We had our first significant snowfall of the season last weekend. On Friday about six inches of white fluffy stuff, and a real whopper of a snowstorm the next day. It started around 9 a.m. and continued all day. We received another 14 inches of snow and the temperature dropped in the evening. Evening SSA boats were cancelled and vehicle traffic was at a bare minimum. Road crews worked all day and into the night clearing the highways and parking lots. On Sunday we began to dig ourselves out. Church was cancelled and you knew it was a severe storm as there was no traffic until afternoon. 

Friday is the beginning of a long holiday weekend. Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day so the schools, post office, Martha’s Vineyard Museum and town buildings will be closed.

Judy Hall, of Pond Road and Oklahoma City, reports that her husband, Malcolm, is planning their vegetable garden and has started growing plants indoors in their Oklahoma City home to bring to the Vineyard. He knows Bob Ganz had a good crop of okra last year but lacked recipes so he will be working on getting some Southwest recipes together for him. He also reports that Judy will soon be traveling to Bethany Beach, Del. to attend the annual Carmen Miranda winter art festival.

Lynne Christoffers, nationally-known photographer of Edgartown Road, returned home after spending the holidays with her sister and family in New York city and New Jersey.

Paul Karasik reports that the Charter School enrollment open house will be held on Wednesday. Call 508-693-9900 for details.

Tara Whiting, town clerk, has finished mailing the annual census forms. Please fill them out and return them, if you haven’t done so already. For those of you that own a dog now is the time to license them for the year. You can do that when you return the census envelope, or stop by the town hall and purchase a dog tag. Also nomination papers for candidates who wish to run in the annual town election in April are available at the clerk’s office.

Heidi Schultz’s daughters, Ruth and Sally, are planning an open house celebration of for her 90th birthday, Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Howes House. They would like to invite all who know and have worked with her in the town hall to stop by for refreshments and to wish her happy birthday.

Olivia Larsen, over at the library, reports that Saturday at 4 p.m. author Joanne Scott will share her new book, A Guide to a Better Way of Living. Joanne’s book discusses simple lifestyle practices that can reduce anxiety, dependency, and fear. Copies of the book will be available for purchase.

Happy birthday to: Kern Grimes, PJ Kirby 3rd, Kelly Smith Robertson, and Brian Athearn Friday; Barbara Day, John Mancuso, Mary Orcutt, Tanya Larsen, and Bob Luskin Saturday; Caitlin Lewis, Tara Kenny, and Lisa McGuire on Sunday; Lea Delacour, Jordan Clements, Jane Rossi and Paul Jackson on Monday; Wendy Benedetto, Dr. Judith Fisher and Dan Serusa on Tuesday; Eleanor Dale Neubert, Julia Wells, Marie-Louise Rouff, Chris Fielder and Deborah Gray on Wednesday, and Elizabeth Branch, Andy Estrella, Patty Linn, Christine Wiley and Roy Hope on Thursday. Belated birthday wishes to Aki Sharpe.

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. On Jan. 12, 1943 standard frankfurters were replaced for the remainder of World War II by Victory Sausages, which consisted of a mixture of meat and soy beans. Colleen Morris reports that on Sunday we will reach the halfway point of National Oatmeal Month. Please call or e-mail me with your news. Have a good week.

Send West Tisbury news to alleys@vineyard.net.