JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

Chilmark has been enjoying some beautiful weather this week and not sharing it with many visitors. Many off-Island schools start so early these days that our fall season begins early. We have waved goodbye to many of our seasonal friends and many seasonal workers. Now it is time to start enjoying each other again. It is time to focus on what’s going on in our own small world. Two things have been noted so far this week: first, the fishermen tell me there are many ospreys feeding on the bluefish off Dogfish Bar. It’s a sign, maybe, that there is a healthy batch of fledgling ospreys in Chilmark and Aquinnah. The second fact of nature becoming obvious to all is the lack of beach plums and acorns this year. A low number of each has been noted by those who keep track of such things.

The Chilmark Church will continue to make and sell lobster rolls on the next two Tuesdays at the church. The congregation will welcome Nell Fields as their preacher on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 9 a.m. She was ordained on August 2 at the Andover Newton Theological School. Nell has some Flanders in her family tree so is looking forward to her stay at the Capt. Flanders House.

Happy birthday to Mildred Mayhew, who celebrated a significant birthday recently with many of her family members coming from far away for the occasion. Cheers from us all!

Congratulations to the Oliver family of Chilmark and the Menemsha Market on the birth of their fourth child and third son, Hollis William, who was born to Elizabeth on August 27. Kevin and his sons, Solon and Barrett and daughter, Delilah, all welcome Hollis!

The Home Port Restaurant will close at the end of the Labor Day weekend. There will be brunch on Sunday too. We hope they had a good season.

We send condolences this week to the family and many friends of Eleanor Littleton who died on August 28 after a long illness. The Rev. Arlene Bodge will conduct services at the Chilmark Church on Oct. 10 at 10 a.m. Her many friends across the Island will miss her.

Dr. Elizabeth Halprin and her children, Lianora and Ruben, all of Cambridge, are staying at the Allen Farm through the Labor Day weekend.

We send good luck wishes to Shelby Ives of Aquinnah, a veteran of five summers working at the Bite, who is off to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst as a freshman.

Paul and Yvonne Tipton of Cheshire, England, are spending two weeks in Chilmark visiting Paul’s sister, Diane Morgan, and her family.

David and Sandy Berler of Chevy Chase and Chilmark enjoyed the annual visit of their son, Matthew, and his wife, Amy, and their children, Michael, Josephine and Ellie. They are happy to report that the young folks were all winners of ribbons at the fair last month.

The trustees, staff and patrons of the Chilmark library want to publicly thank Liz Lewenberg for the many bouquets of fresh flowers from her garden that she has provided weekly to the circulation desk at the library for all to enjoy.

The library also wants us to know that their Web site is up and working and includes the library’s catalogue. So check it out and find what you have been looking for!

We all send get well wishes to Chuck Hodginson of West Tisbury who had an unfortunate accident while boating this week. We hope he will be out and about soon. Chuck is well known in Chilmark where he is a valued town employee most often found in the town hall.

Alan Brigish, a photographer, will present a multimedia program called Breathing in the Buddha on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 5:30 p.m. at the Chilmark library. The public is invited free of charge.

Barbara Stevens of Connecticut and her sister, Jody Gagliardi of New Jersey enjoyed a vacation together this week at Barbara’s home on North Road. They were celebrating their 54th year of summer vacations in Chilmark.

This weekend is the Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard annual tennis championships. The weekend of tennis matches includes other events such as a cocktail party, silent auction, more and, of course, great matches to watch. It all takes place at Farm Neck all weekend. Please check it out if you like tennis and want to help out the Hospice organization.

David and Emily Davidson are at Stonewall for their annual vacation from New York city.