I know we can do things on our own, but what might happen if we do them together? In his last sermon, “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution,” Martin Luther King said, “Our world is a neighborhood. Through our scientific and technological genius, we have made this world a neighborhood, and yet we have not had the ethical commitment to make it a brotherhood.
“But somehow and in some way we’ve got to do this: We must all learn to live together as brothers, or we will all perish together as fools. “Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind.“ March 31, 1968, five days before his assassination in Memphis.
This past week my truck made troubling noises. It has almost 300,000 miles, and repairs are expected. I planned to take the bus from Vineyard Haven. The bus is free for the winter. It was cold. I hopped on a No. 3. I was the only passenger. The bus is much taller than my Baja; the windows are panoramic. Claudia, the driver, and I shared why we love the up-Island libraries, and the view refreshed me better than a power nap. Instead it felt like a mini-vacation. The No. 3 bus arrives an hour before the No. 4 departs for the North Road. I’d planned to spend the time at the West Tisbury library reading magazines I don’t subscribe to. Claudia taught me that the No. 3 changed to the No. 5, and continued on to Aquinnah. The No. 2 from Vineyard Haven becomes the 4. It was a pleasure walking the driveway home. I think I will plan to take the bus instead of the car at least once a week.
The Menemsha Fish Market is open again. Thank you to Stanley and Lynette and their crew.
My condolences to the friends and family of Roland Kluver. He had a gentle, radiant presence. I will miss his warm hellos.
It is delightful to note that the Chilmark Community Center summer camp has hired Susan Pimentel Adrien to be executive director.
North Tabor Farm’s hens are laying plenty of eggs. This week’s soup is French Onion with Gruyère. Soup arrives midafternoon Wednesday. Those who ordered dinners can pick up from 5 to 7 pm on Thursday.
The Grey Barn is offering a beef stew kit. You can order on its website. The kit includes a recipe card, three pounds of the barn’s stew meat, a quart of their beef bone broth, a bunch of their carrots and rosemary, and one of their crusty boules.
Improving your work is the focus Ron Slate brings to his Writing and Poetry series in person at Pathways, located in the Chilmark Tavern, or via Zoom. You can get the link at pathwaysmv.org. Ellen Burkett Morris, author of “Lost Girls,” is the guest this week, Jan. 30. Doors open at 7 pm, and the event starts at 7:30.
Friday night’s music is Loose Fit and John O’Toole. A multigenerational ensemble, collaborative project performing soul, blues — from the Stones to Dylan, to the Doors, Loose Fit features Sean Clark on bass, Martin Cummings on drums, Eric Lowe on lead guitar, and Paul Lazes on rhythm guitar and vocals. They meet weekly, and recently performed as Loose Fit at the Chilmark Potluck Jam, as well as a previous iteration at Pathways Arts as the group called Bob.
John O’Toole writes, “I spent the winter of 2003–04 sequestered in a Chilmark cottage (belonging to Jon Zeeman). Fueled by a cold, listless winter and steady supply of Quansoo homegrown, I undertook to develop singing as a craft rather than a loosely applied penchant. In doing so I selected 25 popular songs, based largely on what MIDI backing files I could download 20 years ago (some of which were entirely cheesy), and spent many hours through the winter endlessly repeating them many times a day; the same 25, starting over as soon as the last song was finished.
“I therein developed a sense of phrasing melodies and breath regulation, a conditioning of the physical elements used in singing a tune, which was new to me. With such repetition I personalized the songs, rendered them into my own performance style, a craft for which I am complimented in my regular performances today.”
I appreciate being a part of a neighborhood with a heart for the world.
If you have any Chilmark Town Column suggestions, email Claire Ganz, cganz@live.com.