintings by Ray Ellis. Admission is free.
Brie Bingham reports that the Martha’s Vineyard School of Ballet will present Alice In Wonderland at the Martha’s Vineyard High School Performing Arts Center on Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at the door for $10. The ballet features the cast of the children from Martha’s Vineyard School of Ballet under the artistic direction of Beth Vages.
Anna Carringer, over at the museum, wants to remind you that tonight at 7:30 at the Harbor View Hotel the third in a series of PechaKucha Nights will take place.
Happy birthday to: Howard Wall, Charlene Barbosa, David Murphy, Linda Gandel, Amy Kurth and Valarie Redanz today; Randolph Dodge, Daphne Clancy, Eric Magnuson and Chaya Thanhauser tomorrow; Linda Doane, Joyce Siberling, Linda Alley and Flora Coutinho on Sunday; Bill Blakesley, Wayne Sylvia and Casey Decker on Monday; Debra Yapp, George Hartman, Stephanie Brothers and Allison Thorton on Tuesday; Dale Julier, Margery Meltzer, Mary Wirtz, Mona Rosenthal and Jean Powers on Wednesday; Ernie Barrett, Mary French, Sam Feldman, Wanda Higgins and Joe Fragosa on Thursday. Anniversary wishes to Dan and Dorothy Whiting tomorrow, and Tony Silva and Dianne McDonough on Tuesday. Roger and Gloria Sylva celebrate their 45th on Thursday.
Well, that is all of the social news for this edition. If you have any news please call or e-mail me.
As many of you may know, my brother Jim died May 15 after a long bout with cancer. His funeral was held this past Friday. My daughter Nicole Alley, son in law Arsen and their son Robbie came down for the day to attend the service. So did Bill Garvey of South Weymouth.
Many people shared stories about my brother, but because of the rain, not everyone was able to hear them well. I’d like to share with you my remarks.
“Our family moved ‘across the brook’ to the house I now own when I was five years old and Jim was a sophomore at Tisbury High. We both tried different things other than store-keeping before returning to the general store. Jim moved to California and among other things worked in a ceramic plant. He brought home to our mother the most awful and downright ugly collection of ashtrays that he told her was the latest thing, so she proudly displayed them in our house.
“He sold cars, tended bar, ran a bowling alley before returning to the store. Jim, Phyllis and I settled into the store for a 20-year run. It was hard work, but we all enjoyed meeting our customers very much.
“There are many stories, but two I remember like yesterday.
“When Jim was postmaster, one day a postal patron asked him if she had received a postcard or two from her boyfriend. Jim said she did. The lady said, ‘But I haven’t gotten them.’ Jim replied that is because he hadn’t finished reading them!
“We enjoyed teasing Saul Levitt, a noted playwright, about giving us a part in his next play. One afternoon when he came by, Jim jumped up on the counter and did an improv soft shoe dance. Saul doubled over with laughter, but alas he did not get a part.
“He is now with Ma and Dad on the other side. He proudly kept their photograph on his bed table during his illness, and he told me on my next to last visit that soon you will be the last one standing.
“Good bye, Jim, may you rest in peace.”
Have a great week.
Comments
Comment policy »