JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

Chilmark is enjoying a rinse as I write on Monday. A most welcome rain is falling and, hopefully, it will free some of the snowbound parts of our current world. The snow was deep in our world with threats in the air of more snow to come but the current rain showers may be helping to reduce the volumes of snow already here. Things came to a standstill for many hours while the snow fell, drifted and settled in to create the blizzard of the year, to date. Our hearty band of snowplowers worked tirelessly and our roads were clear during most of the storm. Not much traffic passed by due to the driving ban which most folks respected. Now, several days past the storm, we seem normal enough around town. Some trees are down and for a while some of us lost power, but by midday of the storm it was back on. The worst I can say for the storm is that it put a crimp in the endless party around town that was February. Many events have been rescheduled and hopefully we will all get to restart the good times soon.

The Chilmark School PTO has rescheduled their annual fundraiser to April 6 when they will host their Rockin’ Away dance with Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish at the Community Center. The money raised will benefit the outings programs at the school. We will remind you with details closer to the date.

The Pathways programs at the Chilmark Tavern have been rescheduled. Please call for new schedules.

The Chilmark Democrats are planning to meet on March 9 at 11 a.m. at the Chilmark Town Hall to make plans for the special primary and election of a candidate for the Massachusetts senate seat vacated by John Kerry and to elect officers and delegates to the special convention to be held in Lowell.

The Chilmark library’s Friday night movie will be Roman Holiday to be shown on Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. in the meeting room. All are welcome at no charge.

Holly Bellebuono will give an author’s talk at the Chilmark library on Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 5 p.m. about her new book, The Authentic Herbal Healer. All are invited and there is no charge.

Word has reached us of the death on Feb. 10 of Norma West Johnson of Bridgton, Maine. Norma grew up in Chilmark, the daughter of the late Norman and Annie West and sister to Herschel of Vineyard Haven who survives her. Many of us of a certain age remember growing up with Norma and attending Menemsha School with her. My memories of her are that she was a very pretty girl who could do some fancy figure skating at our skating parties. She was named Bass Derby Queen one year. She graduated from Framingham Teachers College, married Frank Johnson and raised their children off-Island. Norma always enjoyed her visits back to Chilmark.

The Martha’s Vineyard Center for Dispute Resolution will be conducting a program teaching basic mediation skills on Saturday and Sunday March 2 and 3 and March 9 and 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Skills learned will help to solve disputes and negotiate answers to conflicts in business, family and community relationships. The registration deadline is Feb. 18 and a call to 508-693-2999 will provide details. Chilmark seasonal resident, Ed Greenebaum of Chilmark and Bloomington, Ill., will be leading the workshops. Ed is a professor emeritus of law at Indiana University. Since his retirement 12 years ago, he has donated his time to mediation training in Bloomington where he works with the Community Justice and Mediation Center and on Martha’s Vineyard. Ed is a multi-generational Chilmark seasonal resident who mixes up the seasons he resides in Chilmark. This year he and his wife, Joan Caulton, are enjoying the winter season at their home in Menemsha.

We send condolences to the family and many friends of Elizabeth L. Huberman of Pennsylvania and Menemesha. Shed died Jan. 29 at 97 years of age. She last visited us when she was 94. Her son Jack and his wife Nina of Santa Fe continue to come summers to the family home. We know she will be greatly missed by those who knew her.

We send condolences to the many friends and family of Michael J. Syslo who died Jan. 29. He was well-known to many on the Vineyard especially in Chilmark where he resided. We regret his untimely passing and know he will be missed by many here.