Chilmark enjoyed a true winter this past week. On Sunday we were watching skaters on the local ponds and we saw one intrepid winter sports enthusiast trying to sail his iceboat on Squibnocket Pond. But today, mid week, the weather is very warm and mild. Last night’s rain took away most all of the leftover snow and the soft ground makes it look like bulbs will be sprouting soon. Anyway, that’s the way Chilmark looked at the end of January. No doubt the ice will return and so will the winter sports. It is still a long way to April!

Town hall is a busy place. The schedule for the annual budget hearings has been posted. If you are on a budget committee or commission you can check on the hearing date by going to the town website chilmarkma.gov where a lot of town information is available to you.

Congratulations to Candy Shweder on her recent appointment as full member to the conservation commision and to Chris Murphy who has been named an associate member. Thanks for serving. Clarissa Allen-Posin and two of her associates at the farm, Kaila Binney and Susan Huck traveled to Chico, Calif. last

week to attend a weaving workshop. While there, they visited Kieran Maloney in Sonoma and spent a weekend in San Francisco where they enjoyed shopping, eating and sightseeing. They tell us that the woolens sold at the Allen Farm shop will display the new techniques they learned at the workshop.

Remember that CLAMS is coming to the Chilmark library. It is the electronic program that will offer all library patrons a choice of over a million and a half items. Compare that with the Chilmark librarian’s annual report in February in which she lists the total books available at the library at 1905. Currently, our library lists approximately 35,000 items available. The new program will be installed within the next two months. All patrons must update their library card to be able to access CLAMS, but it is a quick fix and the staff is prepared to preregister patrons now. Volunteers are welcome to help the staff prepare for CLAMS.

The Friday night, Feb. 11, movie at the library will be Moby Dick starring Gregory Peck. It begins at 7 p.m. There are refreshments at no charge and all are welcome to the program at the library meeting room.

Warren Doty and the Menemsha Fishermen’s Development Fund will present a program on Feb. 13 at the library at 5 p.m. The subject will be seaweed farming and the use of seaweed in food and water quality. The speaker will be Scott Lindell of Woods Hole.

Arlan Wise and Jay Ayer have returned from a three-week journey through South India. They arrived in Mumbai on Jan. 2, flew to Cochin, then went up the mountains to the tea plantations of Munnar. They also visited Alleppey, Varkala, Kunnyakumari, Rameshwaram, Tanjore, Trichy and Madurai. They ended the trip at the caves of Ajanta and Ellore and returned to Chilmark on Jan. 24. Welcome back, travelers.

Bill and Zelda Gamson are home from an enjoyable trip to Arizona. Their son Josh traveled from California with his two daughters for a family reunion. They visited the Musical Instruments Museum in Phoenix, enjoyed local foods and visited with friends and family. They also enjoyed the warm temperatures and the poolside life.

The Chilmark Democrats will meet at the town hall on Feb. 9 at 11 a.m. to prepare for the state convention and the choices coming up in the senate primary and election.