Well, the fair is but a memory as most all of the carnival units returned to the mainland by Wednesday. We have had excellent weather with a light touch of rain. There were several end of the season parties last weekend and a few more are planned over the holiday weekend. If you have to go downtown you will immediately notice the drop in the volume of automobile traffic and you might even find a parking place without much difficulty. Workers have begun the task of cleaning out the old Parsonage Farm with an eye to making much needed repairs. That building’s roots go back to Josiah Standish.

RJ Andre, his wife Terry, and dog Happy of Deerfield Beach, Fla. are visiting son Richard, his wife Ina, and grandson Nicolas at their farm on Old County Road. Joining them is his brother Michael of Plainview, N.Y.

Ed and Jane Konicki, of Webster, came down for a long weekend and stayed with us. Jane is recently retired from her job of 40 years in the Webster school system. They went to the fair, visited old friends, dined out and were amazed at the long lines of automobile traffic everywhere.

Naomi Plakins and her sister Ava came down last week to enjoy the Vineyard in late August, visit friends, and attend several events including the fair. They stayed at their estate on Middle Road. Naomi’s daughter Becky came down yesterday to take some time off. Ava says they will return around Labor Day for a nice long visit.

Last Saturday many members of the Tisbury School class of 1959 and their spouses gathered at George Churchill’s home for a luncheon. They gathered to talk about old times, changes in the Vineyard life style, politics and gossip. Not much different than any other group except that they realize that they are now looked upon as elders, collecting Social Security, Medicare and eligibility for the vast array of senior programs. It was a wonderful afternoon socializing with people you don’t see every day. Doug Vanderhoop and his wife from Utah came from the farthest away, and Carol Hall Merchant from the Cape was the closest non-Island person attending.

Amy Hoff, over at the library, reports that on Wednesday from 5 to 6 p.m. editor Tom Dunlop will talk about Reflections on Martha’s Vineyard, a new book of Vineyard essays by the late William A. Caldwell.

Saturday at 4 p.m. author Nicole Galland will read from her new book Stepdog at the library. On Saturday, Sept. 5 at 4 p.m. letterpress artist Emma Young and chef Chris Fischer will celebrate the new cookbook The Beetlebung Farm Cookbook: A Year of Cooking on Martha’s Vineyard which features Emma’s letterpress menus alongside Chris’s recipes and writing. Emma will show her broadsides and Chris will give a cooking demonstration.

On August 31, 1947 the voice of the popular radio show The Shadow, Stephen Courtleigh, along with his wife Barbara, son George and daughter Pat, returned to New York city after spending two months in town. The famous line at the beginning of each broadcast, “the Shadow knows the evil that lurks in men’s hearts” and equally evil laugh were legendary. The program was broadcast weekly and could be heard in this area on stations WEAN and WJZ radio. The Courtleighs spent many summers in this town in the late 1940s and 1950s they rented Deny Wortman’s camp in Tiah’s Cove the first year.

Happy birthday to: Steve Hart, Jessica O’Connor and Bill Black on Friday, Nicole Alley, Carol Christensen and Manuel Estrella 4th on Saturday, Barry Stone, Cheryl Lowe and Christopher Gross on Sunday, Anna Edey, Pat Mitchell, Chuck Wiley, Michael Smith and Janet Johnson on Monday, Ebba Hierta, Karen Russillo and Candace Webster on Tuesday, Hilary Blocksom, Ann Bassett, Nelia Decker and Jane Dreeben on Wednesday, and Dick Burt, Bonnie Eldridge, Amanda Kram and Mary Sobel on Thursday. Anniversary greetings to Jay Segel and Celine Gobard on Wednesday.

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