JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

Chilmark is steamy tonight as I sit down to write on Wednesday night. The threatened thunderstorm of an hour or so ago has gone up the Sound without leaving us a single drop of much-needed rain. We are hoping there may be some more storms in the neighborhood. The week of really hot weather has created crispy lawns and parched gardens. Somebody please do the rain dance!

It was fun to see a picture of a flock of sheep wandering along a town road this week. It reminded me of an earlier time when I was a new driver and was taught to be careful of livestock on the roads at night. We would come upon what seemed like a million mini red dots on the road ahead of us and we would have to stop and rouse John Bassett’s sheep that were lying down on the still-warm tar road just watching us with their shiny eyes. We would then chase them back to the fields and proceed on home.

Congratulations from us all to Ted Meinelt for his birthday on July 15, when he turned 96. We all wish him many more and may he celebrate them all in his historic house on South Road. Cheers from us all, Ted.

Bob Conway celebrated his recent 89th birthday by taking a plane ride over the Island and he enjoyed taking some pictures of his home from the air! Congratulations from us all, Bob.

Welcome to Marjorie (Midge) Good, who has come from Woodbury for another summer at her Chilmark home. Midge will stay until mid-September and, in August, will celebrate her 95th birthday.

We send best wishes to Bette Carroll, who is recovering at home after a spell of ill health. We are hoping to see her out and about soon.

We send condolences to the many friends and extended family of Ruth Blount of Rhode Island, who died on July 16. She was well known to many in Menemsha in the era of the yacht swordfishing fleet. She and her husband, the late Nelson Blount, came every year on their boats, the Aphrodite and Aphrodite 2.

Betsy Schulberg of Chilmark and New York city is happy to have her stepfather, Robert E. Simon Jr. of Reston, Va., visiting her this week. Mr. Simon made many friends in Chilmark during the years that he lived here. He was the founder of Reston, Va., among the many other achievements made in his 98 years.

David and Mary Lungren of Tiburon, Calif. and Chilmark are here for the season. They have been coming for many years and have, on occasion, entertained a number of foreign exchange students. Last fall, Mary celebrated her 60th birthday and her family surprised her with a party and a gift that is to be enjoyed this summer. Her husband, David, son, Erik and his wife, Danielle, have arranged to have three of their exchange students return with their families to Chilmark for a visit. Rune Olson of Norway, Floran Mayer of Germany and Anne Claire LeBolloch of Paris, will all come with members of their families. The gathering is planned for approximately ten days in July. The unique part of the story is that the former students have never met each other! And the Lundgrens haven’t seen a couple of them for approximately 20 years. It sounds like a reunion to be remembered by all.

The author lecture at the community center on Sunday, July 22 at 7:30 p.m. will be Peter Bienart discussing The Crisis of Zionism with Alan Dershowitz, with Richard North Patterson doing the moderating. Tickets are available at tickets.com or at the community center or the Bunch of Grapes Bookstore in Vineyard Haven.

The Aquinnah library invites us to the old Aquinnah town hall on July 24 from 5 to 6:15 p.m. to hear Duncan Caldwell talk about the Saharan Origins of Ancient Egyptian Royal Symbols and on July 26 at the same time and place to hear Phil Weinstein discuss Franzen in Time, a discussion of the life of Jonathan Franzen.

The Chilmark library’s Wednesday program on July 25 at 5:30 p.m. will be a talk by cultural anthropologist Rick Shweder. His subject is The Many Meanings of Morality and Health Here and There, Left and Right. On July 26 at 5 p.m. Alan Dershowwitz will offer his annual program. The subject is Rights and Wrongs: How the Supreme Court and the United Nations Have Hijacked Our Rights.

Please remember the Chilmark Volunteer Firefighter’s annual Back Yard Bash. It is a great family event and will begin at 4 p.m. at the community center on August 1. It is fun and the main fundraiser for the group. Hope to see you there.

The business of the town of Chilmark goes on even in summer and it is important that voters save the evening of August 6 for the special town meeting called to make some decisions about the docks in Menemsha. Save the date and come and add your vote.