Town Column : Chilmark
By Jacqueline Sexton
Published: January 22, 2009
As we survey the dreary weather on Monday morning - rain-soaked snow - we take heart that tomorrow, Barack Obama will be inaugurated President of the United States. Conversation around town is all about Mr. Obama and the hope he represents for a return, however rough, to sanity in government. Islanders here and there have made plans or are already on their way to Washington to be personally present at the historic swearing in, but we will be content to watch the inauguration on television at home, not as one sandwiched in among two million people.
School principal Diane Gandy's monthly newsletter, "The Bell Tower," reminds us that students will perform in "A Winter Concert" next week. She also reports that students in the 2/3 class will begin making music on the recorder next month. How many second and third graders know how to play the recorder?
Students will have their annual art show in the meeting room at the library in February. Don't miss it. The variety of media is impressive and so is the talent.
Ms. Gandy thanks Lisa Smiley and Travis Thurber in this month's newsletter for their volunteer help in the Windemere project.
The library is doing a yeoman's job of keeping movie addicts happy during this dicey, icy winter. Tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 23, at 7 pm they present with the Martha's Vineyard Film Festival "Snow Falling on Cedars" a story of love, honor and betrayal in the Pacific Northwest after World War II. The film, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, is free, and popcorn and drinks are included. Everyone is always welcome.
And next Wednesday, Jan. 28, from 12 noon to 2 pm is another in the hot chowder and a movie series. The chowder is provided by the Menemsha Fish Market. The Oscar-winning film, "Fortune Cookie," a 1966 classic, stars Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau in a comedy about an insurance scam. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, the event is free and open to all.
For those who are house-bound, the library is reviving a service practiced years ago when Chilmark was smaller and more manageable: delivering library materials to friends and neighbors who can't get out. Kathy Norton, who knew everyone in town and what they liked to read - remember sign-out slips? - would drop them off on her way home. In this more diverse and digital era, a loosely organized volunteer system headed by library trustee Norman Freed is looking forward to seeing that folks can keep on reading or watching movies, even if they don't drive. Call the library at 508-645-3360 and tell them what you would like and with any luck you'll soon have it.
The church would like feedback on its website and blog. Go to chilmarkchurch.org to comment, add events, or make suggestions.
