Next week is school-vacation week, but the mass exodus from the Island that happens every year at this time has begun. It’s not just the snow that has brought a hush to the Island, it is the absence of so many people who have managed to escape, many to other islands in warmer oceans. There is much snow here for the rest of us to enjoy; I have seen cross-country skiing, sledding sessions, and intrepid walkers. While the snow is lovely, light and fluffy and not that hard to shovel, there is a layer of ice underneath it that can catch you off-guard. There are also the wind and the cold. I’m sure you all know how much I dislike the wind here, and it has been particularly brutal these past few days. The boats have been running on a case-by-case basis, and they were canceled for the whole day on Sunday. And then there are there are the numerous flights that have been canceled, sabotaging many travel plans. I hope if you are headed off-Island for vacation, you leave on a day when all travel is running smoothly, and that the sun shines every day of your vacation. Please bring some warmth back with you. Please. We really need it.
Thursday night at Pathways at the Chilmark Tavern, there will be a CD release party for Alex Karalekas, with guest performers Seamus Galligan, Adam Howell, and Phil DaRosa. Doors open at 6:30 pm, and the show begins at 7. Admission is free, and light refreshments will be served.
At the library this evening at 5 pm, there will be a movie night for grownups not on vacation. The library will screen a feature documentary about the evolution of surfing in Papua New Guinea; refreshments will be served. This Saturday at noon, there will be a Lego party on the rug, complete with hot chocolate. On Tuesday, Feb. 24, there will be a photo-album-making potluck. Bring some food to share, unearth that box of forgotten photos, and come on over at 5 pm. And on Thursday, Feb. 26, there will be pizza and a movie for kids at 5 pm.
Sunday night is Oscar night; get your gown on and fill out your Oscar ballot. Watching a little glitz and glamour always makes me feel better. The Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse will host a family screening of Mary Poppins on Monday, Feb. 23, at 6:30 pm.
Some sad news from up-Island: Chilmark Chocolates is now closed until Thursday, March 12.
And that’s it. That’s all the news from Aquinnah, and all that’s going on around town. If you would like more action, I suggest you leave and come back in May.