JOHN S. ALLEY

508-693-2950

(alleys@vineyard.net)

Well, unlike last year, February has brought us very little snow. Families of school children will be heading off-Island today and tomorrow as it is the start of school vacation week. It will seem empty and deserted around town all week long. Tuesday is National Pig Day, and will be celebrated by those of us who remain on the rock. Daylight Saving Time begins in three weeks followed by the first day of spring the following week so we are nearly through a miserable winter.

Last weekend Anna and I headed up to visit Denise Mount and her husband, Don Evon, in Canton, Conn. On the way up traffic was jammed up on I-95 for several miles because of an accident so we pulled off to avoid the bumper-to-bumper mess and ended up on the Boston Post Road. We were hungry and thirsty and our GPS told us to stop at the Rustic Café in East Lyme as it was nearby so we did. It was a small place by the road with a lot of cars and pickup trucks parked near it. We figured it couldn’t be all bad and were pleasantly surprised at how friendly the patrons were, making space for us at the bar, and engaging in conversation with two total strangers. We were amazed and delighted to be with such friendly folks. Robin Nelson and her friends could not have made us feel more welcome. The food and adult beverages were very good and some day we will return. We enjoyed our brief visit with Denise and Don. We appreciated being with them, and their poodles, for the weekend. Before we got to their house we witnessed the huge piles of snow that still remain in their neighborhood that has been frozen and slow to melt. In fact it snowed there on Monday. We stopped in Auburn on the way home, and took Ed and Jane Konicki out to lunch, picked up our son Sam at his sister’s house in East Taunton, and returned on the 7:30 boat.

The political season this year will exhibit few choices for elective offices. No incumbents face a challenge. Gina Solon has filed nomination papers seeking to fill one of the two open seats on the library commission. Gary Montrowl seeks to fill the vacancy on the finance committee. The selectmen will present the town meeting with a 45-article warrant. The annual town meeting will be held on April 12 and the election on April 14.

Ken Goldberg, over at the chamber of commerce, reports that the annual Martha’s Vineyard Health Fair takes place Saturday, March 12, from 8 a.m. to noon. There will be screenings and exhibits designed to increase awareness about health issues, promote healthy lifestyles, and highlight all of the health services and medical programs available on and off-Island. For more call the development office at 508-693-4645.

Lynn Ditchfield reports that the Adult and Community Education Program (ACE MV), that offers classes on subjects as diverse as Telling Your Digital Story (with MVTV), Solar Greenhouse Design (with the Farm Institute), Printmaking (with Featherstone Center for the Arts), Portuguese, social dancing, photo editing and Birding 101, announces its new session of 38 courses and seminars for the spring beginning March 8 to April 10 with professional development classes ending in June. Enrichment classes meet on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Registration begins now online and early registration is strongly advised. There is one day only for walk-in registration on Monday, March 7 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School.

News from Colleen, over at the library, finds the JC Trio offering a little jazz music today at 4 p.m. Barbara Peckham and Donald Nitchie will be reading poems in honor of her new book A Jar of Summer and Other Poems tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. At 5:30 p.m. there will be a library forum to bring you up to date with the new plans for the proposed library. And the Scrabble club meets Monday at 7 p.m. All next month the library will host a lineup of diverse award-winning writers. Writers from all over the country will be reading at the library on the four Wednesdays of March at 5:30 p.m.

Todd Follansbee and Deborah Mayhew report that with a little help from our friends, anyone turning 60 this year is invited to a party on April 23 at the Agricultural Hall from 5 to 10 p.m. to enjoy great music, a few surprise musicians, from the generation that wrote the book on how to party! It will be potluck, bring a dish to share, plus bring your own beverages, plates, silverware, glasses, napkins, and more. They will collect a small donation (like $5 or less) at the door to share the cost of the Agricultural Hall rent and expenses.

Happy birthday to: Julie Chang, Steve Gallagher, Susan Bowman and Alison Welles today; Natasha Taylor, Katherine Athearn and Mason Fischer tomorrow; Kevin McFarland, Kathryn Sullivan and Shawn Emin on Sunday; Sam Alley, Tom Thatcher, Susan Osborne and George Brush on Monday; Susan Phelps, Donnie Mills and Anna Christensen on Tuesday; Josh Emin, Greg Drake on Wednesday; and Tom Church, Francine Fischer and Roger Sylva on Thursday. Belated birthday wishes to Julie Flanders.

Well, that is all of the social news for this week. I don’t want to miss the news about your vacation so please call or e-mail me with details. Have a great week.