Another beautiful week of warm weather until the rains came and did not stop for several days, leaving nearly three inches for the water table. Nice to see the buttercups blossom following the lawn being mowed.

Thank you to our Aquinnah veterans graves officer Thomas Murphy and his assistant Forrest Alley for placing flags at the graves of those who served to protect our freedom. Tom and Forrest are both veterans who served overseas. The cemetery always looks reverently impressive for Memorial Day. Stop by and offer a remembrance for those who served.

The annual Aquinnah town meeting will be held on Saturday, June 19, at 3 p.m. at the fire station parking lot. The annual town election will be held on Thursday, June 24 with polls open from noon to 8 p.m. at town hall. Masks will be required. Applications for early voting by mail and absentee ballots are available for the election and are due by 5 p.m. on June 18. Go to www.mass.gov for applications or call the town clerk at (508) 645-2304. All early voting and absentee ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on June 24. The last voter registration day for the town election is June 14th.

There will be a pre-town meeting conference via Zoom on Tuesday, June 15 at 6 p.m. to discuss the meeting warrant. See the town website for information.

A candidate forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters will be held on Wednesday, June 16 at 7 p.m. Watch it live on MVTV and listen to the candidates present their positions.

Town clerk Gabriella Camilleri is having the decorative curtain restored at town hall. She invited an expert to view the needed repairs. The curtain dates back to the 1930s. If anyone has an exact date of its installation, please let Gabriella know. A fundraiser will be held to cover the cost of repairs. If you have any Gay Head town reports from 1930 through 1952, Gabriella would appreciate the chance to borrow them.

It is always nice to visit with Marshall and Katie Carroll at Menemsha Texaco. I look forward to warm sunny days at Squid Row so we can catch up. This week I learned that their son Brooks Carroll will be graduating from Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School on Sunday. Wow. Where did those years go? Daughter Bradley Carroll will soon complete her training to become a paramedic. All the best to both.

Congratulations to Christopher P. Manning who passed his Massachusetts emergency medical technician examination and the national EMT exam as well. He is working part time as a special police officer for Aquinnah while still working as a tribal ranger.

Congratulations to Finley Monahan and his Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School classmates as they graduate on June 6.

Jessica Shafer and her daughter Isabelle Lumb have arrived for the season at their home.

Congratulations to Billie Diamond Vanderhoop-Shepard who won a remarkable reader award, a certificate of honor for outstanding scholastic achievement in world history, and a place on the honor roll for the year. On to high school for Billie, who is the daughter of James Shepard and Faith Vanderhoop.

James DePriest Occouch-van der Hoop has written a memoir titled Every Step Taken: Confessions of an American Gypsy. He is an Aquinnah Wampanoag living in Toronto, where he has been an activist for First Nations’ rights for the past 10 years. The book is available as an eBook or paperback. James is the son of Ashley DePriest and Bernadette Rebello Crossland, both of Oak Bluffs.

Happy 44th anniversary to Marvin and Jane Bankoff Popkin on June 5.

Happy 14th anniversary to Michael and Melissa Abram on June 9.

Happy Birthday wishes this week to Jenny Born on June 4, sharing the day with Jason Widdiss and Maurice Dore. Joan Silva Pretty, George Baird and Emmett Cole Taylor celebrate on June 5. June 6 is for Griffin Hughes, Dr. Michael Drew and Tom Fantasia. Dylan Hutchinson celebrates a milestone on June 7. Master ceramicist Charles Hoye will celebrate on June 8, along with Sarah Saltonstall. June 9 is for Kenny Rose, Ernestine Kinnecom, Michael J. Fox, Meaghan Jeffers and Allen Carney.