On Sept. 6, the Wednesday after Labor Day, the United States Coast Guard will perform safety inspections on both Chappaquiddick ferryboats. The inspections begin at 9:30 a.m. and continue at least until noon. Each boat will be required to demonstrate a person-overboard rescue and a fire drill. All safety gear aboard the vessels will be examined. These inspections are intentionally carried out while the vessels are afloat. During this period of time only one ferryboat will be operating, so expect delays and please plan accordingly.

Remember also that beginning on Sunday, Oct. 15, the longer of the two ferries will be out of service for Coast Guard hull inspection and maintenance for a minimum of 12 weeks. Only the shorter of the two ferries will be in operation during that time. The vessels take turns being hauled out at Packer Marine every two years. This year it will be the On Time 3. Both we and the Coast Guard go over the hull and machinery with a fine-toothed comb anticipating any possible problems that could develop during the next two years and performing preventive maintenance.

The final summertime event at the Chappy Community Center will be a performance by Ben Yarmalinsky on Saturday, Sept. 2 from 7 to 8 p.m. Ben is a classically trained composer and guitarist. He has composed operas, musical theater pieces and a documentary-opera. Admission is free, donations accepted.

Other activities extend into September at the CCC. Yoga classes continue through the 7th, Tai Chi through the 15th. The grand finale Mahjong games will be played on Labor Day from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Pot luck suppers will recommence on Wednesday the 20th. You can have the coveted honor of being the first host by calling Lynn at 508-627-8222 to sign up.

The pair of ospreys occupying the Capt. Bob Gilkes memorial nest at the Gardner property near the ferry point have successfully raised a youngster who is nearly as big as its parents. They are ambitious nest builders, though it bugs me that there are a couple of vines or something hanging down beneath the nest, making it look a bit messy. They are also very attentive parents in feeding their chick with a continuous airlift of fresh sushi. A lot of scup have been treated to an aerial view of Edgartown Harbor just before they met their demise.

The permitting process regarding a permanent cell tower on Chappaquiddick continues with both the Edgartown planning board and Martha’s Vineyard Commission. All hearings are advertised and open to the public. By next spring the issues surrounding parking at the point will hopefully be ironed out. We are a community of greatly varied points of view. Given our inevitable increase in population, we will always have important issues to deal with. Often the first challenge is to define the problem. In other instances, it’s all too clear, as in when you get a parking ticket.

Send Chappy news to peterchappyferry@gmail.com.