JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

Chilmark begins another year. The town seems to take the advance of years without much trauma. It survived 2012’s abuse of a hurricane, northeasters, the end of world threats, cliffhangers and big houses and promises to be here to do it all again. As the times change the town itself seems to remain more the same than different. The harbor gets a new dock that will look mostly like the old one, the scallops still come out of the pond, some years in a goodly supply, some not. The houses get bigger but dirt roads still lead to most of them. Three selectmen still run the town, as they have for over 100 years. And, every year, the ocean takes some of the south side away and adds some to the north shore.

The greater changes are in the people who join Chilmark in entering 2013. Chilmarkers today like warmer, larger houses, more than one auto, internet and cell phone access, locally-grown foods and, as always, protection from the advance of technology. All these observations are made without judgment. I just enjoy watching Chilmark and Chilmarkers advance through time!

The Chilmark library will offer something different this winter. The weekly Wednesday program will be offered at 11 a.m. beginning on Jan. 9. Dr. Wendy Chabot will present a five-week workshop series that will explore meditation techniques for good health. She is the owner of Vineyard Mind-Body Medicine. The workshop will be from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for five sessions with week one being the general introduction. The series is free and open to all. If you have questions or want more information, please call the library at 508-645-3360.

The library will also be showing free movies on Friday evenings at 7 p.m. This winter, they are offering a Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman festival. The first movie on Jan. 4 will be Spellbound. The movie on Jan. 11 will be Casablanca. There will be popcorn and fruit drinks for all and there is no charge. All are welcome.

People news is in short supply. We had our families for the annual Christmas and New Year festivities and I noticed others had more cars in their yards and lights on later at night so I assume many of you also shared the good times of the season.

Someone celebrated the New Year with some fireworks in town and some of us appreciated that they were set off at Chilmark midnight (9 p.m.) so that some of us who don’t stay up could see them! The town report for the end of 1912 tells us that the town real estate value was $270,349.00. There were 110 people voting in 1912, no women voted until 1920. Just a few facts to show you how much some things change. Happy New Year and much success to you all in the coming year!