JOHN S. ALLEY
508-693-2950
Welcome to summer and all the people it brings with it. Traffic is heavy everywhere, even over at the landfill. The weather has been muggy with rain two or three times a day leading up to the holiday. Just about every building in town is now occupied. The Blake pie gazebo reports a brisk business. Busses are comfortably full, planes and boats are crowded.
Joe Sollitto down in Edgartown organized this year’s Fourth of July parade, taking over for Col. Ted Morgan, who marched in his 44th parade. The festivities were well attended, as was Woollcott and Leah Smith’s party the night before. The parade was the highlight of the Fourth and many backyard cookouts were held that day and all week long.
The annual Tisbury Street Fair is on Monday and begins at 6 p.m.
Around town, at least one adult swan and three of her cygnets glide around the Mill Pond every day.
It was good to see a rerun of a 60 Minutes interview with David McCullough about American history, specifically Independence Day. It sure adds a unique historical perspective. It was taped in his Music street backyard and in Philadelphia. We trust he will spend a part of his summer with us.
Susan and Andy Boass of Hopkinton were at their summer home last weekend. Andy is a beekeeper and sells his product from a card table on the edge of Middle Road. His wife Susan, one of the famous Glimmerglass Girls, is busy preparing for guests.
Boston-based singer and songwriter Vanessa Trien will launch the summer programs of the Martha’s Vineyard Library Association with a lively performance at 11 a.m. tomorrow morning at the Agricultural Hall. It is traditional for the Island libraries to bring a children’s performer here for a kick-off event each year.
Norman Perry and his wife of Deep Bottom Pond went down to Connecticut to attend their granddaughter Courtney Ann Perry’s graduation from Joel Barlow High School in Redding. The commencement ceremony was held at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. They will return home today.
Marian Irving reports that the First Congregational Church will hold its first-ever blueberry festival Saturday, July 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. She says that blueberry specialties such as blueberry-peach cobbler with whipped cream, freshly baked pies, scones, muffins, coffee cakes, fruit parfaits and yogurt, blueberry pomegranate smoothies, blueberry iced tea and ice cream will be available. Everyone is invited to sit in the shade and enjoy a blueberry treat.
You all are invited to the Cleaveland House for a potluck wedding reception for Howard Attebery and Cynthia Riggs Attebery on Saturday, July 13 from 5 to 7 p.m. They will provide lemonade, wine and beer. Bring your favorite hors d’oeuvres. The Vineyard Classic Brass will play loud and joyful music. It will be held outdoors, weather permitting, indoors otherwise. Park along State Road with all four tires off the pavement, or turn onto New Lane and take the first left after the boat and into the pasture. If you have any questions call Cynthia at 508-693-9352.
Sal Laterra, of Providence, R.I., arrived on Tuesday to spend the Fourth of July with Phyllis Meras at her Music street home. He looks forward to holiday festivities and cutting her lawn.
Charlie Kernick, of Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road, reports that his wife’s family has joined them to celebrate the Fourth of July. Her son Greg and his wife Suzy from Graham, N.C., and her daughter Courtney with husband Matt and sons Beck, Jack and Nick from Davidson, N.C, will be here for the week and get a chance to meet the Athearn family at the annual family picnic at Debby and George Athearn’s place on Lambert’s Cove Road.
Cartoonist Paul Karasik, whose Graphic Report about the Menemsha Bike Ferry appears in today’s Gazette, also has a cartoon in this week’s New Yorker magazine.
Robin Perchel reports that Dr. Jay Segel has written another children’s book, Charky Clay Fun on the Vineyard. Autographed copies are available at Joan Walsh’s booth at the Artisan’s Fair.
Lambert’s Cove beach stickers are being sold at the shed over at the town tennis courts, next to the school, daily from 9 a.m. to noon. Extra hours were added on the weekends, 4 to 7 p.m.
Anna Carringer reports that it will be busy at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum next week. On Tuesday from 5:30 till 7 p.m. artist Steve Lohman of Waldron’s Bottom Road will talk about
his aunt, Rose Treat, and her life and work in conjunction with the museum’s exhibit Ladies of the Sea. She became famous for the material she used in her art — seaweed on paper. A reception will follow. And on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 2 to 4 p.m., you can experience what life was like for children in the late 18th century. Try your hand at candle making or make butter like kids did in the late 1700s.
Amy Remondi reports that historical novelist Nicole Galland will speak about her new book, Godiva, on Wednesday at the Grange Hall. The event is part of the Speakeasy Series and is hosted by the West Tisbury Library Foundation to benefit the library construction project.
On Monday, July 22 at 8 p.m. the Ljuba Davis Ladino Ensemble will perform at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center in Vineyard Haven. The performance will feature Ljuba Davis on lead vocals with an international ensemble of musicians. For more information, contact Abby Hirsch at 508-693-6407.
It is July so you know the library book sale is just around the corner. The sale begins on Friday, July 26 and will run until Monday, July 30. Jennifer Tseng reports that people interested in donating books to the library’s annual book sale are welcome to bring them directly to the school gym on Old County Road in the morning from 8 a.m. to noon.
Nancy Shaw Cramer of Music street asks that you come and meet West Tisbury artists Leslie Baker, Ruth Kirchmeier, Marie-Louise Rouff, Laurene Krasny Brown, Julia Mitchell and Hermine Hull and see their new work at an artists’ reception at the Shaw Cramer Gallery tonight from 6 till 8 p.m. in Vineyard Haven.
The Martha’s Vineyard Antique Association presents its multi-dealer antique show at the Grange Hall today from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. You might just discover treasures from near and far, and it’s fun for the whole family.
History note: On July 1, 1942 new blackout regulations for this town were passed along from the federal government with a warning that they were to be strictly enforced. The regulations included these interesting rules: any outdoor lighting fixtures on a building could not hold a bulb larger than 10 watts and the bulb had to be directed downward; all windows where any light could be visible had to be completely darkened; window shades had to be
drawn in all lighted rooms and night driving was limited to parking lights only with a top speed of 15 mph. A dozen blackout wardens were appointed and had to make sure people fully complied with the new set of regulations.
Happy birthday to Dan Whiting, Cherilla Brown, Abigal Bailey, Peter Luskin and Shawn Barber today. David Douglas, Bart Smith, James Sepanara, Jennifer Tseng, Tracey Grady and Amelia Esparini celebrate tomorrow, David McCullough, Mary Lu Keep, Sarah Palatroni, Gustavo Simoes and Adam Bresnick have birthdays on Sunday. Wish John Mayhew III, Sarah Cottle, Deborah Raymond and Andrew Gardner happy birthday on Monday. Jason Neago, Devin Church, Jane Yennie and Skipper Manter have birthdays on Tuesday. Mary K. McDonough, Max Ellis, Rez Williams, Sandy Fisher and Joy Robinson-Lynch have their day on Wednesday. Julie Moon, Mike Colaneri, Dennis White and Nancy Salon celebrate on Thursday. A belated birthday wish to the honorable Dudley Eppel. Happy anniversary to Webster socialites and good friends, Ed and Jane Koniki on Tuesday.
Well, that is all of the social news for this week’s column. A piece of useless trivia for your next cocktail party: canned Spam became available at your local grocery store 74 years ago Sunday. It is the kind you eat not the useless material you find in you e-mail. Also it had been one week since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the G.I. Bill, in 1944, an unprecedented act of legislation designed to compensate returning members of the armed services — known as G.I.s — for their efforts in World War II. If you have any news, please call or e-mail me. Have a great week.
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