Chilmark was saddened this week to learn of the death of Daniel Mayhew, who left us on Sunday last. He was the son of the late Paul and Priscilla Mayhew of Chilmark and brother of Paul Henry Mayhew. Dan was born on the Vineyard on Sept. 8, 1945. He attended Island schools and served in Viet Nam in the Seabees on two tours of duty in the 1960s. He later worked as a civilian at the South Weymouth Air Station. He and Ethel Judith Dunham were married during that time and lived in Scituate. The family soon moved to the Island and made West Tisbury their home. Judy predeceased him by only eight weeks. There are five children who survive them, Mark, Jean and Pattyann Crowley of Massachusetts, Paula Mayhew Haynes who lives on Cape Cod and Daniel P. Mayhew of the Vineyard. His grandchildren are Alyssa and Christopher Mayhew and Jessica and Nathaniel Haynes all of West Tisbury. He will also be missed by his nephew Jon Robert Mayhew, grand nephew, Paul Jeffers-Mayhew of Aquinnah, and his grand niece Emma E. Mayhew of West Tisbury. Dan, or Danny, as he was called by many who knew him from childhood, will be missed by many friends and family. We send condolences to all.

The Chilmark Community Church will celebrate the annual Blessing of the Fleet on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. The service begins at 9 a.m. in the parking lot next to the Menemsha Texaco building. All are welcome at no cost and the children are made part of the event, to their delight. It is a most enjoyable annual event with music and refreshment and a reading of the list of Menemsha boats.

Frank LoRusso is constructing a home in High Meadow off Old Farm Road for his daughter and her husband, Jennifer and Joel Glickman. They are expecting the arrival of a team of Amish barnraisers this week who will put up a post and beam barn for the couple. It is always fun to watch the Amish work and Frank invites us to drop by and enjoy the activities. They expect approximately eight men who plan to complete the structure in one week.

The Women’s Symposium will meet on May 23 at the Chilmark community center from 9 a.m. to noon. There will be speakers, discussions and refreshments. Donations are welcome to cover costs. All women are welcome and it is wise to get there early!

Will Fielder is back in uniform with the Chilmark Police Department for the summer months. New this year is Andrew Downs, son of Susan Stone and grandson of Eve and the late Charles Stone of West Tisbury.

Don and Nancy Mae Hurley are at their Quitsa home for a spring visit from their year-round home in Lloyd’s Harbor, N.Y.

All the businesses in Menemsha are now open for business. Spring hours are still common so best to call ahead for times.

Preparations are ready for the annual Chilmark Community Church Flea Market on North Road. Ann Deitrich, Katy Upson and Annette Anthony have been working on details and are ready for the first sale on June 24. The flea market will run on Saturdays and Wednesdays through Sept. 2.

Judy Mayhew and Emily Broderick are preparing for the beginning of the annual weekly lobster roll sale at Chimark Community Church starting June 16 and continuing through Sept. 8. The ladies are attending the safe food handling course this week.

The Federated Church in Edgartown sends us word that their restored meeting house will be open to the public for viewing from May 25 to Oct. 12. The meeting house was built in 1828 and is of interest both as a building and for the history of churches on the Vineyard.

Chilmark beaches will be staffed as of June 1 and stickers will be required for Lucy Vincent and Squibnocket. Stickers will be for sale at town hall from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every day beginning June 1.

Danny Hirschhorn and his fiancé, Parker Merrow, are in from Los Angeles for a visit with Danny’s parents, Harvey and Jackie Hirschhorn in Chilmark. Danny and Parker met on Martha’s Vineyard four years ago and now plan a 2016 wedding in Los Angeles with a party planned for July 2016 on Martha’s Vineyard.

Bread and Puppets will be performing at the Chilmark Community Center on May 27. The program begins at 6 p.m. and is open to the public.

Please note that my deadline for your news items has moved to Monday afternoon. I hope to hear about the graduations coming up and the early summer activities. Emails or phone calls will find me.

Send your Chilmark news to slaterjn@comcast.net.