JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

Chilmark welcomed the rains of this week past. What was not ready before the rains are surely blooming now. The pink and white dogwood trees along the North Road and lilac bushes lucky enough to be in the sun are already in bloom. What will we do for Memorial Day flowers? The cherry and other fruit trees are already moving on and the shadbushes are everywhere in bloom. No dull rides up-Island these days.

Karen Flynn of The Bite on Basin Road entertained college friends last week. Margaret Doherty of Quincy, Diane Sheridan of Brighton, along with Bill DeWitt and Robert Palster of Jamaica Plain were enjoying the Island tour with Karen and her sister, Jackie. The friends were lassmates at Framingham State University in the class of 1980.

Julie Norton Adkins, most recently of Washington state, has returned to her home in Menemsha after living off-Island for 25 years. We are all happy to see her again and hope she stays awhile. She is a daughter of the late Brad Norton and the late Kathy Norton of Chilmark.

Coco Adams is planning another of her popular flea markets at the community center for May 19. She welcomes vendors of all sorts of goods, new and old, and can be reached at 508-645-3414. If you are thinking of giving the attic, cellar or garage a good spring cleaning, give Coco a call and book a table at the flea. The selling hours will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and lunch will be available.

Ray and Lillian Kellman are back in Chilmark after a few weeks of winter spent in Santa Barbara. Their Chilmark friends and neighbors are happy to have them home again.

Herb and I had an enjoyable family day at the Mystic Museum on Sunday last and we found it to be as much fun as ever. What a great place to visit, learn, relax and reflect on our seafaring past. It is not too far for a day’s visit from here and we recommend it to all.

Roland and Marsha Mason were in town last week to open their home on Flanders Lane. Marsha’s son, Lyle, accompanied them.

The Avon Walk for Cancer/Boston is May 19 and is personal to Chilmark folk because friend and neighbor Sue Larsen will be walking for the third year as a cancer survivor and a hard worker for the cure. Her daughter, Brigida, will be a member of the youth crew for the walk for the second year. This year she has the honor of being chosen from the youth crew to speak at the opening ceremonies before the walk begins. We share Susan’s pride in Brigida’s hard work to achieve this honor. Susan tells us that in three years her supporters have helped her to raise almost $30,000 toward a cure. This year she is very close to her 2012 goal of $10,000. Donations may be sent to avonwalk.org/goto/susan.larsen or to Susan Larsen, 108 Hammett Lane, Chilmark, MA 02535

Emily Gadd arrives today from her winter home in Bozeman, Mont., and will be at her South Road home for the summer. She is looking forward to starting her gardens early. Her many friends will be happy to see her.

The Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society will host its annual spring concert at the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown on May 26, at 7:30 p.m.

The First Congregational Church of West Tisbury will offer tours of homes and gardens in West Tisbury on May 26 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are available at the church office, Vineyard Gardens and Middletown Nursery. Refreshments will be offered in a lovely up-Island poolside setting.

Pandora’s Box, the clothing and more store on Basin Road, will be opening for the season today, May 4.

How is this for a tease? Joel Glickman says the Chilmark General Store will open late next week. Doesn’t he know we want to line up for the pizza? And we will want the pizza . . . this year the head pizza cook will be William Benedetto of Boston, who has 15 years of experience making pizzas there. He makes many specialties and will wow us starting soon. Joel and his wife, Jennifer LoRusso, and new daughter, Stella, are back on South Road after a winter in California. They will be growing many veggies in their own gardens for the store this summer. Their kitchen will welcome back Cebele Sprague, who will enlarge and expand the choices for take-away foods. It all sounds like the dream store we always hope for in Chilmark! Let’s hope they are open for next weekend.

Beetlebung Coffee Shop in Menemsha hopes to be open by next weekend also. They look prepped and ready, but it is all in the details that will hopefully be done this week.