The Nov. 3 election includes ballot questions, positions for state and national offices, and for the Martha’s Vineyard Commission and the Dukes County Commission. The League of Women Voters is hosting a Candidate Forum for the countywide offices on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 6 pm at the Edgartown library. Several candidates are new to these roles, and several are incumbents. These are important positions that have a real effect on your life. Attend if you can.
The VTA, the Steamship Authority, and Cape Cod Regional Transit, along with Healthy Aging M.V., M.V. Community Services, and Dukes County Veteran Services have joined together to help people get to Boston for medical appointments. In addition to the VTA’s existing Tuesday Medivan, every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, you can now ferry to Woods Hole and then get on the Boston Hospital Transportation bus that will drop you off and pick you up at your Boston medical facility and get you back to the ferry. To take advantage of this, medical appointments should be scheduled between 10 am and 2 pm, depending on the drop-off time for the location. You can get details, and reserve a spot for yourself and a companion if needed, by calling the VTA at 508-693-9440 and pressing 1. The cost is $20 each way.
Meanwhile, although donations are still needed, work is progressing on the Aquinnah playground and basketball court. The town of Aquinnah is seeking qualified individuals to serve as skilled workers on the construction of the new playground structure, designed for children ages 2 to 5. Six skilled workers are needed to get it done. The commitment is for a period of up to three weeks beginning on Oct. 19, and the prevailing wage of $71 per hour will be paid. For further information, call the town at 508-645-2300.
Starting on Oct. 17, the Aquinnah Cultural Center (ACC) will only be open on Saturdays from 11 am to 4 pm. In addition to the displays and reference materials available there, workshops taught by Brad Lopes are scheduled throughout the fall. Join Brad and other Wampanoag educators as they introduce an array of best practices for approaching indigenous content, educating native students, and building relationships with sovereign tribal communities. The M.V. Museum is co-sponsoring a Zoom talk by Brad on “Wampanoag Sovereignty, Relationality, and Responsibility” on Oct. 8. ACC-sponsored workshops are scheduled for Oct. 17 and Nov. 4 at the Aquinnah Town Hall, and for Oct. 24 and 25 via Zoom. Call the ACC at 508-645-7900 for details.
Living on an Island makes us vulnerable to weather in unique ways. One of those vulnerabilities has to do with an easily disrupted food chain from the mainland, making self-sufficiency particularly important. The good news is that there are solutions available. The Martha’s Vineyard Library Association, the MVC, and the town’s energy committee are presenting a facilitated panel discussion on food forests and Island food security at the Aquinnah Town Hall on Oct. 15, from 5 to 7 pm This free event features our own Noli Taylor, along with Mary Sage Napolitan of Island Grown Initiative , and NaDaizja Bolling of the ACC. Each of these women has much important wisdom to share, and the event is free.
And here’s some good news to get you through rainy days. Call the Outermost Inn, 508-645-3511, to find out the details, but I understand that they will indeed offer weekday lunches starting later this month.
Happiest birthday wishes go to Golden Vanderhoop and Ocean Dias on Oct. 9, and Nadine Slate on Oct. 10.
