Congratulations to Acting Deputy Chief Simon Bollin who has been voted by the selectmen to be the next Fire Chief for the Town of Aquinnah.
Come to the cliffs and welcome the return of places to go in Aquinnah: The Aquinnah Shop is open for breakfast and lunch, Faith’s Seafood Shack is also open for lunch, Berta and Carla’s store is open mostly on the weekends, as is Martha Vanderhoop’s. Adrianna is hoping to have her store open soon as well.
Happy Birthday to Ella Mahoney whose birthday was May 1 and to Jim Wallen, whose birthday was May 2.
The next monthly blood pressure clinic will be held May 17 from 2 to 3 pm in the Town Hall. Free and open to all. If you have questions, call 781-534-2543.
At the library this month, on Saturday May 12 they will be celebrating Mother’s Day all day. Your children and partners can come in and show their gratitude for you by making traditional May baskets with paper flowers to give to you.
On Tuesday, May 22, and Thursday, May 24, at 5 pm the Library Speaker Series resumes. On Tuesday come and hear Judi Shunk talk about the history of carousels in America (of course she will mention the Flying Horses), and on Thursday Rusty Shunk will be conducting an hour-long workshop for people who are nervous about public speaking. There is no charge for either program and refreshments will be served.
This was a big weekend up Island with a lot going on. On Saturday there was the Shellfish Extravaganza at the Chilmark Community Center to benefit the M.V. Shellfish Group. It drew a huge crowd that danced to the Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish and raised a lot of money for a true Vineyard cause.
Sunday was the Tribe’s spring social, which was so lovely. The weather was fine, many generations of tribal members and townspeople gathered to welcome in the spring and eat from the bounty that everyone provided. You could feel the happiness that the winter was over and the busyness of spring and soon, summer, had started.
Also on Sunday was Amanda Hutchinson’s memorial service, which was beautiful and heartbreaking. There was a slide show of pictures of Amanda and her family and it was clear from the pictures and later from the comments of her husband, Steve, that her family was her life. Steve also talked about how Amanda just gave, with no expectation of getting anything in return. And that is how so many people remember her; nearly every one of her friends that I spoke with mentioned that they served on a board with her, or she was their assistant, or she handled some aspect of their business, or they were parents together and she helped with their kids. Some people brought things that Amanda had made: Mark Hurwitz brought a pillow that Amanda had made him and his wife after their house had burned down, and Penny Huff was wearing a bright, fitted shirt that Amanda had made for her. To me one of the most moving things was how many young people, friends of Amanda’s and Steve’s three children, came and rallied around their friends. It was such a strong showing of compassion and solidarity. Jan Buhrman prepared very simple, delicious food in honor of Amanda and people stayed for a long time reminiscing and grieving. She will be missed; she is being missed by all of us.
