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Martha's Vineyard Times is a weekly publication.
April 14 - April 20, 2005 Edition
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April 14, 2005 There when we need them To the Editor: The week of April 10 is National Tele-Communicators Week. As I contemplated how best to pay tribute to the women and men at the Dukes County Sheriff’s E9-1-1 Communications Center, I came across the following words of Chief Thomas Wagoner from the Loveland County [Colo.] Police Department: “Someone once asked me if I thought that answering telephones for a living was a profession. I said, ‘I thought it was a calling.’ And so is dispatching. I have found in my law enforcement career that dispatchers are the unsung heroes of public safety. They miss the excitement of riding in a speeding car with lights flashing and sirens wailing. They can only hear of the bright orange flames leaping from a burning building. They do not get to see the joy on the face of worried parents as they see their child begin breathing on its own, after it has been given CPR. Dispatchers sit in darkened rooms looking at computer screens and talking to voices from faces they never see. It’s like reading a lot of books, but only half of each one. “Dispatchers connect the anxious conversations of terrified victims, angry informants, suicidal citizens and grouchy officers. They are the calming influence of all of them — the quiet, competent voices in the night that provide the pillars for the bridges of sanity and safety. They are expected to gather information from highly agitated people who can’t remember where they live, what their name is, or what they just saw. And then, they are expected to calmly provide all that information to the officers, firefighters, or paramedics without error the first time and every time. “Dispatchers are expected to be able to do five things at once — and do them well. While questioning a frantic caller, they must type the information into a computer, tip off another dispatcher, put another caller on hold, and listen to an officer run a plate for a parking problem. To miss the plate numbers is to raise the officer’s ire, to miss the caller’s information may be to endanger the same officer’s life, but the officer will never understand that. “Dispatchers have two constant companions: other dispatchers and stress. They depend on one, and try to ignore the other. They are chastened by upset callers, taken for granted by the public, and criticized by the officers. The rewards they get are inexpensive and infrequent, except for the satisfaction they feel at the end of a shift, having done what they were expected to do. “Dispatchers come in all shapes and sizes, all races, both sexes, and all ages. They are blondes, and brunettes, and redheads. They are quiet and outgoing, single, or married, plain, beautiful, or handsome. No two are alike, yet they are all the same. They are people who were selected in a difficult hiring process to do an impossible job. They are as different as snowflakes, but they have one thing in common, They care about people and they enjoy being the lifeline of society — that steady voice in a storm — the one who knows how to handle every emergency and does it with style and grace; and uncompromised competence. “Dispachers play many roles: therapist, doctor, lawyer, teacher, weatherman, guidance counselor, psychologist, priest, secretary, supervisor, politician, and reporter. And few people must jump through the emotional hoops on the trip through the joy of one caller’s birthday party, to the fear of another caller’s burglary in progress, to the anger of a neighbor blocked in their drive, and back to the birthday caller all in a two-minute time frame. The emotional roller coaster rolls to a stop after an eight- or 10-hour shift, and they are expected to walk down to their car with steady feet and no queasiness in their stomach, because they are dispatchers. If they hold it in, they are too closed. If they talk about it, they are a whiner. If it bothers them, it adds more stress. If it doesn’t, they question themselves, wondering why. “Dispatchers are expected to have the: * compassion of Mother Theresa; * wisdom of Solomon; * interviewing skills of Oprah Winfrey; * gentleness of Florence Nightingale; * patience of Job; * voice of Barbara Streisand; * knowledge of Einstein; * tanswers of Ann Landers; * humor of David Letterman; * investigative skills of Sgt. Joe Friday; * looks of Melanie Griffith or Don Johnson; * faith of Billy Graham; * energy of Charo; * endurance of the Energizer Bunny.” Is it any wonder that many drop out during training? It is a unique and talented person who can do this job and do it well, and it is fitting and proper that we take a few minutes or hours this week to honor you for the job that each of you does. That recognition is overdue and it is insufficient. But it is sincere. I have tried to do your job, and I have failed. It takes a special person with unique skills. I admire you and I thank you for the thankless job you do. You are heroes, and I am proud to work with you. Please join me in expressing sincere gratitude to our emergency dispatchers. Sheriff Michael McCormack Edgartown Thanks to the Land Bank To the Editor: With sadness, I read of the attacks in recent times against the Land Bank. To my understanding, it is because of this organization that we all have such various spots of sublime natural beauty to enjoy. Without the diligence, foresight, and a great deal of hard work on their part, we Island residents – and indeed I do join us as a sum total rather than as tribes of isolates – would not have the carefully preserved and managed properties that we do. Theodore Roosevelt, in 1912, stated, “There can be no greater issue than that of conservation in this country.... We must conserve the forests, not by disuse, but use, making them more valuable at the same time that we use them.” To the staff and commissioners of the Land Bank, I know that I am most certainly not alone in offering you a profound and heartfelt thank you. Dan T. Chase Oak Bluffs From the bottom of his heart To the Editor: This letter is especially for Chief John Schilling, Capt. Russell Maciel, and members of the Tisbury Fire Department: If I retire from life as I did from my 44 years on the Tisbury ladder truck, I will be at a place where it is happy and peaceful and not red-hot like some of the fires I helped put out. This retirement dinner was a total surprise. I had not one clue. I thought I was going to a dinner for my friend Feanne’s birthday, which was the next day. We were a half-hour late for a 7 pm reservation, and I was not a happy camper. I want to thank all the ladder crew and a special thanks to Captain Maciel for varnishing the book my gold-plated axe was mounted on. I will treasure it until I commence to croak. Also, thanks to my son Billy and his eternal friend Karen for all their time they put into this. For a while my son played the part of Ali Babba and his 40 fibs to get me to the P.A. Club. All of my friends that participated made this party the success that it was. It was a down-to-earth Island happening. Again I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart. Billy Dias Tisbury Small world department To the Editor: Thanks so much to Julian Wise for the great coverage of the salsa dance benefit for the students going on the cultural exchange to Puerto Rico. The wonderful result of the article is that a Martha’s Vineyard Times fan, Marianne Larned, who used to live on our Island and is currently living on Vieques Island in Puerto Rico, read the article and got in touch with Pam Benjamin (Sense of Wonder) who contacted me. Thanks to the connection, we plan to spend the day in Vieques with high school students that Marianne works with in the youth leadership Initiative group. We will share our short cultural presentation of Martha’s Vineyard youth and sing with them for a music video of a newly created song by Tito Pena called “Sueños,” and hopefully build lasting Island-to-Island ties. What a small world it is. “El mundo es un pañuelo.” Thanks for helping enrich our journey even more. Lynn Ditchfield For MVRHS travelers to Puerto Rico Explaining himself and his kind To the Editor: I would like to take this moment to address the subject of discrimination. As a Republican on Martha’s Vineyard, I have been the victim of many false stereotypes and assumptions because of my political views. Countless times I have found myself at a party or function surrounded by people with more liberal views and beliefs. Upon learning of my ideologies, inevitably I am looked upon as the environment-destroying, bomb-dropping, illegitimate love child of Dick Cheney and Anita Bryant. So, in my defense, I’ve decided to try and clear up what I believe are the top misconceptions about me and other Island conservatives. There are many, but I’ve chosen to point out those that I think are the most prevalent. Please take a moment to consider whether you are also guilty of promoting these stereotypes without prior investigation. Thirteen misconceptions about me, as a Republican living on Martha’s Vineyard: 1. I have no interest in drilling for oil at Polly Hill Arboretum or conducting geological surveys beneath West Chop. Further, I have never suggested placing a “wind turbine” atop of the Whaling Church. 2. I do not want to keep Granny alive forever by any artificial means possible, especially if she is rich. 3. I was not the one who suggested renaming the Chappy Ferry “The Ol’ Lynn Cheney”. 4. I don’t believe that gay marriage threatens the culture of America, just the supply of calla lilies and tulips. 5. I do not subscribe to the idea that the only way to save Social Security is to adopt the Eskimo tradition of sending your parents out to sea on an ice flow, at least not before age 65. 6.I do not agree with any plans to “Liberate” Nantucket. 7. I do not think that Tashmoo Farm would be a perfect spot for a WalMart. 8. I have never been overheard saying that the ozone hole gives a more “Bronze-ish” suntan color. 9. I am not convinced that a meaningful and productive life begins at conception, or even at 38 for that matter. 10. I never believed that Theresa Heinz was a crazy, loud-mouthed, opinionated billionaire who was completely out of touch with reality. I am almost certain she was just a millionaire. 11. I absolutely, positively did not start the rumor that Dan Rather and Michael Moore were spotted frolicking in the waves naked at Lucy Vincent beach. 12. I never said that I saw any Tisbury selectman candidate throwing their “war medals” into the Tisbury pond or accusing each other of “Genghis Khan” like behavior. 13. And finally, contrary to popular belief, I never supported the argument that tofu could be considered, under certain circumstances, as a weapon of mass destruction. In the future I hope that these clarifications will help to bring about more understanding and tolerance of Island conservatives. Remember that it takes all kinds of people to make the world go around. So, next time you drive past Five Corners and honk in support of an anti-war rally or a large group of Patriot Act protesters, take a moment to acknowledge those of us on the opposite side of the street supporting a different and maybe less popular point of view. Believe me, the three of us would greatly appreciate the encouragement. Mark Martin Tisbury Do the right thing To the Editor: I would like to thank the people of Oak Bluffs for electing me five years ago to our planning board. I hope that the people who came before us thought that they were treated with fairness and honesty. I feel that the planning board is made up of people whose only agenda is the benefit of the town and townspeople. I believe that the town owes a great deal to chairman John Bradford, whose dedication and fairness provided the best example of character and behavior. He is the jewel in the crown. I have good feelings about the two candidates running for the two empty seats on the board. Ms. Sullivan and Mr. Fiore are very capable. I had the pleasure of working with Kyle Fiore this last few months. And needless to say, having a woman present on the board will be welcome. When I was elected five years ago, my son Charlie asked me how much did I get paid. I told him, “nothing!” He then asked how long was my term. I told him five years. He said that made me the dumbest person he knew. I told him about civic duty and giving back to the community. I think he got it. My only advice to any elected official this month is to do the right thing for their community. Treat your fellow townspeople with respect and a true willingness to help. If you’re looking for a power trip, take the fast ferry to Hyannis. Marty Nadler Oak Bluffs What about beer? To the Editor: I have never felt compelled to write letters to the editor. However, I would like to comment on a letter written by Bob Skydell in regards to the Cape Wind project and bird mortality rates on Horseshoe Shoals. I find it commendable that Mr. Skydell, co-chairman of the Martha’s Vineyard chapter of Clean Power Now, is looking out for the best interests of us all. What’s wrong with a few windmills off the coast of the Cape and Islands? With global warming being what it is, we should all do our part to reduce the effects greenhouse gases have on our environment. Now, let’s see if I have my facts straight? “Due to extract degradation, alcohol, yeast and also a considerable amount of fermentation carbon dioxide are produced during the fermentation process” (www.huppmann.com). Carbon dioxide (Co2) is the #1 green house gas. So I ask you? What would Bob Skydell have us do next? Stop drinking his beer? Dana Thornton Edgartown Scottish beauty To the Editor: I can’t comment much on American locales and their NIMBY factors in regard to wind power, but I do know about a place in Scotland and their windmills. The eco-village Findhorn Foundation is located on the outskirts of the village of Findhorn on the north coast of Scotland. Since 1989, a small windmill named Moya (people of Findhorn have the habit of naming their machines) has been generating some of the Foundation’s power. After several years of discussion, the local officials have recently given the foundation permission to build three more windmills that will supply 100 percent of the foundation’s electric needs (no word yet as to their names). One of the official concerns was how they would look, however no one from the village had a problem. They all like how the windmill looks. They feel it has a certain beauty. I spent a month in Findhorn several years ago learning about sustainability and got to know Moya quite well. She truly is very beautiful. I found myself walking out to visit her often. I went back to visit two years ago. Arriving by train from Glasgow, I looked up from the book I was engrossed in, wondering how much longer until I arrived, I saw Moya off in the distance. Sparkling white in the rare Scottish sunshine, her vanes slowly turning, she was a beautiful beacon, telling me I would soon be there, among people who care so deeply about our earth. Liz Toomey Vineyard Haven Delay pond opening To the Editor: This letter was written to the members of the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank and the West Tisbury advisory board: This past Thanksgiving Holiday was the first for my family without either of my parents alive. I thought I was coping quite well without the usual and multiple phone calls from my mother leading up to the big day. Then Wednesday night my brother called to see if I’d read the paper or heard about the deception that had taken place right in our backyard. I immediately looked up the article in question on the internet and felt like it had to be some kind of terrible mistake. The use of a straw to purchase property on Ice House Pond just couldn’t have happened, and certainly not in my little town of West Tisbury. We just don’t work like that here. Not the town where my father, Fred Fisher, dedicated many years of his life in public service to the good of all. There was no one more outspoken, upfront, honest, or true to his politics and his love for West Tisbury. I truly believe that if he were still alive, and still a West Tisbury selectman, that we would not be here today having this discussion. Not because he would’ve wanted to keep people off the pond, but because of the highly unethical procedures used in the procurement of the property. Up until now my brother Fred and I have not weighed in on this issue, but have followed it closely including watching the many meetings on DVD. I am only speaking for myself tonight, but Fred and I do agree on most of the major issues. I would like to say that not all of the littoral owners around the pond are seasonal as was stated in one of your meetings. Fred and I were born here, and our family has owned Nip ‘n’ Tuck Farm since the mid-50s. Part or all of our family has lived there continuously since that time. We do not and have never operated under “for our use only,” everyone out of the pond, also known as the last one off the boat theory. In fact, most of the pond swimming access takes place over our patch of land, much to the dismay of most of our neighbors. I challenge you West Tisbury board members to try and remember a time when you or your family members were ever denied access. I doubt you can meet this challenge. I know all of you and your families, and I know that they have been welcomed in the pond over our property. Yes, we have had to ask people to leave because they were not acting responsibly or respectfully to the land, the pond, or other people, but for the most part people cherish the experience. How many other people do you know who have snuck in at night to skinny dip? It’s a Vineyard rite of passage, bathed in a mystique, second to none. I take issue with the statement made by several of the West Tisbury board members that the Land Bank and its visitors should receive the same rights and privileges of pond usage as we other owners. We have been owners paying taxes and will continue to pay taxes to the town of West Tisbury to ensure and maintain our rights to the pond. The Land Bank and its guests pay nothing. Remember Seth’s Pond, when only people from Lambert’s Cove and West Tisbury swam there? No traffic problems, no fences, no signs, no impetigo and no pond closings. Ice House Pond has been around for a long time, and it has seen many changes. It has gone from being totally undeveloped, harvested for its ice, tapped for its drinking water, and now is surrounded by a small seasonal community trying hard to preserve the character that makes it so special. Since the Land Bank along with the West Tisbury advisory board has alienated all of the abutters by the underhanded method of acquisition, I would think that you would at least be willing to ensure cooperation with our previously existing pond association and slow this process down. This pond is not going anywhere. I find it very suspicious, the speed at which this is being handled. Why? Bureaucracy and speed, isn’t that an oxymoron? I’ve heard your pond expert compare Ice House to Walden Pond. Have any of you been there recently? I have, two summers ago. At the time I remember thinking how sad a place it was. It was dead. The only thing that looked alive was the leaves on the trees. I also thought about what the place must have once been like to have inspired such a renowned writer. How lucky I have been to have grown up on Ice House Pond, and that my own children have been fortunate enough to swim there, and not at a place like what Walden Pond has now become. I ask myself is the fate of Walden Pond what the Land Bank wants for Ice House Pond? I think and hope not. It is my understanding that the Land Bank’s charter and commitment are for just the opposite. I also have some legal questions: What happens if people come in through your access and try to swim to our raft? Or want to sit on our pond edge since you don’t have one? How can one parking guy watch both lot and the pond at the same time? Do you think we are going to stop going for these moonlit dips? What about the posts still under water around where the Ice House used to be? As far as fishing goes, what fish? The mutant bluegills? Lastly, I would like to say, now that the damage has been done, the pond is no longer private, and I consider it to be in great jeopardy. I would urge you to postpone the public opening and take this next year to study your new property. Get to know it the way we all do. Go for a dip, consider it research. Learn to understand and appreciate it. Get the experts on board, and in a year come back with documented results, which would both educate and aid you in the creation of a comprehensive management plan. Who, or in this case what, is it going to hurt to try and get it right the first time? Certainly not the pond. Sandra A. Fisher West Tisbury More study, please To the Editor: This is a copy of letter to the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank (MVLB) commissioners: I was at the public hearing for Ice House Pond last week and was impressed by a number of things, including the MVLB’s responsiveness to public input. One suggestion — that further study be undertaken before granting access to the pond shore — seems reasonable and fair. I hope you will consider taking this slower approach. I also want to take the opportunity to weigh in on the recreational access vs. land protection debate. In the case of rare habitats, recreational use should not always be in the mix. It would make sense for the MVLB to work with the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program and perhaps the Conservation Partnership to designate a variety of rare and exemplary biological communities on the Island and then develop strategies and performance standards to inform management plan goals and priorities, in terms of the unique aspects of the particular rare habitat, which in some cases might result in automatically limiting some recreational uses. Finally, it would be great to see concurrent review with NHESP in this case, and perhaps in all cases. Ice House Pond, for all of the controversy, has shown us what a wealth of scientific expertise is available. It is important to access these resources on a consistent basis. Megan Ottens-Sargent Aquinnah Editor’s Note: Ms. Ottens-Sargent is the Martha’s Vineyard Commission’s elected member from Aquinnah. Delay access to Old House Pond To the Editor: On Monday afternoon, April 11, the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank (MVLB) met to discuss whether to accept the draft management plan for their land at Old House Pond, the Ice House Pond Preserve. The Island community should urge the MVLB to take the time necessary to do the work required to create a management plan of the quality that would surely have resulted if this purchase had been made openly rather than in needless secrecy. There is ample time to get it right and to give the pond and its environs, the Land Bank, and the people of Martha’s Vineyard the plan we deserve. One consequence of the MVLB’s use of a straw buyer was that the ecology of the pond and pond shore has not been studied adequately. Perhaps because of the secrecy, they had not consulted the considerable number of well-qualified scientists with the expertise in limnology, ecology, botany, conservation biology, and hydrology needed to do the survey work necessary to create an effective management plan for a freshwater coastal plain kettle pond. Such a plan would be able to adapt to new information and includes measurable goals and protocol for monitoring. These professionals would have been and are now eager to help; they know how pristine and special, and how vulnerable, the pond is. They also know well the likely consequences of inappropriate use and the challenges of managing it. And of course, they know one another, and they talk to one another, which is how one learns and builds knowledge. Keeping this purchase a secret unfortunately meant keeping it a secret from those critical to accomplishing the mission for which the Land Bank was created and for which it is funded. We still have ample opportunity to do what is best for this pond so that it may be a healthy special place for generations to come, whether they own land at the pond or not. There is no good reason to rush ahead without the benefit of a good plan. There are so many reasons to work together to create one. While the pond has not been damaged by the MVLB’s actions so far, the relationships between people here on the Island have been hurt. Building a sound plan for its portion of Old House Pond will help the MVLB rebuild the trust and good faith that inspire people with property to sell to the Land Bank when they know that the MVLB is the buyer. All of us want and need that to happen. John Scherlis West Tisbury Affordable housing needed To the Editor: When I moved here more than 25 years ago, it was not only for the natural beauty of Martha’s Vineyard, it was because of the people. My willingness to work hard brought me in touch with a very special community; at 17, I knew I had found my home and could never imagine ever wanting to leave. Although unique and from many different backgrounds, we all had at least one thing in common, which was to live and work together to make this Island our home and do our best to keep it special. The many organizations, groups and individuals that have worked so hard have done an incredible job to preserve the open space here and keep out developers who looked upon Martha’s Vineyard strictly as a money making opportunity. The results will benefit all of us forever. But as Martha’s Vineyard becomes more well known, many others have also discovered the Island a beautiful place to be, seasonally and year-round, making the cost of food, gas, and all of the many services necessary to live increase. For some Island people, the cost of living has increased faster than the pay scale. In the years I have lived here, I have seen a lot of people go for one reason or another, only to see many of them return when they realized what they had here could not easily be replaced. But now people are leaving, and they won’t be coming back. The door, which was left open, is closing fast. Personally, I will be moving this June for the seventh time in seven years. I never imagined that I would be in this situation, or the effect the current lack of affordable housing would have on all the aspects of my effort to continue living on the Island. If you are not someone who has had to look for housing lately, then the current rents for year-round housing offered in the local papers are probably not something you are aware of. They range anywhere from $1,200 to $1,800 a month for a two-bedroom home, $1,400 to $2,200 for a three-bedroom, and $1,800 to $2,500 for a four-bedroom home. When I was married and owned my own three-bedroom home, my mortgage never exceeded $1,200 a month. My home cost $135,000 in 1989. Even the affordable houses available are more than that at this point. Our home is the foundation from which we conduct our lives, and when this foundation is not secure, the ability to conduct business as usual becomes more challenging and stressful, and sometimes almost impossible. This community has always been known to rally for those who have had tragedy and unfortunate circumstance occur in their lives. But the affordable housing crisis has been just part of a slow, oncoming long-term tragedy that has evolved over the course of many years. A difficult subject that those who are dealing with sometimes don’t talk about to others who do not seem to be directly affected. Voting yes to adopt the Community Preservation Act and the Martha’s Vineyard Community Housing Bank initiative will be a very important step toward helping many Island people continue to call Martha’s Vineyard their home. Trust that the funding generated by passing the CPA and MVCHB will be used for the purposes that they claim and that when it comes time to decide what projects the money will go to, that your voice will be heard as to how it is used. The housing efforts already in place have done an incredible job with so little money and with a lot of the effort and funding coming from community members who give time and donations because they are committed to finding solutions. More funding means more control by our community as to what kind of programs are carried out and less control in the hands of those who look at the housing crisis on the Island as an opportunity to bypass conservation efforts in place to build more developments. Trust that the money will be used to keep people who work hard for all of us here, including the seasonal residents who rely on them. The familiar faces we as year-round residents count on when the summer is over and the wave of transient vacationers go back to their homes. These people work hard to keep our Island going, they give character and depth to our special community, and they are as important as the land and sea. Please help them stay. Gabriella Camilleri West Tisbury |
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