PETER WELLS

508-627-4216

(peter@chappyferry.net)

When you ride the On Time III with Captain Bob Gilkes at the helm you are bound to hear the words “Wasque” and “erosion” at least once during the crossing. Since this latest breach occurred, Bob has been documenting Mother Nature’s handiwork at the southeast corner of Chappy with a camera and a tape measure. On Monday, August 19 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Chappy Community Center he will share his photos and insights in a presentation he calls Watchin’ Wasque (A Series?).

Sad to say that things are winding down at the CCC. Next week is the last week of sailing and tennis lessons.

The calendar photo contest votes have been tallied and the favorite photos will be sent off to the printer to be made into the CCC 2014 calendar.

Laura Jemison’s artwork is on display at the center now through next week. I like to tease her that she probably buys her pink paint by the gallon. She uses a lot of pink!

The annual CCC meeting met its quorum last Saturday and, as I predicted, it was a very civil gathering indeed. There was, however, a tense moment when Tom Pardee was nominated to the otherwise all-female board. We unanimously elected Tom, as well as Molly Peach and Margaret Mullen as new board members.

In a previous column I mistakenly suggested that during the annual fair you could “join” the CCC. Well, it turns out that you already are a member! I had forgotten the original intent of the founders of the Chappy Community Center. Everyone who lives on Chappy, owns property on Chappy or vacations on Chappy is automatically a member. However, you can subscribe. Your subscription fee of $100 is a donation to the CCC to help defray the costs of running the center and providing programs and activities. You must be a subscriber to take sailing or tennis lessons. For open tennis play on the new CCC court, you will need an annual tennis subscription; $25 for individuals and $50 for families. Providing the great variety of programs and activities requires money. Please contribute to the Cressy Fund to help pay for on-going maintenance and repairs to the building. Send donations to Chappy Community Center, P.O. Box 2966, Edgartown, MA 02539.

The Trustees of Reservations has opened all of their Chappy beaches to over-sand vehicles. It is now possible to drive out onto East Beach at the Cedars and continue on the outside all of the way to Cape Pogue Elbow. Remember to keep your dog on a leash on all TTOR properties and that Leland Beach is off-limits to dogs altogether. For up-to date beach information call 508-627-8390. To book a tour or just ask a question, call the Mytoi Gatehouse at 508-627-3599. The gatehouse is staffed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Mytoi Garden benefited from the recent rains. Volunteers have managed to keep the garden in good shape but more help is always needed. If you wake up on a Wednesday morning feeling that you need to build up a little bit of positive karma, head on over to Mytoi. From 9 a.m. to noon you can immerse yourself in the serenity of Chappy’s Japanese garden while lending a hand to maintain the beauty of your surroundings.

David Plumb was an avid supporter of Mytoi. He and his family have made many contributions to the garden over the years. David’s Vineyard memorial service will be celebrated at St. Andrew’s on August 31 at 4:30 p.m., followed by a martini and chocolate reception at the Plumb family beach house on North Neck Road.

As of this past Wednesday we knew of 212 homeowners who have said that they will send in their commitment letter to Comcast. We need to get 270 commitment letters sent in by October 1. Comcast has stated repeatedly that there is no actual financial liability associated with this commitment letter. The purpose of the commitment letters is to show Comcast that there are enough interested homeowners on Chappy for them to continue the process of evaluating the additional costs of hooking up to individual houses. Call Dennis Goldin at 774-310-1020 or email him at dsgoldin@verizon.com or Woody Filley at woodyf@vineyard.net and they will help you get signed up.

Have you noticed that there are many more big jellyfish in the harbor than other summers? Years ago during a CPR class, someone mentioned that if you get stung by a jellyfish, one of the many remedies is to sprinkle meat tenderizer on the sting. Apparently the chemicals in the tenderizer destroy whatever it is that jellyfish sting you with and the pain goes away. One day down at the ferry point, a child was stung on her face and began to have difficulty breathing. Not a good turn of events. A bystander called over to the ferry, which he must have surmised was carrying cars full of groceries, asking if anyone had any meat tenderizer. Nobody had any and we all stood helplessly by. The ambulance showed up shortly thereafter and whisked the poor child away, but only after a frightening and painful ordeal. Since then I have always carried a container of meat tenderizer aboard each ferry. Last week three of my grandchildren were stung by jellyfish and we had the opportunity to try it out. They said that it worked! I’m glad to know that such a simple remedy is available. So next time you run afoul of a jellyfish down near the ferry, just ask us to please pass the meat tenderizer. We’ve got plenty.