Chilmark faced a tough few minutes on Saturday when a sportfishing boat caught fire just outside the jetties. Our harbor master Dennis Jason, a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard service, and his assistant, Glenn DeBlase, went to the rescue and were soon joined by the U.S. Coast Guard Menemsha and some private boaters. All went well in that the people on board were rescued and the fire contained to the one boat, Shark Bite of Onset. The boat was beached on Lobsterville Beach and the Aquinnah firefighters used foam to extinguish the fire. The boat was in Menemsha with the Point Independence Yacht Club who were making their annual weekend visit. Chilmark is grateful to all who worked to save lives and protect us. We all regret the loss of the boat and equipment suffered by the owner.

We were reminded this week just how perilous life on our beautiful surrounding ocean can be.

Chilmark joins the rest of the Island in mourning the untimely death of popular fisherman Luke Gurney, who was lost off his boat, No Regrets, while fishing off the coast of Nantucket. We send condolences to all family and friends who will miss him.

Tom Ruimerman and Janet Wiedner were happy to have Janet’s sister Pat McCloskey and her husband, Kevin, visiting from New York city. They were joined by their son, Matt, his wife, Melissa, and their baby, Teddy, who enjoyed his first Vineyard visit.

Bill and Loraine Kirkland are back at their summer home on D.H.’s Hill for the first visit in two years. They are happy to report that health problems are under control and they are enjoying life in their new home in Alabama. Since we saw them last, Bill’s son William and his wife, of Panama, have produced twins, a boy and a girl who are keeping the Kirklands busy with many photos on their phones.

Jay and Maureen Kelley of Tewksbury have been vacationing this week at the Morgan cottage off Basin Road, a location they have come back to for a number of years now finding it the best spot for them on Martha’s Vineyard.

Mary McCormick of North Andover and her daughter Kate, of Quincy, opened their home on Chowder Kettle Lane this week. Seth and Cheryl McCormick of Ashville, N.C. will come with children Freya and Aubry for a summer vacation at the cottage.

Happy birthday wishes go to a couple of Chilmarkers who are moving through new decades: Frank Fenner on June 23, Harriette Otteson on June 21, and Chris Slater on June 19. I only send public greetings to card-carrying AARP members.

Zee Gamson is back from a trip to the San Francisco area. She visited with her son Josh, his husband, Richard Knight, and their daughters Reba and Maddy. While there, she visited other friends and family and enjoyed a luncheon with friend Kitty Skiar at Berkeley restaurant Chez Panisse, created by Alice Waters.

The Vineyard Conservation Society will hold its annual meeting of the board and membership on Wednesday, June 29 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Vineyard Haven Library. The meeting will include a presentation of Island Photography by Neal Rantoul, who is a lifelong summer resident of Chilmark. He is recently retired from 30 years as head of the Northeastern University photography program.

Paul Iantosca sends word that on Sunday, June 26, the first of the summer Chilmark softball games will be played. All are invited to come and play at 8 a.m. or just watch and cheer the others on. A second game will be played at approximately 9:15 a.m. for all who did not play in the first game. The games will be played on all Sunday mornings through the summer. Please contact Paul at 617-543-0777, 617-522-2421, or iantosca@comcast.net if you wish to be put on the email list.

The Chilmark library’s Wednesday program on June 29 will be a book talk by author Mache Seibel M.D. The title of the book is: The Estrogen Window: The Breakthrough Guide to Being Healthy. The program begins at 5 p.m.

The Chilmark Church is selling their popular lobster rolls to go at the church on Tuesdays from 4:30 to 7 p.m. or when they run out . . . whichever comes first!

Send Chilmark news to slaterjn@comcast.net.