Congratulations to Heather and Paul. Her parents Laurel and John Chapman are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter Heather Hansen Chapman to Paul McGovern Angelastro. The young couple now have homes in Hoboken, N.J., and return to the Island for frequent visits.Get well wishes go to Doug Peckham. He is recovering from spinal surgery in the JML Care Center at Falmouth.
The Bradford pear trees are in full bloom. I consider these trees our version of the Washington cherry blossoms. I always anticipate warm sunshine when the blossoms appear. To enjoy the glorious blooms you should take a stroll down Clough Lane.
We can be happy that at least for the time being the volcanic action in Iceland is not affecting our weather. Our English cousins took their children to Sri Lanka for their school holidays. Now they cannot get home again. The children don’t mind at all. One Hong Kong businessman marooned in the Frankfort airport was cheerful and philosophical. According to the N.Y. Times, he suggested, “It’s a natural issue. You can’t change this.”
In April 1815, there was a volcanic eruption that darkened the skies across North America the following year. It was known locally as the “year without a summer.” It was also called “eighteen hundred and froze to death.” The harsh weather was caused by the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia. It did not affect the northern hemisphere until 1816. The dust in the atmosphere allowed less sunlight to pass through, causing unseasonably cold temperatures. There was snow in June and frost throughout the summer months all across New England.
Library Director Amy Ryan announces a free program on genealogy this Saturday at 10:30 am. Autumn Haag is a reference archivist at the Massachusetts Archives. This is the repository for Massachusetts records from the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1628 and documents the settlement of lands in Maine and Massachusetts and the arrival of immigrants. A number of the records can be used for family history research. She will discuss how to begin your research and the resources available at the State Archives, resources available online, and how to request copies of records from the Archives by mail and email.
Susan Wilson will read from her recently published book, “One Good Dog,” at the library on Wednesday at 7 pm This is the story of one man, one dog, and how they save each other in unexpected ways. Susan’s book has made the New York Times extended bestseller list. Dog lovers are invited to bring photos of their own One Good Dog.
The very little ones will celebrate Earth Day with Kathy Forrester on Tuesday morning with stories and songs. Ages 5 and up will celebrate with Kathy on Thursday at 3:30 pm.
Don’t forget to vote on Tuesday. Let’s make this decision — yes or no — on beer and wine this year. Last year’s vote was a tie. That simply meant you did not approve the question because half of the voters were in favor and half were not. We can be much clearer than that. This vote cannot be put back on the ballot next year without repeating the legislative process.
It was a very poor choice on the part of our town leaders to put some of the other questions up for a special vote. We really have to approve the police contract settlement. It has been signed by the selectmen in our name. Selectman Coogan says it covers retroactive pay for 2008, 2009, and 2010. We owe our police better treatment than that.
We should also vote yes on questions for a replacement garbage truck and a new body for the sander truck. The garbage truck has holes that can no longer be repaired so trash drops out on our streets. The bed is too fragile to hold any more welding. The sander is an old truck, but the body can be replaced for a reasonable cost. We must vote to approve these. I repeat: don’t forget to vote. The hours are noon to 8 pm at the Legion Hall. There are some important issues for all of us.
Big bunches of birthday balloon wishes go to Alexandra Habekost on Sunday. Best wishes for a very happy birthday to Ronnie Tolin. He celebrates 70 years on Wednesday. Another party on Wednesday will be for Melanie Jane Dickson.
Birthday greetings also go to Jessica Soleil on Wednesday. Jessie is celebrating her 29th birthday; she is so young to be so accomplished. You may have heard her reading her work at the Bunch of Grapes open mike last month. Some of her art, cards and pictures, will be on display and for sale at Mocha Mott’s in Oak Bluffs during May.
Heard on Main Street: If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.
