Chilmark is a quieter place as I write on Wednesday morning. The road noises of summer are missing, garbage pick up, food deliveries, fish wholesale trucks . . . all missing, no doubt on lighter schedules for the shoulder months. Most of our businesses remain open, but for some of the food places it might be a good idea to call ahead. The Bite is now closing on Tuesdays, the Chilmark Community Church has ended the popular lobster roll Tuesdays and the Home Port Restaurant has gone to weekends for dinners. There is still plenty to keep us busy and the weather is grand, so there is now time for some of us to still enjoy the joys of summer.

Our town clerk will be conducting the state primary voting at the Chilmark Community Center on Sept. 9, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The Chilmark Community Church encourages us all to get tickets for the concert, Spirit Song, to be presented by Lia Kahler on Sept. 14 at 3 p.m. at the church sanctuary on Menensha Crossroad. Pianist Richard Gordon, organist Philip Dieterich and readers Arlene Bodge and Dan Cabot will join Lia in the program. It is a concert of songs, spirituals, arias and solo works for piano and organ. The concert is a fundraising event for the repair of the Chilmark Community Church steeple, damaged in hurricane Sandy. A silent auction will be held in the community room of the church beginning at 2 p.m. and continuing during intermission.

Congratulations to Frank and Merrily Fenner who celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary this weekend. Cheers from us all!

Peter McGhee celebrated a significant birthday last weekend at his Menemsha home. Congratulations from your Chilmark friends!

Harriette Otteson is enjoying a visit from Judi Murphy of Phoenix, Az. The ladies have enjoyed four international trips together. Judi will visit Chilmark for two weeks.

Bob Conway is looking forward to the arrival of his daughter, Janet Heslin of Wyoming, and his son David who is coming from New Jersey, both for a fall visit with Bob.

Steve Flanders travelled last month to South Carolina with his daughters Allison and Sarah to attend the graduation of his daughter Genevieve Flanders from the Medical University of South Carolina where she earned a bachelor’s degree and now is a physician’s assistant. Mary Beth Grady accompanied them to enjoy the festivities. All are back in Chilmark and enjoying a reunion of sisters. Congratulations and cheers from us all to Genevieve.

The fundraising bucket challenge for the benefit of the fight against ALS, a serious illness that affects many, continues to sweep through Chilmark. On Sept. 1 the crew of the Galley met the challenge, and those involved were Frank and Merrily Fenner, their daughter Alicia and her husband Peter, and daughter Olivia and son Adam; Keith Fenner and son Tegan and daughter Laila Bea; Mark Ingber and Mandy, and Barbara Fenner and Roger Matheson. They all took the ice for Dewie in Texas, a friend of Merrily’s who is suffering from ALS. Who is next for the challenge?

Congratulations to Alexander Samson Outman and Shana May Yam who were married at the Captain Flanders House on August 24. Both have long Vineyard ties, and Alex has been a summer resident of Chilmark since birth. Details will be elsewhere in the paper.

Squibnocket is much on the minds of those involved in the creation of a possible plan to improve conditions in that area. I find that the reason that a place on the beach is called Money Hill is because it was said that shipwrecked sailors once buried treasure on the slopes of this hill. It is still considered undiscovered and even hurricane Sandy didn’t unearth it. Maybe somebody knows more?

Send your Chilmark news to: slaterjn@comcast.net.