Aquinnah to hold annual Fourth of July parade

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School is finally out and summer is officially here. The Island feels full already; even up-Island seems crowded. I don’t want to spend the summer complaining about traffic, but I have seen some things lately that have me concerned and drive me to respond with muttered swear words as I drive. Please, drivers: don’t pass bicyclists, runners, walkers, anyone on blind curved. Just don’t. Wait. Wait until you can see what’s coming at you. It’s much safer. And runners, bicyclists etc.: please pay extra attention if you know you are rounding a blind turn and that you can’t be seen. Everyone put down your phones as you drive. Especially up-Island where the roads are so narrow there is very little margin for error. Thank you for letting me get that off my chest. I hope we have a safe summer on our roads.

There is a lot happening at the library this week and every week during the summer. The “Aquinnah Public Library Summer Series” starts today when William Waterway will speak about his new book, “The Gay Head Lighthouse,” at 5 pm at the Old Town Hall. This event will include projected images of rare Gay Head Light photographs. The book itself is illustrated with 32 color images and over 40 black-and-white images.

Every Tuesday at 3 pm you can stop in to play “Mad Libs.” If you don’t know what Mad Libs are, you should go and learn: they are a lot of fun. On Thursdays from 3 to 4 pm there will be stories and crafts for younger kids and a drop-in storytime on Saturdays between 2 and 3:30 pm. On rainy days kids can come in for Legos on the rug.

This Saturday is the Island-wide kickoff for Summer Reading at the Ag Hall in West Tisbury, starting at 10:30 am. Come by for face painting, music and games. Next Saturday at 1 pm the library will host a Fizz Boom Craft! Where kids can make a tree frog house.

The annual Aquinnah Fourth of July parade is Friday. Come to HP Goldfield and Kristin Mannion’s house at 5 Old South Rd. for face painting and tattoos and other decorations and costume add-ons at 10 am. The parade starts at 11 am and ends with a treasure hunt on Philbin Beach. The parade is always wacky and wonderful and a real highlight of the summer. And you don’t have to go down Island!

Joanie LaLecheur will have an open studio of her wampum jewelry this Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm at her studio at 42 Old South Road. If you have never seen Joanie’s work you should stop by.

The Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival started this week and continues next Wednesday with Rory Kennedy’s “Last Days of Vietnam” at the Chilmark Community Center. Ms. Kennedy will be on hand for a Q&A. There will also be dinner served by Marvin Jones and Deon Thomas. Dinner is at 7 pm and the film starts at 8 pm. Tickets available at tmvff.org.

Megan Ottens-Sargent kicked off her season at the Gay Head Gallery with an art opening this past Sunday. Right now she has a group show up as well as a special exhibition of silver print photographs selected from Barbara Norfleet’s Portfolio, “The Landscape of the Cold War.” This exhibit of photographs includes beautiful, haunting and sometimes ironic images of government weapons and nuclear research centers in the 1980s.

Amera Ignacio and Todd Vanderhoop’s littlest turned one on Monday. Happy birthday to Lyle who is a big squeezable bunch of love.

Congratulations to all Aquinnah graduates including Menasha and Coltrane LaPort (moving on to sixth and ninth grade respectively), Fyn Monahan who is done with the Chilmark School and moving on to West Tisbury and Dominic Perez who will be starting ninth grade at the high school in mostly all honors classes, and going directly to tenth grade Spanish; his mom, Melanie is very proud. Congratulations on all your hard work and good luck next year. Right now all you have to do is have a great summer.