JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

Chilmark is experiencing some pretty typical New England spring days . . . some very gray and rainy, followed by those that are beautiful and cool. It is hard to predict and to know which chores to prepare for . . . indoors or out!

Please remember that 10 a.m. next Friday, May 23, the new Veterans Memorial Plaque will be dedicated. The stone is in front of town hall where we will gather for a brief program and refreshments. Everyone is invited. It is a great way to start the Memorial Day weekend. The students of the Chilmark School, the Menemsha Coast Guard color guard and others will help make this a special event for Chilmark. We are encouraged to come out and help to honor our Chilmark veterans.

We send condolences this week to the friends and family of Dawn Greeley who died last Friday. Dawn was a popular and respected artist and active in many ways in the community. Plans will continue to have an art show of her recent watercolors at the Shaw Cramer gallery in Vineyard Haven from May 23 through June 16. She will be sadly missed by her many Chilmark friends.

Emily Gadd is back at her South Road home this week coming from Bozeman, Mont., where she winters. She will be happy to hear from her Vineyard friends.

Arnie Reisman and Paula Lyons spent last weekend at their Larsen Lane home.

Ronald and Hazel Greenwood have come from Rye, N.Y., to their Chilmark home on South Road for the spring and summer months.

Clarissa Allen demonstrated how a good farmer can multi-task recently. She attended an executive board meeting of the Chilmark Pond Association, on which she serves, carrying a lamb! It is lambing week at the Allen Farm and one rare triplet lamb had been rejected by its mother, leaving Clarissa the chore of keeping it warm and fed for a day or two. She was able to tend the lamb and tend to the association business with the lamb in her lap.

The Menemsha Galley and the Bite both open this weekend for the season.

Paving was completed this week on a section of the North Road. It is open to the public now.

Dick and Shirley Reiss came from Weston for a weekend on Larsen Lane.

The last program of the chef series was on Wednesday at the library. The popular program will resume in the fall. Chef Dee Smith of Tea Lane Caterers demonstrated the many uses of a wonton wrapper. Tasting treats were included and enjoyed by 35 or so members of the public who attended. Dee is offering a new service by her catering business. She calls it the Phantom Chef. Gourmet meals will be delivered to your home and nobody needs to know you didn’t cook it yourself. It sounds like a great idea for the busy Chilmark summer season.

The Friends of the Chilmark Library will hold their annual spring book sale beginning on May 24 through June 7. The book sale takes place during regular library hours. Prices fall as the week progresses.

The Chilmark School’s second and third grades are having a show of their photographs at the Featherstone Art Gallery today, Friday, May 16, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. The show is part of a program that includes visits to Windermere, offering students a chance to meet with other generations and share their photographs.

The Menemsha Fisheries Development Fund will present a lecture by Massachusetts Director of Marine Fisheries Paul Diodati and John Pappalardo, a member of the New England Fisheries Management Council and the Massachusetts Marine Fishery Advisory Commission. They will speak at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21, at the library. Discussion will follow the program.

The traveling book group led by Phil Weinstein of Aquinnah will meet at the Chilmark library on May 28 at 5:30 p.m. They will be discussing Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon. All are welcome to the discussion.