JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

Congratulations to Mitchell Posin and Clarissa Allen on being the recipients of the Island Creative Living Award at ceremonies last week. We are proud of our Chilmark farmers. Did you know that Chilmark has at least five farm stands open for business this summer? You can buy most of what you need for a meal without going out of town. How is that for beating the gasoline prices? The Allen Farm on South Road is open from noon to 5 p.m. daily and is selling pork, lamb and beef this month. Mermaid Farm on Middle Road, run by Caitlin Jones and Allen Healy, is selling organically grown tomatoes, herbs and flowers and Allen is milking now so there may be other treats available. Marie Fischer Scott is selling herbs and greens and flowers at her stand at Beetlebung Corner and on North Road there is the North Tabor Farm run by Rebecca Miller and Matt Dix. They offer eggs as well as herbs and greens. Finally, there is the Native Earth Teaching Farm on North Road that sells eggs and greens and more. If you have a stand and I didn’t mention you, please call and tell us what you sell and where. Chilmark has had farms from the earliest days and it is good to see that the traditions carry on.

The annual Chilmark Road Race was on Saturday and we wish to congratulate all who ran — everyone is a winner who is willing to try it!

The Red Bandana folks are friends and classmates who were running to remember, honor and raise money for a fund in honor of Welles Crowther. Welles was the son of Jeff and Alison Crowther who lost his life at the World Trade Center on 9/11. Welles was a hero of the horrific day and was seen by survivors wearing the red bandana across his face as he assisted many to safety. He was also the grandson of the late Bosley and Florence Crowther. Many in Chilmark know the family as they were homeowners and seasonal residents for many years.

Congratulations to Stefan Mendez-Diez and Robin Scutinya who became engaged this summer while on vacation in Israel. Stefan proposed to his fellow graduate student at the Western Wall in that country and she accepted. He is the son of Jackie Mendez-Diez of North Road. The couple will continue their graduate studies, Stefan at the University of Maryland and Robin at New York University. They plan a Chilmark visit later this month.

We send condolences to the family and friends of Michael Kortchmar who died on July 14 in Southold, N.Y., where he made his home. He was a well respected restorer of wooden boats. Michael and his family spent many summers in Chilmark while he and his brother, Danny, were growing up. He is remembered here by many who will miss him.

Welcome back to the yacht, Relamar, always a part of August in Menemsha.

David and Betty Lazarus have come from Urbana, Ill., for their annual visit to their Middle Road home.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health wants to make sure folks are aware of the need to protect themselves from tick bites at this season of the year. Tularemia is also an illness most often contracted during the summer. There is a checklist of precautions one can take available at town hall or from the board of health. You might want to visit the Web site at mass.gov/dph.

Bill Vincent and his daughter, Katie, of Niskayuna, N.Y., are at the Vincent house on South Road for an August visit. They have as their guests, Jonathan McKillan and his mother, Julie Westfall both of Colonie, N.Y. Josie Dinouo joined them for one week. David Humphrey and Gwen Delong of Glenville, N.Y., visited last weekend. This weekend they will entertain Erica Loniewshi of Clifton Park, N.Y. and Shawn Shipmen and Jeremy Clark of Colonie, N.Y.

The children of the late David H. Dawson and Ann F. Dawson of Chadd’s Ford, Pa., gathered at their family’s Blacksmith Valley homes for a reunion and to celebrate the 40th wedding anniversary of David and Ginnie Parker Dawson, who are in from Cleveland. The Rev. Michael and Marie Denkmann Dawson are here from Claremont, Calif., and Drew and Betsy Dawson Moore of Wilmington, Del., were joined by Chris and Marianne Dawson Viceconte and their daughter, Clarire, here for her first Vineyard visit. Jeffrey Dawson of New York city and Emily Dawson of Morriston, Fla., complete the gathering. The family has been coming to Chilmark since 1950.

Dr. Steven Mayhew and his wife, Gerri, of Cambridge, Kan., came east to attend a medical conference in Falmouth this week and spent a day visiting with Steven’s dad, Elmore Mayhew and his family in Chilmark.

Don and Susan Luce of Downingtown, Pa., are vacationing at the Luce home on Chowder Kettle Lane and enjoying visits from their daughter, Jennifer of Wilmington, Delaware and their son, Thomas and his fiancée Anna Dominick of Phoenixville, Pa.

Programs for children continue at the Chilmark Library. There will be a book launching party for Kate Feiffer’s new book President Pennybaker on Saturday, August 16 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Wednesday series will present a program called Dillon’s Yarns: Songs and ballads about Vineyard characters from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. It is a family show for all ages.

Author Michael Fauntroy will speak on Thursday at 5 p.m. on the subject of Republicans and the black vote.

It will be another busy week at the community center. Be sure to check out their schedules. The chamber music concert will be there on Tuesday night, August 12. Daniel Robb will speak on August 14 at 8 p.m. about restoring his family sloop, the Daphie.

The Chilmark column was inadvertently omitted from the Gazette last Friday and therefore is published here in the Tuesday edition. The column will appear again in its usual spot in the Gazette this coming Friday.