The weather over the Labor Day weekend was very good despite the warnings. The rain from tropical storm Hermine held off until Monday afternoon. Even though many boats were cancelled on Monday the holiday traffic was moderate, wedding bells were in the air, and business at the Dumptique was brisk as a fair amount of people were dropping off items they enjoyed over the summer but no longer needed. Signs advertising yard sales were numerous. It was a perfect opportunity to clean up the yard and do other outdoor chores. If you went out to eat on Saturday there were lines of people waiting to be seated at the popular restaurants. School opened for the fall term on Tuesday. Sunday in addition to the 911 memorial observance it is also National Grandparents Day.

At this time of the year Joe Howes would remind people of an old saying that has proved to be quite true over the years. “You can tell what the coming winter will be like by how large the area of black is on the first white caterpillar you see this fall.”

A sure sign of fall is the start of the 71st Annual Bass and Bluefish Derby on Sunday. Joyce Bowker, director of the up-Island Council on Aging, reports that the “fresh fish schedule” at the Howes House will be on Thursdays during the Derby. Please call 508-693-2896 after 10 a.m. that day and the staff will know the amount of fish that will be distributed to senior citizens in the up-Island towns.

Susan Block of Music street reports that the MV Partnership for Health is looking for volunteer coaches from each town for their programs. Free training for the coaches will be held on two half-days: Monday, Sept, 19 and Wednesday, Sept. 21, from 8 a.m. to noon. Training materials and snacks will be provided; pre-registration required. For more information call 508-627-5797, ext. 114.

Ted Jochsberger reports that the Affordable Housing Committee, in conjunction with the All-Island Planning Board Housing Work Group, will be holding three interactive workshops to discuss the town’s affordable housing needs. The first of these will be held Sept. 19 from 4 p.m. to 6:30 at the Public Safety Building. If you need more information contact him at 508-687-9746.

On Sept. 15, 1945, Barbara Fales and her daughter Sandra returned to her mother’s home on Old County Road after a few days in New York city. Barbara’s mother, Mrs. W. Cleaveland Foote, and the family closed the house and left for Miami, Fla., where they spent the winter. Sam Fales, who had recently received his discharge from the service, would leave Florida for Venezuela, where he would spend two months before taking a position in Ecuador. His wife Barbara and daughter Sandra joined him in that country the following March.

Happy Birthday to: Edward Jones, Doyle Bunch, and Spenser Hughes Friday; Dorothy Fisher, Peter Clark, Jim Branch, Dan Larsen, and Scott Campbell Saturday; Anne Evasick, Ryan Rossi, Maria McFarland, and Bob Holt on Sunday; Tim Barnett, Emily Lou Brush, Sofia Van Raan, Lauren Bedford and Deborah Shipkin on Monday; Jim Powell, Loren Gibson, and Shirley Howell on Tuesday; Katie Hough, Geraldine Brooks, Stanley Schonbrun, and Ann Richards on Wednesday, and Tom Johnson, Betsy Fisher, Manuel Nunes 3rd, Evan Fielder and Kent Medowski on Thursday. Belated birthday greetings to Bob Pacheco, Margaret Maida and Sig Van Raan and belated wedding anniversary greetings to Matthew and Stacy Hayden and Molly and Ryan Hooper.

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.

Send West Tisbury news to alleys@vineyard.net.