JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

It has been a cold and windy week in Chilmark. It was a disappointing week for some of us who wanted to work outside but it is still a week closer to warmer weather, we hope!

Karen Quinn, known to us all as the hardworking owner of that Menemsha landmark, The Bite, is just back from a seven-day trip to Haiti. She traveled to Port-au-Prince with a group called Haitian OutReach from Leominster. There, they distributed over 300 backpacks to the sponsored children. They visited Liavois to see the FishFarm of Haiti Project and visited the school they also sponsor. Karen tells us that tomorrow night, Saturday, there will be a potluck supper at the Parish Center at the old Oak Bluffs Elementary School, next to the Oak Bluffs library, at 6 p.m. There will be discussions and reports on the recent trip and the on-going projects being sponsored in Haiti. Karen also brought home some beautiful handmade quilts made in Haiti for the benefit of the Martha’s Vineyard-Haiti Peace Quilts Project. You may see the quilts at haitipeacequilts.org. Karen’s phone is 508-693-3801 and she will be happy to tell you how you can help the Haiti projects.

We are sending warm birthday wishes to Lewis King who will turn 94 on March 25. Many of us remember Lou King . . . as he was known . . . as our selectman for a number of years and also as a successful and well-regarded innkeeper of the original Blueberry Hill Inn. Cheers from us all! Lewis lives in West Tisbury these days but it is safe to say he is a Chilmarker!

We all send a cheery happy birthday to Jim Morgan of Menemsha who celebrates this week.

Brian Cioffi took over the duties of cemetery superintendent this week. Brian, who lives with his family on South Road, is known to most of us as the Chilmark nighttime policeman.

We send condolences to the family and many friends of Dale Robinson who died Sunday last and was buried at Abel’s Hill on Thursday.

Congratulations to Solon Oliver, a Tiger Cub Scout, who won the all-Island first place trophy in the annual Pinewood Derby on Feb. 7 in Oak Bluffs. He won with the fastest car and was invited to Hyannis where he raced in the regionals. He was awarded the judge’s choice award for the car that looked the most like Cub Scout construction. Solon is the son of Kevin and Elizabeth and brother of Barrett and Deliliah. Cheers from us all!

Ed Miller and Monina Von Opal came from New York city for an early spring visit to their Chilmark home and to make their annual visit to the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival at the community center.

The Ken Iscols also visited their home in Quitsa and enjoyed the film festival.

We send condolences to the friends and family of Luther Madison of Aquinnah who died this month. He was a well known citizen of up-Island, known for his pleasant nature, dry humor and wonderful cooking. We will all miss him.

April 6 is the date for the Up-Island DAS Committee public hearing at the Chilmark Community Center to discuss the proposals for cell phone service for our area. The public is welcome.