Aquinnah

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McKenzie Luce found the gold egg at the Duck Inn's annual hunt. — Photo by Elise LeBovit

Welcome Spring. It feels like you might really be here for real. I hope so. Lambs are being born, crocuses are up, bushes are budding, and I hear pinkletinks everywhere. It will be warm again, that’s what all those things mean. Maybe not until June, but it will be.

CLAMS went live at the Aquinnah Library this past Tuesday. If you have not yet signed up for it, come in and get your CLAMS card. There will be a kid’s dinner and a movie night at the Aquinnah Library tonight at 5 pm. The next one will be on April 18. The library will host a drop-in Earth Day craft on Saturday, April 20.

This Saturday, Martha’s Vineyard Community Services will host an Electronics Disposal Day Sponsored by Bruno’s from 9 am to 2 pm on the Campus of MVCS (111 Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road, across from the high school). Do a little spring cleaning and get rid of those old computers, calculators, transistor radios and whatever other outdated technology you’re holding on to. Fees between $1 and $30 (full price list available at mvcommunityservices.com/EDD). There is a 10 percent discount for car loads. If you have any questions please call 508-693-7900, ext. 229.

This Saturday the Chilmark School Fundraiser is finally happening! Come to the Chilmark Community Center at 7 pm for desserts and dancing to Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish. There will also be amazing things up for auction. Tickets, $15, can be purchased at the door or from any Chilmark School parent.

Deborah Mayhew asked me to pass along this information. There will be a Celebration of Life Memorial at the New Ag Hall in West Tisbury on Saturday, April 6 for her life partner, Todd Follansbee, who died last September. A Memorial service will start at 5 pm, followed by a potluck dinner. There will be live music by local bands The Stragglers and The Bodes. All are welcome to come celebrate Todd’s life with the Mayhew and Follansbee families. Email Deborah at drdeb@vineyard.net if you have any questions.Todd was a wonderful part of the community on the island, I remember him from Shakespeare for the Masses which he always made a point of attending.

The next Blood Pressure and Health Counseling Clinic will be held in the Town Hall in Aquinnah on Thursday, April 11, 2–3pm. Free and open to all Aquinnah residents. If you have any questions contact the Town Nurse, Mary E. McLaughlin, at 781-534-2543.

Nomination Papers are available today, Thursday, in the Town Clerk’s office. The deadline to return the papers with signatures is April 10 (next Wednesday) by 5 pm. Our Town Clerk, Carolyn, will be away starting this Friday. After Friday the papers will be available in the main office and may be returned with signatures to Adam Wilson. Nominations for what, you may ask? Well, after more than 20 years of service, Richard Skidmore is not seeking re-election for the Board of Health so that position will be vacant. Also, Giles Welch will not be seeking re-election for the position of Constable. A very big thank you goes out to both Richard and Giles for their service to the town of Aquinnah. If you are interested in running for these or any other positions, please come to Town Hall to get nomination papers. If you are not registered to vote and want to vote in the Senatorial Primary, special voter registration hours are Wednesday, April 10, 2–4 pm, and 7–8 pm at the Town Offices. Mail in voter registration forms are also available on the front table. The Primary is Tuesday, April 30. If you have any questions, call 508-645-2304.

I know there are no buds on the trees yet and we will still have some wintry days, but it’s not too early to think about summer, or, more specifically, what your kid is going to do while you are working 60 hours a week. Sassafras will be holding a Summer Day Camp for kids aged 6-14 in the month of July with a different theme. The camp is held Monday-Friday, 9 am to 3 pm. The best thing about this camp is that your kids are outside every day learning about their surroundings and making a deeper connection to our environment. The weekly themes are Adventure, Water, Music, and Survival. Sassafras will also host a Teen Weekend for ages 12 to 15, August 1–3. The camp is $275 per week with discounts for multiple weeks and siblings. There are some scholarships available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Sign up and mail your deposit by May 1 and receive a discount of $25 per week. Go to sassafrasmvy.org or call Saskia Vanderhoop at 508-645-2008.

The annual Duck Inn Easter Egg hunt was held this past Sunday and it was magnificent. The lawn was flooded with small children searching out eggs and gifts hidden all over the property. Many children and their parents were dressed in Easter finery and bright spring colors; you should have seen Waylon Sauer in his pink pants. The search was on for the gold, silver, and bronze eggs, which brought special prizes. This year there was also a ninja egg painted by Cassius Huff and a poem egg painted by a girl named Isabel that also brought prizes. McKenzie Luce found the gold egg, Olin Gannon found the silver, and the bronze was found after a persistent three hours of hunting by Cali Giglio and Aiyana Correia. This year’s hunt was dedicated to honorary golden egg, Richard Lee, Elise’s best friend who passed away last year. Richard always prepared the prize eggs; this year his widow, Claudia, and his son, Hudson, did. All the beautiful eggs in their finery were dedicated to Richard. All 700 of them! Thank you to all the amazing artists who decorated and the wonderful bunnies who hid them all over the property and to everyone who brought food. No kids cried and no ducks or flowers were harmed in the making of the hunt.