Well several parties were held around town on New Year’s Eve. The trend in recent years seems to be toward family or neighborhood gatherings to welcome in the new year. Paul Magid and his wife Anita Botti, of Pond Road, held a New Year’s Eve dinner party for 50 of their friends and neighbors. The traffic in town last Friday morning could be counted on the fingers of one hand. People stayed at home with family, watched bowl games and relaxed. The weather to begin the new year was cold. The temperature swings have been astonishing to me since Christmas Day. I thought my outside thermometer needed new batteries!

Our version of the famous L Street Brownies took their annual dip at Lambert’s Cove Beach on the first. The water temperature that morning was 40 degrees so they did not linger long.

Lynn Christoffers, of Edgartown Road, a nationally known photographer, returns home Thursday after spending the holidays with her sister in the Far East. She reports having a wonderful time.

Sig Van Raan and Susan Dickler spent the Christmas and New Year’s holidays in New York this year with their children, Sofia, Jackson, Emily Rose (Willie) and Mike. Unlike other years when they gathered at their Music Street home for the holidays, they decided to be close at hand to attend to Susan’s mom’s declining days.

Sig and Susan sadly announce the death of Susan’s mom, Ruth Dickler, who passed away on Dec. 31 at the age of 102. Ruth was born in New York city in 1913 and spent her entire life there. She’d been a social activist from an early age and spent the latter part of her life as a committed philanthropist for such causes as early childhood education, Planned Parenthood, third world health endeavors and the arts. She loved visiting her daughter Susan on the Vineyard and actually brought Susan to the Vineyard for the first time in the summer of 1960. Among her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren are Jackson Van Raan of Burlington, Vt. and Sofia Van Raan of Brooklyn, N.Y., Emily Rose Hoppe and her husband Mike Levin of Baltimore, Md., and Zoe Van Raan of Santa Fe, N.M.

John, Jack, and Diane, over at the main post office in town, want to thank their postal customers for remembering them during the busy holiday season. They wish you all a Happy New Year.

Tina Miller and her husband Steve Gallagher, of Panhandle Road, and their sons Henry and Theo visited her father Alan Miller down in Key West, Fla. during the holidays.

Charlie and Stevie Kernick, of Post Office Corner, returned home just after Christmas after spending the holidays in North Carolina with her children. They also visited many of their North Carolina friends.

The Martha’s Vineyard Democratic Council will meet Saturday morning at 9 a.m. at the Howes house.

Amy Hoff, over at the library, reports that guitarists Al Schackman and Dan Waters will present a musical program at the West Tisbury Free Public Library on Friday, Jan. 15 at 4 p.m. It will feature songs by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Chico Buarque de Hollanda, as well as a few originals; the concert will reflect the duo’s interest in Brazilian music, and Bossa Nova in particular. The concert is free to the public.

Amy also reports that there will be a classical music recital entitled Love, Lost and Found featuring soprano Olivia de Geofroy and pianist David Rhoderick in the library on Sunday at 4 p.m. The program includes pieces by Bellini, Brahms, Fauré, Chausson, and Handel. If you want more information please call 508-693-3366.

On Jan. 1, 1943 all of us were asked to contribute in some way to the war effort. In addition to rationing stamps, scrap drives and purchasing war bonds in many locations. did you know that women were also asked to save just one tablespoonful of waste cooking fat each day? They were urged by the federal government to do so as it would go a long way toward the glycerin requirements needed in the war effort. Each community was assigned a monthly quota in the Massachusetts waste fat collection campaign. After the first four months of the campaign West Tisbury cooks had contributed about 85 per cent of their allotted monthly quota. However, they consistently met their assigned quota of making bandages for the Red Cross. They often helped neighboring towns complete their work on time.

Happy birthday to: Joanie Ames, Ann Burt, Joyce Capobianco, Joan Baez and Bill Solon Friday; Sam Arruda, Christina Reinhardsen, Jennifer Garcia, Annabelle Brothers, Steve Anshutz and Rose Campbell Saturday; Kern Grimes, Gay Nelson, Adam Petkus and Christa Fischer on Sunday; Brian Athearn, Celeste Polagruto, Joe Eldridge, and Pierce Kirby 3rd on Tuesday, Mal Jones, Heidi Schultz, John Mancuso, Rod Welles and Barbara Day on Wednesday; and Tana Larsen, Mary Orcutt, and Jane Rossi on Thursday. Belated birthday greetings to Martha Sullivan, Lisa Dimitri and Bob Luskin. Belated anniversary wishes to Manny and Jessica Estrella and Dan and Beth Serusa.

Well that is all of the social news for this week’s edition. Not a lot of news to report because it is mighty quiet or folks are on vacation. Colleen Morris reports that we have nearly reached the halfway point in National Oatmeal Month. Please call or email me with your news. Have a good week.

Send West Tisbury news to alleys@vineyard.net.