JANE N. SLATER
508-645-3378
Chimark had its first snowstorm and it was serious. It came on Friday and was gone soon, thanks to rain on Monday, but it had its tragic side. We send condolences to the friends and family of Amanda Hutchinson of Aquinnah, who succumbed to the storm. She was loved and is missed by many. We also send warm get-well wishes to Whitley Brown. Whitley is a United States Coast Guard member stationed at Station Menemsha. She suffered injuries in an early morning car accident on her way to work and is now in a Boston hospital. We hope she will be back among us soon.
The Chilmark Friends of the Library are offering a free Friday night movie tonight. They will show the movie The Sting and popcorn and drinks are offered. All are welcome at no charge.
Clifford the Big Red Dog will visit children at the Chilmark library on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 10:30 a.m. Kristin Maloney is presenting the visit, thanks to the Martha’s Vineyard Library Association. It is open to the public and free.
The Chilmark School PTO is hosting a 1950s/1960s night on Saturday. The music will be of those eras and Merrily Fenner will lead the music makers. It promises to be a trip down memory lane with lots of fun along the way. There will be auctions, desserts and, of course, dancing. The PTO sponsors the extra hour activities for the students and this is one of their major fund-raisers.
Please note that the artwork of Susan Johnson is not at the library as I said last week, but at the Chilmark bank across the road from the community center. Her work will be shown all month during bank hours.
It was 128 years ago this week that the City of Columbus sank after hitting rocks off the cliffs of Gay Head. The Martha’s Vineyard Museum has mounted a detailed exhibit at the museum on School Street in Edgartown. The show is called Out of the Depths: Martha’s Vineyard Shipwrecks.
My great-grandfather’s brother, James T. Mosher, was the captain of the second lifeboat that left from the cliffs. He must have been alerted soon after the accident and traveled up to Gay Head by horse and wagon. He was a mariner and carried freight up and down the New England coast, sometimes going as far as Philadelphia. No stories survive in our family folklore of the details of that night. We know he led the second crew of Gay Head residents, all Wampanoags. The Humane Society gave out silver medals and money awards to all the men who took part in the rescue. James received a silver medal and $25. The medal was donated to the now Martha’s Vineyard Museum many years ago. I refer you to the book Disaster on Devil’s Bridge by George A. Hough Jr. for more details and lots of pictures.
Things are still buzzing at town hall as the Tea Lane Farm committee and the selectmen put the finishing touches on the plans for leasing the historic farm to an interested farmer. The special town meeting called for Feb. 13 is to introduce to the citizens the final plans and to begin, it is hoped, the process of leasing. Be sure and come to the meeting at the community center at 7:30 p.m.
Chilmarker Holly Bario was spotted at the Golden Globe awards sitting at the DreamWorks Studio table. Holly was there to support the film The Help, as she is the copresident of production for DreamWorks Studio. We wish her more luck during this busy award season. Holly is the daughter of Joan and Pat Jenkinson of Chilmark. Cheers from us all!
Comments
Comment policy »