Town Column : Chilmark
By Jacqueline Sexton
Published: September 11, 2008
Here we are on 9/11 again, perhaps on another bright, sunny, and auspicious morning, and we pause for a moment to remember the horror and the lives lost in the attacks on the Twin Towers.
Be sure to come to the special town meeting on Monday, Sept. 22 to cast your vote for or against the town buying the Home Port property. If we vote for the town to buy it, are we voting, ipso facto, for the plan to tear down the building and replace it with a public park? Or is that a separate issue? Hasn't the rush to demolish old buildings in the name of progress destroyed enough Island history?
Principal Diane Gandy, who has the gift of optimism, is looking forward as she always does in September to another school year of accomplishments by her 39 students. And she's happy to have Susan Larsen back as a teacher's assistant for grades four and five. Ms. Larsen is the only new face on the teaching staff this year. Changes in the curriculum include an emphasis on theater, and Donna Swift will give theater workshops through December, instead of teaching Spanish. Ms. Gandy reports that all was calm and peaceful on the first day of school. The 4/5 students left Sunday for the annual sailing outing aboard the Shenandoah, neatly dodging hurricanes, and were expected back by the end of the week. There are 15 students in the pre-school this year.
A reminder that the reception for State Representative Eric Turkington, who is retiring after 20 years of service to Dukes County, is next Sunday, Sept. 21, from 4 to 6 pm at the Agricultural Hall in West Tisbury. Everyone is invited and asked to bring an hors d'oeuvre.
More knitting, etc. news from Anna Marie D'Addarie: The Fabric Folks will meet at the Agricultural Hall this Sunday, Sept. 14, from 1 to 4 pm. Bring any handcraft project - embroidery, spinning, rug hooking or knitting. No instructions are given but there's friendly advice if you ask for it. The group meets the second Sunday of every month from September to May. Any questions, call Ms. D'Addarie at 508-274-9696
Aficionados of blood and gore mysteries with convoluted investigations will be happy to hear that Tom Dresser will talk about his new book, "Mystery on the Vineyard - Politics, Passion and Scandal," at the library next Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 5:30 pm. He recounts the grisly details of the rape and murder of a 72-year-old visitor to the Vineyard back in the days before DNA testing made identifying the perpetrator easier. It's an old Vineyard story shrouded in mystery, and Mr. Dresser has been researching it for several years. He has written five booklets on other Vineyard haunts. The event is sponsored by the Friends of the Library and is free and open to everyone.
The Planning Board has started work on updating the town master plan and will mail a questionnaire this week to all voters and property owners. The survey will try to identify areas of interest and concern to Chilmarkers, and the board asks that you mail it back as quickly as possible. All responses are anonymous. If you do not receive a questionnaire or if you have questions, please call Christina Soulagnet, Planning Board administrative assistant, at 508-645-2104. The Planning Board will post results on the town's website.
