Letters to the Editor
Published: August 21, 2008
Help when badly needed
To the Editor:
All of us on the sloop Epiphany say a big thank you to the caring people of Martha's Vineyard. My wife had a very scary fall on the boat early one morning in Vineyard Haven. After we saw that ice would not be enough to fix it, she walked to the fire department who transported her to the hospital. This happened on July 4, in the midst of a huge downtown fire, but the ambulance attendants were fantastic. In the ER the doctors and nurses were thorough and caring to the patient and family. The Black Dog wharf helped us by finding dock space during a busy holiday weekend, and harbormaster Jay Wilbur was terrific in finding a mooring for Epiphany, while we were off-Island for surgery at Mass General. All is well now, and we thank the many people who so caringly touched our lives during a difficult time. Keep shining.
Rev. Lucy Blood
Aboard Epiphany
Amesbury
Thanks to the Tisbury Police
To the Editor:
The residents and staff of Hillside Village are very grateful for the Tisbury Police Department's generous contribution to replace the rug in our community room. We use the room for many different activities, including making it available to outside community organizations to use for meetings and special events. The new rug has made such a positive change in the room and we have received many compliments.
Also, we want to thank the police for always coming to our aid when one of us needs medical or other help. If one of us has fallen, if there is a fire alarm, if one of us is concerned about a situation, you have always come immediately. You have been patient, understanding, courteous, and fair and have always helped us get the assistance we need.
Thank you, from Hillside Village to the Tisbury Police Department!
Victoria Haeselbarth
And Your Friends at Hillside Village
In difficult times
To the Editor:
It may be water under the bridge, but I feel that I do have to say something in support of the women who ran the Second Hand Store in Edgartown. Both Penny and Darlene as well as the volunteers always knew their customers, and they had a good understanding of what it means to live here year-round and deal with life in our ever diminishing and dismal economy.
So, out go Penny and Darlene, and a new person is hired. One person to take the place of the two who are year-round people, people who know their community, two people from the Island who are now jobless during these very difficult times. I truly mean no disrespect to Ms. Alpert-Sylvia, but it is very disappointing to know that the choice made was to hire from off-Island. It seems quite unfair.
A couple of years ago, when I went on a tear to clear out my house, I got a bit overzealous and wound up tossing something that was very valuable to my son, Caleb. It was a coin purse and was filled with quarters. I never even noticed that I had put it into the box for the Thrift Store. Penny knows Caleb and knew very well that this wasn't meant to go the store. My mother was in the store on one of her weekly treasure hunts. Penny made sure to give my mom the coin purse. Penny is a woman of integrity. Darlene was always helpful with anything, whether it was holiday items, dress up items for my daughter or anything that we might need for school activities.
I am sure that a lot of time and thought went into the choice of the new person to run the store. Ms. Alpert-Sylvia applied for the job and was hired. I do applaud her for taking on this role during this tumultuous time and again, I mean no disrespect to her. Clearly the decision to remove Penny and Darlene was made by the board of the Boys and Girls Club, and Mrs. Alpert-Sylvia had no part in that. However, I know for certain that all of us in our family will miss seeing our old friends in the Thrift Store. We wish them luck in any new endeavors. Thanks for all that you have done.
Donna Enos and family
Rosemary Stiles
Chappaquiddick
Island Grown success
To the Editor:
This summer, many people across the Island have helped support Island Grown Initiative's Island Grown Schools program, and we want to express our thanks for all their work. Island Grown Schools seeks to bring more farm- and garden-based learning into the seven schools on the Vineyard and more locally grown foods into school meals and snacks.
After putting in a new school garden at West Tisbury School in the spring, this summer we installed another new garden at Oak Bluffs School. Thank you to the YMCA, the FARM Institute, John Keene Excavation, Vineyard Gardens, Hinckley's, Morning Glory Farm, Beetlebung Tree Care, Coca Cola, Cronig's Market, Chicama Vineyards, and builder Bob Geary for making the garden build possible. Thanks also to principal Laury Binney, vice principal Gina Patti and her family, and all the students and families from the Oak Bluffs School community who came out to fill the 16 garden beds with plants and soil for the YMCA program to use in the summer and for Oak Bluffs School teachers and students to use as a learning tool the rest of the year.
Last week, 20 Vineyard teachers participated in the three-day Island Grown Schools Summer Institute, a workshop designed to help them make curriculum connections to farm- and garden-based learning and to develop new teaching units for next year and beyond. Thank you to all the teachers who devoted their time and energy to this workshop, and to the Farm Institute, Cronig's market, Oak Bluffs School, Bayes Norton Farm, and assistant superintendent Laurie Halt for donating time, food, and meeting space that helped make the institute a great success.
For more information on Island Grown Schools, please contact me at noli@islandgrown.org.
Noli Taylor
Island Grown Schools Coordinator
No prolems, but ...
To the Editor:
The recent Festival event in Ocean Park occurred with no real problems from the standpoint of one who owns a house fronting the park. I must commend those that organized it and patrolled it, from the festival staff to certainly the Oak Bluffs police and fire department personnel.
I do have one problem, though, and that was the view for a period of two full summer days. The line of Portapotties significantly masked the usual view of the bandstand, park, and Nantucket Sound. I wonder, is this worthy of a tax rebate with regard to loss of value? An alternative would be to capture that view on canvas and hang it across the solid line of Portapotties as a mural.
Arnold Carr
Oak Bluffs and Monument Beach
Not the right view
To the Editor:
I finally got somebody to go back and forth with me on the issue of public access to Lambert's Cove Beach, a town-owned park in West Tisbury. That person is Dan Larkosh of West Tisbury, who is running for state representative for The Cape and islands. Dan Larkosh supports the town's beach policy that denies public access. Lambert's Cove Beach is the only public beach in his potential district that has a policy where the general public cannot even walk on the beach.
After Dan Larkosh's Letter to the Editor in The Times on July 24, stating his opposition to public beach access the discussion with Dan Larkosh continued online. I encourage everyone who plans on voting in the upcoming election to go to The Times' web site and read it for yourselves. I for one am not going to vote for him.
Erik Albert
Oak Bluffs
Not a secret society
To the Editor:
The acronym TIRES shall henceforth be the official sight for all liberal, fruit cake, left-leaning, tree hugging, anti-drilling, moonbat, piping plover loving Democrats. Our savior, the chosen one, Barack Obama, has decreed this to be true.
TIRES, where the rubber meets the road, shall be our cry. TIRES shall not be questioned. It is for the children.
TIRES, a cradle-to-grave government program for the masses. Teaching tire IQ and proper tire logic, through government schooling. Our goal is to inflate all with government care and pure clear air.
President Barack Obama shall upon confirmation appoint a new cabinet position, known henceforth as the Tire Inflation Czar.
He or she, legal or illegal, shall ensure that all society members of the 57 states of the United States and worldwide adhere to proper inflation.
All insurance companies shall upon appointment of the Tire Inflation Czar, give a 1.1-percent discount to all society member drivers, without regard to tire condition, race, creed, color, country of origin, insured or uninsured.
All society members shall use only a government-approved tire gauge, whether hand held or factory installed. Said gauge shall use only government approved green, environmentally friendly materials. Further, said gauge shall be stamped with the letters TIRES, using non toxic paint. Designed and calibrated for those visually impaired, the handicapped, the aged, and bilingual.
The funding for the TIRES gauge to be supported by a 10 percent tax increase on the wealthy. Remember, they have all the money, and it's for our children.
TIRES, backed up with the power of the Tire Inflation Czar, will direct the treasury to redesign the penny, using Barack Obama's likeness; facing left, said penny then becomes a portable, affordable means for gauging tire wear. Simply insert said penny into the tire groove with Obama face down and toward you, if left ear is fully visible, it's time to replace your tire.
We must remember TIRES goal is to save this fragile world from the continuing destruction by the right. The salvation of our children from global warming requires no less. We must insist, no our duty, our oath, shall be the reporting of any infraction, no matter how trivial. The time is now, we must embrace TIRES, and all non-believers labeled a retread and not worthy.
George Bush, Dick Cheney, Halliburton, Exxon and Big Oil have forced our hand. The time has come, Barack Obama speaks the truth. Inflate properly, in 10 years it will be to late, our salvation is in his hands.
James Cage
Oak Bluffs
Join us
To the Editor:
Although the Monster Shark Tournament is over until the same massacre occurs next July, please read on. My husband and I, the two protestors aside from the Humane Society, spent the hours during the weigh-in with signs stating our stance. We have heard many of the arguments that tournament participants and supporters mindlessly rattle off. If those people would do some research, they would uncover the truth about what we are doing to the oceans and the ecosystems within it.
Firstly, we would like to thank the Oak Bluffs selectmen for not granting a liquor license to the tournament and for barring them from using town property for their party. A word to Greg Coogan, a selectman who voted against those measures: you were quoted as saying that the shark tournament issue was "a tired subject" and that there are more important issues for the town to deal with. With all due respect, my suggestion is to not hold public office if you get tired of hearing peoples' concerns. Your reasons for wanting the tournament to continue were, if I'm not mistaken, wholly money based.
It's not that we don't want to bring money into the town. It's about what we do to make that money. Prostitution, gun sales, drug sales, and human trafficking generate loads of revenue, but we wouldn't do those things as a town. I don't see how a sport that involves people going out into the ocean to kill animals who are already threatened for cash prizes is any different. It is just as despicable, morally and ethically.
Humans are upsetting the natural balance. Sharks belong in the oceans. Really. This is not a protest against the fishing industry. This is a protest against killing integral beings for sport and a shiny new boat. That being said, we know this tournament isn't the only thing that is endangering sharks. Longline fishing and bycatch are largely the reasons that sharks are disappearing. However, why not save the 27 sharks that were caught and submitted in this year's tournament? By the way, 27 is not an accurate number. What happens to all the other sharks that were released, with bleeding injuries, back into their ocean homes? How many sharks did die in the two-day tournament?
Studies done by scientists at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia have shown that all coastal shark species saw population declines between the years 1986 and 2000, when the study was completed. Declines of 61 percent on average. Blue shark numbers fell by 60 percent, tiger shark by 65 percent, thresher sharks by 80 percent, great white by 79 percent, and hammerhead by 89 percent. Because they mature slowly and have a low birth rate, recovery is expected to be slow. Science Daily stated that even moderate levels of poaching can derail attempts to protect shark populations.
If you think this doesn't affect you, consider this: For those of you who eat meat, imagine not having your scallops, clams, or shrimp. For those of you who like to swim in the ocean, imagine not being able to go into the water without being swarmed by stinging jellyfish. These things are happening already. In an article in 2007, Andrea Thompson says that a new study supports the case that the shrinking shark populations have a trickle-down effect on the ocean ecosystem. "With the large predators gone, their prey - smaller sharks and rays - are free to feast on lower organisms like scallops and clams, depleting valuable commercial stock."
Recently, I heard that it is our ability to imagine a future that sets us apart from other animals. I also think it is that we are prone to destruction, particularly self-destruction. Contributing, at any level, to the unnecessary slaughter of apex predators will come back to bite us. When Steve James said that he will continue to organize the tournament for as long as he can, did he mean he will do it until there are no more sharks to kill?
With the Land Bank, Trustees of Reservations, and Sheriff's Meadow Foundation, this Island community has taken monumental and admirable measures to ensure the conservation and preservation of the land. But what is an Island without the integrity of its ocean?
My husband and I have been at the weigh-ins with our signs for the last couple of years. We will be there next year, if necessary. Although we receive more harassment than cheers, there have been quite a few people who tell us that they agree with us. Silence can sometimes be misconstrued as consent, so please don't attend the weigh-ins next year to watch the public lynching of a magnificent animal. Make signs and join us.
Julie Verost
Scott Hershowitz
Oak Bluffs
Job well done
To the Editor:
The Oak Bluffs Highway Department supervisor, Richard Combra, and his crew have done it again. That is, they have responded to a need to improve a road serving mostly summer and few year-round residents.
We appreciate his quick response to repair a badly rutted sandy road by bringing in some good gravel material to make the life of our cars and our sanity last a few years longer. Thank you for a job well done.
Pat Carroll
Oak Bluffs
Party planning
To the Editor:
I want to thank my co-chairs, Barbara Day and Russell Smith as well as our planning committee: Christina Brown, Julia Burgess, Dan Cabot, Mimi Davisson, Christine Flynn, Nancy Gardella, George Hough, Richard Knabel, Margaret Logue, Nora Nevin, Tom Pachico, Robert Sawyer, Leah Smith, Paul Strauss, Tobias Vanderhoop, David Vigneault, and Jim Weiss who are working to plan an Island-wide gathering in honor of Eric Turkington. Eric is stepping down from his position as state representative for Barnstable, Nantucket, and Dukes counties after 20 years of service.
We are inviting the entire Vineyard community to join us at the Ag Hall for a finger food potluck on Sunday, September 21, from 4 to 6 pm, to show our appreciation to Eric. The party is not a fundraiser or a political event of any kind, just a thank you to Eric. We are hoping that community members will write letters to Eric, congratulating him, and send them to me at P.O. Box 1411 in Edgartown, prior to the party, so that we can compile them into a book that will provide a keepsake of his many years serving the Vineyard.
Eric's efforts have benefited our community in several ways. He has provided constituent services, helping Vineyarders navigate state agencies. He has also assisted local governmental agencies with their communications to state departments regarding grant compliance and regulation issues. Possibly the most important, Eric has provided support and direction to local organizations when they have been working through the governmental grant application process which resulted in several Vineyard organizations receiving significant funding.
I commend all those individuals who are dedicated enough to enter public life in service of their local community, state or country since the commitments are great and the rewards can be few. Elected officials often surrender much of their private lives to public scrutiny. The election cycle for a state representative is demanding; Eric had to run for reelection every two years. Our American representative democracy is predicated on the premise that there are good people who are willing to serve.
We are truly blessed to have the privilege of living on this beautiful island that sustains us and in return we should be sure that we give our elected officials, who devote their precious time and energy to serving us, the public acknowledgment of appreciation they so well deserve.
Rhonda Cohen
Edgartown
Paris knows
To the Editor:
Perhaps you read in the Boston Globe that Virginia is looking to put more than 100 wind turbines taller than the Statue of Liberty in the George Washington National Forest.
Preston Bryant, Virginia's Secretary of Natural Resources, said, "Wind is catching fire, it's literally all the rage."
But wait. Hold on. Not here. Not on trendy and fashionable Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and Hyannisport. We don't need any non-polluting, environmentally friendly energy, since our lungs are just fine, thank you. And, as Paris Hilton told Lindsay Lohan at you-know-who's cocktail party in Chilmark last Saturday, "NIMBY's hot."
Ken Rusczyk
Oak Bluffs
Many thanks
To the Editor:
As board chairman of the African American Heritage Trail of Martha's Vineyard, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the research and dissemination of previously undocumented community history, I would like to formally acknowledge all those who helped to make our recent fundraiser a resounding success.
We dedicated the former home of Dorothy West as the 22nd site on the trail, led a tour of the trail, and held a reception at the historic Shearer Cottage. To those who underwrote our event - Debbi S. Jackson, Susan H. Parker, Steve Bernier, Cottagers inc., Nina and David Fialkow, Cronig's Market, Jim's Package Store - we are indebted to you, and to those who contributed so generously at the reception at the Shearer Cottage, our most grateful thanks.
We are once more indebted to Doris Pope Jackson and Lee Van Allen who generously opened the historic Shearer Cottage to us. To our own board member, Charles J. Ogletree, thank you most sincerely for an inspiring address and for your unwavering support of the Heritage Trail.
We are most grateful to the W. E. B Du Bois Institute for African and African American history at Harvard for their sponsorship of our program.
Finally, the grateful thanks of the board go to those students who gave up their evening to support the trail and help to raise funds to continue the education program. We are proud to acknowledge Solvig Sayre, Troy Small, Sarah Hall, Anna Hayes, Michael Kendall, and Randall Jette. We are a community-based public history project, and our community supported us in style. We thank each and every one of you and look forward to engaging the sophomore class at the high school in the 12th annual Heritage Trail event, an event that your generosity has made possible.
Elaine Cawley Weintraub
Chairman
African American Heritage Trail of Martha's Vineyard
Heartless
To the Editor:
To the silver Ford Taurus driver that hit my son Zack's dog Roxy on August 18, in Oak Bluffs, on the corner of Circuit and Pocasset avenues, do you think you could have stopped to speak with my son or even help him with his dying dog?
If this had been a child/pedestrian would you have sped away just as fast? And don't go quoting leash laws to me, I just want you to know the dog died, and both of my sons were upset that you didn't just help them or express some sympathies of any kind.
I just hope some day this doesn't happen to your dog or even your child's dog. And if you were to ever have this happen again in your life that you'll take the time to show that you aren't heartless, as you did in this situation.
Tammy Deese
Oak Bluffs
Bradley Square and fire safety
To the Editor:
The state fire marshal's office says the minimum road width for fire equipment is 18 feet. Dukes County Avenue is 33 feet wide. Eight feet is subtracted for parking on one side, four feet is subtracted for snow plowing, (two feet per side) this leaves only 21 feet, so the addition of sidewalks will bring the road width down to 16 feet if a five-foot sidewalk is installed.
Dukes County Avenue is already too narrow and congested during art strolls for public safety considering its importance as the primary fire access to the Campgrounds and Circuit Avenue. The fire at Main Street, Tisbury on the fourth of July should be looked upon as a warning that, though not likely, the worst things happen when least expected. Planning for the unexpected is supposed to be the province of planners, fire professionals, police departments and other public safety professionals paid for by the taxpayer. For these people to ignore reality and bow to political pressure by special interests is unconscionable and irresponsible.
Throughout my lifetime the most discussed and greatest fear in the town of Oak Bluffs has always been whether a fire in the Campgrounds could be put out before it becomes uncontrollable. The risks involved in looking the other way from the over development and subsequent parking abuse of the neighborhoods around Bradley Square creates a completely avoidable public safety hazard. The public should take note of all those responsible for this hazard, from the public safety officials who are not doing their jobs, to the proponents and the banks who care only about their income, to the corrupt private nonprofits who are forcing this project upon the residents far beyond the boundaries of Bradley Square. The bottom line is that at a minimum the function hall aspect of this project must be deleted.
Donald N. Muckerheide
Oak Bluffs
Fishing and fowling
To the Editor:
I don't know who's responsible for the damage to the Harthaven Association's fence. And I don't advocate the destruction of property. Not even if it's a fence intended to keep me from fishing on a beach where I've been legally doing so for many years. Destroying this fence is as senseless an act as putting it there in the first place. Especially considering all you have to do is walk to the low tide mark to legally get around the silly thing.
I would suggest to Alfred Wollacott 3rd that if he and a few certain members of Hart Realty Trust, and/or the Harthaven Community Organization, stopped giving so much grief to fishermen, who are within their legal rights to walk between the high tide mark and the low tide mark on any inch of shoreline in the Commonwealth, his precious barriers might enjoy a longer lifespan. (A lot of surf fishermen are contractors with trucks full of tools, who like to cast a few after a long day's work.)
Mr. Wollacott either bought, or inherited, on an Island where fishing is a part of its soul. So is tolerance. The fence is endemic of a rising tide of entitlement and elitism that makes many of us bristle. The law of the land does not bend to the sense of propriety, no matter how many signs and fences go up. And neither Mr. Woollacott, nor anyone else who suffers from fisherman intolerance, is above it
I've fished Harthaven beach for over 20 years. It's not a hot spot, but it's peaceful, and it's a short paddle from my home on Farm Pond. I always fish a good distance away from the two houses fronting this long stretch of beach, because like most surf fishermen, I prize the solitude and quiet.
Over the years, I have rarely encountered another fisherman and what little interaction I had with Harthaven residents was always civil, if not chummy, until the first year of "the fence."
I was fishing on a peaceful August afternoon, my first day off that summer, when a woman stormed down the beach and shouted that I had no right to be on "her" beach. I tried to explain the "fish and fowl" law, and that it's been on the books since the 1640s, but she waved me off with disdain.
She returned with her adult son and he pounded in a "No Trespassing" sign a few feet away and threatened me with bodily harm. I asked that they call the police. And suggested if they didn't, I would.
About ten minutes later, one of Oak Bluffs' finest made the long walk from their house to my location. He agreed that I was within my rights, but he was legally compelled to respond to the call and to take my name. Then, he walked the 200 yards of hot sand back to the complainant. Judging by her flailing, she was either being attacked by a swarm of karmic mosquitoes or she wasn't very happy with him either. Sadly, incidents like these have become more frequent in Harthaven, and all over the Island.
I understand not wanting your property to become a public bathing beach (even though I rarely saw bathers on the rocky tract in the pre-fence era). And Mr. Woollacott is totally within your rights to have anyone who treads on his sand, without a fishing pole and the intent to use it, removed.
I understand wanting to keep the beach as pristine as possible. Whenever I fish there, or take my son with me, we always pick up litter to leave it better than we found it. On the whole, surf fishermen are more protective of the environment than most people, if for no other reason than we don't want anything to happen to the ecosystem that might diminish our chances of catching fish.
I'm not suggesting that all surf fishermen are angels who should be given the run of the Island. And if any fisherman abuses this privilege in any way, he should be held accountable and given a smack in the head by the every member of the Martha's Vineyard Surfcasters Association and the Rod and Gun Club.
Finally, Mr. Woollacott is not the only one with an emotional investment in this beach. It's given me many cherished memories over the years. It's where I taught my son how to fish and where I hope he'll teach his kids to as well. I've even told my wife I want some of my ashes spread there. I'll put a reminder for her in my will to stay below the high tide mark and to take my fishing pole with her. And if this mean-spirited harassment continues, to have it customized to look like a big middle finger.
Hopefully, that won't be necessary. Mr. Woollacott might try to tolerate or ignore the occasional presence of a fisherman in his field of vision. Or better yet, try being nice to a fisherman. At the very least, he'll get a smile from someone who's getting a respite from the hassles and hasslers of everyday life. And he might get some fresh fish out of it, too.
Barry Stringfellow
Oak Bluffs
Appalling over-manning
To the Editor:
It seems the mighty, mighty Steamship Authority (SSA) is the authority on many things, paramount of which is their expertise of knowing when to hit their consumers for more money.
We just received news that SSA is outperforming their 2007 volumes. For the Martha's Vineyard route, passengers are up 3.5 percent, followed by automobiles increasing at 2.3 percent, and freight at 1.6 percent. SSA revenues have also risen. This news comes only months after the Authority squeezed another $2 million out of customers through passenger and vehicle fare increases. You don't need to do any substantial math after reviewing this news to know who wins and who loses in the ring with the Authority.
The SSA will proclaim their focus on customer service and efficiency. I remember my last return trip from Woods Hole to the Vineyard. I was greeted by SSA employee #1 at the guard shack where I stopped to pick up my boat ticket. Employee #2 printed out my ticket and handed it to employee #1 who passed it to me and requested that I drive to the next shack where employee #3 looked at my printed ticket and kindly requested that I pull ahead to lane number two. As the time arrived to drive on board the vessel, I was asked to pull ahead by employee #4. He had employee #5 standing by to help out, perhaps in case employee #4 fainted or forgot his assignment. As I pulled up to the ferry, employee #6 took my ticket while employees #7-9 were standing by shooting the breeze with a State Police officer.
I slowly proceeded on board the gem of the fleet, Island Home - a $33 million ferry that has flat screen TVs and $3 waters for me to enjoy. I then followed the hand gestures of employee #10 pointing me towards employee #11 who expertly parked me inches from the nearest car. As I turn my vehicle off, I looked around to see employees #12-16 also parking vehicles.
I couldn't wait to meet the rest of the crew topside, where I would have to dig into my deep pockets in order to purchase that aforementioned $3 water.
Labor is typically one of the most significant cost drivers for a company. It is no secret that high labor costs eventually trickle down to the consumer. I'm not saying the Authority must go on a firing spree, but take it from a person who spends time in a multi-mission organization (U.S. Coast Guard) of 40,000 people protecting 90,000 miles of coastline. Efficiency and multi-tasking are part of our ethos. The Authority is not as efficient as they claim to be, and it is becoming more and more apparent to the consumer.
Remember in the Wizard of Oz, when Toto pulled back the curtain and exposed the Wizard? Perhaps one day our citizenry will rise up and pull back the curtain on the Authority. I'm afraid we all may be appalled by what we see.
Jacob Ferreira
Tisbury
Not an art gallery
To the Editor:
The Martha's Vineyard Museum isn't an art gallery, and "The end of an industry" isn't represented with a painting. Nothing would be better than the Quitsa Strider fishing at sea. There are enough 20- to 30-year-old fishermen to make it work. It's a $600,000 license problem, and sadly, huge corporations and fat cats will control the fish biz as a result.
The end result of a successful fishing trip used to be a ride in my semi to the Fulton Fish Market night after night, year after year. The trickle-down effect turned a lot of people in different directions. I haven't hauled a load of fish in 20 years.
Too bad the museum didn't buy the boat instead of the picture. Sadly, the boat wouldn't cost a lot more than the picture.
Sure would look good in the backyard of the new museum building in West Tisbury. My great grandchildren could see it, feel it and smell it. A mock-up of the city of Chappaquiddick with two antique cars on it would look good next to it. Maybe a Northeast Airlines PBA DC-3, too.
Martha's Vineyard history is in the hands of a lot of strangers to our Island and our wants and our needs. The Edgartown School is a wonderful gift for our library classrooms, storage, a museum shop and revolving displays. Sell the current campus. Highly desirable residential property. The West Tisbury campus could become a better draw than the Flying Horses, and the proceeds from the gate will get it well on its way.
The framework for a wonderful facility is here. Rick Anderson is at it again. He can do it from start to finish. Leave him alone, and you will find a building, a museum Vineyarders can be proud of. Hopefully, we might have a fishing boat in the back yard.
Trip Barnes
Vineyard Haven
