Chilmark

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Whoa Nellie, this town is a hoppin’ place. Parties, concerts, Derby fever, anniversaries, birthdays…and the list goes on.

First of all, well wishes to Silas Abrams who took a tumble after school on Friday and broke his arm. He was a real trooper. The EMTs splinted him up and off he went with his dad to the ER. He’s all casted up and will be good as new quicker that you can count to ten. In the meantime, get those markers ready for some fancy decorating.

Happy 51st anniversary to Judy and Ted Mayhew. Yes, more than half a century has passed and this pair is still smiling and running their lives with team work.

This year’s American Heroes Saltwater Challenge kicked off on Sunday with the arrival of an armada of six planes carrying recovering heroes, their caretakers and military escorts. All guests are graciously hosted by the Nixon family and the Beach Plum Inn. Guests and a collection of other contributors have spent this week fishing the Derby by sea and by land, touring the Island, dining on local fare and taking in the magnificent sunsets our neck of the woods has to offer. For many, fishing is a first. For at least one young man from Iowa, seeing the ocean is a first. The group was treated to a welcome dinner at the Beach Plum and gift bags with goodies from local shops and beautifully written letters from all of the children at the Chilmark School. Thank you for protecting our country was the main theme of the letters, but a few offered decent fishing advice. Apparently you can win the Derby if you use a Deadly Dick lure.

Bob Nixon is working with National Geographic to document the event. You may see a few camera crews around. Speaking of camera crews, did anyone catch a glimpse of the helicopter filming for Larry David’s HBO movie? It buzzed the jetty on Saturday which just so happened to be the $500 albacore day. The jetty has been the hotspot for albacore, so who knows what the rotor wash did to the fish.

Also in Menemsha on Saturday was the antique motorcycle rally. A gathering of friends with cool bikes got together to talk shop on a gorgeous afternoon. Dennis Jason led the pack with his BSA (Birmingham Small Arms).

Sunday we had the battle of the bands so to speak. On the beach was a small stage and amplified Recycle Concert. Folks brought their still useable small electronics to donate and enjoyed a free concert. Adam Lipsky and Friends, Melanie Sroka w/ Earth Fire and Love, Alex Karalekas, Philly D and more belted out the tunes which echoed up and over the dunes and across the harbor. Certainly not a typical day in September. To top it off, Brad Tucker, known for his lead spot in island favorite band Ballyhoo, set up behind the Texaco for a little impromptu sing-a-long with his Nashville buddies.

Station Menemsha welcomes Buddy, the new station dog who just this week travelled from Rhode Island to join the men and women who call that white house on the hill home. He will be a welcome addition to the team.

The Karlinsky clan — Sarah, Seth, Andrew, Matthew, Nate, and Abby — ventured to the Big E. Although happy to be home they had a fantastic time playing, eating, exploring, and having some good old-fashioned family time.

Lost. A green soft-sided tackle bag belonging to 11-year-old Quinn Keefe was left on the dock by the Texaco Sunday evening. It is a prized possession containing his entire collection of tackle. Please, if you know of its whereabouts drop it by the Texaco and we will see that it is returned. This young Derby fisherman would be eternally grateful.