Our little town is filling up with people. Welcome back to Rachel and Michael McDonald, who returned this week. The beach weather is upon us; remember to get your Philbin pass from Caroline at the Town Hall. The Aquinnah Shop is not yet open for dinner, but they are serving breakfast all day on Sundays, which many people have been asking for. I’m already feeling the press of people on the Island; every time I’m down-Island, I want to flee back up-Island.
Tonight at the library the Book Group meets at 5 pm to discuss Geraldine Brooks’ Year of Wonders. All are welcome; light refreshments will be served. Copies of the book are available at the library. Summer Reading Kickoff is this Saturday at 11 am at the Ag Hall. Jungle Jim will present his Super Hero Training. Admission is $3. Face painting is $1. Remember to sign your child up for summer reading at the Aquinnah library and get a T shirt. For every book your child reads, he or she will get small prizes.
The Aquinnah Cultural Center is open for visitors. Come to the Edwin Devries Vanderhoop Homestead, a 19th century restored Wampanoag farmstead and museum. There are exhibits on whaling, Gay Head pottery, the Lighthouse and much more on Aquinnah Wampanoag people and culture. They are open Thursday, June 25, Friday, June 26, and Saturday, June 27, from 11 am to 4 pm. There will be a mishoon, or traditional boat-making demonstration, on Saturday. Mashpee Wampanoag Darius Coombs will fashion the boat with fire, and there will be a short film on the five-mile mishoon trip from Cape Cod to Martha’s Vineyard. Free with admission, which is $5 adults, $3 children 12 and under, $3 seniors. Please call 508-645-7900 or email aquinnahcc@gmail.com for more information.
The “Gay Head Light Show” is up at Featherstone, daily from noon to 4 pm, until July 8.
Janette Vanderhoop will be teaching a yoga class at the old town hall on Mondays from 9:30 to 11 am. The class starts this coming Monday.
The Gayhead Gallery is open! With beautiful art, and portions of many sales going to the Gay Head Lighthouse Fund and Vineyard Conservation Society, it’s a must-see in Aquinnah. Call Megan at 508-645-2776 for exact times.
Yoga at the Yard has started. Classes are Monday to Friday, 7 to 8:30 am; Saturday, 8 to 9:30 am, and Sunday, 9 to 10:30 am and 4:30 to 5:45 pm (the afternoon class on Sunday is free). You can pay as you go, or get a class card. Go to dancetheyard.org for all the information. The Yard also offers dance classes Monday through Friday at 9 am.
I must make a correction to my column of two weeks ago. Charlie (a.k.a. the cutest dog in Aquinnah) belongs not just to Spa but also to Anja May and her sons, Fynn and Yossi Monahan.
The second/third grade class at the Chilmark School presented their whale research last Monday to parents and friends. They have been studying whales and the history of whaling on Martha’s Vineyard this past semester. Each student had to research a specific species of whale, compile facts, write a research paper, and build a paper model of the whale that was then hung in the classroom. It was clear that everyone worked so hard on this project, and they were very knowledgeable about all whales. Fun fact that I learned: The blue whale is the largest mammal in the world — its heart weighs as much as a VW Bug. The class includes three children from Aquinnah, Laina Benoit, Yossi Monahan, and Rodeo T. Purves-Langer.
There was an impromptu meeting of hot rod cars and owners at the Cliffs this past Saturday to commemorate Carl Widdis’ and Ricky Vanderhoop’s passing. It was small, as the hot rod club that usually comes was unable to, but three people from Wayland who grew up with Carl came with their cars, and some Island folks as well. The hot rod day at the Cliffs was an event that Carl always called and told me about so that I would put it in the column. I missed getting that phone call this year.