Chilmark

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Now that you’ve all heard that the Carrolls had the flu, let me tell you the story…wait, wait, ah-choo. It started on a Friday with Marshall saying he needed a nap. A nap? I thought, oh snap, that man doesn’t nap. Sniffles, sneezes, fever and chills, too. Oh, my, yes, it must be the flu. We quarantined his ailing body and I served him like Harry Potter’s little Dobby. The doctor checked in and confirmed the fact that his insides were under attack. Two days later Brooks and I joined in the dread of blankets and covers piled high on the bed. We, too, had succumbed, to an illness that makes you feel, well, like chum. Drink lots of fluids and dine on this brew for the medicine will help you get rid of that flu. We referred to Bradley as Typhoid Mary as she, somehow, managed to evade an illness that’s scary. Throw an ear infection and maybe a touch of pneumonia in for good measure, this illness was not what I call a treasure. Each day goes by with a few less aches: we’re almost better for goodness sake. Back among the land of the living, my heart has a lot of thanks to start giving.

Among others, a heartfelt thank-you and debt of gratitude to: Jeffrey Zack, Patricia Bacon, Julie Flanders, Hillary Noyes-Keene, Carl Crocker, Molly Glasgow, Tim Carroll, Scott and Jennifer Frank, Deanna Withers, and my dear, dear daughter, Bradley Carroll.

Okay, enough about me, Saturday night, Feb. 8, is the night we’ve all been gearing up for. The Chilmark School PTO and Outing Program’s “Rockin’ away the Winter Blues” with Johnny Hoy & the Bluefish.  The CCC doors will open at 7 pm. For just $15, you can join your friends and neighbors to dance the night away, nibble on tasty desserts, and bid on some awesome auction items. Cordwood, a yoga party, catered chef’s dinner, artwork, a sunset cruise on a Hinckley picnic boat, gift certificates for oil changes, breakfast, dinner, eggs, livestock (yes, livestock) and more.

The second in a series of four community lunches at the Chilmark School took place last Friday. Local pork tacos made with meat from the Grey Barn and Farm was served with lime sour cream, salsa, cheese, and guacamole. Salad with sprouts from Robin Smith and Eleanor Neubert’s K/1 class’s Island Grown School’s activity with mom and farmer Meg Athearn were mixed with greens donated by IGI from Thimble Farm. The salad was topped with local feta and yogurt dressing from Allen Healy and Caitlin Jones’s Mermaid Farm. Also on the menu was cabbage, beet and carrot slaw from Morning Glory Farm vegetables. To round out the tasty lunch, an apple cranberry crisp was served as a sweet treat for dessert. Parent volunteers who helped prep, set up, and clean up included chefs Robert Lionette and Kendra Buresch, Meg Higgins, Caroline Flanders, Johna McVey, Lindsey Scott, Patricia Bacon, Julie Flanders, Meg Athearn, Hillary Noyes-Keene, and Sarah Davis along with darling daughter Mira. The school children and staff were joined at the luncheon by Reagan Wilda, Sarah McKay, Pam and Nat Benjamin, Matthew D’Andrea, Janet Weidner, Lindsay Miner, Amy Tierney, Phil Campbell, Superintendent of Schools Jim Weiss, and Claire LeFavre. The reviews following the meal included comments like: I wish I could have thirds; that was awesome; that was delicious and when is the next meal?

In other school news, the fifth grade students will return tomorrow after a five-day adventure to Carrabassett Valley, Maine. Yes, this week Brooks Carroll, Noah Glasgow, Menasha Leport, Keira McCarthy, Fynn Monahan, Imogen Taylor, and Bella Thorpe are swooshing and snowplowing their way down Sugarloaf Mountain. This trip is one of the highlights of the Chilmark School’s outing program. We all know learning has no limits and education can certainly be found outside the classroom. The seven students were joined by teacher Becky Barca-Tinus, school nurse Janice Brown, and parents Marshall Carroll, Julie Flanders, Eric Glasgow, and Nancy Leport. Their trip encompasses everything from skiing to school work, friendship to teamwork, and an overall well-rounded life experience. How lucky they are to live it. How lucky we are as a community to give them the ability.