Aquinnah Town Column

I am writing this on the 9th of November, with the election still sitting heavy on my shoulders. I am one of a group of sharp and savvy women who serve as registrars for the town of Aquinnah. We joke (we are a hilarious bunch) that nobody would dare to try to mess with the integrity of our voting system here, because they wouldn’t want to tangle with us. This is true. On election day, we worked side by side with Town Clerk Kayla Darcy from 6:45 in the morning until 8 pm, greeting and screening voters, and then from 8 until close to 11 pm, counting votes. Promptly at 7 am, Buddy Vanderhoop had proudly walked in, the first voter, and the voters continued to come in with nary a break all day. The earliest voters included Susie Bologna accompanied by her children, Charlotte and Willie, who served as cheering witnesses to her vote, and Laura Jordan Decker, whose husband Max and son Robin celebrated her voting for the first time since she became a citizen. Voters continued to pour in, young and old, many accompanied by their children, each emanating excitement as they participated in this historic day. People hung around to snack in the kitchen, to greet each other and gossip, to feel the joy of a community showing its care. By the time we registrars and helpers finished counting that night, we were exhausted, anxious to hear the results of the national vote, but proud of our town for the outpouring of voters.

The next morning, as that national vote became clearer, I dragged my weary body out of bed and wrote to my family, “Well, we’re back where we’ve been before. We’re tired, facing God knows what. Seeing foxes in the hen house. But let me remind you: We have had generations of kin before us who struggled for progressive causes, sometimes against the most terrible odds. We have lost so often, and there were times when we were afraid and could not imagine getting up the energy to do any more. But we kept on trying, and never lost our kindness or our hope. We’ve always summoned our courage, done what we could, when we could, as best we could, situation by situation, cause by cause. We’ve kept perspective by looking at all that has been made better over the centuries, and the victories over hatred that have been won, even as we stayed conscious of losses that were happening at the moment. So let’s continue to do what we have always done — fixing what we can where we are, speaking out when we can, doing the best we can, not letting whatever we face now cause us to give up on ourselves, on our planet, on our neighbors, on all that needs us to keep on keeping on. Keep on singing.”

Among the hallmarks of a real democracy are free libraries. On Saturday the 16th, from 1 to 3 pm, the Aquinnah library is holding an Open House. The gathering is being held to bring about the rebirth of the Aquinnah Friends of the Library, which raises funds for programming and special capital needs. If you love our library and want to show some appreciation for our hardworking library staff, please come on by. There will be some great refreshments, and you’ll have a chance to sign on.

On Nov. 18, the up-Island police departments (Aquinnah, Chilmark, and West Tisbury) have gotten together to host a Friendsgiving luncheon at the Up-Island Council on Aging. It’s a great way to kick off the season. Call 508-693-2896 to RSVP.

It’s also my birthday on Nov. 18, and I share that day with Tiffany Vanderhoop (Happy B-Day, Tiffany!). Let me know when your birthday is, and I’ll get it onto the calendar.

If you have any Aquinnah Town Column suggestions, email Kathie Olson, aquinnahcolumn@gmail.com.