With the general category bluefin tuna fishery reopening for three short days, Paul MacDonald and his crew of Johnny Osmers and Tim Sauer on the Shearwater jumped at the opportunity to fuel up and head out of Menemsha on Halloween night. The brief reopening of the window to land one of these highly migratory open ocean predators was a challenge that the Shearwater team managed to conquer. The trio returned to the dock with a 109-inch seven-hundred-pound giant bluefin tuna. It was just the excitement that the trio needed to wrap up the season and end on a high note.

Speaking of Halloween excitement, I mentioned last week that I’d share a rundown of winners at the 60-something annual Chilmark Volunteer Firefighter’s Halloween party costume parade. Without further ado, thanks to the painstaking efforts of this year’s judges, Alicia Norbury and Bradley Carroll, the prizes, although difficult to award went to some kiddos decked out in creativity. The funniest costume was Gryphon Kurth wearing a Gary the snail costume. She is the sweet little babe of Katy (Maciel) and Ryan and baby sister to Latham.

There was a deadlock tie in the most creative category which went to Layowen Mayhew dressed as an apple with a worm and fourth grader Emmett Taylor portraying a very realistic message in a bottle. There was yet another tie in the scariest category shared by Zeb Athearn the killer clown and Hunter Broderick who was, as usual, something truly blood-curdling but I’m not certain of the exact title of his costume. Oddly enough there was a tie in the cutest category as well. Portraying the most wholesome angel was Finn Moriarty.

Sharing the cuteness spotlight was Clive Demers the two-month-old son of Dyan and John. He was dressed as an Atlantic puffin. The award for best overall costuming went to Razmus Ruel who ideally portrayed an Ewok–that’s a diminutive species of furry bipeds that appears in Star Wars. Cousin Asa Ruel received a prize for wearing the best representation of an occupation. He was decked out in very spiffy firefighter turn out gear.

The best group award went to the under the sea family comprised of almost two-year-old mermaid Mae Thompson, three and three-quarter-year-old mermaid Nell and parents Zoe and Simon. The fabulous all in the family prize went to one-year-old Liam Larsen and his folks Matthew and Holly. Liam is the sweet grandson of Fire Chief David Norton. Aki Weiner not only wore the tallest costume but represented the best homemade sporting a very noteworthy cylindrical pencil. Judges rounded out the evening awarding the best in show prize to Ryan Bodnar who, in her Radio Flyer red wagon was a mouse caught in a human-size mousetrap.

Yes, another grand Halloween get-together is under our belts. We were surrounded by ghouls, fairies, witches, warlocks, an assortment of animals, a collection of superheroes and so much more... Thank you to Meg, Dan, Clara, Zeb and Penny Athearn along with the rest of the Morning Glory gang for the pumpkins and cornstalks. Thank you to Julie Flanders for the hay bales. Thanks to all the mom and pop bakers and snack creators. Thank you to all of the folks around town who left a light on for our candy foragers. Thank you to the unnamed selfless individuals who helped make the one hour of whirlwind CCC partying a great success.

As always, thank you the Chilmark Volunteer Firefighter’s Association for sponsoring the event. If you care for your community and are in search of a way to show it, consider joining the fire department. Call Chief David Norton at 508-645-2550 or stop by the 10 a.m. Sunday morning radio check at the Crossroad station to see what volunteering is about.

After the Tasmanian Devil of Halloween craziness, I was very excited to hear that Jenna Zechner and Cody Coutinho have set a wedding date. Oct. 19, 2019, sounds like a ways off now but once all of the planning and preparing is in full swing, the day will arrive as if it were tomorrow. From what I gather, Jenna had a very productive ladies weekend where she said “yes to the dress” amidst the love and support of family and friends including Cody’s mother, Linda (Maida) Coutinho. The community is rallying with excitement for them and their Dalmatian pup, Piper.

Chilmark town news can be sent to squidrow@vineyard.net.