Town Column : Aquinnah
By Molly Purves
Published: October 29, 2009
What a glorious October we are having: exciting storms and then days of lovely weather. The first harvesting of the hidden bogs of cranberries has occurred although it's still early. School is in full swing and parents and kids are finalizing Halloween costumes and party plans for the Chilmark Community Center, Sharky's, and Vineyard Haven. Can we do it all? Everyone's lawns are well covered with beautiful leaves that crunch beneath your feet in a very satisfying way. I love this time of year, I just want to go to Halloween parties and eat apple pie. Let me know if you have any of either.
Well, the wind farm debate rages on, and if you go on Aquinnah's town website, Aquinnah-ma.gov, you can see simulated pictures of what the state's wind farm proposal would look like. There are a series of photo-shopped pictures showing how the view from the cliffs would be altered by the wind farm. It is definitely worth checking out. Obviously, the impact of the farm would be more than visual, but the visuals are pretty powerful, the sight of the wind farm inescapable from nearly every angle.
On November 10, Jannette Vanderhoop will be teaching her class, Wampanoag Myths Versus Legends through ACE MV. Visit acemv.org for time and location. On Fri., Nov. 13, at 6:30 pm Janette will be part of a reading sponsored by ACE MV and Bunch of Grapes. She will read from her book, "Wampanoag People of the First Light: Intro to Arts, History, and Culture."
Congratulations to summer residents Anthony and Eileen DiBenedetto who welcomed a new grandchild, James Bennett, into their family last week.
Saturday is Halloween, the best holiday of the year or the most fun, or the scariest depending on your point of view. So don't be surprised if you see some strange sights around Aquinnah: the selectmen riding over town on broomsticks; June Manning walking through the graveyard communing with ancestors past; the ladies of the library brewing and casting spells; Jeffrey Madison and Spa in devil costumes wreaking havoc with toilet paper, and fake spiders; children, unrecognizable in their scary garb running through the woods and popping up in unusual places; Buddy and Chip driving ghost ships not seen in these waters for 100 years or more; Joanie and Richard hosting a pagan dance party at the lighthouse; and the spirits of Luther, Helen Manning, and Paul Benedict sitting on the deck of the Aquinnah shop sharing pie.
Don't be alarmed if you see these or any other strange sights. It's only Halloween in Aquinnah and it only lasts one night. You'll be okay, as long as the power doesn't go out and your neighbors can hear you cry for help. Better check the batteries in your flashlights, just in case.
