Aquinnah: The big news

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The big news in Aquinnah this week is that Caroline Kennedy has put the 340 acres of land originally purchased by her mother up for sale. Much of the land is wild and undeveloped; let’s hope that after the sale it stays that way. Some of the land cannot be developed due to its nature, but some of it probably can be, and it saddens me to think that this land that has been protected, and not overdeveloped, for many years may soon house yet another trophy home. I wonder if whoever buys it would be willing to donate some of the land to a conservancy group or give some back to the tribe. It seems like such a unique opportunity to make some of this land protected from development. I hope that the wild and undisturbed part of the land remains so for a good long time.

Happy Fourth of July, one and all! On Thursday the Old South Road Neighborhood Association will host the 17th annual Fourth of July Children’s Parade and Treasure Hunt. The morning starts with face painting, coffee and doughnuts at the Goldfield-Mannion home on 5 Old South Rd. at 10 am (floats line up at the same time). The parade will start at 11 am, with Arlen Roth playing the National Anthem. As always, there will be a treasure hunt on Philbin Beach following the parade. We are a hardy and festive lot, so the parade will happen rain or shine, and everyone is expected to bring high amounts of cheer, decoration — either on yourself or on your float — and comradery. You can park on Moshup Trail if your car is not in the parade. Everyone is welcome to this event; I hope to see everyone there.

The Sargent Gallery is open weekends from 11 am to 4 pm, “by chance” (stop by if you’re in the mood), and especially by appointment. Please call 508-645-2776 to set up a time. The Sargent Gallery is located at 832 State Rd., between Lobsterville Road and the Aquinnah Town Hall.

The Aquinnah Cultural Center is hosting a wampum demonstration on July 4. They will also be open on Friday and next week, Wednesday through Friday. Their hours are 11 am to 4 pm. The Native American Artisans Festival will be held at the Circle on July 20.

The Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival is back for the season, hosting events at the Chilmark Community Center, the Beach Plum Inn, and other locations around the Island. On Friday, July 5, they will host a free outdoor screening of “This Mountain Life” at Owen Park in Vineyard Haven. On Monday and Wednesday, there will be screenings at the CCC at 8 pm, and the first Cinema Circus will be held on Wednesday at 5 pm. There will also be food and live music at the CCC screenings. Go to tmvff.org for the full schedule.

The Yard is in full swing right now. There are yoga and dance classes nearly every morning, camp for the younger dancers, and performances all weekend. This weekend there will be a family-friendly performance of the Gottabees’ “Go Home Tiny Monster” (there will be puppets!). The Gottabees are a Boston-based ensemble led by Bonnie Duncan, dedicated to creating inspirational, engaging, and empowering theater for family audiences. The performance runs 45 minutes, and is pay what you can. Go to dancetheyard.org for the full schedule of events.

Happy Birthday to Shannon Sanderson, who celebrates on Monday!