JOHN S. ALLEY

508-693-2950

(alleys@vineyard.net)

Well, the weather was cool but the sun came out Saturday afternoon and it turned out to be a decent weekend. Lawn mowers could be heard buzzing around town cutting lawns. The cherry trees in Harriet Bernstein’s front lawn were ablaze with color and so was the one on Music street. It was reported that Eleanor Stanwood was busy feeding the orioles that had descended upon her place with oranges. Glenn Jackson, of Stony Hill Farms, reports that they had a successful lambing season on his farm. Mother’s Day was beautiful and sunny and many a Dad took her out to brunch and when they got back home worked on chores she wanted done around the house to please her.

The price of gasoline ($4.22 per gallon) this week and going up daily over at the Up Island service station has begun to affect people’s driving habits and folks are seriously thinking about or are already riding the Vineyard Transit Authority shuttle buses. The price of an unlimited use commuter card for year-round senior citizens is $10, not much more than the cost of two gallons of gas.

Many businesses are getting ready or have already opened for the season. The Glass Works, Middletown Nursery and the new Up-Island Paint store are now open for the season. Roger Blake’s outdoor pie gazebo is open only on the weekends until next weekend. Alan Healy has stationed a flock of his sheep to graze in B.L. Bird’s field on Music street. It has become a great photo opportunity for passing motorists.

Steve Lohman and his wife, Jenifer Strachan, of Waldron’s Bottom Road, returned home last weekend after spending a week in New Orleans, La., where they attended the Jazz Fest. Steve reports that they got to visit with several friends that played at the Gumbo Festival here last year and they had a great time.

Charlie Kernick of Edgartown Road returned home last weekend from a visit with Stevie Hughes in North Carolina. He reports that he is and getting the opportunity to enjoy a second spring on the Vineyard. North Carolina, he says, is about a month ahead of us with plants blooming profusely. 

Emily Gadd, of Bozeman, Mont., arrived last week to spend the summer at her Vineyard home on South Road. She is busy preparing to plant her garden that yields a bountiful supply of vegetables each year. Emily reports that she is a bit disappointed with the cold and windy weather but she is quick to point out that it snowed in Bosman on Mother’s Day. Welcome back, Emily.

Jean and Fred Barron, of Campbell Road, will be traveling down to New York city on Tuesday to host an engagement party next Saturday night in the Big Apple for their daughter Julia. She will be marrying David Katz in September on the Vineyard. Fred had been in London, England, for a month working on a new television script with Gabrielle Walker, who was here visiting them this winter. Fred reports the script is almost finished and that he took time out to do some shopping for his daughter on Bond street.

Mike and Mary Jane Pease of State Road returned home this week after a 10-day vacation in Bermuda. Mike reports that they had a good time.

Sam Alley of State Road came home today after completing his sophomore year studies at Framingham State College. Marti Mariner of Boston has graduated from art school and will be arriving shortly for the summer.

Will and Leslei Monast of Waldron’s Bottom Road went up to Norton and Wheaton University to attend his daughter Sarah’s graduation tomorrow. They are proud that she will graduate cum laude. She will be working at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum in Edgartown for the summer and plans on studying for a master’s degree in the fall.

The Martha’s Vineyard Horse Council will be sponsoring a fun trail ride this Sunday at 10 a.m. They will start the ride from Misty Meadows Farm, and will hold a potluck lunch in the early afternoon. Also next Sunday the junior members of the council will be sponsoring a horse show at the agricultural hall starting at 8 a.m. Spectators are welcome.

Tom Hodgson of Music street, returned home recently from Seattle, Wash. He went out west to attend his daughter Darcey’s wedding.

Toni Kurasch of New York city reports that in this month’s edition of the AARP Bulletin, a must for us older folks, includes an article on mystery writers over 60 years of age. They mentioned, among others, Cynthia Riggs, who lives on Edgartown Road and her book, titled Shooting Star.

The Martha’s Vineyard Antique Association will begin its new season at the Grange Hall tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. About two dozen dealers will be on hand with a wide variety of items from Vineyard estates they have collected over the winter.  

The library will be holding an artist’s reception for Martha Moore of Middle Point on Wednesday at 4 p.m. Her landscape paintings are on exhibit all this month.

Paul Karasik, the cartoonist, reports that the charter school will be hosting a rock auction on May 25 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center in Vineyard Haven. They have many items on the auction block and dancing till 10:30 p.m. All proceeds will go to the planned new schoolhouse addition. For more information, please call 508-693-9900.

On May 26, 1964, the Grange held an evening of entertainment, broken only by a short business meeting, as they turned the agricultural hall into a café. The program was arranged by Mr. and Mrs. William McClure and Muriel Fisher. Edward Silvia served as master of ceremonies for the floor show, which included numbers by Mrs. McClure on the chord organ, Dale McClure on the accordion and Frank Brown on the piano. Donald and Peter Fisher and Dale McC lure presented a skit for the group. Miss Carol McGee performed a Mexican style modern dance and George Hill showed his skill on the drums and also as a comedian with his imitation of Frankie Fontaine. Miss Cathy Convery and William Luce performed several folk songs and the evening’s entertainment included a sing-along and wound up with dancing.

Happy birthday to Lee Philabosian, Muriel Bye and Bob Kimberly today; Lorraine King, Eric Bates and Donna Goldfein tomorrow; Ronald Silva, Elizabeth Johnson and Mora Perzanowski on Sunday; Paul and Richard Garcia, Ashley McCarthy, Janice Asadoorian and Karen Harris on Monday; Carol Carrick, Dianne Moyer and Ned Robinson-Lynch on Tuesday; Candace Widmer, John Dutton, Lorraine Calio and Veronica Conover on Wednesday; and Kathleen Brady, Judy Bryant, Sally Hamilton, Kathleen Brady and Donald Beaton on Thursday. A happy anniversary to Deb and Ron Kokernak on Thursday.

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.