JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

Chilmark has seen the last of January. Actually she treated us better than many other places in New England. As I write midweek, the ground is clear and very little snow remains. The rains were hard for awhile this week and more welcome than snow. What’s next is anybody’s guess.

Welcome home to Tim Carroll, back at work in town hall, after a week of fun at Disney World in the company of many of the Carroll clan and friends. I am sure they all enjoyed a break from winter.

Tomorrow night is the final winter program of the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival. They are offering Family, Film, Feast at 5 p.m. at the Chilmark Community Center. Dinner will be prepared by chef Robert Lionette of the Kitchen Porch, music will be by Rick Bausman and the children of the Chilmark School and then there will be seven short films for all ages. Tickets will be available at the door.

The Friends of the Chilmark Library are sponsoring free Friday movies for the family. Next Friday, Feb. 11, the movie will be Hidalgo shown at 7 p.m. with popcorn and drinks included. Everyone welcome, no charge.

The Chowder and a Movie program continues at the library. The Namesake will be the film shown on Feb. 9 at noon. Free chowder and a drink are offered. The film this time is based on a novel by Jhumpa Lahiri and takes place in Calcutta, Boston and New York.

The Chilmark School will benefit from the much-anticipated Caribbean Night taking place at the Chilmark Community Center on Feb. 12. It is a popular dance party for adults with auctions, raffles and a dessert bar. It is a fun night with live music and a chance to play as if you are in the sunshine!

The popular storybook character, Corduroy, created by Don Freeman, will visit the Chilmark Library on Feb. 12 at 10:30 a.m. This program is sponsored by the Martha’s Vineyard Library Association’s Children’s Librarians. Parents please note that these storybook characters are large and can be a surprise to very young children.

The Chilmark Library wants to move us all along in our computer skills and is offering a series of weekly workshops on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. The workshops will be led by BZ Riger of Oak Bluffs. Everyone is welcome, regardless of computer skill level and can attend one or all the workshops. A computer is not required to participate. You may bring your own laptop or you may call the library to reserve a library laptop . . . although there are a limited number available. Please call the library at 508-645-3360 for more information. The first program, Beyond Google, will be on Wednesday, Feb. 9. There will be a total of six weekly workshops.

Please call or e-mail me with your news when you return from wherever Chilmarkers go in February to charge their batteries for the rest of winter and that early spring we are promised!