Town Column : Chilmark
By Katie Carroll
Published: June 4, 2009
The cub scouts of Martha's Vineyard trotted alongside their scaled-down versions of Old West chuck wagons at the annual Chuck Wagon Derby held this past weekend at Camp Greenough in Yarmouth Port. Solon and Kevin Oliver report that 15 boys from the Vineyard headed off to join the approximately 500 scouts participating in this two-day event. The boys worked as teams pulling their wagon between 13 various stations, competing at such things as fire safety and tool working. The weekend was all about teamwork, sportsmanship, and having a good time.
Both Vineyard teams won awards for being the best at a particular station. Kevin invites parents and boys entering first through fifth grades this fall to join him and the other members of the M.V. cub scouts at their annual sign-up and information session, June 23 from 6:30 to 8 pm at the Oak Bluffs Fire Station. Saturday June 27, the boys and their families will host a potluck and cookout welcome party for all returning cub scouts and those boys who will be new members. The party is from 12 noon to 3 pm at Camp Duarte located behind the "tennis bubble." Please call Kevin at 508-645-2730 for further information.
Emma and Bob Shalhope have returned to their Menemsha home from Norman, Oklahoma. I shared my welcome-back hugs with them and look forward to catching up and hearing about how much their grandchildren have grown since last summer.
Nancy Aronie's Chilmark Writing Workshops begin for the summer season on June 29. They run weekly Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 12 noon. On the front of Nancy's book, "Writing from the Heart," which has gone into its seventh printing, award-winning author Wally Lamb is quoted as saying, "I loved 'Writing from the Heart' for its warmth, its wit, and its celebration of the ups, downs, and unexpected swerves of the writing journey." Call Nancy at 508-645-9085 with any questions.
Nell Fields is preaching at the Chilmark Community Church this Sunday, the 7th, at 9 am. She is chaplain and director of The Hope Project at Westborough State Hospital. Please remember that pizza/game night will soon be coming to an end for the summer. But, for the moment, don't forget 6 pm is when the fun starts. Pizza is provided along with many rounds of Bananagrams and perhaps soccer and whiffle ball on the lawn. Please contact Julie Flanders for further information at 508-645-3723.
Tuesdays will soon turn into the evening to purchase fresh lobster rolls and picnic on the lawn as the Vineyard Sound, a group of collegiate a cappella singers, serenade from within the Chilmark Church. Tuesday nights will surely continue to be a fun evening during the week on the Cross Road. Stay tuned - I should have all of the details in order for next week.
The Chilmark School Garden has come together beautifully. Through their two-month hiking challenge, students have raised $547.35 to finance their project. The fences are up, the gates are in place, irrigation is added and families are signing up to tend to the area for blocks of time throughout the summer. Many thanks go out to the Klaren, Noyes-Keene, Rich, and Bellebuono families for finishing up the loose ends. At latest report, the weeks of June 29, August 17, August 31, and that of September 7 are still open and in need of garden caregivers. Not too much time is required, so please call Holly at 508-645-2956 if you are willing to donate a few hours.
