None of the people I know in the West Tisbury cemetery would want to haunt you. They are just not the type. This is a serene, restful little place, and quirky incidents there are rare. But they do happen.

One February day, a couple of generations ago, the town’s handyman was asked to dig a grave. The winter was cold, the ground was frozen, so the employee asked his good buddy to share the job, in exchange for a bottle of whiskey. Because the ground and the air were so frigid, the two gave themselves an advance in salary. Between hacks at the ground and nips at the bottle, the frozen earth was chipped away. It was soon dark, and it was getting late. The gravedigger’s wife began to worry, and she called the police.

When the officers arrived they heard merry singing from somewhere down below. They found the two workmen, two shovels and two empty whiskey bottles at the bottom of a nine-foot hole in the ground. It seems that when the diggers cut through the frozen earth, they hit a layer of loose, easy, sandy soil and continued to dig with such determination that they forgot to look up. And now they couldn’t get out. The police had to bring in a ladder.

More recently, a proposal for a fund-raiser at the cemetery caused a bit of a kerfuffle this past summer. A volunteer group wanted to raise money for a new fence around the property. The group suggested a mid-summer celebration mirroring Mexico’s’ Day of the Dead, asking for photos and stories of the deceased, special food, music, and personal memorials. The plan included food trucks at the site.

But all three select board members, as well as members of the community, were not amused. One woman wrote to the selectmen of her disapproval and annoyance when she read of the proposal. “Let us not be a town that forgets empathy, respect and decency,” she wrote. The select board agreed, and the fund-raising proposal went no farther.

Meanwhile, the Martha’s Vineyard Museum sponsored a walking tour of the cemetery on Monday, Oct. 20. The tour was led by local historian Liz Villard, who offered “a haunting adventure.“ Her event flyer continued, “She will paint a picture of the long ago Vineyard through the headstones of the Island’s legendary figures.”

The tour no doubt included a stop at the modest grave of Nancy Luce, the town’s eccentric chicken lady, whose fame continues to continue. I wonder if the above-mentioned handyman is there, and if he rates a mention.

The town will host two parties on Halloween. One is geared toward younger kids, at the library from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The party menu includes tricks and treats, and a hayride in daylight.

The second party is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Ag Hall on the 31st. The party will include pizza, games, tricks, and a hayride after dark through the cemetery.

Happy birthday Friday, Oct. 24, to Reed Cabot. Birthday celebrations are happening Saturday, Oct. 25, for Molly Crawford and Isaac Taylor. Birthday greetings go out to Philippe Jordi, Stella Napior and Susan Reidy on Monday, Oct. 27.