Last week Gabbi Camilleri and I spent about an hour cleaning out the storage area next to the stage in the Town Hall. We sorted through boxes and bags and piles. There were stacks of information from each stage of the worst of the COVID pandemic, a bag of toys still partially wrapped in Christmas paper, outdated electronic equipment, Halloween decorations, and more. As we sorted, I thought about the staff and the army of volunteers who had accumulated it all. I visualized the faces and names and the hard work and good heart that had gone into each event, and I was grateful. May people continue to step up as volunteers or as staff, and may our town keep celebrating and protecting and comforting, as it has done in the past. There is a current call out for people interested in volunteering for the various committees that do this work. If you can step up, please contact townadministrator@aquinnah-ma.gov.
Donald G. Smith was a figure around Menemsha for 80-something years, although he grew up in Vineyard Haven (he joked that he “grew up in the capital”). Many people will remember Don as a bike ferry captain, crossing the creek from Menemsha to West Basin. He and his wife Pat (Patricia Flanders from Chilmark) had four children, Jeanne Taylor, Hollis Smith, and the twins Russell and Robin Smith. They started the Seafood Snackery, where people gathered early in the mornings for blueberry muffins right out of the oven. He fished out of Menemsha for many years with the Larsens, Mayhews, Jimmy Morgan, and others. Born in 1928, Don had a full life that he enjoyed for every minute. He was a wonderful, kind human being, father, and friend. Those who remember Don are invited to join the family on Monday, June 24, at 1 pm at Abel’s Hill Cemetery for a service of remembrance.
The Aquinnah library has some good things happening. On Thursday, June 20, at 4 pm, Tom and Joyce Dresser will be there to speak. Tom and Richard Taylor co-wrote “Black Homeownership on Martha’s Vineyard,” and Tom and Joyce co-wrote “A Culinary History of Martha’s Vineyard.” If you’re into learning more about the culture of this Island, go and listen.
The Aquinnah library is also participating with the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society in the MV Farm Passport program. Go to the library and pick up a Farm Passport, then go visit the farms to have the passport stamped and get a prize. This program will be going from June until the end of August, and is open to all ages. It’s a good way to see the beauty, bounty, and industry that our Island farmers provide.
Laura Jordan-Decker is putting together a small camp centered around the Aquinnah Town Hall this summer. It will run for four weeks in July, Monday through Thursday, from 9-12. Mondays and Wednesdays there will be sailing for kids ages 8 and up. Then Tuesdays will be nature crafting, and Thursdays singing and performing, for all ages. The cost is covered by the town. For more information and to sign up, contact Laura at laurajordandecker@gmail.com.
The annual Art Show at the Up-Island Council on Aging will be held on Friday and Saturday, June 21 and 22. This is an exhibit of watercolors prepared by the group that meets year-round at the Council. I went last year, and was blown away by the quality of art produced by this group of seniors, so I recommend it.
It’s also almost time for the last-Wednesday-of-the-Month Lunch held at the Town Hall, sponsored by the Friends of the Up-Island Council on Aging. This month, the date is June 26, but you must sign up in advance. Last month was the first, and people had a great time; I think that this is going to become “the thing to do” for lots of us. Contact the Up-Island Council on Aging at 508-693-2896 to sign up, and for menu information.
If you have any Aquinnah Town Column suggestions, email Kathie Olson, aquinnahcolumn@gmail.com.
