Town Column : Aquinnah
By Molly Purves
Published: December 18, 2008
Not to make this whole column about the night sky, but did anyone see the full moon on Friday? It was 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than usual because it was at its closest point to Earth. The upshot was an unusually bright December evening, the trees looked silver and our deck seemed covered in snow it looked so white. A truly remarkable sight.
And speaking of snow, what is going on with the weather? When I was a kid (not that long ago in the grand scheme of things) I seem to remember that once it turned cold it stayed cold. There were always your freak days of 60 degrees in January or a huge blizzard in April, but it was relatively consistent and winter-like. Now it seems like all bets are off. Everyone was bundled up on Saturday but two days later, you could be quite comfy in a sweatshirt. Is this all the result of global warming or something else? Any answers would be appreciated.
It looks like it's going to be a merry Christmas in Aquinnah, after our temporary library opened this past Saturday at the old town hall. The space looks beautiful with newly refinished floors and lots of natural light. Opening day was a huge success, with townspeople coming out to share baked goodies (kudos to whoever made the coconut chocolate chip cookies), hot cider, books, and company on a very cold day. Many children came ostensibly to be read to but really to play and see how durable the new floors are, and how many cookies they could steal off the table without their parents noticing or at least stopping them. A very large game of chase broke out at one point and Jed Smith graciously escorted some of the kids to the adjoining playground so it could continue outside. Spa showed up sporting a dashing new mustache. People were in and out all day. Jenny, Michelle, and Natalie circled around, helping people find things, fetching more cider and accepting compliments on all their hard, fine work. Saturday story and art time will begin this Saturday, Dec. 20, at 11 am and will end at 12 noon. Everyone who began to create a bird in the last weeks at the old library is encouraged to come back and finish it this Saturday and next Saturday. In January the painting and decorating of the birds will begin. There will be many other winter events at the library, and I will keep you posted as they get closer.
The annual town and tribe potluck holiday supper will be held at the Aquinnah Tribal Building on Saturday from 6 to 8:30 pm. Turkey, ham, and beverages will be supplied and people are asked to bring their favorite dish. All ages are welcome.
You can wish Claus Smith a happy birthday on the 20th. He will be one year old.
Jim and Kathy Newman's children will be spending the holiday here on Martha's Vineyard with their parents. Dr. Julie Newman will be visiting from New Haven and Dr. Peter Newman will be visiting from Colorado, accompanied by his wife, Siri, and daughters, Sage (three-ish) and Parker (seven months).
If you haven't found the perfect gift yet for everyone on your list or you don't want to buy more stuff, remember all the great nonprofits on Martha's Vineyard that could always use a donation. You can visit the Martha's Vineyard Donors Collaborative website at mvdonors.org for ideas.
There will be a celebration of the life of Paul Benedict at the Playhouse on January 20.
This leads me to a correction. Last week I said Tom Eldredge made a speech about Paul. I was mistaken. It was Joe Eldredge; my apologies.
