Chilmark certainly noticed that it was well represented on the front page of last week’s Gazette! Congratulations to our popular couple of 65 years, Jim and Roberta Morgan. I hope you had time to read Chilmarker Mollie Doyle’s enjoyable profile of the Morgans. It set the scene for the Meet the Fleet day scheduled for Thursday at the harbor. We look forward to hearing tales from Jim on that occasion as he always remembers an appropriate story for every event.

Chilmark also sends condolences to the many family members and devoted friends of Jerome Kohlberg Jr. who died last week. He was, for many years, a Chilmark seasonal resident, and many of his extended family still live in Chilmark. Jerry was, among many other things, a regular at the Chilmark softball games on Sundays. In recent years, he was my boss … the proud owner of the Vineyard Gazette. His words of encouragement and quiet confidence were always appreciated. We send wishes of peace to all the family and please know that he will be missed in many ways.

As always, August overwhelms us and we miss many of the things that are going on around us.

Chilmark sends many good wishes to Charles and Lucille Plotz, seasonal residents of Flanders Lane for the past 47 years, who will be celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary on August 8. Their 16 descendants will be on the Vineyard for the festivities. Dr. Plotz is one of the founders of rheumatology and immunology and is a professor emeritus of medicine at the State University of New York Department of Medicine in Brooklyn. Lucille is a botanist who spent her career at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. They are popular and well-regarded members of the summer community and we are happy to share their wonderful milestone. Cheers from us all!

Sue Larsen, of the Dukes County Sheriff’s Office, sends out a sincere thank you to everyone in Menemsha for their support and assistance with mooring the sheriff’s boat in the harbor while Dean Bragonier’s swim was being accomplished around the Island. The swim, to raise awareness for dyslexia, required that the boat be kept on the south side of the Island, thus, keeping it in Menemsha. Those folks thanked include Liz Lytle of the YMCA, the Chilmark Police Department, the crew at Menemsha Texaco, Katie and Marshall Carroll and John and Steve Larsen for permission to use their docks.

Susan Kluver of Middle Road sends word that the Friends of Middle Road will have their annual meeting on August 14 at Watermill Farm, 55 Middle Road, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The group has been meeting since 1990 with an interest in preserving and protecting the rural quality of Middle Road. All interested people are invited to attend and refreshments will be served.

Stephen and Cathy Seward and their sons, Jake and Ben, are here from Telluride, Colo. visiting Steve’s parents and extended family. His dad is Doug Seward of West Tisbury and his mother is Marie Mercer of Chilmark. The family is staying in the family cottage on Larsen Lane.

Christina Neumann has come from Portland, Ore. for a two-week visit with Conrad and Jane Neumann. Her husband, Jonathan, remains in Portland recovering from a recent hip replacement surgery. He is doing well and already walking with some ease. Their son, Elijah, has come east with his mother and they join his sister, Semona, who has been working at the Galley this summer.

Marjorie Good of Woodbury is at her Basin Road house for some of August.

All reports of the book festival are very positive and it has been another successful effort by Suellen Lazarus and her many helpers.

I am happy to report that the Tabor House Road parking lot is being used by more beach goers and sunset viewers each week. There is a published schedule of the #4 and the #12 buses and trips are frequent. Check it out.

The Chilmark library reminds junior high and senior high school students that August 10 is the deadline for entering poems in this year’s Brickner contest. Please contact the library at 508-645-3360 for more details.

Rick Shweder, Chilmark resident and the William Claude Reavis Distinguished Service Professor of human development at the University of Chicago, who has an extensive resume of accomplishments in his field, will speak at the Chilmark library on August 7 at 5 p.m. His talk is entitled The Equality Difference Paradox: Is Cultural Diversity Compatible with Economic Equality? Rick is a popular speaker and good attendance at his lectures is anticipated. Early is better.

Please note that the Chilmark Road Race is Saturday on Middle Road ending at Beetlebung Corner. Traffic will be diverted and delayed for a few minutes while the runners come to the finish line. Years of experience have taught those in charge to manage things in an efficient manner.

Send Chilmark news to slaterjn@comcast.net.