Chilmark: Tartan Day

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I enjoy the Wednesday morning welcome crew at Allen Farm when I pick up their fresh egg donation for the Island Food Pantry. - Valerie Sonnenthal

Well, I finally succumbed to a dreaded bug, had a 102° temperature, so missed not only playing with David Stanwood on Saturday as well as his Sunday pianopalooza, but dancing at Pathways, the Chilmark School fundraiser, the last day to shop for 30 percent off at Cronig’s, and I won’t go on. The one bright moment in the throes of being sick was the return of my youngest son, who had been doing Spanish immersion in Guatemala. At 21, he’ll be going to college next year, and is off to visit his final choices this week. Many have asked about his shoemaking, and he has said he will always make shoes, but learned working alone in a basement was not for him.

Before getting sick and the weekend storms, I enjoyed watching an otter sunbathing on a rock in the pond opposite Lucy Vincent. Hopefully we’ll all be enjoying warmer weather, the beach, and more outdoor time with each April day. I was sad to see how much clay eroded into the ocean over last weekend’s storm. Thanks, Alison Ostreicher, for pointing this out and taking such interesting photos. I have enjoyed picking eggs up on Wednesday mornings from the Allen Farm for the Food Pantry, and even savored the gift of fresh eggs from a neighbor. The Island Food Pantry will be closing on Good Friday, so if you’ve meant to donate, you can still drop off donations at our library.

I wish to extend belated birthday wishes to Rhoda Diamond, who celebrated her 96th birthday at Josh Aronie’s Food Truck in Menemsha on Thursday, March 30, with her good friends. Happily, her son John Diamond came from California to share the weekend with her. Rhoda first visited the Island in 1950, and has been a Chilmark resident since 1993.

This week at Pathways, enjoy Music on Friday, April 7, with Godfrey Muwulya sharing songs and dances from East Africa, Elijiah Berlow’s fingerpicking Piedmont style, and singer/songwriter Harrison Kissiel on piano and guitar. Doors open at 6:30 and music begins at 7 pm. On Saturday, April 8, join Native Earth Teaching Farm’s Rebecca Gilbert for an Indigo Natural Dye Workshop from noon to 4 pm, and learn to grow, process, and dye indigo. You will leave with a packet of seeds and a silk handkerchief. Feel free to bring a small article for dipping. Cost is $75 (includes all materials), and space is limited, so reserve your place by calling 508-645-9098.

Head to the Chilmark library on Saturday, April 8, to celebrate Tartan Day from 1 to 3 pm. The Scottish Society of Martha’s Vineyard will help host a bagpipe procession, Scottish music and dance, kids’ crafts, a display of Scottish memorabilia, kilts and shawls galore, a talk about the meaning of Tartan Day around the world, and the fourth annual Shortbread Contest, and you can help pick a winner. A three-part architecture lecture series kicks off on Wednesday, April 12, from 5 to 6:30 pm with Frederick Noyes’s talk, “A Transition: Martha’s Vineyard and Mid-Century Modern Architecture.” Noyes, a Vineyard summer resident since 1954, is the son of renowned architect Eliot Noyes, who built the first of four modern summer houses on the Island. Noyes, a Harvard-trained architect, grew up under the influence of his father’s architect and design contemporaries, the so-called “Harvard Five,” and has worked on more than 20 Vineyard projects. He will look back at the Vineyard of the mid-1950s and show how his father’s houses, now classics, reflect the Island’s transition during that time. Future dates are April 26 and May 10. Refreshments will be served. Admission is free. The program is sponsored by the Friends of the Chilmark Public Library. Please call 508-645-3360 for more information. Remember, Stories and Songs continues on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 10:30 am.

It’s the last Chilmark Potluck Jam of the season, this Saturday, April 8 from 6 pm on. Bring a dish to share and enjoy all our great local talent. Thank you Alex Karalekas and all the volunteers who always make this a special night.

Here’s a few not-to-miss dates to mark on your calendars: Our town meeting will be held on Monday, April 24, at 7:30 pm; town elections will be held on Wednesday, April 26, from noon to 8 pm; and the 39th Women’s Symposium will be held on Saturday, April 29, from 9 am to noon.

Have a great week.