JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

Chilmarkers and guests managed to get through the hot and muggy days of this past week in good humor by sticking close to air conditioners and the beaches. The trustees and staff of the Chilmark Library apologize to their patrons for the unexpected closures on Saturday and Monday due to a failed air conditioning system. The library is back in business and regrets any inconvenience.

A harbor seal was observed this week enjoying a swim at Lucy Vincent beach. The presence of other swimmers didn’t seem to diminish his pleasure . . . and no parking delay for him!

We send condolences to the extended family and many friends of Wendy Jenkinson who died last week. She had many friends who will remember her with love and respect for her courage and good humor through a terrible illness. There will be a gathering at the Captain Flanders House on Saturday to honor her memory beginning at 2 p.m. All are welcome.

On Tuesday last, this newspaper carried an interesting and enjoyable interview with two favorite Chilmarkers, Doug and David Seward. There was a reference to the Saturday Evening Post cover that featured a painting of the Menemsha Store. The cover was painted by well-known illustrator, Steven Dahanos, not Thomas Hart Benton . . . just keeping the record straight!

Congratulations and welcome to new town clerk, Jessica Holthum Bradlee who will begin her new duties at town hall on August 1.

We send condolences to the family and friends of Caroline Magdeline Phillips Crocker who died this week in Peabody. The funeral and burial will take place on Saturday in Essex. She was the mother of Kathie L. Carroll, wife of Emmett Carroll of Chilmark and grandmother to Katie and Emmett’s sons, Tim, Marshall and Christopher. Her great-grandchildren in Chilmark are Bradley, Brooks and Oona. Her family was larger than Chilmark and we send all who will miss her our sympathy. She was a teacher most of her long life and was well loved by those she worked with. She spent much time in Chilmark over the years and had many friends here.

Bill and Roz Glazer are hosting a family reunion this weekend welcoming their son Aaron’s wife, Illana and their daughter, Ziva, who have come from Los Angeles. The Glazers’ son, Jacob, his wife, Dalia and children Solomon and Leah, are here from New York city and Bill’s father, Harry Glazer of Connecticut, will complete the gathering this weekend.

Arlan Wise is home from an exciting trip to Iceland where she traveled with her daughter, Rachel. They went pony trekking on Icelandic horses and saw the countryside from the inside — no roads, just great views of glaciers, waterfalls, geysers, fields of wildflowers and volcanic rock formations. While there, they visited an exhibit of Viking manuscripts in Reykavik and saw a book open to a map that included the Vineyard. They felt that connection one Islander feels for another Island. They recommend Iceland as a great place for Vineyarders to visit.

Bill Gilmour enjoyed a visit from his grandchildren, Cullen and Kayleigh Quinn, who traveled from Northboro to spend a few days with him at his home on Larsen Lane.

There are many activities planned for the next few weeks. I hope you will make note of the dates and times and enjoy it all.

The Yard will present a performance by Margie Gillis, acclaimed dancer from Canada, with a contemporary ballet company, Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance, today, Friday, July 25 through Sunday, July 27 at their Middle Road Theatre. The performances will begin at 8 p.m. with a family-friendly Saturday matinee at 4 p.m. Please call the Yard at 508-645-9662 for more details.

Marianne Neill of Chilmark will display her recent paintings and pastels at the Chilmark Library from Saturday, July 26 through August 15. The opening will be tomorrow from 3 to 5 p.m. The artwork may be viewed during regular library hours.

Please remember that the annual meeting with the selectmen for all non-voting town residents is Tuesday, July 29 at 7:30 p.m. at the community center.

The Menemsha Fisheries Development Fund will present author Bruce Franklin speaking on menhaden and America. He has recently written The Most Important Fish in the Sea. It is a history of menhaden. The lecture will be at the library on Wednesday, July 30, at 5:30 p.m. All are welcome.

The library will host a celebration of Elizabeth Cady Stanton on Thursday, July 31 at 5 p.m. Suffragette Stanton wrote Solitude of Self, excerpts of which will be read during the hour by Geraldine Brooks, Carol Gilligan, Marcia Randol, Rose Styron and others. The program is the work of publisher and poet Jan Freeman of Paris Press, Ashfield.

Guy Webster, seasonal resident of Menemsha, will present a slide show at the community center on July 31. He will tell us about his years as a renowned photographer of rock and roll legends as well as other celebrities of the era. The program will begin at 8 p.m.

The new documentary film about Chilmark’s native son, Zeb Tilton, will be shown at the library on August 1 at 8 p.m. It is a 90-minute film about Zeb and his brother, George Fred, and the Vineyard’s maritime history. The Friends of the Chilmark Library will sponsor this showing. Admission is free.

We send condolences to the family and friends of longtime Chilmark seasonal resident, George Frederick Stork, who died June 10. He loved all things Chilmark and paid tribute to that infatuation with music and poetry throughout his long life. He had many friends here who valued his many talents and love of life. He will be missed.