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Sunday, May 19, 2013

By Megan Alley
Published: April 16, 2009

Easter day was cold but bright sun brought cheer to us all. Hooray for flowers, starting to bloom, green buds on trees making their long-awaited appearance and people venturing outside without being covered from head to toe with extra warm clothing. This winter was so long and cold that it only makes us appreciate the brightness of spring colors more than usual, even if it is cooler than we really would like.

The Town of Oak Bluffs annual election will take place today from 10 am to 7 pm in the library meeting room. Please come and make your vote count.

A community based energy efficiency forum will take place on Thursday, April 23, from 6:30 to 7:45 pm at the Oak Bluffs Library. This forum, sponsored by the Cape & Islands Renewable Energy Collaborative (CIRenew), will introduce a grassroots energy efficiency initiative empowering individuals to help themselves and others save energy and money while staying comfortable and safe.

The Annual Dog Birthday Party is Saturday, April 25, at 10 am at Tradewinds across from the hangar. Rain date is Sunday the 26th. This has to be the longest running dog birthday party in history, sponsored by that well-known Oak Bluffs couple, Duncan and Ann Ross. There will be coffee and pastry for humans, biscuits and water for dogs. No presents please, just bring your dogs. People without dogs are also welcome.

And let's not forget about all of our animal friends and the problems pets and their owners will soon face with the closure of the MSPCA branch here on Martha's Vineyard. Plans for an all-Island animal shelter are just being formed and if you would like to help contribute funds for that worthwhile project you may do so by mailing your check to County of Dukes County, P.O. Box 190, Edgartown, MA 02539. Be sure to write Animal Shelter on the check memo line.

My sister Joyce Wadsworth, of Paso Robles, Calif., is here visiting. She is spending most time with daughter Lynn Rebello and grandchildren James, Ashley, and Joel. On Sunday she, Lynn, and Joel had Easter dinner at our house along with our children, Mary and Kati Alley and David, and our grandchildren, Marques, Matt, and Nick Rivers, and Talia and Jeremy Rogers. Reigning over all of this activity was the family matriarch, 98-year-old Betty Alley. Son Dion Alley and his wife Debra and their children Sam, Ben, and Paige were at their home in South Carolina but sent Easter greetings by phone to their Island relatives.

Strange shaking and rattling of the house windows woke me around 11 pm on April 10, but thinking it was the rumbling of a far off thunderstorm, I drifted back to sleep. But then my earthquake savvy sister Joyce asked me if I had felt the earthquake on that Friday night. She also directed me to the website where a map showed an earthquake just south of Boston had occurred. Did any of you experience this?

The Chamber Music Society is in its 39th year of bringing fabulous music to the Vineyard. Early bird subscriptions (including tickets that may be used at any of the summer concerts of the Martha's Vineyard Chamber Music Society) are on sale at nearly half price for year-round Island residents. Subscription order forms are available at Island libraries. Concerts are presented on Monday nights at the Old Whaling Church and on Tuesday nights at the Chilmark Community Center.

On Saturday, April 25, at 2:30 pm at the Oak Bluffs Public Library, you may spring into Wii Sports. One lucky participant will win a gift certificate to Backdoor Donuts. Play the popular golf, tennis, and bowling games. This is an all ages event.

Vineyard Conservation Society's 17th annual Earth Day Beach Clean-Up will take place Saturday, April 18. The clean-up areas in Oak Bluffs are: State Beach, Little Bridge, Town Beach at Sea View, and Marinelli Beach. Volunteers are asked to go to one of the supervised beaches between 10 am and 12 noon. Gloves, bags, and assistance will be available to all. If preferred, bring your own recycled dog food or birdseed bags, and gardening gloves.

The school nurse would like to remind you that if there are any changes to your phone numbers or emergency contacts, please stop by her office to update your information. It makes it most difficult to assist your child if they do not have the correct information on file.

Important dates at the school are: The Book Fair, from April 27 to May 8; Vineyard Smiles on April 27, 28, 29 and May 4, 5. And school pictures will be taken on April 28.

We send birthday smiles to Nicholas Ben David on April 15, Mark Baird on the 19th, and Gloria Steere on the 23rd.

Enjoy your week and send your news along to me.

Peace.