Chilmark is gearing up for spring and the new hours of light. It occurs to me that Chilmark has actually had a pretty good winter in spite of our obsession with the snowy weather. The townsfolk have managed to keep up with their chores...workmen have missed only a few days of outdoor work on the new house growing on Crick Hill; the U.S. Coast Guard boathouse is still under construction; shell fishermen have harvested and transported oysters and mussels; school buses and VTA buses have kept to schedule most days and the business of the town has gone on regularly at town hall.

Socially, we have been able to gather weekly at the soup supper at church, the cafe at the library, weekly free movies and the occasional musical at the Chilmark Community Center, and artists have had many opportunities at the Pathways Project in the Chilmark Tavern. Eating out in town is even an option with the arrival in late winter of Josh Aronie’s food truck. And now spring comes and life moves up a notch. Can we fit it all in?

The U.S. Coast Guard provided some diversion both Tuesday and Wednesday of this week past. On Tuesday a helicopter circled Menemsha a number of times before flying off, and this morning I found a perfect overhead photo of Menemsha harbor posted by the Coast Guard on Facebook. This morning Ralph Packer’s tugboat, Thuban, came into the harbor pushing a very large and heavily laden supply barge for the ongoing construction project. It was a smooth operation that obviously involved some visual skills and a slack tide.

The Friends of the Chilmark Library offer the last free Friday night movie tonight March 7, at 7 p.m. It is Easter Parade with Fred Astaire and others. Free popcorn and drinks are included and the library and public thanks the Friends of the Library for sponsoring this winter’s entertainment.

The Chilmark Community Church now offers pizza night on Tuesday evenings at 6 at the church. All are welcome for pizza and games.

We are all welcome to attend the selectmen’s meeting on Tuesday, March 11 at 7 p.m. at the town hall. Reports are in from some of the scientists regarding the proposed work at the Squibnocket Beach. We will be asked to vote at town meeting on whether or not we want our selectmen to continue to pursue this project, so now is the time to hear what is proposed and how it is seen by beach experts.

The Chilmark library resumes the Wednesday evening programs on March 12 at 5:30 p.m. in the meeting room of the library. Slow Food Martha’s Vineyard will show the documentary film Genetic Roulette, The Gamble of our Lives. GMOs are genetically modified organisms that are often used in our foods. The film will explore the dangers of GMOs. All are welcome to attend at no charge.

The Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival will happen at the Chilmark Community Center the weekend of March 13 through 16. Many films are scheduled, both for adults and children. You may check out the schedule at www.tmvff.org or by calling 508-645-9599.

The Chilmark School students will have their annual art show at the library through the month of March. The opening for the art show will be on March 17 from 2:45 to 3:45 p.m. All are welcome and the art work is always inspiring. It will be on display during regular library hours all month.

Daffodil Day on March 17 is a little different this year. The Martha’s Vineyard Cancer Support Group is sponsoring the sale and all proceeds will go to Martha’s Vineyard cancer patients and their families. The bunches of daffodils will be on sale March 17 at Cronig’s in Vineyard Haven; Stop & Shop in Edgartown, and at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.

Nancy Aronie is offering a spring Chilmark writing workshop beginning on March 17 through 20, from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Thursday.

We send condolences to the family and friends of Barbara Lewis Solow, who died on Feb. 17 at the age of 90. Barbara, known to her friends and family as Bobby, with her husband, Robert, spent more than 50 consecutive summers in Chilmark. She had a long and distinguished professional career but always found time to enjoy the life around her with her children, grandchildren and many friends who will all miss her presence among them.

Congratulations to Michael Levin, seasonal resident of Chilmark, whose poems have recently been published. Michael is by profession a lawyer who has been involved for many years in environmental and solar energy matters but has found time to write peotry. The new collection’s title poem, Watered Colors, was written for the late artist David Levine who was also a Chilmark seasonal resident. Michael watched David paint a beach scene that interested him and he now has it hanging in his Menemsha home. Cheers to you, Michael. We look forward to reading your new poems. Look for Watered Colors at the Chilmark library.