Chilmark

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Giggles, smiles, pretty dresses, button-down shirts, balloons, flowers, pizza, cake hugs and many phrases like “I’m so proud of you” will be seen and heard on the Chilmark School campus tomorrow. June 21 marks a right of passage for the Chilmark School fifth grade students. At 10 am the ceremony will begin that marks their transition from elementary school students to middle schoolers. Madia Bellebuono, Dashiell Christy, Owen Favreau, Kieran Karabees, Thea Keene, Adam Knight, Cary More-Straton, and Benjamin Taylor will proudly sit in front of an audience comprised of schoolmates, teachers, parents, educators, family and friends and prepare to embark on life’s next transitional phase. Each student has prepared a speech that will be shared along with that of Katy Smith who was this year’s PTO Scholarship recipient. After the ceremony and all it’s formality comes to an end, a pizza/potluck get-together for all those in attendance will round out with a very special graduation cake. That slice of cake will mark the completion of elementary school.

Sunday, June 23 will be the annual Blessing of the Fleet hosted by Pastor Seongmoon Ahn of the Chilmark Church. Pam Goff has been the diligent coordinator for the past three years. The service will commence at 9 am alongside Menemsha Texaco. In some places the Blessing is a weekend-long event. In other places it is steeped in Catholicism. Here in Chilmark, friends will gather along the harbor and speak of the season to come and how the community gathers together in their fishing and boating health, wishing one another a prosperous season.

Serendipity is a fun new band to take the stage with a whole bunch of familiar faces. Christine Box McLean, Janis Syslo, Merrily Fenner, Penny Huff, Chris Seidel, and Mark Mazer will be sure to keep your boogie on the dance floor with their great mix of musical selections. Their next gig is at the P-A Club on Friday June 28, 7–9 pm.

To Christian Carroll she is Granny. To Buffy she is Mom. To the rest of us she is Billie Hancock. Yes, Billie is back in town and ready to spend a little time catching up with friends and a lot of time with Christian. Billie can be pretty clever sometimes. This time, she managed to sneak into town a few days early to surprise her grandson. I’ll bet he was just, to use a Billie word, tickled.

Exciting news from the library — there is free tech help for patrons who need assistance navigating their online CLAMs account or learning how to download e-books and audio books to an Ipod, Kindle, Nook, smart phone, MP3 player or other electronic device. Technical librarian Miki Wolfe will be on loan from Oak Bluffs most Monday mornings over the summer. Call today and make an appointment with this tech-savvy librarian.

Townsfolk had a wonderful time at Jane Slater’s retirement party June 11 honoring her for 16 years as a library trustee. Her big surprise was the gift of a portrait of herself from artist Janis Langely. All who attended enjoyed delicious cake with berry filling, cookies, fruit punch, peach iced tea and other goodies. Thank you, Jane, for your true dedication.

The writing season will soon commence at the Chilmark Writing Workshop. The first Writing from the Heart Workshop with Nancy Aronie begins July 1. The weekly sessions run Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 12 noon. According to Nancy, all ages, all levels, and all hearts are welcome. Also, if you are desperate to have some guidance putting pen to paper but can’t find the funds, call Nancy. Local scholarships, both partial and full are available. In other Nancy News, she has been doing commentaries for NPR again. Didn’t catch her on the radio? Go to www.capeandislands.org, click on features and the commentaries. Nancy’s smiling face should appear.

Father’s Day has come and gone, but I thought I’d share this poem that I stumbled upon by Karen Boyer:

He never looks for praises

He’s never one to boast

He just goes on quietly working

For those he loves the most

His dreams are seldom spoken

His wants are very few

And most of the time his worries

Will go unspoken too

He’s there…. A firm foundation

Through all our storms of life

A sturdy hand to hold to

In times of stress and strife

A true friend we can turn to

When times are good or bad

One of our greatest blessings,

The man that we call Dad.