Town Column : Aquinnah
By Molly Purves
Published: September 17, 2009
I know I have been very outspoken against the rain and storms in general this past summer, but my husband (who has a much better outlook on these kinds of things) pointed out to me that we did actually need the rain this week and that the storms brought great joy to the many surfers of up-Island. There were great waves for surfers and the up-Island gang of windsurfers; Peter Temple, Michael Stutz, Adam Jebb (back from Vermont), and Jim Feiner were all out enjoying the ride, and Curtis Langer was absent due to a logistical problem. And then there was the kite surfing off of Squibnocket on Friday when the storm brought high winds and gnarly waves. It was an experts-only event and judging from the looks of happiness on peoples' faces as they came out of the water, it was pretty spectacular.
Our temporary library in the old town hall closed this week and the librarians have started the process of boxing up books and moving them back to the red schoolhouse. Jenny estimates that this should take about three weeks. She said that the renovations look beautiful. Some of us will miss the size of the temporary library and the variety of events that it could accommodate, but I am eager to see the improvements made on the schoolhouse. More importantly, where are we all going to socialize for three weeks with no library?
Well, I can tell you that if you have stayed away from the Orange Peel Bakery's pizza night all summer because of the crowds, it's safe to go back. I went the other night with my family and saw so many Aquinnah friends, and even found a nice spot to sit in the middle of all the action. Ona lamented that she did not get to see the president the day the Obamas toured the lighthouse because the secret service could not secure the cliffs, but she said it definitely helped business. Her store, On the Cliffs, is marking down summer merchandise so head on up for some bargains. Elaine and Chip Vanderhoop were there, as well as Jim Wallen and many, many kids running around, boating in the pond, jumping on the trampoline, and eating the occasional slice of delicious pizza hot out of the oven. Juli is now selling her bread at Cronig's if you can't make the trek up to Aquinnah.
I'm so disappointed I could not make it to the powwow this weekend. I heard the drumming was beautiful and powerful and that the weather on Saturday did not deter anyone from coming. If there is something you experienced or saw there that you would like to share, please let me know and I'll pass it along.
