The Gay Head 10K was this past Sunday, and it could not have been a more perfect day for the runners. The day was sunny and warm, with a light wind that was at the runners’ backs, helping them up the last leg of the race around the Cliffs. It’s always fun to cheer the runners on as they cross over the finish line, and to see the looks of relief and joy on their faces. Thank you to everyone who helps put on this event. And congratulations to all the runners, but especially our own: Alex Taylor (third in her age group!), Belinda Booker, Jan Niessen, my neighbor Walter Ricciardi, and Aretha Brown.
My friends, our dear Betty Joslow passed away peacefully the evening of Sept. 26. Betty was a wonderful champion of the library and anything that benefited the children of Aquinnah. Thank you, Betty, for your service to our town. Please keep her family in your thoughts and hearts.
The spectacular On the Cliffs 50-percent-off sale will be held this Friday at 4 pm. There will be refreshments, deals on great clothing, and lots of women. In case of rain, the sale may be postponed, so check their Facebook page or call the shop at 508-645-3660.
This is the last weekend to eat at the Outermost Inn before it closes for the season; call 508-645-3511 to make a reservation. It will also be the last weekend for the bike ferry to run between West Basin and Aquinnah.
If you are headed off-Island for the long Indigenous Peoples’ Day weekend, make sure to go to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston on Monday, Oct. 14, for a day of events celebrating the indigenous people of our area. Included in the program will be the Danza Organica piece that was performed at the Aquinnah Cultural Center fundraiser this summer. The dance features members of the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe, and is performed against a backdrop of silk panels created by Ella Mahoney, telling part of the story of the Wampanoag. The performance will be at 2:30 pm, and there are other events throughout the day from 10 am to 5 pm. Go to gardnermuseum.org for the full schedule.
Join the Martha’s Vineyard CROP Hunger Walk on Sunday, Oct. 20. Registration will begin at 1:15 pm at St. Augustine’s Church in Vineyard Haven. The walk begins at 2 pm. This year the walk is in honor of Island Grown Initiative in recognition of its mission to build a regenerative, equitable food system on Martha’s Vineyard. There is still time to register to walk and raise money in support of your participation, and to sponsor walkers. For more information, call Woody Bowman at 508-693-7240.
Happy birthday to Walter Ricciardi and Megan Grennan, who both celebrate on Oct. 10! Congratulations to Paula Eisenberg, who has made a remarkable recovery after suffering a bad fall with many broken bones at the start of the summer. I saw her at the race over the weekend, where she was volunteering, and she looked wonderful, and expressed her gratitude that she is alive and well.
