Margaret Knight>
508-627-8894
There couldn’t have been a more pleasant Thanksgiving weekend, weatherwise. Mild temperatures, lots of sun, little wind — each day begged you to come outside and enjoy more mosquito-free time in the yard or out walking. I worked in my garden pulling weeds, applying goat manure and mulching paths. It almost made up for all the time I couldn’t stand to be out there this summer because of the mosquitoes. It was nice to see summer residents here enjoying a quieter time on the island, too. Driving through town was almost like a summer day, with all the people out.
We walked at Wasque along the beach from the swimming area, where there is a new little parking lot, to Wasque Point. This can only be done if the tide is not high, and if you don’t mind climbing over numerous trees and bushes. The cliff along the beach where the swan pond used to be is 10 feet or more tall, and the trees along the path on the bluff above have been falling onto the beach all fall. The stairs down at fishermen’s landing end directly at the bottom of the first part of the steps — there’s no walkway and more steps. The only sign of the swan pond is at the east side of the Point, where there’s a slight indent in the sand beyond where the boardwalk was. The rest of the Point is deep in new sand. The Edgartown side of Norton Point has grown steadily closer in the last few months. A sand bar in shallow water a little ways out continues over to Chappy, reaching toward Wasque Point. It was surprising to see how close people looked across the opening.
This summer the Community Center opened its new tennis and basketball courts across the street from the building. The idea of kids running across the street from the parking lot made some people understandably nervous, so a crosswalk was painted onto the road. The board also bought one of those moveable pedestrian signs for the center of the road — the kind with the person striding along with no hands or feet. It didn’t take more than a day or two before the sign disappeared. The road is narrow there, and the sign really did make you slow way down, so it was thought some irritated motorist took it. Someone reported seeing it by the side of the road a day or two after it was taken, but it was never found — until this week!
Marvene O’Rourke was out riding her bike and spotted it by the side of the road where the road curves before the firehouse. It was less than a foot off the road and looked perfectly dry and clean, not as if it had spent the last five months outside, but more as if it had spent the past five months in someone’s house. It is now retrieved and ready to do its duty next summer. Of course, everyone is wondering what its story is, but probably it will never be known, unless someone (maybe anonymously?) informs us.
There are still CCC 2012 Chappy photo calendars available. They feature a spectacular photo of a quahog taken by Victoria Kent on the cover and great shots of Chappy for each month. You can download an order form from the Web site chappycommunitycenter.org or call Marvene O’Rourke at 508-627-9720 to order one to be sent or for pick-up here.
On Wednesday, Dec. 7, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. the community center will host a potluck in honor of the ferry captains and crew, to thank them for their dedication in taking us back and forth in all kinds of weather. Bring a main course, side or dessert dish to share. There will be, as Mary Spencer says, “tall tales about the ferry, exciting raffle of ferry and CCC-related items and lots of food!!!”
The Edgartown Library’s film series for December is Three Nights with Marilyn. The first film, on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m., is Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. This 1953 musical stars Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell, and is directed by Howard Hawkes.
The committee looking into cell service on Chappy continues to meet at the town hall. The next meeting is today at 2:30 p.m. Tim Carroll of Chilmark is expected to come and talk about Chilmark’s process getting a DAS (distributed antennae system) for up-Island. A DAS would be instead of a cell tower, but it would still need what is known as a hotel. The hotel is a building approximately 1,000 square feet, which is the home residence for the wires that connect to each antenna node. A DAS may also be connected back to an existing cell site. Anyone is welcome to come to the meeting. You can also e-mail Georgianna for information at planningboard@edgartown-ma.us.
One of Chappy’s Bobs came out of the closet about growing up as a Robert in the 1930s and 1940s. Bob O’Rourke said the previous column was “a reminder of what I refer to as ‘the curse of being a Robert.’ I was born in that decade you cited when Roberts were very popular. The first sign of trouble for me was fourth grade. There were six Roberts in class trying to avoid the teacher calling our names. Through the years people always labored to avoid the name when addressing me. As a result I have been called at various times: Bob, Bob O, Bobby, Rob, Robby, Robear, Roberto, “R”, Bobart, Sir Robert, Robert San, Rip, and Bobs. There are a few others I am too embarrassed to mention. One person always stayed with the original. To my mother, I was always ‘Robert.’ ” Thanks for sharing this, Bobart.
By the way, Annie Heywood still lives on Chappy, and has been seen here and there about the Island.
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