This is the time of year that the butterfly weed, an orange bloom in the milkweed family, really takes off on Chappy. It seems to be a particularly good year for it. The edges of our field at Wasque Farm are covered in hundreds of blooms and have many monarchs dancing in and around the plants each morning.

We purposefully leave the fields unmowed until after the butterfly weed blooms to insure that we encourage a healthy habitat for the butterflies and other pollinators. Monarchs depend on plants in the milkweed family for survival. The monarch caterpillars feed solely on milkweed which makes them toxic to other predators, and other insects depend on butterfly weed for its nectar. It is best not to pick these plants, but instead enjoy their wild beauty in the fields.

There are so many wonderful events at the Chappy Community Center this summer. Be sure to check their website for upcoming happenings. We are lucky to have such a lovely building at the center of our little island, for both public and private events.

It is thanks to the work of a small group of individuals on Chappy in the 1980s that the community center exists today. As Martha Flanders recently recalled, in the early 1980s, there was no public gathering spot for the island. Instead groups met regularly to play volleyball at various homes on Chappy, including Wasque Farm and Whale Jaw. During these games the idea of a community center first began.

Then in 1987 the William H. Brine family set aside three acres of land to be used by a Chappy-based nonprofit. It was then that the Chappaquiddick Community Center, Inc., was formed, led by a committee with Alan Slater at the helm as president.

On May 18, 1988, the land was officially transferred to the CCC and construction began later that year. It was built over time over several years with community members lending a hand. Margaret Knight recalls helping with the shingling. Dick Knight and Bruce Macnally, the architect, oversaw design and construction.

Some of the earliest events hosted by the community center included a Halloween haunted house and contra dances.

Today the community center remains a focal point of the island. In the summer the building hosts ice cream socials, Tai Chi and yoga classes, lobster roll nights, a Chappy Farmer’s and Craft Market and concerts. Many play tennis and basketball at the courts across the street or attend sailing camp on the waters of Cape Pogue Bay. In the winter, the community center opens its doors for a twice-a-month potluck, as well as art nights hosted by Chappy resident Elizabeth Whelan.

The community center is funded entirely by membership fees and donations. To ensure that the CCC can continue their mission for many generations, the board has recently launched an endowment fund, held by the Permanent Endowment of Martha’s Vineyard (PEMV). The endowment goal is $1 million. Please consider making a donation today.

Remember that the household hazardous waste pickup will be July 20. You can save yourself a trip to the dump by bringing all your hazardous waste items to the community center between 7 and 8 a.m. that morning. Peter Wells will load it into his truck and make the trip for you.

Finally, congratulations to Camille and Jim Colontonio, who celebrated 50 years of marriage last weekend with a clambake on the beach. Cheers to you and your family.

Send Chappy news to slipawayfarm@gmail.com.