Well the long holiday weekend begins today and many people will be coming to town to spend the weekend or start opening up their summer homes, signaling the start of the summer season. Monday is the Memorial Day holiday and there will be a parade and traditional observances down in Vineyard Haven. The Tisbury town picnic and the warm weekend weather should make us all feel good. Don’t forget that the town buildings and post office will be closed.

On this holiday weekend let’s not forget what Memorial Day is really all about and take some time out from our busy activities to remember those who lost their lives in service to our country. Brian Athearn, the veteran’s graves officer, has placed new American flags on the graves of all the veterans.

The swans and baby cygnets on Mill Pond surely make it feel like summer is on its way. The VTA bus schedule is now providing expanded coverage. On weekend evenings the late bus to Aquinnah departs from the Grange Hall stop at 11:38 p.m. The everyday schedule goes into effect later next month.

Charlie Kernick, of post office corner, returned home on Sunday after spending the winter months in North Carolina. His wife will join him by the middle of next month. He is looking forward to planting his garden and talking with friends.

Andrea Rogers reports that the 21st annual artisan’s spring fair will take place this weekend at the Grange Hall. She reports that they have added a few new features for this year’s show. They will be open rain or shine with free parking for all and plenty of good food.

Jean Fischer and her son Andrew of Dublin, Ohio arrived on Tuesday to spend some time at her sister Eleanor’s house at Flat Point Farm.

The parks and recreation committee reports that beach stickers will be available every day starting on June 16 from their shed at the school near the tennis courts on Old County Road. The hours on weekdays are 9 a.m. to noon daily and on weekends from 4 p.m. to 7. The beach opens for the season on June 24.

Marie-Louise Rouff, of 150 Field View Road, would like you to know that she will be available by appointment only to view her art work this summer. For directions and other information please give her a call at 508-693-2072.

Olivia Larsen reports on fun happenings at the library. Tomorrow from 1 p.m. to 3:30 they’ll be having their second annual archaeology I.D. day. Bring any artifacts for expert identification and discussion with archaeologists Dick Burt, Jill Bouck, Duncan Caldwell, and Bill Moody, and paleontologist Fred Hotchkiss. Next Thursday at 4:30 p.m. Nicole Galland will read from her newly released novel, On the Same Page.

Seventy-eight years ago tomorrow night people gathered around the radio sets in their living rooms to listen to President Franklin D. Roosevelt hold a fireside chat announcing that he had proclaimed an unlimited national emergency due to Germany’s sinking of the unarmed merchant steamship Robin Moor outside of the war zone near Brazil. He had begun the process of guiding this country to secure a strategic interest in the Azores, as it was believed that those islands and their location could present a serious threat to the Americas if it fell into German hands. Other than sending “Bundles for Britain” we didn’t think much about it that summer, but the clouds of war were forming.

On May 30, 1945, the Texas Oil Co. through its agent Captain Ralph M. Packer, of Vineyard Haven, served a turkey supper for about 50 Island farmers and Texaco dealers at the Grange Hall. After the supper everyone went across the street to Donaldson’s Garage to view a demonstration of the proper method for inflating a tractor tire, on a tractor loaned by Charles G. Norton of Vineyard Downs Farm. Everyone then returned to the hall to hear a talk on the tremendous demand for petroleum products because of the war. The farmers and dealers were thanked for being patient in the face of an acute shortage. A film entitled Old MacDonald Had a Farm clearly illustrated the many uses of a tractor on the farm and how labor saving it is. The evening concluded with a Texaco raffle won by John Palmeria and Everett D. Whiting.

Happy Birthday to: Brenda Brathwaite, Lynn Buckmaster-Irwin, Jason Gale, Chuck Hughes and Natasha Shultz today; Ann Nelson, Emily Sobel and William Stewart tomorrow; Doris Howe, Wendy Turnell and Larry Yorke on Sunday; Brenda Hayden and Leon Braithwaite on Sunday; Leon Brathwaite, Martha Tohlen and Tully McDonough on Monday; Wenonah Madison, Angela Anderson and Martin McNary on Tuesday; Alan Cottle, Liza Lynch, Deny Montrowl and Fan Ogalvie on Wednesday; and Peter Hoffman, James Paul and Colin Whyte on Thursday. Anniversary greetings to Matt and Donna Annese on Wednesday. Belated Birthday greetings to Bernadette Smith, Toni Kurasch, Janice Donaroma and Marie Allen.

Well that’s all the social news for this edition. Have a safe holiday weekend and a great week.

Send West Tisbury news to alleys@vineyard.net.