Town Column : Chilmark
By Katie Carroll
Published: December 10, 2009
Josh and Angela will serve dinner for the last time this fall tomorrow and Saturday at the Menemsha Café. The cozy little haven will be open for breakfast and lunch through January 12, but the couple will take a well deserved respite until early spring. Josh mentioned he would, perhaps, be available for parties, so please give him a call to inquire.
The Mayhew and Shipway families are back from their Thanksgiving adventure to St. Maarten. Sarah, Charlie, Kira, and Tyler joined Ted and Judy for a long overdue family vacation. The entire family had a fabulous time, but Tyler is the one who reached a milestone. He returned to Chilmark as a swimmer. Congratulations, Ty.
Their adventure included a trip to a butterfly farm and to Turtle Pier where they saw monkeys, parrots, turtles, and a bunny. Other big news regarding Tyler is that he will be baptized at the Chilmark Church this Sunday at 9 am. Sarah's sister, Rebecca Mayhew, and husband Michael Hewitt will be the godparents. All are welcome to witness this big event.
The church folks have decided to plow through December with regular Tuesday night soup suppers -no rest for the weary and no breaks for holidays. The hope is that kids (Pam Goff calls them kids - I'll call them young adults) home from school/college will stop in to visit. After supper, TABOO will be added to the game repertoire, which always includes the ever popular Bananagrams. The Rev. Arlene Bodge will preach this Sunday.
Just before Thanksgiving, John Wightman hung his photography show at the Chilmark branch of Sovereign Bank. The Island Images Holiday Show will be up through this festive season. His show includes large and small framed images, images printed on watercolor paper, and a series of images printed on canvas. The show is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4 pm.
Plum Hill School's annual fundraiser, known as the Elves' Faire, will be held during the Christmas in Edgartown festivities this Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. It will be at the Federated Church Parish on Summer Street. The fair offers craft projects such as gingerbread houses, candle decorating, snow globes, and face painting. There will also be a puppet show, food, and a silent auction with a wide variety of generously donated unique items and services.
The library will host its Holiday Open House on December 16, from 5 to 7 pm, featuring food, swag making, kids' crafts, and music by the Vineyard Classic Brass Band. Stop by and join in the festivities and celebrate the season. Please help our neighbors in need by bringing a donation for the Island Food Pantry.
The Friends of the Chilmark Library is hosting its used book sale during library hours. From December 16 to 19, hard covers are $1 and paperbacks are $.25. From December 21 to 23, you may buy two for the price of one. From December 26 to 30, everything is free, free, free. Call the library at 508-645-3360 for details.
I am far behind on updating you all on the Chilmark School student of the week. Once, I jotted down the names, placed the paper in my pocket, and proceeded to launder it. Another time, I just plain misplaced it. And last week, I simply failed to write the names down altogether. My apologies to all of you kids, who deserve a moment to shine. Here we go. For the week of October 30, Tristan Scott, Liam McCarthy, and Pearl Vercruysse were top dogs. For the week of November 6, it was Finley Monahan, Kieran Karabees, and Chris Mayhew, who got their names plastered on the wall. November 13, Silas Abrams, Ben Taylor, and Maggie Mayhew had their moments of glory. November 20 spotlighted Kiera McCarthy, Madia Bellebuono, and Rachaya Lane. December 4 was the week to acknowledge Bella Thorpe, and sisters Thea and Adelaide Keene.
Speaking of kids in the spotlight, Santa will make his annual appearance at the Chilmark Community Center on Thursday, Dec. 17. The Firefighter's Association will host its party, steeped in tradition for yet another year. The party is for all children living in Chilmark through the age of fifth grade. If you think your child's name somehow missed Santa's list, please call me at 508-645-3638 to double check. His elves work very hard to reach out to all of the town's little kids, but we elves border on being human and may have missed someone.
This week's fire safety tip has to do with carbon monoxide. We should all have CO detectors on every floor of our home, including the basement. A detector should be located within 10 feet of each bedroom door, and there should be one near or over any attached garage. They are readily available at any hardware store. Thanks to Chief Norton for keeping our safety in mind.
