Once more our town and Island are crowded with visitors and guests. One group we are all familiar with, of course, is President Obama and his family. We welcome them, and hope he enjoys a quiet and peaceful vacation away from the childish antics of want-to-be leaders of our country.
Can you imagine trying to enjoy a vacation while surrounded by microphones, reporters, cameras, and sightseers?
This week has brought me family visitors from all parts of the country, and actually the world. My sister Joyce Wadsworth, from Paso Robles, Calif., is here for a few weeks. Cousins Judy from South Yarmouth and Gary from Upper New York State visited all of us for the day on Monday last, and we took a tour of the up-Island area and other places around the Island. They were amazed at the changes and the beauty. Also on Monday, my daughter-in-law Debra and granddaughter Paige arrived from Perth, Australia, and will be joined by my son Dion on Thursday, when after a short visit with Bagley relatives in New Hampshire, they will head to their new home in Houston, Texas.
The Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association is sponsoring a very special event on Friday, August 14, at 8 pm at the Tabernacle in the Campgrounds. Father Augustine Banganlie, visiting priest at the Good Shepherd Catholic Parish from Sierra Leone, will be presenting “Sierra Leone: The Scourge of Ebola and the Crisis of Faith.” Father Augustine is a native of Sierra Leone, and will be offering his eye-opening, firsthand perspective of the Ebola crisis in Africa and how faith is an integral part of both the problem and the solution. All are welcome for this very important event. A free-will offering will be taken, and all proceeds go to a charity supporting Ebola relief in Sierra Leone.
Again this summer, Featherstone is holding the Potters Bowl on Sunday, the 23rd of August, at 4:30 pm. Come buy your bowl and have it filled with great soup, and enjoy drinks, dessert, music, and a great afternoon.
On August 18 there will be a Tuesdays at Twilight concert at the Grange Hall in West Tisbury featuring the Berlin/Johnson Jazz Duo and Friends.
Next week is the busiest of the summer. Wednesday is the Grand Illumination Night in the Campgrounds. For years we have enjoyed the sight of the Japanese lanterns of all colors and shapes decorating the gingerbread cottages, and of course many buildings surrounding the Campground itself. Come early and enjoy the Community Sing in the Tabernacle, and then the entire area is illuminated by the lanterns. Oohs and aahs of admiration echo throughout the grounds as once more we are privileged to view the panorama of color and light.
Thursday through Sunday brings us the County Fair in West Tisbury. Carnival rides, exhibits, livestock shows, and a huge variety of food and music draw us every year to enjoy this old-fashioned entertainment.
Then head to Oak Bluffs on Friday, that week, for our very own fireworks in Ocean Park. What greater place to view them than oceanside at the park? You must arrive early to claim your space, as the park soon fills up with thousands of people. Bring along chairs or blankets and perhaps a picnic lunch, and settle in and enjoy the band concert before the fireworks show. When the sky darkens, the show will begin with explosions of color and sound.
In preparation for Illumination Night, our library will hold an Illumination Craft class on Wednesday, August 19, at 10 am and 11 am. Celebrate Illumination Night by painting your very own lantern. Space is limited, so call to preregister for the 10 am or 11 am start time.
The Author’s Talk by Beny J. Primm, M.D., takes place at the library on Thursday, August 20, at 11 am. Dr. Primm will discuss his book, “The Healer: A Doctor’s Crusade Against Addiction and AIDS.”
At the library on Tuesday, August 18, from 5 to 7 pm, there will be a Panel Discussion: Criminal Justice Reform. Attorney Nkechi Taife, attorney Jesselyn McCurdy, and Andrea C. James are on the panel, and there will be a question and answer session. This is a free event.
Author, historian, and former Howard University librarian Janet Sims-Wood will discuss her book, “Dorothy Porter Wesley at Howard University: Building a Legacy of Black History” on Friday, August 21, at 11 am.
We remember Jenna on August 17, and send birthday smiles to Russ MacDonald on August 18, my son Dion Alley and Becky Rogers on the 19th, and Marilyn Wey the next day.
