JOHN S. ALLEY

508-693-2950

(alleys@vineyard.net)

The weather was delightful last Saturday and Sunday, allowing folks to finish many outdoor chores started during the week. A lot of people attended the harvest potluck dinner at the agricultural hall last Saturday night. Many people came to the Antique Power Show and the other events that preceeded the dinner.

Today is the beginning of the Columbus Day holiday weekend and the end of the extended shoulder season. The last farmers’ market and artisans’ festival of the year will take place at the Grange Hall tomorrow and Sunday. All government buildings, libraries, banks and the post office will be closed on Monday.

The Vineyard Transit Authority operation’s manager reports that the schedule for the rest of the remainder of the fall and winter goes into effect on Tuesday morning. There will be three busses serving us through routes 3, 5 and 6. The bus stops in town will remain the same as they are now. Also each bus will be serving more than one route during the day. Pick up a copy of the new schedule or visit their Web site at vineyardtransit.com, which has a lot of additional ground transit information and schedules. You also can call the authority at 508-693-9440.

Dudley Eppel and his wife Nancy of Pond View Farm Road departed on Wednesday for their home in Vero Beach, Fla. Dudley harvested all of the vegetables that remained in his garden and made two batches of grape jelly last weekend to give to their friends. He reports that the entire family will return to the Vineyard for a Thanksgiving celebration.

Judith (Muffy) Anderson of Greenwich, Conn., visited Bernice and Pierce Kirby last week. For many years Judy was a summer visitor as her mother owned the former Priester’s property in North Tisbury. She had a swell time visiting old friends and hopes to come back soon.

Shanti Blum of Music street returned home last weekend after a two-week trip to visit her daughters. She went up to Toronto, Canada, to visit her daughter Michelle Berlyne and her husband Rich Chisolm. She reports that Rich will be in charge of all Olympic broadcasts from China. She attended the film festival and was treated like royalty. She then went to Monmouth, N.J., to visit her daughter Leslie Hect for a few days before returning home.

Ann Burt of Music street reports that three classmates and friends from Lexington High School — June Kennedy of Westford, Sally Woolf of New Harbor, Me., and Marcia Vartebedian of The Villages, Fla., were her guests last week. They stayed at Susan Parks’s camp in Chilmark. Ann reports that they had a wonderful time and they had a chance to reminisce, go to the beach and catch up on the news.

Mike DeLuca and Gina Shiffrin-Gross of Ontario, Canada, rented a house off Old County Road last week on their first-ever trip to the Vineyard. They decided to get married and make their trip memorable. They tied the knot on Long Beach in Aquinnah. Gina reports they enjoyed shopping, visiting art galleries and exploring the Island.

Linda Baughman of Philadelphia, Pa., arrived last Saturday to spend three weeks at Phyllis Meras’s house on Music street. This is her semi-annual visit. She is a faithful rider of the public buses and enjoys all fall activities.

Will and Leslei Monast of Waldron’s Bottom Road went over to New Bedford last Tuesday to celebrate their wedding anniversary. They stayed at the Candle House, the site of their wedding ceremony, and dined out at Café Europa.

Ann Howes of Tiasquam Road, one of the famous Glimmerglass Girls, had a visit from her cousin, Polly Piccolo and her husband Nick of Pomfret, Conn., last weekend. It has been quite a while since Polly had been here so Ann showed them all around the Island. She reports that they had a wonderful time.

Barbara Lampson and her son Ian Tripp moved last Sunday to her new house in Vineyard Haven. She reports that they enjoyed living in town. Sam Hiser, his wife Enid Haller and daughter Bean moved from Music street to Indian Hill last weekend.

Deborah Pigeon, who recently purchased the former Betty Kenniston house on New Lane and had extensive renovation work done to the old place, reports now that is has been completed. Deborah moved in last week, finds it very enjoyable and likes her neighbors. Welcome to town.

Madeline Fisher reports that the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School Class of l968 is planning its reunion for 2008. Please get in touch with the planning committee at mvrhs1968@yahoo.com to be placed on the contact list.

Library director Beth Kramer reports that on Saturday Ambassador Alphonse F. La Porta, president of the United States-Indonesia Society, will discuss the nature of Islam in Indonesia at 4 p.m. The Saturday craft is building ships, drop in, 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Jen Morgan, projects coordinator over at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, would like to let you know about a benefit event for the society. Lattanzi’s Restaurant presents Festa di Cristoforo Colombo on Monday from 2 to 6 p.m. Tickets are available at Lattanzi’s, the society or at the door. For more information, call the shelter at 508-627-8662.

A historic note: On Sept. 27, 1947 Mrs. Henry Hotchkiss and her children, Henry, Anne, and Frederick departed by plane for Qatar, a pearling village, on the Persian Gulf coast of Arabia. She had been notified by the Iraq Petroleum Co. that all was about ready for her to join her husband, Henry, who had completed his service with the Navy and resumed his career as an engineer. Both older children were born in the Near East as she spent several years abroad before the war. Since Henry went overseas, she had awaited the word that she could return to be with her husband. She had to get her baggage together two weeks in advance of the departure. Henry’s cables to her mentioned that November would be the time of reunion but the company advanced the plan.

Happy birthday to Tim Maley, Kathy Chaves and Fred Fisher today; Ben Reeve and Brenda McGuinness tomorrow; Akia Miranda, Molly Gray and Pat Benway on Sunday; Rick Anderson, Timothy Walsh and Lincoln Higgins on Monday; Steve Lohman, Richard Rooney, Whitney Hyde and Sophie Abrams on Tuesday; Jon Harris and Rebecca Palmer on Wednesday; and Julie Keefe, Bob Mone, Martha Post and Hannah Beecher on Thursday. Belated birthday greetings to Lynn Christofferson. Also anniversary wishes to Eric and Debbie Magnuson and Mike and Pat Lynch on Monday.

Well, that is all of the social news for this week. If you have any news, please call or e-mail me. Have a great week.