Margaret Knight>

508 627-8894

(margaret02539@yahoo.com)

Everyone on Chappaquiddick is invited to the annual Christmas Eve Dinner at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at the community center, whether you celebrate Christmas or not. This dinner started as a party at Joe and Mary Cressy’s many years ago; they made lots of delicious food and served everyone who was around at this time of year. When the numbers grew too big for their living room, the party was moved to the community center. More hosts were added, and now it’s more of an organized potluck, with donations by many Chappaquiddickers. We’ll have clam chowder, turkey, ham and lamb, and mashed potatoes and salad. Anyone can bring a dessert or an appetizer. Bring your guests; all are welcome.

On Saturday, Dec. 20 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., Lily will hold a candle decorating open-studio at the community center. She’ll provide the materials, including candles and the thin colored beeswax you can cut and press onto the candles in whatever patterns and shapes you can think of. The smell of the beeswax makes it especially nice to work with. Costs are $15 for adults and $10 for children (for ages 8 and up).

Some people have started doing yoga on Mondays at 5 p.m. in the community center library. Anyone is welcome, and it’s free (donations for heat).

There are more 2009 Chappaquiddick calendars available. This is the third year for this community center fund-raiser, and the calendar photos show the beauty of Chappy in all seasons. You can download an order form from the Web site, chappycc@verizon.net, or call me at 508-627-8894. They are $15 plus tax and postage.

The Intergenerational Program between the Chilmark School and Windemere Nursing and Rehabilitation has also put together a calendar. Second and third graders have been visiting Windemere “buddies” for four years. Windemere received a grant from the Permanent Endowment Fund for students to purchase cameras, with which they took pictures to share their lives with their Windemere buddies. The calendar has pictures of the students with their buddies as well as photographs taken by the students over the last four years. They are for sale at the Chilmark School, Windemere Recreation Department, Chilmark Chocolates and Peacecraft.

Peter and Sally gave the ferry drivers, their families, and the crew working on On Time II repairs a dinner at the community center this past Monday night. Sally has an extensive linen collection, which she brought out for the occasion. With four tables pushed together, covered with white table clothes, and with candles and nice china, it was an unusually elegant look for the community center. And Jack Livingston made a delicious dinner.

Work continues daily on the On Time II in dry dock in Vineyard Haven. The rudders, that went off to be fitted with new tillers, are back, and there’s a new propeller shaft. The hull is fiberglassed and painted, and the deck is almost all fiberglassed. This boat has had a complete makeover, and should be looking really glamorous by the time it arrives back on the job. It’s too late in the season for the III to be dry-docked when the II returns, so Peter may do that in February or March if the weather is good.

The weight limits on the ferry will be changing as of the New Year, in hopes the boats will last longer. The weight limit on dual rear axle trucks will go from 38,000 pounds to 35,000. For cement trucks, that will mean a reduction of three-quarters of a ton of cement per trip. For single rear axle trucks, the weight limit will go from 32,000 to 30,000.

Shirley Dewing told me that when she was crossing on the ferry recently, there was a harbor seal swimming along next to the ferry.

Many people attended the Community Preservation Committee hearing for bike path study funds. Peter said it was a typical meeting of Chappaquiddickers — lots of arguing, and people polarized on the issues. He said good points were brought up — nothing they hadn’t thought about — and that the committee is still open to hearing lots of ideas. The town meeting will have the final vote on the funds.