Aquinnah Police Department last week, after 30 years of service. The gathering at Town Hall was crowded with people who know him well, a community that is grateful and truly fond of him. Randhi is a quiet guy with a ready smile, which fooled some people into not seeing the depth of his leadership skills and the importance of the calm he generated in difficult situations. I personally want to call out Randhi’s support of the Aquinnah Community Emergency Response Team (Aquinnah CERT) during its years of organizing and training. He knew that developing an infrastructure to respond to crisis had to happen before the crisis itself, and did what he could to encourage this volunteer group, continuing his presence at CERT meetings for several years. Randhi, I’ll miss seeing you directing crowds, responding to emergencies with quiet care, speaking at town meetings, laughing with the seniors at their monthly luncheons, welcoming visitors. I wish our new chief, Ryan Ruley, all the best. It’s not always easy to step in behind someone like Randhi, but you have the community’s best wishes.
On Thursday, Nov. 12, from 3:30 to 5 pm, the Aquinnah library is offering a free workshop for all ages where you can learn about what a zine is, and how to create one. A zine is a self-published, noncommercial booklet or pamphlet, created for self-expression, not for sale. It’s a DIY and handmade way to communicate, and you’ll have a chance to make your own right there. Think of the power of Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” during the lead-up to the Revolutionary War, then come to the library, and get to work. Who knows what your impact can be?
On Saturday, Nov. 14, at 4 pm, there will be a virtual community event co-sponsored by the libraries of Aquinnah, Chilmark, and West Tisbury, and the Aquinnah Cultural Center. Titled “Toward Ethical Scholarship: Stolen Land, Stories, and Identities,” the program will feature a panel of scholars discussing the importance of ethical teaching and research practices. It will look at the ongoing impact on indigenous communities and cultural institutions when such practices are not followed, and how institutions can move beyond harm through use of reciprocity, consent, and accountability. The panel is free and open to the public, particularly welcoming librarians, educators, researchers, and community members. It is particularly timely, given the controversy created by the high school’s decision to count tribal students as being absent when they attended the ancient practice of Cranberry Day. For more information, or to register, please email gwilbur@clamsnet.org.
On Thursday, Nov. 19, the Up-Island Council on Aging, together with the Aquinnah, Chilmark, and West Tisbury Police Departments, is offering a Friendsgiving at the Chilmark Community Center. The meal, served at noon, is prepared by the police departments themselves, and is offered as a friendly tip of the hat to up-Island seniors. Please call 508-693-2896 to sign up by Friday, Nov. 13.
I wish a happy, happy birthday to Tiffany Vanderhoop, who shares a Nov. 18 birthday with me.
