Chilmark knows how to throw a party. The large crowd that attended the Meet the Fleet festivities last Thursday will agree. There was music, visits, tours, food and T-shirts. What more could we want? One highlight of the day was the presence in our harbor of the fishing boat Roann, now property of Mystic Seaport but once a familiar fishing boat in Vineyard waters. We were able to tour the boat and appreciate the efforts that Mystic has made to restore this classic boat. Everyone enjoyed it all. The fishermen hosted visits aboard their boats and the U.S. Coast Guard invited us aboard two of their vessels. There were draggers, lobster boats, conch fishermen and much more to visit and to learn about. We thank the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust for their work and their ingenuity in planning and presenting the wonderful affair. You may support the fund by going to mvfishermenspreservationtrust.org and making a contribution.

Chilmark welcomes President and Mrs. Obama and their family and hope that their Chilmark vacation will be refreshing and fun for all. Whatever one’s politics I think it is possible that we who live in Chilmark can be proud that the leader of the free world chooses to spend his leisure time within our borders.

The annual Chilmark Road Race went off with great success. The weather was perfect for a morning run and the crowds were managed with skill by the experienced staff. Congratulations to all who ran.

It is the time of year when our college-bound students collect themselves and head off to their school life again. This year, Ellie Amsden of Poughkeepsie, a third generation summer resident of Ocean View Farm Road, will head for Hobart William Smith College. The Fabrikant, Dallos and Amsden family wish her good luck and much happiness in her adventure.

We all send happy birthday wishes to Marjorie Good of Woodbury and Chilmark as she celebrates her 98th birthday on August 30. We are happy she is in Chilmark to enjoy her special day.

The Chilmark Historical Commission invites us all to the library’s Wednesday program at 5 p.m. when Adam Moore, director of Sheriff’s Meadow, will tell us about the advances made to date in the restoration of the Mayhew-Hancock-Mitchell house at Quansoo Farm. Much work has been done to restore the old house to such condition that it will be safe in all weather and allow us to study the evolution of Chilmark’s houses. He will have pictures to show and we are invited to join him on Thursday morning for a tour of the house. We will carpool from the Chilmark town hall parking lot at 9:30 a.m.

I am happy to have received some additional information of interest about the pretty schooner Columbia that visited Menemsha this summer. It is Brian D’Isernia who owns the schooner. He is well known in Menemsha and has friends here. He had the Columbia built in steel to replicate the original fishing and racing schooner. This Columbia was built in Essex at the Arthur D. Story shipyard. Brian will be remembered for the days in the 1960s and early 1970s when he owned the swordfishing boats, Captain Fritz, run by Dagbard Larsen and Key Largo, run by Louis Larsen. We wish him much pleasure with his new Columbia. Thanks to Russell Cleary for the details.

Believe it or not, the Chilmark Community Center will close on August 20, that day being the last for the playschool program and the summer program.

The Chilmark Church continues to sell lobster rolls at the church on Tuesdays from 4:30 to 7 p.m. They are popular and getting there early is always good advice.

The church also invites you to the twice-weekly flea markets on North Road, hours 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The final sale will be Sept. 5.

Send Chilmark news to slaterjn@comcast.net.