The summer is heating up. Every week there are more and more people here opening up their homes, and of course driving places. The time has come to get off your phone while in the car. Today alone I passed a road crew, three sets of bicyclists, two walkers, and someone driving very slowly looking for the right driveway to pull into. And this was just from Aquinnah to Chilmark. It’s not a bad idea to pay a little extra attention on the roads right now.
The Aquinnah Cultural Center is open up at the Vanderhoop Homestead at the Cliffs. It’s open Wednesday to Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm. You can get a tour of the homestead any time during those hours.
At the library you can come in on Saturday, June 18, and make an oversize mask with cardboard and oil pastels. Sign-up for the summer reading program is Saturday, June 25 (the day after school lets out), from 10 am to 4 pm. You can sign up to read all summer long and get your T shirt. The kickoff for the summer reading program will be at the Ag Hall on Saturday, July 2, at 11 am. There will be performers, face painting, T shirts, and lots of fun.
The First Congregational Church of West Tisbury’s 28th annual Strawberry Festival will be on Saturday, June 18, from noon to 4 pm. Volunteers of all ages gather at 8 am to prepare the berries for all the many treats. There will be shortcake, smoothies, jam, “to-go” shortcake kit for Father’s Day and other yummy strawberry things. All proceeds of this fundraiser help support this historic church and our Island community. For more information, call 508-693-2842. The Strawberry Festival will be hosted indoors in the event of inclement weather.
After you gorge yourself on strawberries, you can go to the Gayhead Baptist Church’s sister church, the First Baptist Church in Vineyard Haven for a Chicken and Rib Barbeque Father’s Day Dinner on Saturday, June 18, at 5:30 pm. The complete meal includes chicken or ribs, coleslaw, potato salad, corn bread, beans, desserts and beverage. Tickets are $15. And reservations are encouraged: Call 508-693-1539 for all the information.
There is a different dance class every morning of the week at the Yard (except Sundays) at 9 am, Saturdays at 10:30 am. Yoga at the Yard will start on June 25.
Congratulations to cousins Emerson Mahoney and Wyatt Jenkinson, who both graduated from Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School this past weekend. Happy birthday to Danny Jensen, who celebrates today, and also to Faith Smalley, who celebrates on Monday. Congratulations to Skyler Cameron, who will serve on the Martha’s Vineyard Youth Leadership Initiative for the 2016-17 school year. Congratulations to Clyde Smith, who graduates from the Chilmark School on Friday. Next year he will be moving on to the West Tisbury School. We will miss you, Clyde!
Happy Father’s Day to all the dads of Aquinnah! Happy Father’s Day to Jed, Curtis, Peter, Jim N., Jim W., Adam, Mike, Jay B., Jay S., Jimmy S., Jimmy B., Lang, Lee, Jeffery, Jason, Jerry, Spa, Vern, Bruce I., Todd, Eddie, Phil, Steve, Bruce E., Shawn, Isaac, Hugh, Paul, Derrill, Jim V., Spencer, Darrin, Jay T., Eric, Nick, Len, Phil, Francis, Elliott, Frank, Patrick, Alan, Tom, Seth, Woody, Chip, Buddy, David, and Cully, and in loving memory of Luther, Ricky, and Carl, who seemed like a dad to many of us. My apologies to all the dads of Aquinnah that I forgot.