While it is surely true that we have mucked up our planet’s weather, I am comforted that this beginning of September has its customary ancient feel. Suddenly the morning air carries a definite trace of chill, so warm sweaters are getting dug out of storage, and we find ourselves looking at tree leaves that are losing their gleam and beginning to show signs of shrivel. We are still mostly graced with warm, sometimes hot, days, so we shed the sweaters and socks of early morning, put on sandals and shorts, and go out to play. In the evenings, Charley goes out onto our porch to listen to the crickets and pinkletinks, who seem to be celebrating with a chorus to this magic time of early fall.
The Aquinnah Wampanoag Powwow is this weekend, Sept. 12 and 13, at the Aquinnah Circle. The gates open at 11 am, with the Grand Entry at noon on both days. All are welcome to come and honor Wampanoag culture, history, and the bright future being created. Ticket prices are $10 for adults, $5 for children, seniors, and veterans, and free for children under 5. If you want to learn more about the Wampanoag history here on Noepe, the Aquinnah Cultural Center is open Tuesdays through Sundays, from 11 am to 4 pm every day through Sunday, Oct. 11, except for powwow days.
Now that it is possible to go down-Island without too many traffic nightmares, there are a few events down there that I want to mention. On Saturday, Sept. 12, at 1 pm, families will gather at the Edgartown Lighthouse for the annual Children’s Memorial, a time to gather, reflect, and honor their children who have died. Then, on Monday, Sept. 14, at 5 pm, the M.V. Museum is hosting a panel, “Embrace the Impossible: Housing Solutions Re:Imagined.” It promises to be an examination of what becomes possible when we stop treating the Island’s housing challenges as unsolvable. I’m all for that.
Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Friday, Sept. 11, and ends at nightfall on Sunday, Sept. 15, marking the start of the Jewish year 5787. This launches a 10-day period which is seen by believers as a time when God opens the Book of Life to evaluate people’s actions from the past year. It is a time for self-reflection, asking for forgiveness from, and apologizing to, others for any harms done, while seeking self-awareness and setting goals to be a better person in the new year. Every year, I anxiously hope that this time will help to bring about peace and restitution in Gaza.
The 13th Gay Head Run for the Light 10K is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 4, and the time to sign up is right now. Registration costs $43.40, but the fee helps to support continued restoration and maintenance of our beautiful lighthouse. Register at runsignup.com.
The Aquinnah library signage is surely brightening up our town these days. Thank you to the staff for keeping that little building humming. It’s like a heartbeat for us all.
A brief note about editors. The relationship between columnists and their editor is a delicate one, and I have been lucky to have found almost all I’ve worked with as helpful, honest, communicative, and encouraging. I want to give a shout-out to Nicole Galland, my editor at this paper, as she is one of the best. Thanks, Nicki.
There are two special birthdays to celebrate this week. On Sept. 9, we cheer for Cully Vanderhoop, and on Sept. 15, we give another cheer, this time for Chip Vanderhoop.
