Aquinnah

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Hello September! We have been waiting for you. Welcome to (hopefully) summer-like days, with warm ocean water and less crowds. Traffic should be back to somewhat normal with the exception of the weekends. It’s time to catch up with friends who you haven’t seen all summer and relax a little. School will start up again on Monday, September 9, and this will add a little extra relief to overworked parents who have had no camp to send their kids to for the past three weeks. Between that and Chilmark Chocolates reopening that’s cause enough for me to rejoice.

The ninth Annual Aquinnah Wampanoag Powwow is this weekend up at the Circle on Saturday and Sunday. Gates open at 10 am, Grand Entry is Saturday at noon. There will be music and dancing, lots of traditional regalia and great food. This is a quintessential Aquinnah event not to be missed. I can’t think of a better way to welcome September in.

The Aquinnah Cultural Center will have a special guest presenter this Friday from 11 am to 4 pm, when Theresa Secord from the Penobscot Nation in Maine will demonstrate traditional basket weaving, using hand-gathered and processed white and brown ash splints. The demonstration is free with admission. On Saturday and Sunday, due to the Powwow the ACC will be closed, but they will have a booth at the Powwow all weekend. The ACC will reopen on Wednesday, September 11, when you can join Kerri Helme, Mashpee Wampanoag, who will present a traditional 17th-century Wampanoag Pottery Demonstration from 11 am to 4 pm. For those who would like to work with clay, Kerri will also show children of all ages how to make a pinch pot. There is a $10 crafting fee. For more information, please call the ACC at 508-645-7900 or email at aquinnahcc@gmail.com.

The library will start up their fall programming soon. Story time is on Thursdays at 3:30 pm and I’m sure Barbara will have plans for some movie nights and craft times soon.

The “Run for the Light” 10K road race will be held on Sunday, October 6. You can register for the race by going to gayheadlight.org. If you are not a runner but would still like to help with this event contact Martha Vanderhoop at 508-645-9364. There are many volunteer opportunities the day of the race. The Fundraising committee for the Gay Head Lighthouse needs volunteers to help with various ongoing money raising efforts. Are you down Island often enough to check on sales and inventory at designated stores that are selling the tee-shirts? Do you have a background in grant writing? Can you help represent the Save the Lighthouse Committee at upcoming Vineyard fundraising and social events? If you have the energy and would like to help those who are working diligently in raising enough money to move the beloved lighthouse, please contact Meg Bodnar at 508-221-2782.

The save the Gay Head Lighthouse Committee has already made great strides in the steps needed to move and restore the light. The building committee has identified three proposed sites and the geotechnical report is being advertised for completion in October. A lot of progress has been made so far, but more needs to be done. The Gay Head Light is special to all of us here, so whatever time and money you have to give to this project would be much appreciated. My husband and I were married at the lighthouse, so I’m considering running the race in my wedding dress.

Ron Isenstein and his wife Lisa visited Aquinnah over Labor Day weekend, the first time Lisa had ever been here, and Ron had not been since Hurricane Bob. I hope their weekend was not quite as dramatic as a hurricane but still fun.

Happy Birthday to Clyde Smith who turned nine on September 2!