Summer is flying by, not just because a drone flew treeline-height over me and the dogs on Creek Hill Road in Menemsha, the homes, and people on their lawns before disappearing along the creek and heading down-Island. I stopped the other evening to let a small frog cross Tabor House Road, have enjoyed every sniff of honeysuckle, and am enjoying the bounty of our Island farms. The large hydrangeas along our home did not fare so well in last week’s flooding deluge. I hope they’ll dry out a bit and pop back to their full heights. If you did not take advantage of visiting two very special Chilmark gardens and three more in Edgartown open to the public through the Garden Conservancy, make sure to get on their mailing list for Open Days notifications; sorry to not have alerted everyone.
Welcome to the Rev. Charlotte Wright, who has moved up-Island from O.B. to settle herself into the parsonage and looks forward to life as the pastor of the Chilmark Community Church. Vineyard Sound performs on Tuesday evenings from 8 to 9 pm at the Chilmark Community Church. Also, Jane Norton offers yoga classes on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9:15 to 11 am through the end of August.
This week’s Pasture Road Softball report saw Hans Solmssen’s boys of thunder maul Sig van Raan’s team 14-6. A new concept was introduced, called “balls and strikes and mandated walks.” The game moved quickly as pitchers bore down, knowing the pressure was on. Jerry Murphy, stalwart player and former MVP, on the disabled list with recent knee surgery, made a pinch-hit appearance and stroked a solid hit to left field. Great also to see Ted Sattler show up with his son. Sophie Balaban, the team pinch-runner, scored numerous runs, mostly for the Solmssen team. All the while Bill Edison smoked his pipe as pop flies fell in for triples and Howie Hustle made another rare put-out at home plate. Here’s hoping some younger blood will join the fray and come out and play ball. All ages welcome, games begin by 8 am.
The Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival is showing Doug Liman’s “The Wall” at 7:30 pm on Saturday, July 15, and “Given,” a that film follows legendary surfers Aamion and Daize Goodwin as they and their two young children set out to fulfill a calling that spans generations, on Monday, July 17, at 5 pm, followed by “Frank Serpico” at 7:30 pm, all at the Chilmark Community Center. Stop by for dinner, music, and movies. Cinema Circus returns on Wednesday, July 19, at 5:30 pm, free for all ages. “I Am Not Your Negro” plays July 19 at 8 pm. For more information, see tmvff.org. The first Menemsha Beach screening is Thursday, July 20, at 8 pm; bring blankets and chairs and come see “Under an Arctic Sky.”
Christina Montoya will be teaching a Cuban Salsa Dance Class at the CCC, free and no partner necessary, on Friday, July 14, from 10:45 to 11:45 am; then head over to the Chilmark library for the noon screening of a 30-minute film she made about her “recent two-week immersion into Afro-Cuban dance in Havana,” followed by a Q and A. Come to one or both.
Bring a potluck dish, dessert, or something to drink, and join the community in thanking Joe Woodin for his service to the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and community on Saturday, July 15, from 4 to 6 pm at the Grange Hall in West Tisbury.
If you do not know know the Sargent Gallery in Aquinnah, you should head up to see a great selection of art, including “Force of Place: Oil and Water in North Dakota,” by summer resident and documentary filmmaker and photographer Valery Lyman, who spent the past four years living in a steel shipping container in the Bakken region of North Dakota. Join Ms. Lyman at the opening on Sunday, July 16, from 6 to 8 pm. Learn more at sargentgallery.org.
Join the Chilmark library for a discussion with Dr. David Foster about his new book, “A Meeting of Land and Sea: Nature and the Future of Martha’s Vineyard,” on Wednesday, July 19, at 5 pm. Foster is a faculty member in biology at Harvard University, and director of the 4,000-acre Harvard Forest. He also serves on the board of the Nature Conservancy and The Trustees of Reservations on Martha’s Vineyard. He has published numerous articles and books; this is his first book about the Vineyard. Stories and Songs continue on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 10:30 am.
Liz Oliver says Menemsha Market’s summer hours are 7 am to 9 pm daily, and they are now carrying Scottish Bakehouse freshly baked breakfast goodies, cookies, breads, salads, and sandwiches, besides iced coffee and almost anything you need. Beetlebung Farm Market is open daily from 11 am to 7 pm, closed Wednesdays (FYI, they have more than 20 varieties of lettuce). Menemsha Fish Market has added Lobster Mac ’n’ Cheese and a couple of other new items for this year’s takeout menu. Larsen’s and Menemsha Fish Market both offer daily specials, and you can always call ahead. If fried is what you crave, head to the Bite, and for a more extensive menu, try the Galley. The Home Port offers takeout from the Back Door, and even carhop service. The Beach Plum Inn is offering Pop-Up Dinners on most Wednesdays and Sundays; check their online calendar for themes, menus, and guest chefs at beachpluminn.com/popup-dinners/. And of course the Chilmark Tavern not only serves dinner seven nights a week from 5:30, they’re happy to prepare anything for takeout or harbor delivery as well. Remember Chilmark is still B.Y.O.B.
The Yard presents Beth Gill’s performance on Thursday, July 13, at 8 pm and Saturday, July 15, at 6:30 pm; Camille A. Brown and Dancers performing on Friday, July 14, at 8 pm; and Paul Taylor 2 Company performing at the PAC on Monday, July 17, at 7 pm. Tickets available online at dancetheyard.org, or call 508-645-9662. Check the website for morning dance classes and daily yoga classes.
Have a great week.
