JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

Chilmark seems dark and quiet as I write on a gloomy afternoon after Christmas, but my household isn’t ready for a restful new year yet! One family departed this morning and the other arrives tonight while preparations still continue for more festivities. Caleb was lucky enough to get a deer that will add to his family’s larder. Christmas was a success . . . I think. Gifts today are different. Everyone was silent and involved with the many handheld devices that are gifts these days; all agreed that they were having fun! There was a bit of discussion about when Chilmark might be getting cell phone service; has there been any news on that subject?

The local community provided those on duty at the Menemsha Coast Guard Station with a hot holiday dinner on Christmas Eve. As always, it was well received.

The Christmas Day drive to the beach at Squibnocket was rewarding in that the seals were in evidence and had not been in any numbers until this week.

There are programs coming along in January for our cultural and entertainment tastes. The West Tisbury Library Foundation Inc. is hosting an evening of reading by two West Tisbury poets, Jennifer Tseng and Fanny Howe. Both women have many accolades and successes in their field. The event will be on Jan. 4 at the State Road restaurant at 5:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be available. This program is to benefit the capital fund. We are all looking forward to the building of the new West Tisbury library.

The Friends of the Chilmark Library will host a free Friday Movie program on Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. The movie will be Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. There will be hot popcorn and juice provided. This program will be presented weekly through April 6. The list of movies to be shown is available at the library.

The mild weather has permitted the gardening work to continue in front of the library. Unwanted plants are being recycled and offered to the new Middle Line Road homes.

Ted Meinelt traveled to Topsfield to spend Christmas with his son, Terry, and family. He returned on Tuesday.

I have not heard of any New Year’s Eve celebrations planned in Chilmark but that may be because folks know my age group finds midnight as foreign to life as going to the moon. I wish you all a very happy and healthy new year a bit ahead of the midnight hour!