We send condolences to the Vincent family on the recent death of Priscilla Vincent, wife of Bill Vincent and mother of Katie, all of Schenectady and Chilmark. The family is gathered this week at the family home on South Road for the internment at Abel’s Hill Cemetery at 2 p.m. today, Friday, Nov. 30.
Chilmarkers can save gasoline and shop in town this holiday season. Many shops will remain open weekends. The kickoff for the holiday shopping will be a flea market at the community center on Dec. 8 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Coco Adams asks all vendors of crafts and handmade items to come out and sell their holiday wares. There will be antiques and attic treasures, too. Ethel Sherman will be there with her favored jellies and jams. Please call Coco at 508-645-3414 for details.
Many Chilmarkers took advantage of the all-Island flu shot clinic this past Monday even though the present weather pattern shows little signs of the flu season arriving any time soon. Let’s hope we are all set for a sniffle-free winter. The event went very smoothly, at least when we were there midday. Thanks to all the volunteers.
Chilmark survived the big blow on Saturday. Our roadsides still have trees with colorful fall foliage although there are fewer trees in some places. A number of trees and limbs of trees blew down, mostly, along North Road. Work crews cleaned everything up quickly and no routes were blocked.
The storm was a long one with blowing sand at Menemsha and torn leaves were everywhere. Most Chilmark folk took it all in stride.
Chilmark still boasts mild weather and sunshine into November. In our hearts, however, we know this is the month that always changes things. Better get the last of those bulbs in and any outside chores done soon. The changing leaves were pretty on all the roadsides but there seem to be many trees still green.
Chilmark celebrated the last holiday weekend of the summer with enthusiasm. There were picnics and parties at the beach all through days and evenings and all the events scheduled around town were well-attended. Now to try and catch up with all the chores that we have left undone during the busy summer.
All of Chilmark was saddened to learn of the death last Saturday of longtime Menemsha fisherman Lenny Jason. He came to Menemsha many years ago as a fisherman from New Bedford. He liked Chilmark and soon moved his young family to property here where he built his home and many sincere and lifelong friendships.
Chilmark enjoyed another sunny and mild week with room on the roads for the fishermen who are still searching for the right spot to catch a winner. If you were looking up this past Monday in Menemsha you could have watched 10 turkey buzzards riding some thermals over the creek, and out over the beach you could have seen the young bald eagle also circling and soaring.
I have had an off-Island adventure since I wrote last and I am happy to be back in Chilmark. I made some observations on my three-day jaunt that I will share with you. First, the ticket-less ticket program on the ferry only required three pieces of paper — isn’t that one more than the old ticket system required? Oh, well. I noticed that the mainland is also dry and parched in spots and that the traffic there hasn’t let up as it has in Chilmark.
Fall may officially arrive Sunday but travelers are still visiting Chilmark . . . this time the Monarch butterflies. Have you noticed that they are increasing in number as they gather for their annual trip south?
Congratulations to Bob and Carol Merry who greeted a new grandson, Charles Tomas Koenig, born on Sept. 10 in Duxbury. Charles weighed in at 9 pounds, 10 ounces. He is the first child of Jessica Merry and Matt Koenig.
