Letters to the Editor
Success and failure
To the Editor:
Unfortunately, and too often, affordable housing arguments are presented in such a way that opposing views are seen as good people vs. people who, at the least, lack goodwill. This is like too many arguments around today that don't acknowledge other concerns or points of view.
For well over 40 years, the Dr. Fisher Road has been protected, and efforts to preserve it have been legislated and voted on numerous times by the Martha's Vineyard Commission as well as by the state of Massachusetts and the townspeople of West Tisbury. Designated a district of critical planning concern (DCPC) as well as an ancient and scenic way, the town of West Tisbury needed to further define and articulate steps to preserve not only its beauty but its safety for schoolchildren walking to school, as well as for horseback riders, cyclists, and walkers.
We all failed to do this. The neighbors who have worked so hard for more than 40 years to preserve and keep safe this treasure thought they were protected by the state and our town. In the meantime, most of the homeowners in the neighborhood have also been good stewards of this historic area by renting to year-round, working Islanders rather than the more lucrative seasonal visitors.
Now there will be three houses with 12 bedrooms on one acre each and more traffic than we've seen in 40 years. It is understood from the West Tisbury planning board that more subdivisions and houses will follow. We, of course, are glad that perhaps two families will have affordable housing, but what is being set in motion is the reality that, in the near future, it will not be possible to safely navigate the Dr. Fisher Road any more.
Because we have all failed to preserve what we valued, the historic and environmental designations made over the last 40 years have become meaningless, and what we have all worked to preserve will be no more. It is unfortunate that "success" in the developer's discussion means no acknowledgement of the effects of increased traffic and density related to safety and the unique and rural environment we have all worked so hard and so long to preserve for all the residents of West Tisbury and Martha's Vineyard.
Margery Meltzer
Cheryl Stark
Karen Child
Hal Child
Banks Tarver
Claire Walls
Maria Moody
Martha Sullivan
Gerry Sullivan
West Tisbury
Such a citizen
To the Editor:
Heading home last week on a hot and steamy afternoon on the Old County Road with pie and ice cream on board for grand nephews in Aquinnah, we got a flat tire.
We pulled off to the side at the entrance to a private drive, nearly blocking access to an exiting car whose driver immediately got out to ask if we needed assistance. He offered to call AAA on his cell phone, but when he heard about the ice cream, he felt it would take too long for help to arrive and decided to change the tire himself.
As we fussed around trying to locate the necessary jack and other equipment for the procedure, he stood patiently waiting for us to get our act together. He then with great efficiency changed the tire, and when we thanked him, he refused any notion of reward, saying that it was his pleasure to be able to help people in need.
This gallant gentleman was Gary Williams of Edgartown, a perfect exemplar of all that's best on Martha's Vineyard. The Island is fortunate to have such a citizen.
Louis and Rosalind Lefeber
Aquinnah
Too much speed
To the Editor:
I would like to address the matter of the quality of life on Martha's Vineyard in general and of Franklin Street specifically. Franklin Street is by definition thickly settled. It is a major walkway and bicycle path from dawn until late at night. In many places there is only the pavement of the road on which to walk. From Fairfield to Spring Street, with the exception of a stretch from Spring to Church Street, there is only the west side of Franklin that has a sidewalk. As a result, many people use the pavement to walk. There are also joggers and skate boarders, children, pets, squirrels and turkeys, people with poor eyesight and slow reflexes, using this stretch of road.
There is a serious problem in all this, and that is a disturbing and intimidating number of motorists who are either neglectful or simply do not care that the speed limit is 30 mph. But this is not simply a matter of safety, it is a matter of the quality of life for residents and pedestrians. Increased speed means more tire noise, vehicle generated wind, and buffeting of pedestrians. Perhaps you think that your mission is so important that it is easy to disregard the fact that the town and the state mandate the speed be 30 mph.
Impetuosity or self importance will not protect you if you injure or kill someone on Franklin Street.
Many people have spoken up about this matter and continue to do so. The residents of Franklin Street again ask that special attention be applied to enforcing the speed limit and fining those who speed. The culprits are among us all, golfers, tennis moms, truck drivers, landscapers, building contractors. If you are late for the boat, well, there will be another. Plan better.
From 6:30 until 8 am and from 4 until 5:30 pm are good times to patrol (lie in wait).
Island business people, please emphasize to your drivers the importance of respecting our neighborhood by limiting their speed to 30 mph.
Slow down, enjoy the view. Albeit far too straight, Franklin Street is a pretty road. Help preserve the safety and comfort of those who live on or use Franklin Street. The neighborhood thanks you in advance.
Malcolm Boyd
Vineyard Haven
Just please return it
To the Editor:
I suppose one could express a few more words on this, but simply put - to the person who removed the American flag and pole from my front porch on State Road, the night of July 4 or morning of July 5, please return them. Thank you.
Deborah Medders
Tisbury
What adults can do
To the Editor:
While the color has barely faded from the silk flowers left as a tribute to Brandy Marie Gibson, we are now faced with the shock of another devastating accident. An accident sadly took the life of yet another lovely young woman, Jena Pothier, and will forever traumatically impact the life of Kelly McCarron just days before she was to receive her diploma with her class and begin the next phase of her life.
While losing young adults in this devastating way is not new to the Island, we (as a community) have to figure out what it is we are not doing to help prevent this from continuing to happen.
I was saddened to see how few letters were written to the editor about the "elephant in the room," namely the adult enablers who let their desire to be "cool" and "in" override their desire to protect these young women (and their families) from this devastating tragedy.
Who was it that bought them the liquor? Who is the adult (or adults) that allowed them a safe haven to drink so there was no chance of them getting caught. The police might have been able to scare them enough to make them think twice before doing it again through court appearances, fines, suspensions, etc., which may have saved them from this fate.
Why is it that all these "cool" adults seem to disappear into the night like a bunch of rats when the glare of the morning after arrives and these children have to be buried or rushed to the emergency room clinging to life? How "cool" do they feel then? How can they even live with the reality of what they have done to these kids and their families - our kids, our families? Not one of these precious children dies without forever diminishing this entire Island. That's what community is all about. That's what our Island community is all about.
Do these people have the audacity to go to the funeral home or hospital and look into the faces of these children whom they choose to write off in an effort to be "cool"? There is no excuse for buying kids alcohol or giving them a safe place to drink. Unfortunately, after these things happen, it has been my experience that the kids try to protect these adults as they may know their children or rather simply do not want to lose their drinking hole.
Traffic crashes are the number one killer of teens from 15-20 with more than 30 percent of those attributable to driving under the influence. That's a staggering statistic. And, if your child is one of the lucky ones that has been drinking at one of these "cool" parents' homes and has not been in an accident, there are a number of other consequences they may be setting your kids up for through their lifetime. These consequences include disruption of their brain development in these critical years that can result in a decreased ability for problem solving, assessing risk and memory; or, if predisposed, to potentially setting them up for a lifetime of alcoholism which (we all know) can forever alter their life's course.
My guess is these same people wouldn't even let these children light up cigarettes in their home because they know more people die from smoking-related illnesses than all of the other causes of death combined. Why then is it okay to let them drink?
Beyond identifying and punishing the adults that played a role leading up to this terrible tragedy, I feel we all have to become more pro-active and work towards ensuring that it does not happen again; and, if/when it does, it will be as a result of our teens' actions alone and not something that was aided and abetted by consenting adults.
If you are also tired of this endless cycle of violence perpetrated against our kids, then I would suggest that you look into the work of the Dukes County Youth Task Force. It is a dedicated group of people from all walks of life that care about our kids. They have been working tirelessly behind the scenes for years trying to put mechanisms into place to inform and educate both adults and children about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse, and they could use as many hands on deck as possible to get their message out. Theresa Manning and Jamie Vanderhoop are coordinators of the Youth Task Force and may be reached at 508-696-5304, if you'd like to talk to them about ways you can help.
And, if you are just not a joiner then just become one of the "un-cool" parents who value, protect and cherish our kids enough to break up the parties, drive kids home, and not let anyone use your home as a safe haven for this dangerous activity.
You might be considered "un-cool" but you might also be giving a child a greater chance to graduate, go to college, fall in love, and have a life. Don't our kids deserve that?
In closing, I want to honor Jena by quoting a portion of a poem she wrote at only 13, entitled, "I Am."
In her poem, Jena demonstrated a sensibility well beyond her years. She wrote, in part,
"I see what people are ashamed of
"I wonder about truth
"I feel the sorrow in a room."
Dear Jena, because of you, we now "see what certain people should be ashamed of"; and we hope we will no longer have to "wonder about the truth." We hope that those that were not looking out for you and Kelly's wellbeing will be identified, because we all now "feel the sorrow in the room" because of your loss, and it is palpable. Our thoughts and prayers go out to both the Pothier and McCarron families at this very sad and challenging time.
Jean Kelleher
West Tisbury
Not in the interests of Islanders
To the Editor:
Recently, l had diagnostic testing performed at Martha's Vineyard Hospital. Imagine my shock and dismay when I was informed that my Medicare Advantage Plan, which I have been using for the past few years, is no longer being accepted by the hospital. An administrator explained to me that due to reimbursement issues with the insurance companies, the hospital will no longer accept Medicare replacement plans. Nor will many Island physicians who are now under the auspices of the hospital organization.
I am a retired, certified nurse anesthetist, and I understand that hospitals are businesses, and their costs must be covered. And they do have the prerogative to accept or reject insurance plans. However, I take umbrage with the fact that, to my knowledge, there has been no forewarning to seniors, either by direct mailings or local newspaper articles, attesting to the hospital's change of policy. The next Medicare enrollment period during which time a senior can change to a plan that is acceptable to the hospital is in December, effective January first. Until that date, my only options are 1) Pay 100 percent out-of-pocket costs for elective services as well as preventive health care, such as mammograms, colonoscopies, blood testing, etc., or 2) Find medical services off-Island.
Fortunately, in researching Cape Cod Health Care, I have discovered that physicians and health care facilities are senior friendly, not only accepting new patients, but also their Medicare insurance plans. It is disheartening to this year-round senior, that the one and only hospital on the Island, which considers itself a community supportive facility, is denying insured seniors access to elective or preventive health care services without severe financial burden on their part. The hospital has turned its back on a portion of the senior population of Martha's Vineyard. Shame on it.
Christine Paffendorf
Tisbury
Can similar, separate nonprofits succeed?
To the Editor:
The July 2 MV Times advertised a YMCA fundraiser on page 21 and the results of a Boys & Girls Club of MV fundraiser on page 27. I can't help but wonder whether steep reductions in charitable giving, combined with the Island's weakened and stressed donor base, can afford to sustain the operating revenues of, potentially, two prominent youth service agencies.
Competing for the same donors, grants, and membership to support two opposing agencies offering similar programs at similar times at competing prices to the identical small population seems rife with troubles. One danger is that neither agency survives; the other is that they both do, broke and just barely. In either case, the children and families that depend on these youth services lose out.
Sound management, financial stability and programmatic relevance hold the promise of a bright future and are keys to providing efficient, cost-effective, and reliable youth services. If it is possible to bring these two competing organizations together to fund and operate a single world-class facility, now is the time.
Victor Colantonio,
Chappaquiddick
The writer is chief volunteer officer and board president of the John M. Barry Boys and Girls Club, Newton
Flog you
To the Editor:
If I witness one more self-important, entitled person who is not disabled park in the handicapped space at the West Tisbury Post Office, Skipper is going to have to arrest me for committing a public flogging.
C.F. Giordano
West Tisbury
Above and beyond
To the Editor:
Recently, my husband was airlifted from the Martha's Vineyard Hospital to the Boston Medical Center for emergency treatment, and there are many people we would like to thank.
Dr. Beland, Mike Spero, Cyndie Taylor, and Lisa Tilton offered immediate attention and swift results with their gentle and compassionate care.
The Medivac unit and the Oak Bluffs ambulance team thankfully kept us well informed and successfully diminished the accompanying stress and anxiety that both of us were experiencing at that time.
When I neglected to request an excursion fare at the Steamship Authority office and needed an immediate reservation, Kathleen Parsons and Kathy Cimeno remained patient and helpful, allowing me to make the necessary changes in a timely fashion.
All these people went above and beyond to offer the assurances we so desperately needed, and we are very grateful to these dedicated professionals who make this Island a very special place.
Diane and Bob Edwards
Edgartown
