Welcome, April. I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. Ours was low-key, but I saw lots of pictures of egg hunts, egg decorating, family dinners, and other fun and joyous events.
Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Carla Cooper on March 31, Joanna VanGelder on April 3, Deborah Alpert on April 5, Sam VanGelder and Patricia Gazaille on April 6, and Heidi Cook and Brad Hill on April 7.
The Martha’s Vineyard Figure Skating Club annual Ice Show will be on Friday, April 5, from 6 to 8 pm and Saturday, April 6, from 1 to 3 pm. This year they are presenting their 35th annual show, “Cheers to 35 Years.” The cost is $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and kids, and $25 for a family.
The Island Community Chorus will hold two performances of its spring concert, on April 5 at 7:30 pm, and again on April 6 at 3 pm, at the Old Whaling Church. The chorus presents a spring program featuring Antonio Vivaldi’s “Gloria” and the premiere performance of “Soon It Is Day,” a cantata composed by director Bill Peek and based on the poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay and James Agee. The suggested donation is $20. Children and students are free.
M.V. Mediation is presenting a consumer clinic at the Oak Bluffs library on Saturday, April 6, from 11 am to 3 pm. The M.V. Mediation Program offers additional services as the M.V. and Nantucket Local Consumer Program. This program works in collaboration with the state Attorney General’s Office to help consumers who experience deceptive, predatory, or unfair practices. They work as advocates for the consumers in trying to reach an amicable resolution before they resort to the court system. The consumer clinic is to bring awareness to our community about consumer rights and education. The topics include automobiles and lemon law, credit reports in English and in Portuguese, plus general questions, intakes, and handling printed material. Go to bit.ly/MVM_ConsumerProgram for more information.
The Agricultural Hall is hosting an “Upcycling 101 Workshop” on Sunday, April 7, from 1 to 3 pm. Learn to turn old plastic bags, T shirts, fabric scraps, and paper into something new with Anna Marie D’Addarie. Turn plastic bags into plarn (plastic yarn), and T shirts into tarn (T shirt yarn). Convert scraps of paper into decorative material for crafts. Learn crumb quilting, a sewing technique that turns small scraps of fabric into a unique fabric for crafts. This workshop will give you some new ideas, and demonstrate how easy it is to create with what you already have. No supplies needed. The event is free, and you can register at bit.ly/MVAS_Upcycling
The Martha’s Vineyard Museum is delighted to announce its partnership with Aquila, a leading Island provider of food and beverage services, in taking over the operations of the First Light Cafe. The cafe will continue to serve as a hub for locals and visitors alike, offering a delightful array of hot and cold beverages, freshly baked goods, prepackaged grab-and-go options, and an enticing selection of light fare and specials. The revamped cafe will embody the spirit of collaboration, creativity, and community, inviting guests to enjoy quality refreshments amid the museum’s vibrant ambiance.
Join the Family Center at the YMCA for a free hour of swimming on Mondays in April. Dates and times are: April 8, 10:30 to 11:30 am, April 15, 11 am to 12 pm, and April 22 and 29, 10:30 to 11:30 am. Space is limited. Drop-ins are welcome. Caps must be worn in the pool, and water diapers are required for babies and toddlers not yet toilet-trained.
View the eclipse on Monday, April 8, from 2 to 4 pm at the Edgartown library. Come view the solar eclipse on the library lawn. They will have a limited supply of eclipse glasses available for patrons of all ages to safely view the solar eclipse (glasses are limited to two per family). Books and other resources on the eclipse will be on display for patrons to explore. Light refreshments will be served. Locally, the eclipse will begin at 2:16 pm, with its peak at 3:29 pm. No registration is required. For more information on viewing the eclipse safely, please visit science.nasa.gov/eclipses/safety.
The town of Edgartown’s annual and special town meetings will be on April 9 at 7 pm, at the Old Whaling Church. You can find the town warrant with details by clicking edgartown-ma.us.
Lots of things are opening up this month. I saw that Atlantic was set to open this week. The Flying Horses, of course, opened on Easter. The Lookout in Oak Bluffs opened on April 1. And there are signs of life in many other businesses. Spring has sprung, even though the weather is highly questionable lately, and we’ll be seeing more and more shops open in the coming weeks.
That’s all she wrote, as they say. Have a great week. And as always, be kind.
If you have any Edgartown Town Column suggestions, email Gail Gardner, ggardnermv@gmail.com.
