Father’s Day was, according to Charlie Kernick, not that bad for outdoor barbecues and all kinds of surprises. School closes on Monday for the summer. It is getting busier each day as people continue to arrive for their vacation, and the first day of summer on Sunday turned out to be great. Thanks go to Charlie for pinch hitting for me at the post office on Monday. Can you believe it, but starting on Thursday the crunch should be upon us as many folks will get a head start on the holiday weekend as Independence Day is just a week from Saturday. The up-Island bus traffic has increased in substantial numbers in just a week and the VTA summer bus schedule begins Saturday morning. Next weekend reportedly is the start of the busiest time of the summer season.

Well Anna wanted to make my Father’s Day special by going off-Island to visit Nicole, Arsen, Sam and grandchildren Robbie and Henry in East Taunton. When we started out the weather was gray and gloomy and it had rained over night. When we got to Taunton the skies opened and it poured buckets of rain. Nicole fixed us all a super breakfast and by mid-afternoon it was hot, sunny ,and humid. I had wanted to go to Antonio’s in New Bedford for an early dinner—after all, no self respecting man with Portuguese blood in him would want any less. The hostess told us that there would be an hour wait but while parking the car I noticed a Polish festival complete with a live band was less than a block away. So we visited it, looked at exhibits, gambled a bit, and passed on the home-cooked Polish food. Henry was enamored with the band, jumping all around and did not want to leave. We walked back to Antonio’s and were seated! The dining room was packed, the food out of this world and adult beverages abounded. The steak bifa was superb, with a fresh egg cracked over the hot steak. I could see into the bar area and watch the Red Sox game and a soccer match between Portugal and Italy.

On June 18 Rafe Mazer and Danielle Doughman had a son, Theo Doughman Mazer; he was born in Nairobi, Kenya, where his parents have lived for the past year. Theo will visit West Tisbury in September. The proud grandparents are Mark Mazer and Mary Beth Keenan and Mike and Connie Doughman of Columbus, Ga.

Peggy Stone of the parks and recreation committee reports that swim lessons at Seth’s Pond and basketball program begin Monday July 6. Register at the beach sticker shed at the West Tisbury School daily from 9 to noon as well as 4 to 7 p.m. on weekends. Call 508-696-0147 with any questions.

Jane Konicki was the surprise guest at a retirement party held in her honor in Webster on Monday afternoon. She had worked for their school system for more than 30 years. She was surprised and delighted by the expression of thanks by her coworkers. She and her husband Ed will be celebrating 40 years of marriage on July 9. She is looking forward to spending more time on the Vineyard with her husband later this summer.

Ellen Weiss of Old County Road returned on Tuesday after a long weekend in New York city. She reports going to the Museum of Modern Art and the new Whitney Museum and visited with her brother and sister-in-law plus her nephews and their families. She is happy to return.

Lynn Christoffers of Edgartown Road reports there will be a reception on Monday from 4 to 6 p.m. at the MVTV studio of cat photos and video by Lynn and a cat video by Brigitte Cornand of New Lane.

On June 28, 1950 a dozen members of the West Tisbury Grange #251 had nearly finished what seemed like the impossible task of clearing Mill Pond of the dreaded parrot weed that was so thick it virtually choked the pond. Grangers volunteered their time for more than three months to pull out the weed from the man-made pond that was built to supply water power to the old mill building across the street. Joe White of Oak Bluffs and his crane helped out by building up the banks with silt material from the bottom of the pond. When the project was finished the grange purchased the first pair of swans to inhabit in the pond, because swans are very partial to parrot weed and would help to keep it under control. Over the years several sets of swans have called the pond home—so many that people today often refer to it as the swan pond.

Happy birthday to: Cybele Sprague, Kathryn Retmier, Alicia Tonti and Lynn Bouck Friday, Woody Bowman, David Steere, Jonathan Belain and Ginger Norton Saturday, Alvida Jones, Samantha Look, Colleen O’Donnell, James Cleary and Sam Decker on Sunday, Tony Silva, Lynn Weber, Harriet Bernstein, Myles Thurlow, and Ruby Hoy on Monday, Clifton Athearn, Scott Yapp, Ken Mastromonaco, Rebecca Conroy and Jack Gray on Tuesday, Max Bradshaw, John Miller, Michael Jolley and Philip Engles on Wednesday, and Cherrilla Brown, Diane Abbot, Alison Clark, Shirley Cartier, Elliott Tholen, Marianne Tsikitas, Sioux Eagle, Marsha Winsryg and Debbie Farber on Thursday. A happy anniversary to Chris Hind and Shannon Brown on Monday and old friends Ed and Jane Konicki on Thursday. Belated birthday wishes to Sandy Hicks, Kelley DeBettencourt and Helen Martin.

Well that is all of the social news for this edition. Please call or e-mail me with your news. Have a great week.

Send West Tisbury news to alleys@vineyard.net.