JOHN S. ALLEY

508-693-2950

(alleys@vineyard.net)

Well, spring arrives today, and not a moment too soon for many of us. To make the first day of the new season complete, a flock of robins were spotted in the back yard by my wife and daffodils are about to burst into bloom all around town. David Stanwood over in Lambert’s Cove reports that he is now caring for fourteen newborn lambs and Bea Whiting reports they are hosting over two dozen newborns at their farm. It is also about time to locate, in the barn, the outdoor barbecue that was carefully put away last fall, and while you’re at it, give Jim Gaffney a phone call so he can schedule an appointment to tune up your lawn mower.

Sandra Polleys-Bunch of Hemlock Farms, Pa., arrived last Thursday for a two-week visit with her mother while her stepfather recovers from surgery. She has been calling on her many friends while here. She reports that it is so nice to be back on the Island.

Allen and Lynne Whiting of State Road returned home yesterday after spending a three-week holiday on Bequia in the Caribbean. Their daughter Bea reports that they enjoyed the beaches, warm weather and her Dad also managed to find time to do some painting.

Adam and Susan Block, of New York city, arrived on Monday to conduct some business regarding their impending move to the island. They took the opportunity to discuss further plans for their house, the Frank Adams place on Music street that is being painstakingly remodeled by Will Monast. They appreciate the intricate job he has done.

Arsen Hambardzumian and his wife, Nicole Alley, of East Taunton, were here last weekend visiting her folks. Arsen, assisted by his brother-in-law Sam Alley, inspected twelve septic systems in Tisbury over the weekend.

Heidi Pachico of Skiff’s Lane reports that tomorrow, over at Fella’s Deli, Girl Scout cookies will be on sale from 9 a.m. till 1 p.m. All flavors will be available, so stop by and support the Scouts.

Over at the school at 7 p.m. tonight and tomorrow, the play Godspell will be presented to the public by the students.

Carol Carrick, of Oak Knoll Road, will return from Florida early this year so she can attend her son Paul’s show at Featherstone, which runs from April 1 to the 16th. Among the children’s book illustrations featured will be WIRED, which explains to kids, as well as grownups, how electricity comes to our homes, In addition, you can see Paul’s first written and illustrated fantasy for children, Watch Out for Wolfgang, from 4 to 8 p.m. The opening reception will take place on Sunday, April 5, from 4 to 6 p.m. There will also be autographed books for sale.

Kathy Lobb reports that the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society will host their annual potluck dinner and social hour on Saturday, March 28 at 6 p.m. in their hall on Panhandle Road. Music will be provided and all are welcome; just bring a covered dish along with you.

Marjory and Robert Potts of Elias Lane, and the Broadside city room will be celebrating the tenth year of publishing the Broadside, a two-page weekly chronicling life in town. Their good friends Howard and Charlotte of New York city and others will be on hand to help them mark the occasion.

The finance committee has been considering each of the 48 articles on the annual town meeting warrant at meetings these past two weeks. By next week, it is anticipated they will have made recommendations on all of them. The last day to register to vote in the annual town meeting and election is Wednesday.

Old friend Luther Madison died last Thursday in Aquinnah. He and Anne drove a school bus and ran the Nunnepog Restaurant at the airport for a number of years. Our condolences to his wife and family. Also Hilda Austin Tilton, who, at one time, lived for several years on Music street, died. Our condolences to her family.

We received word on Wednesday that Bill Fielder passed away at his New Lane home. Bill had been in poor health for a year. Our condolences to Anne and his family.

A history note from over forty years ago, March 23, 1965. “Although Look’s Pond is now drained, it was a superbly appropriate stimulus for Shirley Mayhew, whose year long study of the living instruments of water was instrumental in earning her a long-coveted Bachelor of Arts degree recently from Goddard College. Part of the pond and the old Mayhew homestead, a part of their family, was sold a short time ago to David O. Douglas. He drained the pond to facilitate dredging work, and the pond life has been temporarily suspended. Shirley’s research work, however, was conducted while the pond was in its full glory. Goddard College is in the second year of an experimental adult degree program. Shirley was one of eleven students to receive a degree out of the 86 people enrolled in the program. With her new degree, she is now prepared to fulfill an ambition of long standing: becoming an elementary school teacher.”

Happy Birthday to: Linda Hughes, Maria Moody, Arthur Eakin, Nora Winsryg-Karasik and Anna Finnerty today; Heather Rynd, Julie Robinson, Karen Lowe and Jon Nelson, Jr, tomorrow; Beth McElhiney and Christina Shropshire on Sunday; Paul Jackson, Renee Metell, and Lori Vanderlaske on Monday; Sophie Brush, David Stanwood, Hal Child, Polly Murphy, Ed Pierce and Carla Hutker on Tuesday; John Nelson, Alexander Nagi and Trudy Russell, on Wednesday; Bruce Keep, Wayne Embry and Lea Robinson, on Thursday.

Well, that is all of the social news for this edition. If you have any news you would like to share, please call or e-mail me. Have a great week and a hearty welcome to spring!