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The
Martha's Vineyard Times is a weekly publication.
January
13 - January 19, 2005 Edition
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LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR January 13, 2005 Vineyard malaise To the Editor: It was with some distress that I read in yesterday’s newspaper of the permanent closing of the BonGo Café on Main Street in Vineyard Haven. There goes yet another small business that had added important depth to the quality of life in our Island community. The Café served a wide variety of people — rich and poor, year around and seasonal. It was a true community gathering place — a warm cozy piece of our main street. The closure seems symptomatic of the malaise overtaking our Island, a malaise that is eroding our precious sense of community. High real estate prices, leading to inflated rents, are forcing out the small businesses that are so necessary to our life here. What will replace BonGo? Another seasonal gift shop or seasonal souvenir store? Small year-round businesses of all types have long been the root of Vineyard life, and their continued viability is now directly tied in to our housing problems where home ownership is now beyond the range of anyone earning less than $100,00 year or more. If our year-round population shrinks through lack of housing that is affordable, more small businesses will be forced to close and our quality of life here will be permanently diminished. It seems to me that this is time for everyone who lives here and enjoys life here to help keep this place we love healthy and available to all who wish to live and work here. This Island represents our roots, our heritage, and our way of life. This is our home and our year-round community — the people and the land. This is not a time to sit back, count our own blessings, enjoy the comfort of our own homes and our own means of living and not to care about the future of the Island. The Island needs our help. It is a time to give back to this beautiful and unique place we call home. It seems our responsibility, our duty almost, to give back to the community that has nurtured us all and given so much to our families, to our children and to ourselves. Whether it be actively supporting housing initiatives, town planning boards, land conservation efforts, or businesses — the time to act is now. Let us all make an effort to help preserve our precious Island community. Abbe Burt Vineyard Haven Editor’s Note: The writer is a paid staff member of a group which seeks public funding for the Martha’s Vineyard Housing Bank, which will underwrite the development of affordable housing. Land Bank acted courageously To the Editor: Having just read the Abby Rabinovitz letter in the Jan. 6 Martha’s Vineyard Times, concerning her disdain for the recent Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank secret acquisitions, I would like to take this opportunity to include my thoughts. Though I agree it is inappropriate for a government agency to act in secrecy, the situation here on Martha’s Vineyard with regard to public access is so severe that an argument could be made that public access agencies may need to secure access in any legal manner permitted. I am convinced the Land Bank commissioners acted courageously in securing additional access for the public, especially with the knowledge that there might be an obvious backlash from those who do not support their goals. Having been a resident of Martha’s Vineyard for almost 30 years, I am constantly amazed how Vineyarders react to various issues that come before them. It seems that public access is not a major issue here and that Islanders continue to elect public officials who do not support this cause, and Islanders are content in living in a community that has the lowest percentage of public access rights in the world, including any fascist regime. For some reason, the Wind Farm, 40B housing, golf courses, supermarkets, all get the attention of Vineyarders, but public access does not. The Land Bank should be thanked for acting courageously in standing up for the rights of the public; however, I do feel it is unnecessary for them to continue to act covertly for any other additional public access purchases. Securing public access to our lakes and ocean is not something the Land Bank, or anyone, should feel the need to disguise in any way. Paul D. Adler West Tisbury Fair criticism To the Editor: I just read Jim Newman’s letter to the editor complaining that he had been unfairly criticized in my Letter to the Editor because his statements were taken out of context. I would like to suggest that the statements were made on TV, and that the context is perfectly recorded. He was not asked about the costs of educating the children in federal housing but about the whole package of costs the town bears for all services rendered. His response to the question was completely inappropriate and, I will say, out of character for the man I thought I knew. He does in fact serve on a committee as do I that is working on a resolution to some of our mutual problems. What is true to the man is that as selectman he has helped to further the very damaging thinking that an effort to resolve our mutual issues is in some way racist or divisive. This insistence by Mr. Newman that any questioning of an obviously dysfunctional status quo is negative — rather than an honest attempt to put old animosities and issues to bed — is the root cause of the current dissatisfaction of the town voters. It defies all accepted thinking on conflict resolution and can only lead to continued ill feeling. John Walsh Aquinnah Health board vigilantes To the Editor: A common sense approach to local issues — that’s all anyone can ask for from their elected officials. However, this is Oak Bluffs, and the Oak Bluffs board of health has struck again. I’m sure that chairman White, commissioner Marinelli, and agent Fauteux sleep just fine at night. I’m even sure that they all have bedrooms with doors to provide them some privacy. I read the story in the Jan. 7 edition of the Vineyard Gazette, “House search finds owner in violation.” It seems that a single parent raising two teenage daughters had too many bedrooms in her house. Clearly, the board had to act because this woman was in violation of the state environmental code aimed at protecting the town’s drinking water. So the board of health went to the Edgartown District Court and secured a search warrant so they could go into this woman’s home and count her bedrooms. Commissioner Marinelli, joined by agent Fauteux and an Oak Bluffs policeman, set off on a New England winter day, warrant in hand, to count the number of bedrooms in Ms. Metell’s home. They find that she has four bedrooms, and they determine that she should have only one. The board then issued an order to Ms. Metell saying that she must immediately remove three of the four bedrooms, and if she fails to comply with this order, further action will be initiated. Ms Metell states that she is going to remove the doors from the bedrooms, and open up the entryways to six feet, thus not meeting the definition of “bedroom”; and you know what? — that will make the board of health happy again. But wait, the board went there to investigate a violation of the state environmental code aimed at protecting the town’s drinking water from excess nitrogen. I ask the board, how much nitrogen have you removed by getting a search warrant, utilizing the O.B. police, embarrassing and humiliating this single parent and her school-age children? And how much money will this parent have to spend altering her home? Is there less nitrogen as a result of these actions? Are there fewer bedrooms as a result of your actions? Clearly the answer to both of these is no. There are just two young girls who have had their privacy taken away, and a family that has had to endure the wrath of individuals who abuse the power they are given. After all, they went there because according to the state regulators, bedrooms equal nitrogen, when in fact, it’s people who produce the nitrogen. Their actions served no purpose other than to harm an Oak Bluffs family. Clearly the best approach would have been to force a deed restriction on the property limiting it to one bedroom, so that when it gets sold, the new buyers will know what they are getting. This vigilante attitude of the board should stop. We as residents of Oak Bluffs should demand that it stop. Who knows, maybe some new members will get on the board and censure the troublemakers. Robert A. Iadicicco Oak Bluffs Town meeting concerns To the Editor: I’m writing because I’m concerned about zoning in Oak Bluffs. A special town meeting is being held on Jan. 18 at 7 pm at the Oak Bluffs Elementary School. Of concern is Article 13 on the warrant. Article 13 is about spot zoning. Article 13 would change a property from residential zoning into commercial. This is contrary to the master plan for Oak Bluffs. Also all of the abutters who live there are firmly against Article 13. Secondly, zoning issues are traditionally done at the annual town meeting, not the special town meeting. This is because more people attend the annual town meeting than the special meeting. This alone is a fine reason to vote no on Article, 13 because it would set a very bad precedent for our town. Thirdly, if Article 13 passes, it would instantly make the property worth a lot more money. Check the real estate section of the paper and look at the difference in price between residential and commercial property. Should the town really be in the business of making certain people a lot of money? Finally, is it wise for the town to selectively change zoning while we are still dealing with the “garage” on North Bluff in court? If Article 13 passes, what next? Please vote no on Article 13. Erik Albert Oak Bluffs Dim Democrats To the Editor: Senator Barbara Boxer of California is a very stupid woman. We have about 155,000 people dead in Asia and a huge U.S. military force trying its best to help. We have a war going on in Iraq to defeat some very nasty terrorists whose aim is to destroy the USA. And this bird-brained Boxer wants to waste the time of the House and Senate with a cheap political stunt to hold up the Electoral College. She should be replaced ASAP if there are any Democrats bright enough to understand. No wonder they lost the election so bad. And the anti-Hispanic attitude of the Democratic Party is very evident when one notices they criticize attorney general nominee Alberto Gonzales for memos on the legalization of torture while at the same time supporting their former attorney general Ramsey Clark, a Democrat, who is on his way to Iraq to defend Saddam Hussein, one of the biggest torturers in world history. Peter N. Bundy Edgartown and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Police refreshment To the Editor: The following is a copy of a letter to the Tisbury selectmen: Because of the recent holidays and because of our busy schedules this letter is long over due. Phyllis and I wanted to comment on how interesting, informative, and enjoyable the Tisbury’s Citizens’ Police Academy was that we recently attended. Tisbury’s police Chief Theodore Saulnier has put together an excellent six-week program for the citizens of our town. The officers that spoke on the different weekly subjects were very well qualified and the demonstrations they put on were not only exciting because we were able to participate, but they also gave us a better understanding and appreciation for what the duties and responsibilities are of our police officers and what they go through on a daily basis for the citizens of our town and Island. We only have a couple suggestions that you might consider for the next group. We think a tour of the jail in Edgartown should be considered and possibly allow the citizens to ride along with an officer while he is on duty. Lastly we think the students at our high school might like to be able to attend a similar type of Citizen Police Academy, if it is offered to them through the school. In closing thank you for allowing the chief to put on this academy for us. It is very refreshing to see that our police department is once again deserving of our respect and appreciation. Woody and Phyllis Williams Vineyard Haven Farewell from an IEH employee To the Editor: This was an open letter to the residents of Island Elderly Housing: It is with great reluctance and sadness that today I have tendered my resignation as a member of Island Elderly Housing crew. It is an action I never envisioned. But every action must be due to one or other of several causes, so says Aristotle: “chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reasoning, anger or appetite.” For those who know me, six reasons are easy to eliminate. I feel it is imperative to let you know through this personal message of my departure rather than reading about it in a future newsletter under another’s by-line. Too often it is between the lines where the real story remains untold and doubts linger. I want you all to know it has been an honor and a privilege to have met all of you. You have made an impact on my life far beyond what you could ever realize. Over the past two and a half years you have evolved from buildings, to apartment numbers, to tenants, to familiar faces with real names, to friends, and then to extended family. I have shared the good times and the rough times with many of you. We have cried tears of pain and tears of joy. When you were under the weather, I tried to cheer you up. And in return when I looked like I was having a tough day, you lifted my spirits. You have graciously allowed me into your lives like a son. These are the memories I will always remember and think about often. But like any son, I haven’t always been perfect. I admit I have flaws but I have tried throughout my time to meet all of you halfway on your concerns and tried to resolve differences in a respectful fashion. With your help and guidance I think we both did ok. When I told my mother I was hired to work at IEH, she was quick to remind me of a great piece of advice. My mom, by the way was a mayor of the city of Portsmouth, N.H. She served with honor and dignity in that office for almost a quarter of a century. So when she talks I listen. She told me to treat the residents with respect and kindness the same way I would want her to be treated. It is something I remind myself on a daily basis. Besides my parents, the person who has had the greatest impact on my life is Robert Francis Kennedy. ‘‘Bobby” had the compassion and the wisdom and belief that all those less fortunate have opportunities to make their life worth living and that the elderly be respected. He once said on the campaign trail, “Old age is something that happens to everybody and before we reach that chapter in our life we should be wise enough and unselfish enough and effective enough, so we can make those years a time in which they feel the need to live, not just linger.” Bobby never had to experience growing old. He never experienced his 43rd birthday. My thoughts in the message will soon come to an end but my friendship to you will never reach that conclusion. I will forever cherish the memories you have given me. I hope I have made a small difference in your life, but it will never compare to the impact you made on mine. I depart from this juncture in my life not a bitter person but a better person. A better person because I have be able to know, honor and enjoy a great group of loving individuals. I also had the honor to work alongside some great people who I am proud to say are my friends. The names of CiCi, Patty, Wendy, Courtney, Mike, Ann, Derli, Kevin M., Pops, Bill, Ellen and Kevin O. will always be etched in my mind, my heart and my soul. To them and to you, thank you. Jay Foley Vineyard Haven Questions for IEH To the Editor: This was an open letter to the resident community of Island Elderly Housing. Micki Fredrick will read this statement in my absence because my back is giving me some problems: We all signed structured and specific leases taking into account our incomes and allowable deductions as determined by HUD regulations. There is no mention of further fees beyond charges for AC and cable, if individuals want either and are willing to pay for same. That is what we all agreed to. The new service fee falls outside my contract, and I already pay extra for the van and housecleaning services for myself. I do not support an added service fee, and I believe a dangerous precedent would be set if we just cave in on this request for more money. What would be asked for next year? Let IEH operate within its budget; that’s what we all have to do, and what Carol [Lashnits] is paid to do. I have been told that IEH’s wretched history of staff turnover and the current mess about the loss of Kevin Oliver and the fate of Jay Foley may also be discussed today. Jay has a team that works well together and is popular with residents. Why change it? All the personnel changes over the years run counter to medical and psychological beliefs that change is more difficult to adapt to by the elderly. Staff turnover is a joke at IEH. But we all have to deal with it. Why? Why is the resignation rate so high? Lots of whys to be answered. Mott de Forest Woodside I Sad departure To the Editor: Today, my daughter shared a letter she received from Jay Foley at Hillside Village. In his letter, Jay stated that he had turned in his resignation as maintenance manager. I cannot tell you how sad that made me. My daughter has been a tenant at Hillside Village for more than a year. I knew she was in good hands as soon as I met Jay. A twinkle in his eye along with a warm smile and a joke. It’s scary as a parent to have your child move out. It’s even scarier when your child has a disability. Jay made my fears go away very quickly. I have always known that he has been my eyes for me when needed, but as important, Jay has also let me know that she’s fine and indeed very independent. I have found through having my daughter residing at Hillside Village just how important certain things are. Trust and kindness are extremely high on my list. Hillside is not just where “old people” live. Hillside is a community of people of all ages living independently. It is very important that those who work there know and respect the tenants. Jay not only knows and respects them, he likes them. Hillside Village may be a job, but it is very apparent that Jay likes his job. When somebody likes to get up in the morning and go to work, it shows. How lucky for the residents of Hillside to have had somebody like that to depend on. As I write this, I realize that since my daughter moved to Hillside in June 2003, that two other people beside Jay have left. Patty Blakesley got all my daughter’s paperwork together and left right as my daughter’s number came up on the wait list. Courtney Higgins was there to give my daughter her key, and now Wendy is there. I hope she stays. I’m beginning to wonder why the turnover rate is so quick. That scares me. Maybe I’ve been under a false impression that all is well, and I never have to worry. I think I need to worry, because when you start losing people who are so important in the daily life of a loved one, something just isn’t right. I speak only for life at Hillside Village, but I know that Jay is equally important at Woodside. There are a lot of apartments and people between both those complexes. I think it’s a shame that he has resigned. I think it would be a bigger shame if the IEH directors accepted his resignation and failed to wonder why those before him resigned too. To Jay, I say thank you for being you. I only hope to see you again. Maggie Bresnahan West Tisbury Season of light To the Editor: Hanukah, Christmas, a time of giving, a time of gratitude, and our Hospice family is so very grateful to the community who has supported our holiday fundraising efforts. To all who offered their gifts of incredible music, time, and talents to the Reflections of Peace Concert, we say a warm and heartfelt thank you. To Murray’s and Hub Formalwear and Cronig’s Market for making the evening even more special with their donations of flowers and formal wear. To Betsy MacDonald for sharing from her heart about her family’s Hospice journey. To all who purchased tickets and shared in this exquisite night at the very beautiful Star of the Sea Church, we say, Thank you. To each and every wreath maker, knitter, baker, candlestick maker, we say thank you for generously sharing time and talent and giving your hand made items to be sold to our faithful shoppers who give twice with their purchases. To the Preservation Trust, we could never have created such a beautiful space as you so generously shared with us, thank you. We were overwhelmed with the spirit of generosity and support from all over our Island and beyond. We had an incredibly wonderful sale, only because people sincerely share and care. To Linda Sheen for her incredible gift of the Bernina sewing machine, which was the perfect raffle for Handmade From The Heart. For the businesses who sold tickets, Sanctuary, Murray’s, Bramhall Dunn, and Laughing Bear, the board of directors and fundraising committee who sold and purchased in large quantities. To Lynn Benson at the Heath Hen who displayed the machine and shared her space so graciously, we say our warmest thank you. It does take a community to ensure the work of Hospice. A community of love, support, and gratitude has said yes once again to our asking, and we say a grateful and warm thank you. May we share this journey with peace in our hearts and peace in our world in the coming year. Thank you so much. Judy Williamson and Terre D. Young Co-chairmen Fundraising Committee Hospice The Humphreys saga To the Editor: In the past few weeks the two Island papers (plus the perennial gossip) have been somewhat misleading about Humphreys’ Bakery in West Tisbury, which is where it was last year and the year before and many years before that. Argie Humphreys opened the West Tisbury bake shop in 1953. There is only one Humphreys, and it will be ready to serve its faithful customers once again in just a few months. Argie Humphreys gave me my first job when I was 14 years old. He had started his first shop The Vineyard Food Shop, below Le Grenier on Main Street in Vineyard Haven. He probably did that out of the kindness which was so much a part of his effervescent personality because I was a very close friend to his daughter Joyce and was born within two hours of her at the old Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Joyce’s mother taught me to knit and do other handwork as my 4-H leader. I worked the Martha’s Vineyard fairs for Argie Humphreys. Though time and marriage took Joyce and me to different parts of the world, we never really lost touch, and I never, ever forgot her gracious parents and my first “boss,” who never corrected his often inept employee. Mrs. Argie Humphreys (Bernice Mayhew) grew up in the old homestead right next to the present bakery, and her parents and her son both lived there for great lengths of time, as did she and her husband in their later years. Now, in 2005, Argie and Bernice’s four great-grandchildren have just moved into the family home, which goes back 7 generations. Very recently young Barlett, who inherited that old Mayhew homestead from his parents, died. He willed the house and the bakery to his sister Joyce, who plans to run the business this summer. Therefore, Humphreys is still in the family as it has been for my entire, long lifetime. Many bakeries have come and gone and come again during the last 60 years on the Vineyard, but the little white shop next to the big white house in West Tisbury has always been owned by the same family. Joyce is Joyce Reed Humphreys Duarte, and she is the recipient of a house and a business that has always been in her family for generations. Yes, another part of the family leased the West Tisbury location for a number of years, and Joyce has already stated publicly that the business was well run and a success. However, it was the last owner’s, Bart Humphreys’, wish that one sister inherit the business and the house, and so she has. As a young girl her father taught her the recipes and how to work the store. She is certainly no stranger to the bakery business. I think we should thank God the property is still in the hands of the family which first helped settle this Island and has not been sold to a Dunkin’ Donuts chain. Mayhews and Humphreys have lived and worked up there at the corner for centuries, and they still do. Let’s wish Joyce success in her birthright and her family business and stop saying Humphreys is no more. Bart Humphreys did what more Island families could do if they want to save some of our history and land. He kept it in the family. Come to Humphreys this summer. I hear some of the old recipes are being revived. And let those who don’t know now know that Joyce is merely going about her family’s business as is her heritage, and we should all wish her well for keeping an old Island tradition where it belongs — in the family. The newspaper stories have seemed to indicate that she was taking something that was not hers — not true. Welcome home, Joyce, son, daughter-in-law, and four grandchildren. The Mayhew homestead is truly a big part of West Tisbury history. It’s nice to have life in it again and know that tradition can still exist on an Island which has become a market-place for buying and selling property to people who did not have the opportunity to make this Island what it is today. Life was hard, but when times were difficult and money was scarce, the Mayhews and the Humphreys stayed the course and were such people. Roberta Bradford (Hopkins) Mendlovitz Vineyard Haven Generous support To the Editor: When the hardships and tragedies of the world are foremost in our minds everyday, it can be difficult to focus on matters closer to home. Yet as we enter a new year, we are again hopeful for a safer, healthier, more peace filled world, and are thankful, more than ever, for the community in which we live. During the recent holiday season, several individuals and local businesses participated in a fundraising venture to benefit natural history programs at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary. The 2005 Calendar, Flora and Fauna of Martha’s Vineyard, would not have been possible without the generous support and creativity of the following photographers: Sally Anderson, Elaine Christensen, Bill Ewart Jr., Julian Robinson, Susie Safford, and my mother, Ethne Thrush. Their striking wildlife images epitomize their love of nature and of the environment. Grateful thanks, also, to Chilmark Chocolates, Conroy Apothecary, Cronig’s Market, Paper Tiger, SBS, and The Thrift Shop, where calendars may still be purchased, and to Andrea Rogers and all at the Vineyard Holiday Shop. Their marketing efforts have been invaluable. Best wishes to all for a safe and happy new year. Penny Uhlendorf The Conservatree Vineyard Haven Thanks To the Editor Thanks so much to Abigail Higgins for mentioning my new book, Gardens of the Arts and Crafts Movement [in The Times’ Garden Notes column]. We live in Waban, but I thought you might be interested in knowing that we just bought a house in Edgartown that we are currently renovating. I’m planning to have a nice, small garden there. It will be a while before the contractors finish up. Again, thank you for mentioning my book. Judith Tankard Edgartown and Waban |
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Martha's Vineyard Times 2004 - www.mvtimes.com
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