JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

Chilmark doesn’t look any different after the pre-election excitement we have all been living through ... and I suspect life in Chilmark will remain remarkably unchanged until the next election year. We all thank all the volunteers who helped during the hours the polls were open and for the hours of counting votes that came afterward. Many citizens give lots of time and it all keeps things running smoothly. Congratulations to the winners and losers ... everyone wins when they care about their fellow citizens.

Halloween was a great success for all who participated. The party at the community center was well attended by young and old, and the costumes, as always, were a treat to behold. Congratulations and many thanks to the Chilmark Firefighters’ Association and to Katie Carroll, who was the mastermind behind the planning.

We send congratulations to David and Maxine Stevens of Boston Hill, who are happy to tell us of the birth on Sept. 21 of their granddaughter, Lucy Elizabeth Stevens-Wright. She was born at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Her parents, Jennifer Stevens and Joe Wright, are both medical doctors. Jennifer is in a fellowship at Brigham and Women’s and Joe Wright is in a fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospitals. They make their home in Cambridge. Lucy will enjoy her first Thanksgiving in Chilmark at the home of her proud grandparents, David and Maxine. The Stevens have been living in Cambridge for several months while renovations take place in Chilmark. The family is happily looking forward to moving home by the Thanksgiving holiday.

The Chilmark Community Church will offer soup suppers on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. at the church beginning Nov. 16. Soup, salad, bread and dessert are served to all who wish to join them. There is time for visiting and some game playing afterward.

Joan Caulton took some pictures of a very large and, maybe, not so happy snapping turtle last week. She found him plodding along Larsen Lane. He must have measured all of four feet from tail to nose ... but who was going to get that close! His shell and head were covered with green moss. Joan will be happy to share her pictures with anyone interested.

Carol Brown Goldberg, seasonal resident of Peaked Hill, and well-known artist, sends out an invitation for any of us in the neighborhood of Germantown, Md. She will be showing four paintings at the Black Rock Center for the Arts, 12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown, Md. There will be an artists’ reception on Dec. 4 from 5 to 7 p.m. Hopefully, some of Carol’s Vineyard friends will find their way to the exibit.

The parents and students of the Chilmark school are invited to an open house at the Chilmark library on Wednesday, Nov. 17, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Librarian Kristin Maloney will present an overview of the library programs for the school and the children will offer guided tours for their parents. Refreshments will be served. One of the unique aspects of the Chilmark Library is that it also serves as the school library.

The Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club has awarded their annual blue ribbons for the best outdoor displays in each of the towns during the summer months. Chilmark’s winners are: The Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank, Hancock Real Estate, Larsen’s Fish Market and the Copperworks. Honorable mentions go to: Pandora’s Box, Menemsha Café, Chilmark Library and Chilmark Chocolates. Congratulations to all!

Last week, elsewhere in this paper, a writer presented us with a few humorous tales of ghosts and goblins for our Halloween entertainment. I would be remiss if I didn’t comment on the closing advice to Chilmarkers to carry a “rifle with buckshot” when out and about at night. Now, we really don’t want to encourage Chilmarkers to shoot at their hallucinations, do we? Maybe these visions are due to all that beer and wine they are selling down-Island these days.