Letters to the Editor
We welcome our visitors
To the Editor:
No parking. Keep off. Under repair. Dead end. Road closed. Keep the Island green. Bring money. Sale, culls $19.99. Bed & breakfast, $399, cash only, no checks. Dead man's curve. Dry town. It's the freight. Count your ticks. Leaves three make calamine bouquet. Four-way stop. Five Corners. East Chop. West Chop. Clam chop-aquiddick. Stop shop. Beach closed. Beaches closed, residents only. No standby. No overnight. No camping. No hunting. No fishing. No picnicking. No, no, no, no, no, absolutely no, lewd bathing. Deaf driveway. Beware Edgartown, attack dogs. Thank you for your visit.
Peter Ochs
Aquinnah
No escape
To the Editor:
To the person - or persons - who stole my mom's plant I put on her grave for Mother's Day at the Oak Grove Cemetery on Pacific Avenue in Oak Bluffs.
I hope whoever you gave it to - your mom, girlfriend, or in your own garden - enjoys it.
But remember, God and my mom's spirit saw you steal it, and your life will never be the same.
Raymond Oliver
Oak Bluffs
Adequate cell service needed
To the Editor:
It is hard for me to believe that the selectmen can think about stopping the ongoing cell phone antenna process on the complaints of a couple of women who claim they "don't have a cell phone and never will." So, because these women don't like cell phones, the rest of us shouldn't have adequate coverage? This is crazy.
I guess what I really don't understand is why we don't have great cell phone reception on this Island. The president has and may again visit here. Some of the most important and influential people have houses here. Never mind the rest of us, especially the ones in the contracting and other businesses who depend on the phones every day. I have been to third world countries that have better service than Martha's Vineyard.
Why don't we have real towers on Peaked Hill, Chilmark, on the fire tower, West Tisbury, the lighthouse, Aquinnah, and other logical high places up-Island?
If, in fact, the government officials that will make the decisions are really listening only to the naysayers, then it is time for all of us to sound off for better cell phone service up-Island.
There will be a public hearing on up-Island cell service, May 27, 7 pm, at the public safety building in West Tisbury. Please attend and make yourself heard or write a letter, or call any up-Island selectmen and give your opinion.
It would be sad if someone has to die because there was no cell phone service to call for help.
Bill Haynes
West Tisbury
An invitation
To the Editor:
To all merchant mariners, past and present,
It is with great pleasure that we, the American Legion Post 257 of Vineyard Haven, request your presence at a dedication ceremony of a monument honoring the merchant marine members who served in WW II. The ceremony will be held at Post 257 Headquarters, on Memorial Day, May 25, following the annual Memorial Day Parade, at approximately 10:30 am.
Jo Ann Murphy
American Legion Post 257
Adjutant
How about letting them know?
To the Editor:
While waiting to cross the bridge (currently being worked on) from Vineyard Haven to Oak Bluffs, I noticed four people on bicycles trying to cross also. The road was narrow and obstructed. They decided to turn around. Would it be a good idea to post a sign, when there is no room for pedestrians or cyclists, a few feet before the bridge, letting them know?
Rayeanne King
Oak Bluffs
Help for upgrades
To the Editor:
After reading Virginia Crowell Jones's letter [May 7, "A modest proposal"] about the cost of upgrading existing housing, I felt I should impart some information which may be helpful to her and other residents in similar situations.
Mass Housing is a state agency which is charged with making loans to moderate income persons in order to purchase or improve houses within the state. They have a web site, which includes information on home improvement loans available at competitive interest rates. In the past, for whatever reason, these home improvement loans have been underutilized. Perhaps some of this money could be borrowed to finance energy conservation measures and septic system upgrades.
Sue Kimball
Oak Bluffs
Good people, generous community
To the Editor:
Last week's News in Brief piece on the Island Food Pantry's just-ended winter season clearly confirms what we must already know, and that is that there is a vastly increased need for assistance to the unemployed, the working poor, young families and the elderly on this Island. According to the article, Food Pantry visits were up 21 percent, and it served 860 people. That's about six percent of the entire population.
One group of volunteers not mentioned in the article deserves recognition for helping to address this challenge. Readers who have patronized the Island's five supermarkets over weekends during the winter have most likely been approached by individuals handing them a 10 item shopping list and asking that they consider picking up one of these items for the Food Pantry while shopping. The response to this simple idea was overwhelming. Almost everyone contributed at least one item. Many brought back whole shopping bags full. The effort led to carload after carload of food and personal care items being delivered to the Food Panty for distribution. It's often said that this is a deeply caring community. This has been as heartening an example of caring and generosity as you will find.
As the article mentioned, the Food Pantry closed for the season in April. While it will respond to "emergencies," the day-in and day-out need for help did not end last month. So this volunteer effort will continue throughout the summer. Food and personal care items collected will be distributed through Serving Hands Distribution, which will operate out of the Parish House of the Baptist Church in Vineyard Haven.
The volunteers, whom you see at the markets again during the summer handing out shopping lists and collecting food, are members and friends of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Martha's Vineyard. Kudos to these good people.
Jack Street
Vineyard Haven
Care needed
To the Editor:
The American casualties sustained by warfare in Afghanistan and Iraq are staggering, and will no doubt be chronicled in the blood-stained pages of world history as the physical aggressive confrontations of two opposing political (and religious, some might argue) ideologies. These inevitable casualties - accidents, injuries, traumas, and deaths - are byproducts of what this warfare has generated. However, I often quietly ponder the preventable and unnecessary casualties that our nation and the families and friends of our departed men and women in uniform have had to sustain.
Many soldiers serving in our armed forces are doing so under serious distress. They are encouraged, and frequently obliged, to make lengthy repeated tours of duty. Some suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome, and often are prescribed antidepressants, pain pills, and sleeping pills to simply make it through the day. Many have lost their comrades to enemy artillery, many have suffered a permanent physical or mental disability, and some have even lost their domestic stability - jobs, marriages, homes, or loved ones - due to unpredictable circumstances.
More than two years ago, the US Congress ordered the Department of Defense to perform psychiatric screenings of all American combat troops. However, data secured from the Hartford Courant indicate that no such psychiatric screenings were performed. In fact, only a little over one percent of all deployed combat troops from 2008 and early 2009 were even referred to a mental health professional; and nine out of 10 deployed troops, who desperately wanted to see a mental health professional, were determined to be "mentally fit" by non-mental health professionals.
Statistics suggest that such unreasonable requests made of our service men and women have contributed to a significantly higher rates of suicide among combat troops, homicides of civilians and American soldiers, and unfathomable and horrifying You Tube videos of some soldiers torturing prisoners and killing animals online. The above statistics also suggest the possibility that a number of men and women - deemed mentally fit by non-mental health professionals - enlisted in the US armed forces with an undiagnosed and subsequently untreated mental illnesses.
Perhaps the DOD simply revised its "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy to include mental health illnesses. If that were the case, that would be dreadfully unfortunate since the sexual orientation of a mentally stable soldier cannot cause harm, or God forbid death, to another individual; however, a mental illness undiagnosed, untreated, improperly medicated, or tolerated has the potential to do exactly that - cause harm, if not death, to oneself or someone else. I am thinking specifically about the most recent incident of the GI who killed five American soldiers at a combat stress center in Iraq. I also wonder how many undisclosed incidents of suicides or killings of civilians or soldiers are documented and reported as accidents, hence simply unavoidable casualties of war.
I sincerely hope that the Obama administration does more than oust the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. I hope that President Barack Obama in concert with Congress will fiercely pursue the Department of Defense, hold it accountable for its egregious failures to perform the mandated psychiatric screenings on all combat troops, and require that the DOD provide the professional services to treat all mental illnesses sustained by our troops while on active duty.
Likewise, it is imperative for Congress to secure the funding to provide our returning service men and women with the resources necessary for re-integrating into civil society. These resources should include, but not be limited to, adequate and reliable health care, medicine, and programs to address any psycho-social disorders such as homelessness, domestic violence, marital problems, joblessness, etc. However, above all, we need to remember what we asked of our service men and women, and what they selflessly did for us.
Indeed there are many unavoidable casualties of warfare, but apathetic negligence should not be one of them.
Brian D. Freehling
Edgartown
A great gift
To the Editor:
My wife and I are writing to express our deep appreciation to all of you who acted recently on behalf of our beloved son, Tom Osmers.
What action can parents and family take when an offspring is diagnosed with a serious illness? Encouragement, support, physical help and lots and lots of prayers, of course.
But to learn that a joining together by Tom's fellow men and women throughout his community to show their affection and support is also a great gift and source of love to all - Tom and family.
We thank those who planned the benefit in West Tisbury and everyone who attended.
Regretfully, my wife and I were physically unable to attend, but we deeply appreciate the actions of all. Thank you from the bottoms of our hearts.
Mary Lou and Bob Osmers
Bayside, Queens, N.Y.
Response was outstanding
To the Editor:
On behalf of the Martha's Vineyard Cancer Support Group, I thank the Island people who contributed to our very successful fundraiser, An Evening Under the Stars, on May 14 at the Mediterranean Restaurant.
Our group prides itself in having no administrative costs. We have no office, no executive director, not even a MVCSG telephone. Therefore all the money that we raise stays here on the Island and goes directly to Island residents and their families who are battling cancer and could use some financial assistance.
We could not carry out our mission or have done so well on the recent fundraiser without the help of the many people. We acknowledge with gratitude: Doug and Leslie Hewson, owners of Mediterranean, who provided a warm and welcoming atmosphere at their new locale; and their staff who were gracious and accommodating throughout the evening, as they provided outstanding food and service; the Martha's Vineyard Savings Bank and Leigh Carroll of Carroll's Trucking, who covered all expenses incurred with the fundraiser, so that the proceeds can go directly to Island residents with cancer who need help; the many Island vendors who provided the food, flowers, door prizes and items for the gift bags; the Mike Benjamin Trio that provided the music; all of you who answered our plea to make a donation even if you couldn't attend the event. The response was outstanding.
We have funds available. We encourage any Island resident who is dealing with cancer and needs temporary and financial help to please call 508-627-7958. All inquiries are confidential.
Also remember that for sharing, strength, and hope, a support a group meets every Wednesday at noon at the Hebrew Center on Center Street in Vineyard Haven. All meetings are confidential.
No one with cancer needs to be alone.
Jane C. Carroll
President
Martha's Vineyard Cancer Support Group, Inc.
