For me, the morning of September 11, 2001, is forever captured in the quiet interior of my car, caught at a crossroads right after I dropped my five-year-old daughter off at Vineyard Montessori School. As the unthinkable news broke, a magnetic instinct urged me to turn the car around. Like so many people that morning, I wanted to collapse the distance between my loved ones. Yet, in what was an act of restraint, I kept driving to work. It was a small way of keeping her world normal and peaceful for just a little while longer, even as everything else was changing.
Fast forward a quarter of a century, and that little girl has just celebrated her 30th birthday. The backdrop for this milestone was, once again per her request, Squid Row surrounded by a gathering of family and friends spanning the ages from 10-week-old Sophia Hollinger to loved ones in their 80s. Ellen, Tauras, Stuart and Chris wowed us with their music. Watching our friends and family revel in the simple opportunity to be together, I couldn’t help but reflect on the journey. Happy birthday Bradley.
Although I didn’t get an opportunity to lay eyes on her myself, Bella Thorpe was back in town for the long weekend. Among other things, she squeezed in celebrating her littlest cousin Owen Fielder’s second birthday. Bill and Olivia are the thoughtful parents to this remarkable guy.
Lisa Keene Kerns was also in town for the long weekend to celebrate a family wedding. Although I was lucky enough to grab a quick hello, her family had the treasured opportunity to grab more than that.
Sarah Levy and Eugene Langner ventured to their Prospect Hill home for a long weekend all by themselves. With both boys off at school (Josh in Vermont and Sam abroad in Korea) they had an opportunity to take walks, sit a spell and enjoy the bittersweet quiet. I’m glad to have had a moment to connect.
Happy 35th anniversary to Chris and Caleb Slater who now officially call Basin Road home. They packed up their belongings off-Island and started trickling them across over many months of ferry trips. They’ve settled in with Jane and are happily acclimating to the slower pace life in Chilmark.
I am excited to hear the Menemsha Store will be opening its doors this upcoming week with Liz and Kevin Oliver at the helm of this new chapter. Balancing back-to-school routines, which includes shuttling Hollis to the 7 a.m. boat, with stocking shelves and populating the POS system is no easy task. I think I can safely say, the Menemsha workforce looks forward to being neighbors, complimenting each other, supporting their business and serving the needs of our community in unison. Welcome back to the mix.
Adam Knight is an absolute force on the disc golf course, and his recent trip to the Greater Hartford Open proved exactly why. For someone who is 990-rated (I will admit I haven’t any idea what that means, but I know its good) he is sitting right on the doorstep of the sport’s elite, tearing up courses with precision. He put those skills on full display at Wickham Park, carding a blistering, 997-rated round of 1-under par to rocket seven spots up the leaderboard and show the field exactly what he’s made of. Go Adam.
Ronin Parsons has never had the opportunity to enjoy Chilmark in September. Having graduated high school and committing to taking a gap semester or, perhaps a year, has afforded his grandparents Connie and Bob Taylor a little extra time with him in town. He has registered to fish the Derby for the very first time much to cousin Zeb Athearn’s delight. Tight lines to you and to all who catch Derby fever. It kicks off Sunday, Sept. 13.
The town’s kids have officially survived their first few days of waking up with the sunrise, though local caffeine sales suggest the parents barely made it through. While the students are adjusting surprisingly well to the shock of uniform rules and actual math, the real test comes next week when I sort through their raw, unfiltered, informal interview data and share it with you. Stay tuned for the full scoop.
This article appears in September 11, 2026.