It sure has been quiet in town and today is the start of a long holiday weekend, which should bring a lot of winter guests if the weather is half-way decent. Vacation week for our schools starts next Friday and many of you will be taking a winter break off-Island.

Spring is getting a bit closer as Susan Block of Music street reports that snowdrops are about to burst into bloom in a small section of a once-thriving garden down at the Frank Adams place.

Old friend Ted Meinelt of South Road in Chilmark, passed away Sunday night. He was 97 years old. Mr. Meinelt was my art teacher throughout my school days. His house was like a museum with all the items he collected over the years. He was art director and coordinator for the annual fair for many years. When the store was remodeled several years ago, he took home some floor boards and drew a picture of the store with a magic marker and gave them to friends. I still have one in the kitchen and one in my office. Our condolences to his family and many friends.

Tara Whiting, town clerk, reports that nomination papers are available for town offices; they must be returned to her office by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20. The last day to register to vote for town meeting will be March 19, and for town elections, until March 21. The annual town meeting is April 8 in the school gym and the election voting is noon to 8 p.m. in the Public Safety Building.

Paul Karasik will be presenting a classic yet little-known film, The Big Combo, at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center on Wednesday night at 7:30. He reports that the film is between a tough cop trying to get the goods on a creepy crime boss and a beautiful blonde. Jean Wallace is the blonde and she’s more than beautiful. He dares you to take your eyes off her in any scene she is in.

Anthony Saccocia of Waldron’s Bottom Road, head chef at the Grill on Main in Edgartown, reports that his establishment will be busy tonight. He plans to have a few specials and he trusts everyone will have a good time. And yes, he will be continuing to offer two-for-one special dinners every weekend for the remainder of the winter season.

Beth Kramer over at the library reports that you are welcome to join the library’s winter poetry workshop every Tuesday beginning Feb. 18 from 5:30 to 7 p.m, through March 25. The library will host a free poetry workshop for intermediate and advanced writers taught by poet Donald Nitchie. The class will focus primarily on critique and it is limited to six participants. Priority will be given to people already on the poetry workshop waiting list. Please preregister at the library or via email to programs@westtisburylibrary.org. The location will soon be announced. Donald has published poems in both local papers and he edits The Banjo Newsletter.

On Feb. 16, 1945, Bert Cahoon, Daniel Manter and Albion Alley received letters of thanks and commendation from Lt. Cmdr. Norman G. Asbury, officer-in-charge of the Naval Auxiliary Air Station, for the immediate and timely aid they rendered to a pilot of a plane forced down on the Orlin Davis property on Middle Road in Chilmark. Albion, chief of the guards at the Naval Auxiliary Air Station, and Bert, a former officer in the Coast Guard and operator of Donaldson’s Garage, were on their way home from finishing an assignment at the Peaked Hill military installation and witnessed the crash in a field near the road. Over 60 years later Everett Poole of Chilmark notified this correspondent that he has hanging in his garage the actual propeller from that aircraft.

Also, this item will be part of the book written about World War II on Martha’s Vineyard written by Herb Foster, Jay Schofield and Tom Dresser.

Happy birthday to Sandra Polleys, Gayle Stiller, Beth Toomey, David Schuster, Don Evon, Chris Morse and Michelle McCormack today; Kevin Peter Jr,, Leah Houghton, Karen Child and Suzanne Fenn tomorrow; Dan Gouldrup, Don MacDonald, Megan Higgins, Jackie Bear, Doug Fortes and Kathleen Gulino on Sunday; Leslie Eaton, Barbara Paciello, Janice Feltz, Garrison Vieira, and Emily Thomas on Monday; Patricia Duffy, Susan Wasserman and Marilyn Bergeron on Tuesday; Bob Knight, Joyce Wright, Christine Willey, Elton Taciano Do Nascimento, Lenny Jason Jr. and Florence Paul on Wednesday, and Robert Osmers, Charlene Kelly and Levi Flanders on Thursday. Anniversary greetings to Tim and Eileen Maley today and belated anniversary wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Richard Mavro. Belated birthday greetings to Jean Morton Fischer O’Reilly.

Congratulations to my daughter, Nicole Alley, who gave birth to a baby boy at 10:10 p.m. on Tuesday night. His name is Henry. Mom and the baby are doing fine.

Well, that is all of the social news for this edition. Please call or email with news you wish to share with others. Have a happy Valentine’s Day, a nice Presidents Day weekend and a great week.