My column two weeks back was of course the annual April Fools’ Day edition. My friend Jed sent me an email claiming that he knew that I must have been making stuff up when he read that part about how we already had hosts signed up for the remaining four potlucks of the season. It may have seemed far-fetched since the record shows it to be out of the ordinary. But that is actually true. Folks have stepped forward to take their turn at vying for the title of best host ever of the CCC potluck. Incidentally, Jed told me that the rest of the items in the column seemed plausible.

I look through the tide book on occasion to see on which days the holidays will fall. It gives me an idea of how wild, for instance, the Fourth of July celebration will be. This year the 4th is on a Saturday. That will make it at most a three-day weekend, which is the shortest of all possible scenarios. Some folks will get Friday off but I suspect that the majority of folks will be expected to be back at work Monday. That means that all of the partying has to be crammed into just two nights. The good news is that Sunday can be the rain date for the parade and fireworks. The bad news is that folks who get comfortable on the beach to get a close up view of the fireworks will find the incoming tide slowly but surely pushing them back into the beach grass where the ticks lie in wait. I like the fortune telling aspects of the tide book.

I relate the next bit of information not to depress your spirit but to urge you to action. The start of summer vacation is about 10 weeks away. And about 10 weeks later is Labor Day. It comes and goes so quickly. So my advice to you is to start doing things that will evoke a summer feeling right now. Go to The Trustees of Reservations website to order your oversand vehicle permits or membership cards. Then go to the Chappy Community Center website where you can sign up for tennis and sailing. Perhaps just filling out the forms will transport your soul to this world of sand and salt air.

The Edgartown Planning Board will take on the challenge of addressing the ferry waiting line issue at their meeting on Tuesday, May 5 at 5:30 p.m. The more brain power that we apply the more likely that we will find solutions. The notice of the public hearing reads, “The board seeks viable recommendations to improve the staging of vehicles traveling to Chappaquiddick. Interested parties are urged to comment and attend the hearing.” You can send comments by fax to 508-627-6173 or by email to planningboard@edgartown-ma.us . My experience has been that the solution to any problem is more likely to succeed if it impacts the fewest number of people possible. But at the outset the sky is the limit when it comes to brainstorming. If we go with the parking garage concept on the Daggett House lawn I’m going to need a little plaque crediting me with dreaming up the solution to a half-century-old issue.

The Edgartown Highway Department will begin working on the ferry point parking lot during the week of April 20. So give yourself a little more time to get to work, as you will be sharing the ferries with dump trucks. It remains to be seen how long the project will take. We’ll keep you posted.

The TTOR staff is taking their responsibilities seriously and exercising great caution when it comes to opening up the beach route between Chappy and the Vineyard to vehicle traffic. For the most part Norton Point and its connection at Wasque is substantial but susceptible to wash-over at high tide. The weak link in the route is the section of shoreline known as Leland Beach, the southernmost part of East Beach. That beach currently slopes steeply right from the edge of the beach grass. That is actually its normal wintertime condition. It should build up quickly though and soon you’ll be able to stay out to all hours.

For you folks stuck back on the mainland and wondering how spring is progressing here: the breeze is sometimes warm, green buds and sprouts are everywhere, the ocean water is turning green with life, the peepers are deafening and we’ve even had a few foggy days. See you soon!

Send your Chappy news to peter@chappyferry.net.