JANE N. SLATER
508-645-3378
Chilmark is so quiet! Some of us are enjoying the silence . . . along with the beautiful harvest moon and the cleansing high tides that go with that moon.
There is a lot that is newsworthy and most of it starts at town hall. On Oct. 18 at the selectmen’s meeting they will review the findings of the legal advisors as to what our options are in dealing with the Tea Lane Farm. The public is welcome to all selectmen’s meetings. The meeting will start at 7:30 p.m. at town hall.
There will be a joint meeting of the Chilmark historical commission with the planning board and the harbor advisory committee invited to attend and contribute to the review of the U.S. Coast Guard plans for the new boathouse to be built next year.
We send condolences to the family and friends of Dr. Edwin Salzman who died on Oct. 3. The Salzman family have been seasonal residents of Chilmark for many years. He had a distinguished career in medicine that will live after him and he had a second life in his love of sailing. He had many friends in both areas of his life, all of whom will greatly miss him.
Recently, the U.S. Post Office published a set of stamps dedicated to the U.S. Merchant Marine. One of the four ships pictured is a Liberty ship. There is a special connection between Chilmark and Liberty ships that I thought you might enjoy reviewing with me.
Three young men attended the Menemsha School together back in the early 1900s and were taught to sail in Menemsha Pond by Allan Flanders (of the yellow house in Quitsa). They were Fred Huntington, Stanley Poole and Clifton Parker. All three chose careers that took them to sea. Fred Huntington, after shipping on a United Fruit vessel for several years, attended MIT, the School of Naval Architecture, and was eventually asked to design a ship for the government that could be built in large numbers and at low cost. His design was called the Liberty ship and the first one was named Patrick Henry. Fred headed the design workshop that eventually built 2,700 Liberty ships. Fred and Clifton reunited in Portland, Ore., during the war. Clifton Parker had gone on to earn his captain’s papers for the seven seas. His wartime work was the moving of the Liberty ships from point of construction to sites of completion.
Fred was reunited with his other Menemsha school classmate, Stanley Poole, in the 1940s when both men found themselves involved in the sea trials of the government’s newly designed PT boat.
So there you have a Chilmark sea story involving three lifelong Chilmarkers whose love of the sea contributed significantly to the World War II effort and ultimately, victory. You might remember their efforts when you purchase the stamps at the post office.
We thank Nancy Nitchie, daughter of Fred Huntington, for contributing this interesting bit of history. Please feel free to point out any inconsistencies and we will include corrections in following columns.
Please remember that Tuesday night means pizza and games at the Chilmark Community Church. Call Julie Flanders if you are a newcomer to the evenings’ festivities so there will be pizza for all!
The Chilmark Democrats will meet at the town hall on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 10 to noon. All interested voters are welcome.
The 28th meeting of the Women’s Symposium will be on Oct. 22 from 9 to noon at the Chilmark Community Center. There will be four speakers and refreshments. Discussions will follow the speakers. Donations are welcome to cover the expenses of this popular women’s event.
The Chilmark library will host part four of the U.S. premiere of the BBC documentary, Sissinghurst, on Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 5:30 p.m. The public is welcome at no cost. The Friends of the Chilmark Library are happy to bring us this unique event.
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