COLRAIN — The Griswold Memorial Library is hosting the inaugural William Apess Day on Friday, May 21, starting at 6 p.m. on the library’s front lawn at 12 Main Road.
According to a Griswold Memorial Library press release, the event’s namesake, William Apess, was a minister, public speaker and author from the Pequot Nation who was born and raised, in part, in Colrain. As an adult, Apess gained notoriety across New England as a skilled orator and writer whose speeches and essays centered on the rights of Native Americans and people of color, and proved influential to the abolitionist movement, the release explains.
In 1833, along with Blind Joe Amos of the Mashpee Wampanoag, Apess wrote the Mashpee Declaration of Independence, asserting the tribe’s rights to land and self-governance, and objecting to the encroachment of settler communities. According to the release, Friday marks the anniversary of the Mashpee Declaration of Independence.
Friday’s event will include speakers Drew Lopenzina, the author of “Through an Indian’s Looking-Glass: A Cultural Biography of William Apess, Pequot,” and Colrain resident Rhonda Anderson, a member of the Inupiaq and Athabaskan peoples. It will also be livestreamed and recorded, the release states.
The library recommends that most visitors park off-site and walk, although on-site parking will be reserved for those who need it. Attendees are advised to email griswold@colrain-ma.gov with questions about accessibility.
HAWLEY — The Hawley Firemen’s Association is accepting donations in hopes of buying new T-shirts, apparel and reusable face coverings for Fire Department personnel.
According to a notice from Administrative Assistant Cass Nawrocki, checks or money orders (no cash) can be mailed to the Hawley Firemen’s Association, c/o Hawley Town Office, 8 Pudding Hollow Road, Hawley, MA 01339. Contributions can also be placed in the Town Office dropbox before June 15.
Donors will receive a complimentary bumper sticker.