Vineyarders
connect with tragedy abroad
January 13, 2005
Airport
Mobil pumps up tsunami aid
The owners of the Airport Mobil gas station in the Airport Business
Park have announced that over the next several months, for every
eight-gallon gasoline purchase the station will make a contribution
to a fund for tsunami relief.
A spokesperson for Airport Mobil estimated the gas sale donation
would raise approximately $10,000 for the American Red Cross tsunami
relief fund.
Station employees are also organizing the distribution of Red Cross
collection jars across the Island.
IRS law encourages tsunami relief
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will allow taxpayers who itemize
deductions to claim charitable donations made during January 2005
for relief of tsunami victims on their 2004 tax returns.
According to an IRS press release, a new law enacted on Jan. 7 allows
these donations to be deducted as if they were made on Dec. 31,
2004. The new law is only for cash contributions and gives taxpayers
the option of deducting the contributions on either their 2004 or
2005 returns, but not both.
The IRS advises taxpayers to be sure their contributions go to qualified
charities.
An update from Pollen Path
Laura Hacker-Durbin and Randy Durbin of Oak Bluffs were aboard their
Vineyard-built 40-foot sailboat Pollen Path in Pantai Kok, on the
western side of Langkawi Island, Malaysia, when the tsunami that
devastated Southeast Asia struck.
Days later, Ms. Durbin provided a dramatic eyewitness account of
the couple’s survival and the tsunami’s effects published
in the Dec. 30 edition of The Times.
Ms. Durbin described how she looked up from the laundry to see a
4-meter wave approaching the boat’s anchorage outside Telaga
Harbor Marina.
She wrote, “The wave broke as it reached shallow water —
it knocked Pollen Path flat and some water came over the stern.
After several minutes, Randy managed to reach Pollen Path in our
dinghy. The anchorage turned into a swirling vortex of muddy water
— the water mucky brown and full of vicious overfalls, eddies,
and wicked currents.”
She wrote that that despite the devastation and destruction, no
one in Telaga was hurt and no lives were lost, “but many hearts,
including ours are broken.”
The following update to the couple’s story arrived in an e-mail
dated Jan. 8:
“Thanks for running our story — we were staggered and
touched by the amount of e-mails we received from Vineyard friends.
“Yesterday, we read The Times on line and are thrilled at the
efforts on the Island to raise money for the victims of the tsunami.
Bravo to all — well done! Every bit, no matter how large or
small, helps. Jesse Martin is our neighbor in Oak Bluffs!
“Here on Langkawi, the fishing villages that were destroyed
have received aid and are being rebuilt. Friends in Thailand report
that Phuket is recovering, tourism is under a revival and in general,
things are improving. The outer islands have been more severely
affected, and they are still recovering. The areas in need of the
most aid are Banda Aceh (Indonesia), Sri Lanka, and the often forgotten
tsunami victims in Somalia.
“A medical team on a mission named ‘Waves of Mercy,’
organized by the captain of a large motor sailor, sailed from here
bound for Aceh a few days ago with a cargo of rice, water, and supplies,
plus fifteen doctors and nurses and medical supplies. Their goal
is to provide help, health care, food, and water on the outer islands.
“We heard today that already they have picked up 18 survivors
at sea, adrift since December 26. There will be more boats (large
motor sailors) leaving soon. It’s great to hear good news.
“We have made our clearance and will start to sail towards
Phuket tomorrow or the next day.”
Vineyarder narrowly misses tsunami
Well-known Vineyard yoga teacher Carol Vega was vacationing and
studying yoga in Thailand at the time of the tsunami that devastated
shoreline communities throughout south Asia on Dec. 26. She had
planned to be in Phuket, a seaside tourist resort, on the day of
the disaster, but was delayed.
In response to an e-mail from Ralph Stewart, The Times photographer,
she describes her experience.
“We came within one day of being in Phuket when the Tsunami
hit. We stopped in Ranong, a small town on the Andaman Sea, on Dec.
26 to renew our visas in Burma before heading down south to Phuket
and Krabbe, where we were going to stay for the next 2-3 weeks.
The Tsunami hit Phuket on Dec. 26 at 10am. Ranong was only slightly
affected as it is further north on the Andaman Sea.
“The government has closed the border to Burma, which is only
accessible by boat, and will not let any boats sail. Most of the
devastation in Thailand occurred around Phuket and Krabbe. There
are many little islands nearby that are havens for tourists. Because
of the holidays these places were packed.
“There has been so much devastation. I feel for the Thais,
who already struggle, to lose so much in the height of tourist season,
the tourists who have lost their lives, and the ones that are injured
and trapped in all the chaos. This country is not really prepared
to deal with this disaster. Hopefully other countries will step
in to help.
“We are so very lucky. Being in a tsunami is not exactly the
travel adventure I was looking for. We are staying in Ranong one
more night. We have been told that the border will open tomorrow.
If so, we take a boat to Burma to renew our visas. Then we take
a five-hour bus trip northeast to the Gulf of Thailand. We will
stay in a beach town call Hua Hin for at least a week. We are very
exhausted from so much travel and the intensity of the past couple
of days.
“Thanks for keeping us in your prayers. Carol.”
Concert will benefit Red Cross
Island singers and songwriters will perform to benefit the American
Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund at the Katharine Cornell Theatre,
Friday at 8 pm.
A suggested donation of $10 will be collected at the door. For more
information call 508-423-9566.
Islander caught up in tsunami is well
In response to a telephone call from Glenn Carpenter of Edgartown,
The Times checked on Stephen Green, a seasonal Vineyard resident
and painter, who spends a great deal of time in Thailand. The following
e-mail reports on Mr. Green’s experience.
“Hi, sorry for the late reply. My name is Steve Green. I am
part owner of a school here in Phuket. We suffered no damage; however,
I drove through the wreckage 2 days after and was totally devastated.
I am a survivor of hurricane Andrew about 10 years ago in Florida.
But a tsunami is the worst nightmare, especially if you see the
aftermath. One of our students was on a boat at the time and was
unhurt but saw first hand the power of this event.
To be further updated go online to our English newspaper, www.phuketgazette.com.
“Please inform Glen that I survived and thank you for your
query. Regards.”
In a follow up Mr. Green said the tsunami had brought the community
together. He said the disaster had also caused some people to point
to overdevelopment and disregard for the ecosystem by local people
as one reason for the high loss of life and property.
As an example, five years ago an area named Koh Lak, he said, “was
full of trees and wildlife and then all torn down to build hotels
and bungalows for rich Europeans. Now it is a disaster … Patong,
a nightlife resort full of bars and whatever was hit hard as well,
another reminder of Mother Nature’s disregard for human ways.”
Bank’s tsunami aid dollars add up
Sovereign Bank announced it has collected more than $115,000 in
donations for the American Red Cross within the first two weeks
of a special fund drive for tsunami victims, including over $1,250
at the Bank of Martha’s Vineyard, a division of Sovereign Bank.
Sovereign has also donated $50,000 in matching funds to the account
bringing the total to more than $165,000. In addition, the company
is matching every dollar donated by Sovereign team members.
“We are heartened by the overwhelming response to this effort,”
said Paul Watts of Tisbury, senior vice-president of the Bank of
Martha’s Vineyard. “We are grateful to all our team members,
customers, and the general public who donated so that some relief
may come to the victims of this tragedy.”
The Bank of Martha’s Vineyard fund drive is continuing, and
donations are being accepted at all five banking offices on the
Vineyard. Checks should be made out to the “American Red Cross
South Asia Relief Fund.”
Aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln
Jo Ann Murphy, veterans service agent for Dukes County sent along
a Jan. 3 account of U.S. Navy efforts to aid survivors of the Indian
Ocean tsunami. The writer is BMC(SW) Brian A. Cissell, who serves
in the deck department, 1st Division LCPO, aboard the USS Abraham
Lincoln. Excerpts from his email message follow:
Yesterday and today was a busy day. A lot of bodies were recovered,
and we are in the process of putting teams together to hit the beach
again today. Debris is everywhere, even two miles off the beach.
We passed four floating TV’s, couches, beds, dishes, clothing.
It was like the entire town was pulled into the sea.
We had a lot of problems when landing the helos in remote villages
when people, starving and scared, rushed the helos for food. The
pilots had no chance for safety to immediately take off, so they
dropped the food while hovering. Our entire Medical unit went in
today, except one doctor, to help with the sick and injured.
Everyone onboard has spent every last penny of their own pay depleting
the ship’s store of food, clothing, water, batteries to donate
to shore. Hell, even care packages from home are being given to
send to the beach to help with these problems. Today’s youthhas
put on an impressive display the last couple of days with the sacrifices
they have made … America’s finest is showing true .…
We were the first ones here and have been operating solo until this
morning when the Indonesian Navy came through. The chaplains have
been doing defusing on us as we return from the beach to help reduce
post traumatic syndrome. Everyone wants to stay ashore and [we]
have a hard time leaving with the people watching us leave. It is
hard because they are always happy to see us, and most cry and just
hold on to you for comfort.
Right now the Captain said that only 20% of the population where
we are survived. I know the news has been saying 94,000 have perished,
but it is much more than that. Illnesses have started to break out
and people that were already sick have been dying. Those injured
are getting sicker. Our doctors and medical team have been doing
the best they can to stop it and have saved quite a few. …
We have 11 helos operating right now, and once the rest of the fleet
gets here we will have much more. About 1,600 out of the 6,000 crewmembers
are being utilized for support ashore … Everything is being
done that can be done. The rest is up to a more powerful force than
us.
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