JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

Chilmark’s weather is getting more springlike every day with the roadsides bright with yellow flowers and green grass . . . and some new yellow and white lines newly painted on North Road. All are seen in a pleasant blur as we move faster and faster toward what we hope will be our busy season.

I am late with get-well wishes for two Chilmark folk, Phyllis Conway and Winkie Keith, who have both been quite ill but are now at their homes recuperating. We hope to see them out and about soon.

Linda Thompson is still at home on North Road mending her broken ankle. We hope she will be moving about more soon. She enjoys hearing from her friends.

Best wishes to Donald Sexton who is hospitalized as I write. We wish him a quick recovery.

Cheers from us all to Basil Welsh who celebrated his birthday this past week. Let’s hope somebody gave him a new idea for one of his letters to the editor that we all enjoy.

The Dukes County Charter Commission will hold an open meeting at the Chilmark Public Library meeting room on April 23 at 7 p.m. The public is invited to come and discuss the pros and cons of county government and how it applies to the Vineyard. This is the last chance we have to tell this commission what we think. For more information about the meeting please call 508-696-6716.

James McDonough, chef at the Beach Plum Inn, was the guest chef at the Chilmark library’s chef series program on Wednesday this week. He showed a crowd of 40 or so folks how easy it is to make salmon cakes with exotic sauces. Easy if you know how! He tells us Beach Plum Inn restaurant will open May 2.

The library reminds us that there are still two weeks of the food for fines program left. We are invited to bring in food for the food pantry and receive forgiveness for overdue fines.

Congratulations to Conrad Neumann of Durham and Chilmark whose 48-year career in marine geology was honored by the South Eastern Geological Society of America. Conrad was the guest of honor at their symposium held last week in Charlotte, N.C. He is professor emeritus of geological oceanography at the University of North Carolina. He enjoyed meeting with his ex-students and colleagues and listening to their research papers. Conrad delivered the final paper of the symposium whose subject was The Shoreline to the Deep Sea.

Don’t forget town meeting on Monday, April 28, at 7:30 p.m. at the community center. Elections will be Wednesday, April 30.