Aquinnah

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Is it really the last week in September? Wasn’t I just complaining about August? Driving down Old County Road I saw one tree whose leaves had changed. It’s the only one on the Island that I’ve seen, but still, fall is here, although the weather this past week was very summery. Time to start stacking the woodpile, planning Halloween costumes, and picking out winter projects.

Things may be winding down here in Aquinnah, but the Aquinnah Cultural Center is still going strong. On Friday from 11 am to 3 pm, Randy Jardin will display his collection of stone artifacts from the Island and discuss the importance of developing an awareness of any land as being archaeologically sensitive and historically significant. The discussion, titled In the Footsteps of the Ancestors, is free with museum admission.

On Saturday from 11 am to 3 pm, Janette Vanderhoop will be back for the popular sailors’ valentines talk. Learn their history and their relationship to the whaling industry and then make your own, for a $10 craft fee.

On Wednesday, Sept. 29, Linda Coombs will demonstrate several styles of Native American beadwork, including appliqué, loom work, peyote stitch, and bead weaving. There will be a display of beaded earrings, bracelets, medallions, necklaces, and more. You can call the Center at 508-645-7900 for information on all of these programs.

On Tuesday, Sept. 28, ACE-MV will hold a course sampling fair at the high school from 5:30 to 7 pm. Teachers will be on hand to discuss the 37 classes that will be offered this session, which starts on October 2. You can register at the fair, or on Wednesday, Sept. 29, from 5:30 to 7 pm in the high school lobby, or online at acemv.org.

Winter in Aquinnah is the perfect time and place to write or develop a new project, and the Martha’s Vineyard Cultural Council can help you with funding. The council is part of the statewide Massachusetts Cultural Council, which will grant close to $30,000 to eligible grantees. If you want to learn more you should attend their grant-writing workshop on Wednesday, Sept. 29, at 6 pm at the Howes House in West Tisbury (across from Alley’s General Store). You can ask any question you have about the process; there are also information packets available at Town Hall and the library. The deadline for grant applications is October 15.

The library will host a story time and crafts hour on Tuesday, Oct. 5, and Tuesday, Oct. 19, at 4 pm.

Jan Buhrman is teaching a cheese-making workshop on American Artisan cheeses on Monday, Oct. 4, from 9 am to 1pm. The class costs $75.

And there were some birthdays last week, Ona Ignacio-Cameron turned I’m not sure how old but she looks about 29, so let’s just go with that. Chip Vanderhoop turned 50 and his wife, Elaine, put together a fabulous photo album on Facebook celebrating Chip and their life together. And lastly Clyde Smith celebrated his 6th birthday with a party on Philbin.

Lexi and Arlen Roth performed at Chilmark Tavern last week, and it was wonderful to see this father and daughter duo in action. I had never seen either of them perform. Arlen is a great guitar player with a lot of style, and Lexi has a smooth, lush voice that complements her dad’s playing nicely.