Today marks the beginning of the school vacation week for Vineyard students and many families will also take a vacation from the winter boredom. If you thought it was quiet last week, be prepared as it will feel like virtually everyone has left Dodge. We have been busy with snowstorms mixed with rain. The last storm meant many Comcast subscribers lost internet and telephone service and the SSA cancelled the late boats. We are on pace to collect as much or more snow than last winter.

We are about to celebrate another obscure holiday as we head into March. Next Friday is National Pig Day and will be celebrated by those of us who are left remaining on the rock. Ash Wednesday is on March 5, so are we nearly through the winter season? Old-timers would say the back of winter has been broken. I hope so because mine nearly is — as we have had enough snow and cold weather.

Henry Alexander is the full name of our new grandchild born on Feb. 11. Sam and I were going up to visit him last weekend but the snowstorm cancelled those plans. Anna has been up in Taunton since his birth and returned home on Tuesday.

The selectmen will present the town meeting with a 43-article warrant. The annual town meeting will be held on April 8 and the election on April 10.

Phyllis Meras of Music street went up to Providence, R.I., last Friday so that Sal Laterra could take her out to Valentine’s Day dinner on Federal Hill. She returned home on Saturday just in time for the storm. Phyllis also had a travel article published in the Providence Journal Bulletin last Sunday, with photos taken by Sal.

Frank Polagruto of Great Plains Road will be celebrating his birthday on Monday with his wife Celeste and family. Frank, a keeper of all kinds of music, reportedly will feature a Julie Andrews favorite on his website that day. Happy birthday, Frank!

Lynne Ditchfield reports that on Wednesday Adult and Community Education (ACE MV) will sponsor Relaxed Body, Open Mind, Deep Rest (meditation/stretch class) with Martha Abbot at the Yoga Barn. For further information and registration call 774-310-1131.

Aela over at the Chamber of Commerce reports that the annual Martha’s Vineyard Health Fair takes place Saturday, March 15 from 8 a.m. to noon. There will be screenings and exhibits designed to increase awareness about health issues, promote healthy lifestyles and highlight all of the health services and medical programs available on and off-Island. For more information, call the development office at 508-693-4645.

Ed Konicki of Webster was browsing in an antique store in Dudley last week and found in an old book, a July 1935 boat schedule of the old Steamship Line that the owner was about to throw away. In the summer season 79 years ago, a total of 14 round trips were offered daily by three steamers with just six trips on Sunday. The ships were the Naushon, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, and they served several ports in those days — Vineyard Haven, Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, Woods Hole and New Bedford. Connecting motor coach service was offered between Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven and Edgartown. It also included a New York boat schedule that served New Bedford, Fall River, Boston, Providence and Newport, R.I. Late afternoon departures from those ports arrived at Pier 14 in New York city early the next morning.

Happy birthday to May Baldwin, Gaston Vadasz, Lila Fischer and Caitlyn Clark today; David Patterson and David Bowman tomorrow; Ellen Wolfe, Sally Segall, Stuart Gardner, Lukas Higgins, Julie Flanders and Joanne Peterson on Sunday; Brenda McMorrow, Frank Polagruto, Ernie Mendenhall, Kevin Carr, Tom Ronan, Dennis Jason and Diane Wall on Monday; Steve Gallagher, Alison Welles, Kelly Arruda and Susie Bowman on Tuesday; Katherine Athearn, Ann Nevin, Mason Fischer and Natasha Taylor on Tuesday; Gene Bergeron, Shawn Emin, Stephanie Wade, David Merna and Kevin McFarland on Wednesday, and Tom Thatcher, Andrew Kennedy, Susan Goldstein, Sam Alley and George Brush on Thursday. Belated birthday wishes to Nick Pohl, Angie Smith and Wendy deGeofroy.

Well, that is all of the social news for this week. I don’t want to miss the news about your vacation, so please call or email me (alleys@vineyard.net) with details. Have a great week.