While there are many familiar faces who are returning to Aquinnah every week, there is a new face that I really need to talk about. Have you seen Spa’s new puppy, Charlie? You need to. I am not really a dog person. They always jump on me, and they seem like a lot of work.
But Charlie? Charlie is the definition of cute; you would probably forgive him for chewing up your best shoes with one look from his warm, brown eyes. He is an Icelandic sheepdog, he was adopted by Spa at the end of May, and he is seriously the cutest, fuzziest puppy I have ever seen. I hope Spa likes being accosted by random cooing strangers as he goes through his day with Charlie, because you can’t look at this dog and not become a cooing, fawning puppy lover.
The Aquinnah Cultural Center opens for its 10th season on Saturday, June 13, at 1 pm. Come for a tour and learn about upcoming events. It will be open this Saturday, and next week will go to its regular schedule of Wednesdays, Friday, and Saturdays from 11 am to 4 pm. Next Wednesday you can come for a tour of the museum; on Friday, June 19, there will be a presentation on whaling from Aquinnah tribal member and historian Elizabeth Perry. She will present “Wampanoag Whaling Community: A Discussion of Early Accounts and Native Material Culture by the Sea.” The presentation will be at 4 pm; admission is by donation. On Saturday, June 20, there will be Strawberry Season Celebration from 1 to 3 pm. This is a special activity for children; they can come and hear the story of Strawberry Thanksgiving, and make a strawberry necklace to take home. The $10 craft fee includes regular admission. Regular admission to the museum is $5 adults, $3 children and seniors. Please call 508-645-7900, or email aquinnahcc@gmail.com for more information on all their programs and events.
Just in time for graduation, Joan LeLacheur will host an open house at her studio at 42 Old South Road this Saturday, June 13. She will be selling special keepsakes of wampum, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and charms. The open studio is from 10 am to 5pm. Call Joan at 508-645-9954 for more information.
Please come to the Aquinnah Public Library this Saturday, June 13, from 1 to 3 pm to celebrate Betty Joslow’s retirement this spring after 18-plus years serving as a library trustee. There will be refreshments, and a toast in Betty’s honor. The library has also gotten a new circulation desk, built by Jim Vercruysse and funded by the Friends of the Aquinnah Public Library, so check it out when you come for Betty’s party.
Before I moved to the Vineyard, summer did mean a certain amount of vacation or leisure time. In that vein, the Book Club at the library will be continuing in June with Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. The next gathering will be on Thursday, June 25, from 5 to 6:30 pm. Copies are available at the library in several formats: regular print books, audio, and large-print. E-copies are also available via OverDrive. It sounds lovely, but I have a feeling I will never be able to make it this summer; but I know that some of you will.
Our library director, Lisa Sherman, sent me the following information about a collaborative effort by all the libraries on the Island. I thought the information would be pertinent, as we have such a rich history in Aquinnah, and I know there are some great photos and stories here. On Monday, June 15, at 6 pm, members of the public are invited to attend an outreach and planning session at Vineyard Haven library to learn how they can participate in the Mass. Memories Road Show that will be coming to Martha’s Vineyard for a one-time event in October. The planning meeting is open to all, and refreshments will be served.
The Mass. Memories Road Show is a statewide digital history project that documents people, places, and events in Massachusetts history through family photographs and stories. It is an initiative of University Archives and Special Collections in UMass Boston’s Joseph Healey Library, and co-sponsored by the Patricia C. Flaherty ’81 Endowment Fund at UMass Boston. Since its launch, the project has gathered more than 6,000 photographs and stories from across the state, creating an educational resource of primary sources for future generations.
The next meeting of the Aquinnah Democratic Caucus will be held at the Old Aquinnah Town Hall on June 18 at 6:30 pm. The meeting will be followed by a potluck supper, and you do not have to be a registered Democrat to attend. You just have to have the stomach for political conversation. Call Megan Ottens-Sargent at 508-645-2776.
Next Sunday, June 21 (Father’s Day heads-up!), from 4 to 7:30 pm, there will be a Poets’ Solstice Celebration and Gay Head Light Art and Poetry at Featherstone Center for the Arts. This is a joint venture between Featherstone and the Martha’s Vineyard Poetry Society. The art gallery opening will be from 4 to 6 pm, and the poetry reading from 6 to 7:30 pm. Come and celebrate our newly moved lighthouse in art and word.
