BRAD WOODGER

508-627-4216

(ibwsgolf@aol.com)

It can be awfully hard to please Chappy folks sometimes. (What’s that saying? You can please some of the people sometime, but Chappy people none of the time. Something like that.) Despite the wonderful weather we’ve been graced with, some are bemoaning the fact that summer has been hastened by this boon. The blueberries are out, the climbing roses have bloomed, and the mosquitoes have blossomed. But will it all last until the important people arrive? Ah, there’s the rub.

Dr. Dennis Goldin (Dr G. Medicine Man, to his friends) pointed out to me a disturbing trend with his oaks. Moths are defoliating select ones in his yard. Doesn’t seem to bode well for the other oaks in his yard and beyond. Has anyone seen a similar phenomenon in their neck of the woods? Between the moths and pine borer beetles, we may soon resemble the Chappy of old. With a few more houses.

Does anyone have some bittersweet clippings they’d be willing to donate? I’ve tried and I’ve tried, but I can’t get the darn stuff to grow. I kid. I firmly believe that were we, the residents of Chappy, to abandon the land for two full springs, we’d return to a veritable impenetrable jungle. From space, Chappy would most closely resemble a Chia Pet. Even the bike path would be covered.

I’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the cookies that Pamela Wetzel-Satile has given me during my last two visits (in my capacity as Bug Man). I’d also like to give a shout out to Bob and Rosemary Stiles for their frequent offers of bottled water. And Dr. G. for his kind words of encouragement. Not that I’m keeping score and reporting it weekly.

Speaking of the Wetzels, Matt Wetzel has returned to his post on the Chappy ferry from his freshman stint at Union College (so much better than his second choice: Divisive University). He assures me that his ferry crew T-shirts will be ready for mass production by 2013.

Tom Tilghman wrote to tell me the news of the birth of Milo Geyer-Osborne. Milo is the son of Carlos and Dana Osborne, Ruth Tilghman’s first grandchild and the eighth great-grandchild of Hal and Olive Tilghman. He joins a growing number of seven generations of the Child, Pinney, Tilghman clan on Chappy.

I saw a baby raccoon on North Neck Road. Raccoons can’t write, so I’m not certain of the newest raccoon’s name or filial relations, but I’m sure there are a couple of masked critters out there somewhere who are mighty proud.

Oh! One of the Biros boys is putting in a new floor for his yurt. So that’s good.

In Annie Heywood news: an uncharacteristically slow news week, but Annie did let us cut some peonies from her garden so that we might share in the magnificence. Of course, any flower that comes with its own ants better be pretty!

Melissa Kagan turns 40 this month. There was a celebration of this coming event at Alchemy Saturday night. Kim and I attended, despite the fact we are highly suspicious that Melissa could be approaching such an advanced age. Seems to us that perhaps Rob and Melissa simply wanted a party.

I think I saw Kevin Keady, sporting a new chapeau. But don’t quote me on that — I haven’t fact checked it or run it through legal yet.

Two notes regarding Mytoi events arrived this week via e-mail. The first came from Betty Trider:

“It’s once again time for volunteering via Wednesday mornings at Mytoi. We invite Chappy residents, their families, and even their houseguests to come to the garden on a Wednesday or two from 9 a.m. to noon for weeding, mulching, pruning and good conversation. You aren’t even sentenced to three hours. If all you can do is one hour, come right along! You might bring bug spray, a bottle of water and your favorite gardening tool.” This program will be on every Wednesday in July and August. Just go to the picnic benches and sign in. Betty, Lindsay or Don will be there to greet you and give you an assignment.

The second was from Bob Mill regarding a goldfish release extravaganza: Thursday, July 1, The Great Goldfish Release, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. (rain or shine) at Mytoi Garden, Chappaquiddick, free to all. Bring the family to Mytoi for goldfish games, goldfish puzzles, and of course help stock the garden pond during the great goldfish release. For more information, please call 508-627-3599.

And as the summer season fast approaches, there is much CCC news:

The Chappaquiddick Community Center programs begin on Monday, June 28, with sailing and tennis classes for kids and adults, yoga on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 8 a.m. with Amanda Cohen, and Latin dance exercise classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. with Jo-Ann Tilghman, to benefit the tennis court fund. Art classes for kids, teens and adults are taught by Laura Jemison; sign up is through Old Sculpin Gallery. The annual ladies’ tea is on Friday from 2 to 4 p.m., open to all Chappy women.

The office and library will be open mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. during the week for information and registration. Wifi is available on the porch anytime, as are the ping pong tables. More information on Community Center activities can be found on the Web site: chappycommunitycenter.org, or by calling 508-627-8222.

And finally, this from Paddy Moore: There will be a fundraiser this Saturday for our native son, state Sen. Rob O’Leary, who is running for the 10th Congressional District. The event is being held at the Field Gallery in West Tisbury from 5 to 7 p.m. Rob is running for the seat being vacated by Bill Delahunt, who has chosen not to run again.

The Peter Wells question of the week: no suggestions for this from my readers, so I’ll have to ask my own. What’s with the non-waving, road-hogging drivers on North Neck? Not the residents — we’re famously friendly.

One answer on the Trav Jacobs mother’s maiden name comes from a daughter of Hope Slater: Beal. I’m going to guess it’s the correct answer, as I have not received a dissenting opinion. Or any other opinion.