Town Column : Chilmark
Chief Steve Barr of Coast Guard Rescue Boat Station Menemsha called to say that he and all the Coast Guard families here were "overwhelmed" by the outpouring of every conceivable kind of holiday treat that Chilmark residents brought to help them celebrate the holidays: Turkeys, hams, casseroles, scallops, oysters, salads, cakes, cookies, chocolates, and many other delicious dishes. Chief Barr thanks everyone and adds, "In all the years of my career, I've never seen so much generosity."
Thomas Bena e-mails that his Martha's Vineyard International Film Festival will move into their "first real office" in February. It's upstairs above the Cornerway Restaurant, and he invites everyone to stop by with "ideas, suggestions, or just to say hello." He is busy planning the 8th annual MVIFF on March 14 to 16. He points out that last Friday's New York Times reviewed "The Business of Being Born," the M.V. festival's opening night film last summer and is happy to note that "we're ahead of the Times."
It's beginning to seem as though everyone in Chilmark is falling down and breaking something - all without benefit of snowy or icy terrain, enjoying hospital stays, or having automobile mishaps. Ethel Sherman fell while going into the church last Sunday and "did something" to her shoulder and is awaiting a diagnosis. Norman Freed is at home recuperating from a bout with pneumonia in the hospital. We wish all of you speedy recoveries. And walk carefully!
The next men's breakfast club meeting will be held on Saturday, Feb. 2 at 8:30 am in the fellowship room at the church. The discussion topic will be "Life on the Sea - Navy men, Sea men and the Merchant Marine." The men's breakfast group is an idea that seems to have caught on. About 27 men from all over the Island were in attendance at the January breakfast, which was a feast of pancakes, scrambled eggs, toast, juice, coffee and tea. Boaters, boat builders and fishermen entertained their audience with tales of their specialties. Greg Mayhew talked about harpooning, Dick Brown and Phil Dieterrich showed off the catboat they built, Ed Rodgers held forth on kit building. Later, they all watched "Striker's Passing," Jeremy Mayhew's award-winning film.
The Friends of the Library and librarian Ebba Hierta are planning something different for their next program on Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 5:30 pm. Certified dog trainer Karen Ogden will discuss the science of dog behaviors and suggest techniques pet owners can use at home to narrow what she calls the "communication gap" between humans and their pets, which will be followed by a live demonstration of dog training using her K9 search and rescue dogs.
Ms. Ogden is the dog trainer for the Dukes County Search and Rescue team and a founding member of the Massachusetts Search and Rescue K9. She offers training services for all ages and breeds. The program is free and open to the public. Dog owners, however, are asked to leave their dogs at home.
In her January issue of The Bell Tower, school principal Dianne Gandy thanks West Tisbury school librarian Stephanie Dreyer and Donna of Edgartown for the math literacy books they ordered with a grant. The books have enhanced math learning for students and made it more comprehensible for beginners. All the students in Elizabeth Stratton's Spanish classes are getting bilingual by leaps and bounds. K-1 students will be performing their song at the Spanish play in late February; and are speaking in Spanish, in full sentences while the 2/3 and 4/5 students are reading chapter books in both English and Spanish. Ole!
Ms. Gandy also thanks photographer Betsy Corsiglia for working with students and sharing her photographic expertise. And the school thanks Nan Doty for all her years of guiding students to a better understanding of energy conservation.
Students are practicing now for the mandated standardized testing coming up in March and April.
