JOHN S. ALLEY

508-693-2950

(alleys@vineyard.net)

As you have noticed, the days are getting longer. We now have more than 12 hours of daylight each day and the thermometer climbed to nearly 42 degrees at noon on Saturday, though the wind made it seem much colder. Bea Whiting reports that she is now caring for newborn lambs over at her father’s house.

To make the first day of spring complete yesterday, although it didn’t feel like it, several robins flew into the backyard and were warmly welcomed by my wife. It is also about time to locate, in the barn, the outdoor barbecue that was carefully put away last fall and to give Jim Gaffney a phone call so he can schedule an appointment to tune up the lawn mower.

Today is Good Friday. The Reliable Market in Oak Bluffs, the last business that closed shop between noon and 3 p.m. to observe that solemn occasion, has changed its pattern and will be open during those hours. But the market will be closed all day on Easter.

We will be celebrating Easter on Sunday. Three services marking this most holy occasion on the Christian calendar will be held by the First Congregational Church. The sunrise service will be held on Peaked Hill at 6 a.m., with church services at 9 and 11 a.m. An Easter egg hunt for the Sunday school students will be held during the 9 a.m. service.

Elias Lane residents Marjory and Robert Potts and the Broadsider city room staff on Wednesday will be celebrating the ninth year of publishing their two-page weekly reporting all the news in town. Their good friends Howard and Charlotte la Fong of New York city will be on hand to help them mark the occasion.

Lynn Christoffers of Edgartown Road has been in New York city working on several projects for the past two weeks. She plans to be back home for Easter. Lynn reports that she had a swell time marching in the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York city on Monday.

Malcolm and Judy Hall of Oklahoma City and Edgartown Road held a large St. Patrick’s Day party at their home. Judy reports that her husband decorated their living room with shamrocks.

Sandra Polleys of Hemlock Farms, Pa., reports that she was delighted that Anna Alley visited her in the Pocono Mountains. Sandra said that Anna’s visit was most appreciated. Sandra and her husband, Bob Bunch, dined at a fancy restaurant, Europa House, hiked at Fulmer Falls and had lunch at the Waterwheel Cafe.

John Adams, a mini-series on HBO based on the book of the same name by David McCullough, debuted last Sunday night to rave reviews by the critics. Another episode in the seven-part series will be broadcast Sunday. It was very well done and well worth a subscription to the premium channel for a month.

Al DeVito reports the finance committee held an informational meeting at the Howes House earlier in the week on the recommendations the committee will be making on the warrant articles to come before town meeting on April 8. It was the committee’s second meeting to try to ensure that voters have enough information to make informed decisions at town meeting.

This year’s town meeting warrant will contain a record 52 articles. The most discussion is expected to be on funding to refurbish the town hall, which could cost more than $5 million.

On Wednesday Lenny Jason, Tristan Israel, Noreen Flanders and I attended a county commissioners meeting in New Bedford. The meeting was held at the Wamsutta Club. The club’s history reveals a connection with this town. William J. Rotch and his family owned the stately old building superb gardens and exotic shrubs. One of his cousins, James Arnold, went on to found the Arnold Arboretum in Boston.

The Howes House will be busier than normal next week with meetings. They include a taxpayer exemption information session on Monday at 10:30 a.m., the community preservation committee will hold a meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday so that you may ask questions about their warrant articles and the town hall renovation committee will hold a public forum at 7 p.m.

Marsha Winsryg of Head of the Pond Road reports that next Friday night the Spindrift Marionettes present their most ambitious production yet, a full-length puppet show for adults as well as children over 10. Featured are marionettes, life-sized goddess puppets and shadow puppets re-imagining the ancient tale of love and loss, courage and despair, in a world where gods and mortals interact to both comic and tragic effect. The show will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Katharine Cornell Theatre in Vineyard Haven. For information, call 508-693-4059.

Old friend Dick Gale passed away this weekend. Our condolences to his family and friends.

On Easter Sunday of 1946, the First Congregational Church held a special service. The first part was with the Sunday school children. Participating were Rita and Winnie Alley, Sylvia and Carol Spencer, Virginia Bardwell, Jane Austin, Judith Barker, Crichton Magee and Robert Vincent. The girls were dressed in crepe paper costumes representing spring flowers. The Easter song was sung by all the children accompanied by Pricilla Fischer at the piano. Pansy plants were given to each child by the church and were presented by James Alley. After a short sermon by the pastor William Thompson, Inez Cahoon and George Magnuson sang a duet. The service concluded with the singing of the Hallelujah Chorus by the Edgartown Federated Church. The church was attractively decorated with lilies, jonquils and forsythia.

Happy birthday to Heather Rynd, Julie Robinson and Jon Nelson Jr. today; Beth McElhiney and Christina Shropshire tomorrow; Paul Jackson, Renee Metell and Lori Vanderlaske on Sunday; Sophie Brush, David Stanwood, Hal Child, Polly Murphy, Ed Pierce and Carla Hutker on Monday; John Nelson and Trudy Russell on Tuesday; Bruce Keep, Wayne Embry and Lea Robinson on Wednesday; and Lynne Silva, Laura Murphy, Jackie Flynn-Morgan, Brenda Hayden and Kevin Peters on Thursday. Belated birthday wishes to Sarah Anne Nelson.

Well, that is of the social news for this edition. If you have any news you would like to share, please call or e-mail me. I am quite sure that on Sunday that you ladies will be wearing colorful Easter bonnets and the men sporting new neckties. Those of us with a Portuguese heritage will continue the time-honored tradition of giving a loaf of Easter sweet bread (with hard-boiled eggs inside) to their friends and neighbors.