Letters to the Editor
Published: November 19, 2009
Needs work
To the Editor:
I am writing this letter for my son, who will not be happy that I did so. However, he just turned 19, a 2009 graduate of MVRHS. He can do just about any type of work and has done several types of work over the years. He is strong, eager, a quick learner, and likes to work.
At one point he juggled three different jobs. He's good with boats, he has culinary skills, done landscaping, house painting, farming, and worked at two different gas stations and has done commercial fishing. The problem is he is unable to find work and is getting discouraged.
I know a lot of job openings are word of mouth and was just hoping something might be available. Just seems a shame that a kid who was born and raised here can't find a job. He is clean, doesn't drink or smoke, and he has a truck. I realize a lot of folks are not working at the present time and probably are in the same situation. But if there is anything out there, we would appreciate a call. Our phone number is 508-645-9698. Thank you.
Wayne V. Iacono
Chilmark
An award owed
To the Editor:
This is outstanding. I can't contact this person directly, but it will give warm fuzzies to all.
I had a high school sweetie (1990- 1994) named Asa Vought.
On our first date, he brought flowers for my mother which, I might add, bought him an extra half hour before I had to be home.
He went away to school, and then I did as well. We stayed in touch and got together now and then, but it was clear that timing wasn't on our side.
So to cut to the point, he always looked out for my mother. In years past, under different vocations, he has always treated her with respect and offered extra help if she needed it. Whether plumbing problems or moving furniture, he always said she could contact him for help.
Well, we're grown up now. The thoughts of "what could have been" are long gone. Here is why this man should get an award.
Just the other day, Asa drove by my mom's house and saw her working outdoors. He turned around just to speak with her.
"Mrs. Howell, do you remember me?" he said.
She most certainly did.
Thank you, Asa, for looking out for my mom after all these years. Sorry, I don't do the Facebook thing. Sincere congratulations on the birth of your son (I'm clearly way behind) and blessings for you and yours.
Knowing that Island people haven't really changed brings me so much comfort up here in New Hampshire.
Kat Howell
Nottingham, N.H.
A wider look at us
To the Editor:
Many organizations, including the Martha's Vineyard Commission, work hard to preserve the qualities of our Island home. But where, I wonder, should the boundary lines of investigations, concerns, and actions be drawn?
For example, when dealing with trash, there's little question that we want it quickly removed from sight (by shipping it off-Island), but should we also pay attention to whether it is safely processed or neutralized once on the mainland?
When ordering materials for our construction projects, we look closely at prices, but should we also check to see whether the lumber is sustainably grown and harvested, and that heating and other equipment are assembled by fairly paid workers in safe factories?
When maintaining our parks, roadsides, and yards, should we pay attention to the gas consumption of our mowers, leaf-blowers, trucks, etc., and the pollutants they release?
When climbing into our cars, should we think about the people in foreign countries who are fighting over oil?
And when weighing our options for assuring adequate electricity on the Vineyard, should we take into consideration the many environmental impacts of off-Island, fossil-fueled power plants - the strip mining in West Virginia, the resulting dead and displaced wildlife, mercury-contaminated fish, respiratory ailments, and contaminated water supplies?
How deeply should we investigate these and other mainland issues, and how far away should we look? I suggest very far and very deeply, especially now that we've begun discussing the possible placement of wind turbines on and around Martha's Vineyard, and their potential to help us solve a multitude of environmental problems, near and far.
Admittedly, our future turbine hearings will be much simpler if we decide to focus primarily on their aesthetics and overlook the issues of mountaintop removal, oil wars, climate change, etc. But if we exclude these from our discussions, we won't get what we want - a well-preserved and sustainable Island home.
Chris Fried
Tisbury
Lot of wind there
To the Editor:
Placards inserted in the ground at various locations on Martha's Vineyard proclaim Nantucket Sound is not For Sale. True statement. No area of federally controlled water has ever been put up for sale and in all likelihood will never be sold. Ownership belongs to the federal government and will always remain there. The federal government does lease the area below and above federal waters (waters extending beyond the state's three-mile limit) for energy development. Royalties paid to the federal government are shared with the abutting states, whether oil and natural gas are extracted from below the water line or whether wind above the water line is tapped to produce electricity. Whether the fuel is located below or above the water line, the federal government always claims and gets its pound of flesh through royalty payments from the energy produced.
The above-water fuel - wind speed - within Massachusetts three-mile limit, is now under consideration for providing large amounts of commercial scale electricity (6,270 MW). Two reasons the south side of Martha's Vineyard went to the top of the state's list for producing electricity: highest grade fuel located in the shallowest water. Waters off Martha's Vineyard contain some of the highest grade fuel. Wind speeds south of the Island, on average, are around 20 mph, while wind speeds on the inland portion are about 14 mph.
Lower cost electricity will be produced utilizing the highest grade fuel (winds south of the Island), in the shallowest water (smaller and less costly foundations), closest to shore (shortest distance needed to run the two (one redundant) large very expensive cables needed to plug into the land-based electrical distribution system.
Tradeoffs will always have to be made in powering the grid. It takes fuel to generate electricity. The only option available is the type(s) of fuel used. There are no truly 100 percent benign fuels to be had for generating electricity. There are climate "benign" fuels - wind, hydroelectric, solar, geothermal - climate "malignant" fuels - coal, oil, and natural gas - as well as the climate "neutral" fuel - nuclear - (with its own set of unique challenges) that can be called upon to generate electricity. In the United States, climate "malignant" fuel contributes 75 percent, climate "neutral" fuel 20 percent, and climate "benign" fuel five percent of America's electrical power needs.
Leasing state and federal waters for wind-generated electricity, with appropriate royalty payments, could go a long way to a needed revenue stream for the state and local communities, as well as accelerate the transition to a much more dominant role for climate "benign" fuels in power generation.
Peter Cabana
Vineyard Haven
No one answers
To the Editor:
Last week's Times once again ran an editorial praising a political figure from West Tisbury. This time it was West Tisbury's Martha's Vineyard Commission member, Linda Sibley. I have personally heard her defend West Tisbury's exclusionary beach policies at Lambert's Cove beach, a town park. This is highly relevant because of work being done on the Island Plan. So I'll ask again. Does anyone from West Tisbury, specifically anyone involved from the Island Plan, support opening Lambert's Cove Beach, at least to the walking public? If the answer is no, then why are we even doing the Island Plan? Silence is my validation. End beach apartheid.
Erik Albert
Oak Bluffs
Time for giving
To the Editor:
It's that time of year again. As the holiday season draws near, charitable organizations are making their annual appeals for support. These fundraising efforts matter greatly as many nonprofits count on the generosity of the Island community now to help fund their work in the coming months.
But although every nonprofit hopes for some substantial contributions, we all know that small gifts really make a difference, big time. According to an article in the New York Times on November 12, the "everyday donor" is now being heralded as "philanthropy's newest hero." Just imagine, if every resident of Martha's Vineyard gave $25 to charity, more than $385,000 could be raised to support organizations working to better our lives through their efforts in the areas of the arts and culture, education, the elderly, the environment, health and human services, housing and recreation.
So when the appeals for support arrive in your mailbox over the next few weeks, please remember that every act of charity matters. Our Island may be small, but our care for the life that we build here together most certainly is not.
Please give, and thank you.
Ralinda Lurie
Executive Director
Permanent Endowment for Martha's Vineyard
You can help
To the Editor:
The guided tour of the new YMCA facility on Saturday, Oct. 31, marked an amazing milestone for Martha's Vineyard. Walking through the structure made it easy to imagine the splashing and shouting and squealing soon to echo within the busy halls of this magnificent new Y.
After a decade and a half of careful planning, negotiating, soliciting funds and building, the Y has at last become a gorgeous physical reality for us, for our children, and for their children.
Located directly across from the high school and adjacent to the hockey rink, this capacious and neatly-designed structure offers a centrally-located, state-of-the-art aquatic center, as well as multiple other services to engage youth of all ages.
As a physician who has treated Vineyarders of all ages, I know the influence of the Y on Vineyard life and health will be tremendous. Hats off to the Y committee for bringing us this close to an ambitious and essential goal.
According to Y spokesperson Christine Todd, recent challenge grants will make it easier to finish the campaign, but the committee still needs significant support to complete the home stretch.
The Y is going to be wonderful for Vineyarders young and old alike, so if you haven't given yet or haven't given enough yet, do it now! Your gift will greatly benefit the physical and emotional health of Vineyarders for generations to come.
Gerry Yukevich M.D.
Vineyard Haven
Options
To the Editor:
Thanks for the article about Angel Quinonez. It lets Islanders know that they have more than one option. He's done all my work, and I wouldn't go to anyone else. Besides, it is a rare thing to find a businessman who can crack you up while he simultaneously puts you in pain.
Hayley Panek
Oak Bluffs
A fan
To the Editor:
In regard to Norman S. Reed's letter of November 12, wow, can I buy the rights to that letter? I am working on a book titled "I Couldn't Take the Time to Think for Myself, So I Channeled Faux News," and that letter would make a fine introduction. To The Times: Really.
Matthew Burke
Oak Bluffs
A winning treat
To the Editor:
What an absolute treat it was to see Julian Robinson's photo and verse about my son's winning scarecrow. It made his day, and mine - definitely one for the scrapbook. The school/kids did a great job this year, with a lot more scarecrows to build.
Thank you.
Lara and Cathal Robinson
Vineyard Haven
