Chilmark has many things to feel good about this week so let’s focus on these events and keep going. It has been a tough week and I sympathize with all who have felt the setback nationally, but I join all in hoping for some good to come of all our efforts.

Congratulations to Chilmark athlete, Bella Thorpe, who placed 12th at the 2016 Dressage Finals held last week at the Kentucky Horse Park. It is a national competition and Bella represented Region 8 at the Third training level. She rode Reina, owned by Tracy Amaral Olsen of Woodbe Farm in West Tisbury. Cheers from us all.

The Chilmark library welcomes Rizwan Malik as the new assistant director of the library and youth services. Rizwan most recently taught at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School and has a Masters of Education earned at the University of Maryland. He lives with his family in Oak Bluffs.

The Chilmark library will celebrate International Games Day on Nov. 19. All sorts of board games will be available as well as an assortment of games. We are welcome to play or to observe the playing. It sounds like a great way to spend a fall Saturday and to meet Rizwan who will be supervising the gaming. The day’s activities are sponsored by the Friends of the Chilmark Library.

Solon Oliver, son of Kevin and Elizabeth Oliver of Chilmark, is completing his year of service as 2016 Chilmark Ambassador for Project 351. Project 351 is an innovative state wide youth driven service organization that unites eighth grade ambassadors from every town and city in the state. Solon has worked all year on his projects. In January, he traveled to Boston to put together food packages for the Greater Boston Food Bank. In March he led a clothing drive to benefit Cradles to Crayons. In honor of 9/11, which is the National Day of Service and Remembrance, he made cards of appreciation and raised money for sponsorships for care packages for the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund. Solon’s last service project for 2016 is to lead a food drive to benefit the Island Food Pantry. The hope is to replenish the food pantry after the Thanksgiving holiday. The drive will run from Nov. 28 through Dec. 9. Collection bins will be in the entrances of the Chilmark town hall and the West Tisbury School. Chilmark is proud of this hard working young man and we all wish him every success. Cheers to you, Solon!

The Chilmark School will continue its long tradition of the Turkey Trot and Stone Soup day on Tuesday, Nov. 22. We are all invited for the morning festivities. The Turkey trot will be held on Middle Road and begin at 11 a.m. The Stone Soup story will be read at 11:30 a.m. with a lunch with stone soup at 12. Parents and community members are welcome to join the students.

Jemima James will headline the reopening of Pathways on Nov. 18 from 7 to 9 p.m. with other special guest musicians. Admission is free and light refreshments are offered. It all takes place at the Chilmark Tavern in the town center.

The Federated Church in Edgartown will hold its seventh annual Festival of Wreaths on Thursday, Dec. 1, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Parish House and Meetinghouse at 45 South Summer street in Edgartown. I tell you about this event every year because the proceeds from this event help maintain and preserve the 1832 Sara Mayhew Parsonage, an important old home in the Edgartown Historic Preservation District.

A musical potluck supper starts off Chilmark’s winter of music at the Community Center on Saturday, Nov. 26. Alex Karalekas and Warren Doty will organize the party as they always do and all are welcome to bring food and their musical instruments for a fun evening beginning at 5:30 p.m.

A weekend drive through Menemsha is recommended as there are many trees still displaying wonderful colors on North Road. Stanley is still offering hot chowder at Menemsha Fish Market, and there is always hot coffee at the gas station. Three businesses on Basin Road are open for your enjoyment — Everett keeps the Chandlery open, Scott McDowell is working on his copper creations and displaying a range of nautical antiques and, next door, Ginny Jones has a wonderful collection of new and pre-read books mostly of nautical and fishing interest, along with many children’s books. All makes for enjoyable fall browsing.

Snow fences have been put up on Menemsha beach this week. Let’s hope they do whatever it is they are intended for — to keep drifts of snow from the parking lot?

Vicky Hanjian hosted an 80th birthday party for her husband, Armen, at the Chilmark Community Church on Sunday. It was a wonderful celebration and an opportunity to congratulate the couple for being named last week as this year’s recipients of the Spirit of the Vineyard Award. They are currently pastors of the Chilmark Community Church. The large gathering of residents from across the Island who came to celebrate the birthday spoke to the amount of love and esteem felt for Vicky and Armen.

Congratulations from us all!

Send Chilmark news to slaterjn@comcast.net