Friday is the start of the long holiday weekend, Labor Day is on Monday and the end of the high summer season. All municipal buildings and post offices will be closed. The weather has been excellent, mighty dry with lots of heat and humidity most of the summer, but all good things must come to an end. School starts on Tuesday. Many other school systems in the commonwealth opened last week. The VTA buses begin their fall schedule on Tuesday and the SSA schedule changes next Friday. There were several end-of-season parties last weekend and a few more are planned over the holiday weekend.

Activity around the school has increase dramatically as teachers have been returning to work, preparing for the opening of school. School buses are now on the road, so be prepared to stop when you see the red flashing lights as the driver is about to stop to pickup or discharge students. Most all the bus stops do not have sidewalks so students may be standing near the edge of the road waiting to be picked up. This same advice applies to elementary school children as well.

Bill Coogan of Pine Hill Road reports that it has been a wonderful grandchildren-filled two weeks that he and Kim Matthews have just completed at their home. They’ve been visited by Ben and Tamara Clay of Falmouth, Me., and their children, Sam and Nola, as well as by Matt and Christine Coogan of Brooklyn, N.Y., and their children, Molly, Isabel, and Erin. There was lots of beach time, sailing, circuits of the bike paths, cookouts, overnights at Tarpaulin Cove, and visits with their many Vineyard cousins. Next weekend they will host the 12th annual get together of the Maine Outdoor Adventure Club, whose members will camp on their land. Activities will include biking, kayaking, sailing in the Moffett Race, and, of course, lobster on the beach at Menemsha.

Charlie Kernick of Edgartown Road reports that tax-deductible donations to the West Tisbury Mill Pond Plaque Project are now being accepted online at generosity.com/community-fundraising/west-tisbury-mill-pond-historic-plaque. Only donations will be used for this project. Your contribution is critical in helping them to reach the $4,000 budget for the design, fabrication, and installation of the plaque on a boulder to be placed on the bank of the Mill Pond.

Phyllis Meras of Music street held her annual season ending party on her back lawn late Saturday afternoon and it was well attended. A good time was had by all. Perhaps the person who traveled the furthest was her house guest Sue Capuano of Providence and Brazil.

The West Tisbury School opened for the school year on Sept. 8, 1947 with 20 students registered for all four grades. Helen R. O’Donnell returned for her fourth year of teaching all the grades. New students enrolled in first grade were: John Alley, Virginia Bardwell, George Churchill and John Gaffey. Grade two: Winifred Alley, Dixon Rogers and Robert Vincent. Grade three: Rita Alley, Elizabeth Churchill, Margaret Duquette, Ann Hotchkiss, Joan Merry, Walter Vincent and Margaret Wilkinson. Grade four: Judith Barker, Alfred Churchill Jr., Crichton Magee Jr., Linda Magnuson and Denys Wortman. The Churchill children arrived permanently as their parents had recently purchased a home in town, Anne Hotchkiss would go to Arabia the latter part of October with her mother and brothers, and Denys Wortman would return to Vineyard Haven later in the fall. Miss Irene Landers was the school nurse and Miss Dorothy Kenney, the music supervisor visited the school during the opening week.

Happy birthday to: Ann Bassett, Nelia Decker, Hilary Blocksom, and Lena Strothe Friday; Bonnie Eldridge, Mary Sobel, Amanda Kram, and Richard Burt Saturday; John Hough and Dyan Redick on Sunday; Ward Just, Gloria Sylva, Tucker Smith, Katherine Cordray, and Perry Dripps on Monday; Laura Marshall, Melissa Hackney, Cheryl Larsen, and Michael Jackson on Tuesday; Barbara Hull, Mary Bergeron, Joe Merry, Nancy Cramer, and Chris Turner on Wednesday; and Harry Athearn, Dan Larkosh, Lucas Bailey, Shannon Robertson, Doug Bardwell, and Dan Larkosh on Thursday. Belated birthday wishes to Liz Wilson and anniversary greetings to Claire Harrington and Ed Mossy.

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.