JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

Something jump started summer in Chilmark. After several rollicking thunderstorms, the weather took a right turn and the beach crowds appeared. There are a remarkable number of vacationers here already.

I must comment on how beautiful the dogwood trees were this month. They must have benefited by the wet spring as the trees seemed heavy with blossoms this season. Hope you had one blooming in your neighborhood.

Chilmark will be holding a dedication of the new dock, built to replace what was burned last July, on July 12, the anniversary of the fire. The program will be at 5 p.m. on the dock.

The Chilmark Community Church flea markets have begun. They are held every Wednesday and Saturday, weather permitting, at the Jenkinson field on North Road from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be many of the same vendors who have sold at that flea market lots of years and they will welcome some new vendors. It is always a fun way to start a Wednesday or a Saturday all summer. The church will continue to offer lobster rolls to go at the church on Tuesday evenings from 4 to 7 p.m.

Peter and Della Darling have arrived at their Quitsa home for the season. Their grandson, Brendan Greeley of Foxboro, came to open the house for them. His parents, Susan and Michael Greeley, will visit Peter and Della soon.

Tom and Barbara Rivers enjoyed a recent visit from their grandson, James Rivers, who came from New York city. He spent some time fishing with Donald Poole and shared his catch of bass with his grandparents. James is off to Israel and the Canary Islands for his summer vacation.

Gary Maynard took his ketch, Violet, to Newport to participate in a boat show last weekend.

The Spindrift Marionettes will present Catkin, a Celtic tale, at the Aquinnah public library on July 5 at 2:30 p.m. All children and their adults are welcome.

Njal Hostmaelingen, the managing partner of the International Law and Policy Institute in Oslo, Norway, will present a program at the Chilmark Library on July 6 at 5:30 p.m. His subject is Foes or Friends? Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion in Europe Today. All are welcome at no charge.

The annual fund-raising auction for the Rising Tide Therapeutic Equestrian Center will be on July 7 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Cagney estate on North Road. Rebecca Miller of North Tabor Farm on North Road is president of this worthwhile organization. Please call 508-693-1185 for more information.

Jack and Nina Huberman of Santa Fe and Menemsha entertained guests Jerry Lawson and Randy Eastlund of Grand Marais, Minn., and Truth or Consequences, N.M., last week. The folks enjoyed telling us that they met in a hot tub in Hot Springs . . . the old name for Truth or Consequences, N.M.

Arne de Keijzer of Larsen Lane has shared some information about his latest book that was published last month. He and Dan Burstein and John-Henri Holmberg have coauthored a book entitled The Tattooed Girl: The Enigma of Stieg Larsson and the Secrets Behind the Most Compelling Thrillers of Our Time. It is a reader’s guide to what have been called the hottest books on the planet. The three books have sold millions of copies and been read by most of the world. Their book is a look at the author and his books through commentary and interviews to help the reader enter the world of the author. Coauthor Dan Burstein is a former Chilmark resident now living in West Tisbury. John-Henri Holmberg is a leading literary figure in Sweden and was a close friend of Stieg Larsson. The book has a blog: the tattooedgirl.wordpress.com for more information.

Bill and Roz Glazer of Menemsha are welcoming their family this week. Their son, Jacob, comes with his wife, Dalia, and their children, Solomon and Leah. The children are looking forward to going to the Y camp. The Glazers daughter in law, Illana, and granddaughter, Ziva, are coming, as is daughter, Hilary, with her husband, Craig, and their children, Sam and Isaac. Granddad, Bill, will be taking the children sailing on Menemsha Pond often.

I wish a happy holiday weekend to you all. Keep me posted on the guest lists and the notable entertainments