Well, the thunderstorms have certainly rolled in with a bang. Power outages, fried Internet connections, cooked cable televisions, loss of small appliances and new televisons were the results. A couple of cars were knocked out of commission at a home off South Road early last week. With the lightning strike at the town hall, some computer loss was the result. But mixed in there alongside the flashes and the booms have been beautiful beach-bound days and brilliant sunsets worthy of a postcard.
Owen Singer has been king fisherman of the Menemsha jetty. He has reeled in stripers with some size this week, putting food on the dinner table for many. It’s nice to see a 13-year-old running down the dock to the filet table with a fish half his size.
According to my ever-faithful sports commentator, Bill Edison, the heat and humidity couldn’t keep the Sunday softball players from a double-header. Ziggy van Raan reported that the coolest place is the catcher’s position which he claimed after pitching a near shutout while striking out home run hitter Junior Farrell. Ed Strong cheerfully chimed there were more women than ever flocking to these ritual games at Flanders Field and Bill piped in from his box seats to bring them on.
Champery, Switzerland at the Mountain Bike World Cup is where Mike Broderick and Mary McConneloug have been. Mike finished in 42nd place in the elite men’s cross-country event, only 11 minutes behind the leader of the pack. Mary finished in 11th place, only five minutes behind the winning spot. The duo will continue on to race in New York and then the Worlds in Canada. Friends and family are so proud.
Thanks to Suzanne Modigliani for reminding us that the annual summer meeting with selectmen will be held at Community Center on August 9 at 7 pm. The date was set after the Center schedule was published, so let’s do our best to spread the word.
The Chilmark Volunteer Fireman’s Association presents their annual Back Yard Bash fundraiser on Wednesday, Aug. 4, from 5 to 8 pm at the Community Center field. Live music, food, and raffles highlight the activities.
Cultural anthropologist and University of Chicago professor Richard Shweder will examine the scientific and moral challenge of accurately representing the cultural practices of resident minority groups on Wednesday, Aug. 4, at 5:30 pm at the Chilmark Public Library.
Chilmark native Conrad Neumann will present a program titled “The Romance of Oceanography: Science, Scenery and Poetry” at the Chilmark Public Library on Thursday, Aug. 5, from 5 to 6 pm. Conrad spends his summers in Chilmark, and in the winter lives in Chapel Hill, N. C., where he taught geology and oceanography at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill for many years. He is Professor Emeritus at UNC Department of Marine Sciences. The free lecture is sponsored by the Friends of the Chilmark Public Library. Conrad is a regular fixture in Menemsha along with his bride Jane.
The library is shouting out to all teens and reminding them that the deadline for the Elisa Brickner Memorial Poetry Contest is Monday, Aug. 9, at 5 pm. Contestants from grades 6 to 12 may enter one original poem. The winners will not only receive a cash prize but will read their piece at a ceremony on August 16. Please call Kristen at the library for details 508-645-3360.
Judy and Ted Mayhew had as their guests last weekend, Freda Peters and Ernest Cobb from Brookfield, Conn. They came to help celebrate Ted’s 70th birthday at the newly renovated Rod and Gun Club in Edgartown. Freda and Ernest originally met Ted and Judy in St. Maarten about 25 years ago and enjoy their visit together every year. They had fun connecting with many of Judy and Ted’s friends that they met in St. Maarten and Florida over the past few years. Congratulations on your milestone, Ted. You don’t look a day over 69. Every once in a while I must dish it out to the disher.
Bill, Kim, Torey, Alex, and Gus Chapdelaine are in from Chicago to help celebrate Margot Rothmann’s birthday. The family friends are visiting for a week to visit, celebrate, and enjoy the sunshine.
Happy birthday to Maggie Nixon, Kalib Abrams, Don Smith, and Elijah Feiner.
Big thanks go out to John from North Carolina who scooped my seven-year-old cousin, Sam, out of the waves that were trying to eat him up in Gay Head. John was here visiting with long-time friend Clark Goff. After the excitement was over, Clark and I had a wonderful chat and we all had some quality interaction with not-quite-two-year-old Ian Goff who generously shared his bucket and shovel. Sam was here with his brother, Jack, and his mom, Jennifer, visiting us from Dallas. My Aunt Wendy was also visiting from New Hampshire.
Celia, Chris, and Caleb Slater have been here visiting with Herb and Jane Slater of Menemsha. Putting around the pond, lobstering, and sunset strolls have managed to consume their visit. They will head home this week and prepare Celia for an adventure at overnight camp.
