JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

Chilmark has slipped cheerily into the temperate weather pattern that arrived this week, after the usual blasts of April winds. All of us seem to thrive in this in-between temperature range and the town is showing signs of being out and about and busy at the usual spring errands. One sure sign of moderating weather is the sight of lobster pots appearing on the dock ready to be taken offshore and set.

There are still many activities that require our attention. The upcoming town meeting is April 22 at the Community Center at 7:30 p.m. Be sure and save the date. The town election will be April 30 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Community Center. This will also be the time of the Special Massachusetts State Primary to choose a candidate for the United States Senate seat. The Martha’s Vineyard Democratic Council invites us all to come to Howes House on Saturday, April 13, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. to meet representatives of Ed Markey and Stephen Lynch, two candidates running in the primary. This is a good chance for us to meet and learn about the choices we have before voting.

Rodney Bunker of Chilmark will be a write-in candidate for Chilmark Cemetery Commissioner on the April 30 Ballot.

The Martha’s Vineyard Conservation Society’s All Island Beach Cleanup will be on Saturday, April 20, from 10 a.m. to noon. There are 25 beaches included in the project. There will be a party for the volunteers at the Harbor View Hotel from noon to 2 p.m. with Flatbread Pizza and more offered. Please call Signe Benjamin at 508-693-9588, ext. 14 for more information.

The Friends of the Chilmark Library invite us all to view the documentary, The Lost Bird Project, first made for the Rhode Island PBS television station. It will be shown at 5 p.m. at the library meeting room on Wednesday, April 17. Suzan Bellincampi will join the discussion after the film with details about the heath hen. Please note that all Wednesday afternoon programs at the library will now begin at 5 p.m.

Jan Buhrman’s newsletter for April, Kitchen Porch, Culinary Experiences is available on line at KitchenPorch-CulinaryExperienc@mail.vresp. She is writing from Morocco where her shopping experiences are exciting. No foodie should miss this online monthly newsletter.

Pathways Projects continues to offer opportunities for artists of all mediums at the Chilmark Tavern. Please go to their website pathwaysprojectsinstitutes.org for their schedule of events.

I am a bit late with my birthday good wishes to Jim Morgan who celebrated last week. He shares the birthday week with Herschel West. Cheers from us all to these two well-known Chilmarkers!

Congratulations to Chris Fischer who has been named chef at the Beach Plum Inn. The Inn has always been known for its good food and we are happy the tradition will continue, led by a native Chilmark chef!

Harriette Otteson is back at her Menemsha home after an interesting tour of the country of Columbia. Her 12-day trip included visits to the major large cities of Bogotá, Cartagena and Medellin and the small villages of the coffee triangle. The coffee plantations are on the foothills of the Andes and are planted in vertical ways that make picking the berries seem challenging. The United States is a large importer of Columbian coffee. She found the country, now beginning its fall season, to be colorful with many blooming flowers. The people were welcoming and eager to tell the world that the era of the drug trade was over and Columbia has put that time behind them.

The Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish group will hold their annual fundraising dinner at the Chilmark Community Center on April 20 with music and entertainment planned. There is more information elsewhere in this paper. The group is a non-profit organization that raises money to buy shellfish seed for our island ponds.

Nancy Aronie, a popular Chilmark writer and more, will be offering a workshop in writing at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California on May 3 thru 5. More details are at esalen.org. She will be at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, N.Y. on June 16 thru 21. Nancy will be back at her Chilmark home in time for summer workshops right here.