MARGARET KNIGHT

508-627-8894

(margaret02539@yahoo.com)

The spring peepers finally showed up on Chappaquiddick. Reports of peepers up-Island came in weeks ago, but we hadn’t heard any here until earlier this week. The peepers’ evening croakings make it feel as if spring really has arrived, despite the frequent temperature plunges back into the thirties.

Peepers sometimes winter over in my greenhouse — they like to curl up in a swiss chard leaf to sleep — but this year a wood frog made the greenhouse home. I don’t see it except if I startle it while watering the kale and New Zealand spinach in the vegetable bed. The frog hangs out under the calendula, mache and other plants that come up on their own at the wild end of the bed. Once I found the frog sitting in the dish of water I leave out for it. I’m not sure how it got into the greenhouse, and not sure if I should put it out now that spring is here.

Frank Partel sent news from his winter home in Vero Beach. He says, “Our neighbor has replaced his dock with poles that are taller than ours. So Chirpie, our adopted osprey, has abandoned us for a roost at better quarters. The cormorants and an anhinga are apparently more loyal. Presently, the white pelicans, which only visit this area in Florida, may be seen bobbing in the Indian River but will leave shortly for the summer in Canada.”

On March 1, Frank’s second novel, The Chess Players, A Novel of the Cold War at Sea, was released. The Chess Players is set at the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It’s a naval love story, and among other things suggests that bipolar disorder is a likely explanation for the master painter Caravaggio’s notorious, criminal behavior, and his brilliant artistic talent. This summer Frank will return to the EYC Lunch-with-a-View program. Interested readers may visit online thechessplayers.com and download the first two chapters free. Frank says his Chappy neighbors Steve Feinberg, Jacquie Olds and Richard Schwartz were helpful in writing the book.

The MV Center for Living is holding its fourth cultural luncheon, offering a closer look at the influence of the Jewish people and culture on the Vineyard, on Saturday, April 9, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Grill on Main in Edgartown. Speaking will be Vineyard-born residents Ruth Cronig Stiller and her daughter, Gayle. The lunch menu includes matzo ball soup and kugel, and klezmer music will be performed under the direction of Mark Hahn. For information and tickets call 508-939-9440, or e-mail mvcenter4living@gmail.com, or buy a ticket ($25) from MVC4L board members Diane Jetmund, Karen Achille, Shirley Dewing, June Manning, Ginger Duarte, Barbara Harnen, Chuck Cotnoir, Olga Church and Ellie Bates.

Donna Kelly is very sad to report that her cute little dachshund Dora (the Explorer) passed away on Monday. She says Dora’s clown-like manner and sweet morning hugs will be forever missed by her and Molly (Dora’s sister), and all her friends and family.

As a warning to others, Donna says that no matter where you put rat poison it is never safe, as she found out. Rats will drag the pellets or wrappers from wherever it is placed, including in those black plastic boxes. Donna says, “Ingesting the smallest amount of poison will kill a small dog, cat, or your child. The poison tastes like yummy bubblegum. My neighbors have had success with the sticky traps, snap traps (away from children and pets), and have-a-heart traps baited with meat.”

Our annual town meeting is on Tuesday, April 12 at 7 p.m. at the Old Whaling Church. Article 50 on the warrant, as submitted by the library building committee (and recommended by the financial advisory committee), is not asking voters to authorize any new town spending — it fulfills one aspect of Edgartown’s application to the state for grant money, which hopefully will be announced this June. If the grant of $5.6 million is forthcoming, voters will be asked at a later date to authorize a bond issue to cover the town’s share of any building project, and will have another opportunity later to discuss all the details and ramifications of the library project. If Article 50 is defeated, the library project is dead, and the state will immediately pull our town’s grant application.

Ernie Dewing has recently released a new compact disc Thru the Glass, put together this winter at his recording studio at Reptile Records here on Chappy. His friend Joseph Skladzien and he had talked about getting together to do some music for 10 years, and this was the winter. Ernie played for many years with his rock band Propergander. Joseph has played in bands including with Taj Mahal. They added drummer Mike Waitekus, from Hoosick Falls, N.Y., and Graham Allen, weaving in the bass lines. You can find out more about Ernie and the new CD, and download his songs, at reverbnation.com/ernie.

This story should have been in last week’s April Fools’ column, except that it is true — really! Capt’n Bob was running the ferry when a man in a Lincoln Navigator loaded first onto the ferry headed for Chappy. After loading the other vehicles, Bob went to collect tickets. The man in the Lincoln presented a Steamship Authority ticket, and asked if he was on the right ferry! Bob made a short tour around the harbor to let the man off so he could try elsewhere. One might wonder how he got to the Vineyard in the first place.