JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

Chilmark has suffered some awful weather in July for a summer resort, but the days seem to offer a little of everything, with rain either first or last but always rain! Everyone is still speaking to each other, and the plans for all the fun stuff are still in place. There was even a clear night for fireworks viewing on the Fourth so it wasn’t all bad. The holiday was festive with many visitors in town. We had Caleb, Chris and Celia Slater at our house but no fish were caught. Next time.

Jon Wightman’s popular photographs are on display at the Bank of Martha’s Vineyard, Chilmark branch. The reception will be tomorrow, Saturday, July 11, from 5 to 8 p.m. His photos are Vineyard scenes enhanced with the addition of various Island related material that always makes the scenes suit the show’s title, Island Images. The show will be at the bank until July 17 and may be viewed during regular banking hours.

The Chilmark Church will hear Dr. Connie Williams of Spring Point on Sunday, July 12. Remember that the church’s annual Flea Market is underway now on Wednesdays and Saturdays at the new location, the Pat Jenkinson meadow on North Road. The church volunteers are also selling lobster rolls on Tuesdays from 4 to 7 p.m. at the church.

The Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society continues their long tradition of playing on Tuesday evenings at the Community Center. The performance begins at 8 p.m.

The Friends of the Chilmark Library will sponsor a talk by Conrad Neumann at the library on Wednesday, July 15, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Chilmark native, Conrad Neumann, is a professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina where he taught geology and oceanography. His talk on Wednesday is entitled Geo-rambles at Sea and Ashore in Pictures, Poems and Yarns: A Geologist/Oceanographer’s Travels. The public is invited free of charge.

Karen Flynn of the Bite often tells us of her work in Haiti for the Fish Farm project and now she is alerting us to the arrival on the Vineyard of Haiti’s Minister of Women’s Rights and Affairs, the Honorable Marie-Laurence Jocelyn-Lasseque. She will speak at the Oak Bluffs library at 6 p.m. on July 16 and she will attend the Haitian Art Sale at the Martha’s Vineyard Resort at 111 New York avenue in Oak Bluffs on Sunday, July 18 from 5 to 8 p.m. Karen and other volunteers Islandwide urge you to attend these events and support their work for the poor of Haiti.

The Walsh family of Middle Road, Tom, Barbara, Kara, Marisa and Dylan, are inviting us all to a benefit for Compassionate Care ALS on July 23. They are offering drinks, dinner and music by Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish with a guest appearance by Ripsaw Band from Turks and Caicos Islands. They will also have a live and silent auction. The event will be at 320 Middle Road from 5 to 11 p.m. Please call 617-731-5656 for tickets or order them on line at ccals.org.

Charles and Lucille Plotz are in their Flanders Lane home for the summer. Their guest this week is Debbie Sosin, who is the daughter of one of Charlie’s college classmates. She is in town to take Nancy Aronie’s Chilmark Writer’s Workshop.

Steve and Susan McGhee are enjoying a visit from Steve’s son, Paul, and his wife Barbara and their daughter, Alicia, who are here from New York city.

Welcome back to Bea Hubbart who is here from Bergen City, N.J. for her annual Chilmark vacation on Chowder Kettle Lane.

Nancy Rommelman has joined her mother, Kathy Hayes, with Din Johnson and Nancy’s daughter Tafv Sampson, all from Portland, Ore., for their annual visit.

Nancy Shaw Cramer tells us that she has an interesting show at her gallery in Vineyard Haven that opens July 10 with the reception from 6 to 8 p.m. The show is centered around the new book, Vineyard Artists in the Kitchen, that includes, among others, the Chilmark artists Heather Sommers, Wendy Weldon and the late Dawn Greeley. Please contact the gallery or drop by for more information.

Robert and Phyllis Conway will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on July 16. They were married in New Brunswick, N.J., on Bob’s birthday that, this year, will take him to 86. Their daughter, Robin and her husband, Tom Morley, and their two children Tara and Emily, will come to Chilmark for the festivities. Cheers from us all!

Tom Klimm is at the Rasmus Klimm house in Menemsha for his annual vacation. His daughters, Caroline, Kristen and Steve Meceli, joined him this year. P.J. Hooten and Merideth Shulman are also guests of his daughters this week.

And, if you are reading this in time, the Yard is having an opening night celebration with supper and a performance by Lemon Andersen of New York city, beginning at 8 p.m. tonight, Friday, July 10. He also performs tomorrow, You may call the Yard at 509-645-9662 for more details.