JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

Chilmark witnessed another move toward spring when the full moon tide this past week prompted folks to open the cut in Chilmark Pond, which means that they dug a trench in the sand that builds up annually and shuts Chilmark Pond off from the ocean. The annual opening, always after a full moon tide, allows the pond to drop to lower water levels. This year the pond water was the highest in many memories due to the heavy rains this past year.

Congratulations to Chris and Barbara Murphy on the arrival of their granddaughter, Linden Theresa Mac-Leod. She is the daughter of Chris and Hope MacLeod of Chilmark and the sister of two-year-old Finn. Linden was born Feb. 3 and weighed 8 pounds, 5 ounces. Cheers to all.

The farmers and foodies of Chilmark met at the community center on Wednesday evening for a potluck supper. It is nice to remember that we are an agricultural as well as a fishing town. The party was sponsored by the Slow Food organization that represents many of the Chilmark farmers and encourages us all to try their local and home grown products. There are a couple of signs advertising local eggs on the roadsides now. And one offering bacon. Check it out.

Congratulations to summer resident Peggy Charron, who was the recipient of an award given her by the Association of Public TV Stations. She was named grassroots advocate for 2008. The award was presented in Washington, D.C., with Larry Sidman, Ted Kennedy and Ed Marky speaking in praise of Peggy. She traveled to Washington with members of WGBH television station. Peggy is the former head of Action for Children’s Television. She sends greetings to her many friends in Chilmark and will be back for a Menemsha summer.

Norman and Diana Freed are back at their State Road home after a February visit to their son Andy and his family in Lafayette, Ind.

Kristin Maloney is organizing a weekly meeting of teenaged patrons who meet at the library at 3 p.m. on Saturdays for social and organized activities. Attendance is increasing and all are welcome to join the group. Some fun and interesting activities are planned.

The library continues to entertain us. The chowder and matinee will be on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at noon. The movie is The Ladykillers, a comedy from 1955. All are welcome at no charge. The chowder is a donation from the Menemsha Fish Market, and the Friends of the Library sponsor the program.

The Friday evening movie will be Paper Moon.

The movie starts at 7 p.m. and popcorn and drinks are offered. Again, the program is free and open to all.

The students of the Chilmark School who participate in the intergenerational program with the Windemere residents are having a show of their photographs at the Chilmark branch of Sovereign Bank from Feb. 20 through March 6.

John Alley, in the West Tisbury column of last week, chose to remind us all of a time in 1945 when a plane crash landed in the cow pasture of the Orlin Davis farm on Middle Road. I wonder how many Chilmarkers who rode the school bus that day from Tisbury School home remember riding with me? The bus driver stopped the bus and let us all run into the field to view this unusual sight . . . the accident had happened earlier in the day and the plane was awaiting the trucks to take it away. We ran across the field and, with my usual luck, I fell and, you remember, it was a cow pasture. No one wanted to sit near me the rest of the way home. That’s what I remember of that event, John!

As I recall, the pilot survived the crash.