JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

Chilmark is moving through the August heat and sharing it with a large number of visitors and vacationers. Sometimes we feel as if we are wading through summer, as the humidity has been so high; however, it doesn’t hinder the outdoor activities all around town. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves and, for that, we are happy.

The selectmen, at the annual open meeting on Monday last at the Community Center, reassured citizens that they have plans in place to reconstruct Menemsha and get things back to what we call normal by the coming spring.

We have some people news this week so let’s catch up with our neighbors before we plan the calendar for the coming week.

Willy Anderson has joined his family, Andy Anderson and Cola Parker, at their South Road home this week after his first summer at Camp Treetops in Lake Placid, N.Y. Thirteen-year-old Willy was at camp for six weeks and this is the first time he has been away from Chilmark in summer. He was welcomed home by his two sisters, Ella and Lucy. The family winters in Groton.

Wally and Susan Epstein enjoyed hosting what has become known as Cousin Camp last week. They had visits from their grandchildren, Cuda Zuda, and Jacob and Benjamin Epstein. The five-day camp is a tradition at their Menemsha home.

Steve Judge and Jim Skelton hosted a party at their Fulling Mill Road home last Wednesday. The purpose of the gathering was to introduce people interested in the environment with the activities of the Martha’s Vineyard Coastal Observatory Committee located at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. New projects were discussed.

Katie Vincent is at the Lucy Vincent house on South Road for an August vacation. She is accompanied by Nick Persons, both are from Niskayuna, N.Y. Katie’s dad, William Vincent, plans to vacation at the house in September. Problems of health prevent him from being here this month. Get well wishes from us all!

Professor David Lazarus is at the family home on Middle Road for a two-week vacation. He will enjoy a reunion with friends and family before returning to his home in Urbana, Ill. His summer visits to Chilmark are an unbroken tradition of many years; his friends are always happy to see him.

Tony Maws of Larsen Lane is the chef/proprietor of Craigie on Main restaurant in Cambridge. Boston Magazine recently named him Best Big Name Chef in their annual Best of Boston awards issue. The restaurant was also awarded two honorable mentions, best upscale bar and best tasting menus. Tony, with his wife, Karolyn, and son, Charlie, will be in Menemsha for a well-earned vacation later this month.

Arlan Wise and Jay Ayer are back at their South Road home after a trip to South Africa and Namibia. Jay spent eight weeks in Johannesburg setting up and sending the satellite transmissions for the World Cup contests. Arlan joined him there and the couple flew to Cape Town and set off on an adventurous drive up the coast to Namibia. They report dodging ostriches and zebras on dirt roads for many miles. We all want to see the pictures!

Perry Mehrling and Judy Bank Mehrling are looking forward to a visit at their North Slope home from Perry’s twin sister, Catherine, of San Francisco, with Luke, Eli and Isaac. The twins will celebrate their birthday on August 14. Also visiting is Judy’s mother, Lillian Kunian, who is celebrating her 93rd birthday while here for her annual August visit with the Mahrlings. Birthday cheers from us all!

Andy Freed, a professor of Geophysics at Purdue, will speak at the Chilmark library on August 18 at 5:30 p.m. He will tell us about his trip to gather seismic information regarding the earthquake in Haiti in January. His adventures were many and he will share the details and the scientific information he and his team brought back after their month in Haiti. Andy is the son of Norman and Diana Freed of Chilmark.

Alan M. Dershowitz will speak at the Chilmark library on August 19 at 5 p.m. His subject will be The Israeli Arab Conflict in Fact and Fiction. The public is welcome at no charge to these weekly talks sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Tracy Thorpe will show her watercolor paintings at the Chilmark library with an opening reception on August 14 from 3 to 5 p.m. The show will be on display during the regular library hours.

The Friends of Middle Road will host their annual meeting at the home of Elise Hillman and Greg Greene on August 23 at 5 p.m.

An overflow crowd at the library was entertained on Wednesday evening by Matthew Stackpole of Mystic Seaport, who spoke about the history of the whale ship, Charles W. Morgan, and the restoration now taking place at Mystic. There are many connections to Chilmark, beginning with the builders, who were brothers from Chilmark named Hillman, and on to the last captain, George Fred Tilton, of Chilmark.