Sunday is Flag Day. It was a warm weekend with the temperature reaching almost 70 degrees after days of an unseasonable northeast wind. Lots of folks worked outdoors and held backyard barbecues. It is getting busier by the day and if you drove down to Vineyard Haven last weekend you experienced your first traffic tie-up of the season.

Dr. Sara Rosenthal, Dr. Julie Prazich, and their cat Alice, of San Diego, Calif. are vacationing at their house in the Cove. They plan on spending most of the summer around the house.

Dick and Diana Reische of Runner Road and Wilton, Conn., arrived recently to pass the summer at their home on Town Cove. Dick reports they look forward to a wonderful season.

A service will be held for Mary Fischer at the West Tisbury Cemetery on Saturday, June 20th at 1:30 p.m. It will be followed by a celebration of her life at the Agricultural Hall; refreshments will be provided.

A memorial service for Virginia Blakesley will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 14 at the West Tisbury Congregational Church, followed by a reception in the parish hall.

Clark Bruno reports that a memorial service will be held for his mother Josie at 1 p.m. Sunday at her Old County Road home. All that knew her are welcome.

Marian Irving reports that if it is mid-June, it is strawberry time in West Tisbury! Volunteers at the First Congregational Church are getting ready to slice hundreds of pounds of fresh berries next Saturday morning. This will be the 27th annual strawberry festival; it will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on June 20. I can remember Joe and Sally Kraetzer, the members of the church that were instrumental in starting the event It now draws residents, seasonal visitors (some from as far away as Europe) and families with children of all ages to the center of town every year. Strawberry choices abound: with or without shortcake, whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, or a smoothie. There will be take-home containers for sale as well! The festive banner, floating balloons, and gaily set tables on the lawn beckon passers-by to the friendly village setting. Everyone is welcome to sit and be refreshed in the shade of the trees. This annual fundraising event benefits the historic church, which also serves as a community home for several non-profit Island organizations. Mark it on your calendar today.

Leslie Gray and Hunter Moorman of Panhandle Road held a welcome home party for their friends and neighbors. They were out of their house for several months due to extensive renovations. The house is now more beautiful in every detail and everyone had a swell time.

Ed and Jane Konicki of Webster have been visiting old friends on the Vineyard this week and stayed at their daughter Lynn’s condo. Ed reports that Donna Mooney of Hamden, Conn. plans to make her first Vineyard visit this summer.

The parks and recreation committee reports beach stickers will be available starting tomorrow and every day thereafter from 10 to 1 p.m. at the tennis shed at the West Tisbury School. The hours are weekdays 9 a.m. to noon and 4 to 7 p.m. on weekends For further information call the parks department at (508)-696-0147.

Amy Hoff over at the library reports that on Monday at 7 p.m. the library will host its second Writers Read evening. This event features community members reading short original prose pieces. Both fiction and nonfiction readings are welcome. Sign up to read in advance by calling (508)-693-4307 or take a chance and sign up that day!

Perhaps the most elaborate and certainly one of the most popular events in the history of the Agricultural Hall was held on June 15, 1920. The play Gifts of the Past, written and directed by Emma Whiting, was written so that most all of the people in town had a part in it. The show was enthusiastically received by an overflow audience in the hall. The play was a historical drama with 14 different scenes depicting highlights in the life of the town. West Tisbury was part of Tisbury until we seceded in 1892. The entertainment was under the auspices of the ladies of the Congregational Church. The pageant captured the history of the town from 1750 up to 1920, and many descendants of the first settlers played a part in this elaborate extravaganza. It was widely known that the costumes and family heirlooms used in the play were priceless. At the close of the production all of the people in the play gathered together on stage and sang Auld Lang Syne; the audience joined in with them.

Happy Birthday to: Jean Wexler, Kib Bramhall, Debbie Athearn, Martha Stackpole and Mike Black today; Anita Botti, Dick Philibosian, Brian Smith and Les Leland tomorrow; Madeline Fisher, Bea Amaral—who will be celebrating a special birthday—Billy Haynes, Elaine Pace, Tim Sweet and Leslie Gray on Sunday; Joyce Currier, Cynthia Riggs, Karen Dutton and Fred Barron on Monday; Mike Diaz, Ruth Campbell, Vivian Gude and Anne Fischer on Tuesday; Leslie Baker, Don Rogers, Erin Rathmell and two special women from Webster, Donna Annese and Deborah Kokernak, on Wednesday; Peter Eldridge, Mary Lee Carlomagno and Juleann VanBelle on Thursday. Anniversary greetings to Ed Levine and Vicki Bijur, who will celebrate their special day on Wednesday, and belated anniversary greetings to John and Elizabeth Churchill.

Well that is all of the social news for this week’s column. If you have any news please call or e-mail me. Have a great week.

Send West Tisbury news to alleys@vineyard.net.