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Letters
to the Editor
July
28, 2005
Lawful, considered action
To the Editor:
I only know what I read in the papers, but I too was saddened by
the story about the feral dog “Henry.” I was confused,
however, by the suggestion in the letter regarding the incident,
that Mitchell Posin had “taken the law into his own hands.”
Chilmark is still regarded as a rural community. The law was in
Mitchell’s hands. He was within his rights, if the story is
accurate, to shoot the dog. In fact, if the dog had been hanging
around for months despite folks’ best efforts to capture it,
it sounds like Mitchell showed remarkable forbearance.
I was also confused by the contention that Henry, a feral dog, “would
never chase anything.” I’ve had dogs in rural settings
most of my life. I’ve learned from experience that the idea
that anyone can tell what a dog is doing when the humans aren’t
watching — even their beloved pet, never mind a wild dog —
too often proves naive and sentimental.
It seems to me that the Henry story exemplifies an ideological clash
between the “suburban” view of animals (i.e. they are
human children with fur) and the “farming” view, which
says that if we are going to be responsible for raising animals,
we sometimes must make hard choices.
I don’t mean to minimize the sadness and loss that Henry’s
caretakers are so clearly feeling. Neither do I feel comfortable
hearing Mitchell described by the letter writer as reactive, lawless,
and uncaring when faced with a decision that was surely very painful.
Christine Abrams
West Tisbury
How lucky you are
To the Editor:
People, you’re harshing my mellow.
Actually, it’s my busy season, so I am not too mellow. But
there certainly is an awful lot of negativity and self-interest
stuff going on out there.
I live here year-round, and though I can’t say I love winters
on the Island, I feel lucky every day living on the Vineyard.
So, to the hopefully one-day neighbors of some affordable housing
on Edgartown-West Tisbury Road: you think 11 houses on 11 acres
is too dense? Sounds a bit precious to me.
This is affordable housing, Vineyard style: $180,000 just for the
land. You are talking hard-working families to afford that. I do
not see people sitting on their porches all day popping beers open
waiting for a check. This sounds like the kind of families we need
to try and keep on the Island.
To the two health club owners who are so worried about a YMCA: a
Y is basically a community center for all. Aerobics, etc is only
a small percentage of what’s happens at a Y. I say keep doing
a good job at what you do, and your loyal clients will keep aerobicising
with you.
To the very stingy letter about hypocrisy and affordable housing:
wow! I guess you do not realize how most of us make our livings
here. The Vineyard would be like northern rural New England (no
offense) without the summer residents, meaning we would all be making
five bucks an hour. There would probably be a very slim version
of affordable housing if it were not for those who live in the big,
maybe often renovated houses. Do you think the hospital would have
raised $20 million in a nano-second without this population?
We are fortunate to live with such a diverse group, who may heat
their empty houses winter after winter, but end up paying an enormous
amount to all our non-profits as well as our businesses.
Okay, I know there is more, but we need to put things in prospective.
Try to think of others for one minute. It’s probably 105 degrees
in Iraq, not to mention everything else going on there. Do you know
how lucky you are?
Tina Miller
West Tisbury
Starving town
To the Editor:
Early Sunday evening, the blistering heat subsiding, I walked the
length of Main Street, Vineyard Haven. I passed 25 visitors on the
way, most trying to locate Owen Park for the band concert. One parent
wondered out loud if his family might be in the wrong town because
of the obvious quiet.
Most of the Main Street businesses were closed; a few stalwart shops
still open, looked despondent and discouraged. Our three restaurants
were half-filled, their windows reflecting empty parking spaces.
Having felt the business pulse peter out the last five years, I
think it is time to find a cure. The abandoned movie theatre is
a disgrace that calls for peer pressure on Ben Hall, the owner “in
absentia.” The $3,000 a month rents in business around the
theatre cannot be sustained when shops close at 5 pm. We gave Mr.
Hall the benefit of the doubt through a grueling winter and erratic
spring. Summer, without a downtown movie house, is absurd.
The sandwich shops lack a customer base because families prefer
the activity in other towns. Our few fine dining establishments
cannot offer beer and wine. Of course, their potential customers
will go to Edgartown and Oak Bluffs.
There was a time when summer pedestrians looked forward to a little
night life in Vineyard Haven. Now it is a sleepy, starving town
all year long.
Liza Coogan
Vineyard Haven
Fat and skinny,
in a word
To the Editor:
Doug Cabral’s suggestion [At Large, July 21] that the thickness
of a dictionary is a measure of its quality and accuracy is a tempting,
amusing notion. However, as the editor in chief of the original
edition of what is now called The Random House Webster Dictionary
(so renamed from the Random House Dictionary of the English Language
– College Edition, 1968) out of deference to the marketing
fact that dictionaries with “Webster” in their title sell
better than others, regardless of any connection, close or remote,
with Noah Webster or his heirs, I can attest to the fact that there
are fat dictionaries containing unutterable rubbish and skinny ones
that offer the gospel on the lexicon of the language (especially
if one considers buying an India-paper edition of a large unabridged
work).
The Oxford English Dictionary contains an enormous overburden of
the older words in the language as well as a huge number of quotations
to exhibit the research on which the sense discriminations are based.
While some other dictionaries also contain quotations and example
sentences, they are not as extensive as in the OED, which, the last
time I looked, devoted some 32 quarto-sized pages just to the entry
for “set.”
Up-to-dateness is a virtue in a dictionary, especially when looking
up words like “I-Pod.” But it is of little consequence
in looking up words like “jocund” and tens of thousands
of others. It is patently impossible to produce a new edition of
a 20-volume dictionary overnight; but it is possible to keep it
up to date on an internet site, which is what Oxford University
Press does with the OED, allowing access to it – reasonably
enough – through the payment of a subscription fee.
Laurence Urdang
Old Lyme, Conn.
A friend
To the Editor:
I was stunned and truly saddened when I heard of the passing of
Leigh Carroll. Of all the people I have met in my life, Leigh was
certainly one of the kindest and most supportive of them all. I
will never forget how he stood by me as a true friend during the
darkest times in my own life, always there to lend a helping hand
to people in need. He was a real champion of the underdog, me included.
I visited with Leigh three nights before his passing when he stopped
by my home to say hello, as he did every few months. I always welcomed
his visits as I knew I could be myself around him without worry
of any judgments. As he was walking back to his car to leave, he
stopped and turned around as I stood at the front door with my dogs,
and he said: “You know, it’s all about helping other people.”
“What is?” I asked in confusion at the sudden declaration.
“Life. The secret to life is helping other people who need
help.”
“Is that a hint?” I asked in jest.
“No, just something I wish more people knew.”
As he pulled away I wondered if it could be so simple. Could the
secret to happiness really be right in front of us? The thought
passed until Monday when I heard the news.
I know I speak for many when I say that Leigh will be missed. He
was an example to me as he faced his own demons with courage and
perseverance and grace. I often wonder why the good die young. I
guess God must have missed Lee as much as I certainly will.
Go in peace, Leigh, and thanks for being a friend. You will be missed.
Mark Martin
Tisbury
Look more deeply
To the Editor:
The letter “Disturbing Effigy” [MV Times, July 14] has
provoked strong feelings. We hope you will print the other side.
We write for ourselves and other offended neighbors.
Each year, as often as possible, our family leaves the hustle, bustle
and controversies of the big city and comes to enjoy the peace and
beauty of our Martha’s Vineyard home. Over the years, we and
our neighbors have arrived to find our lawns mowed, our flowers
watered, a basket of home-grown vegetables on the porch and most
memorable for us, a Christmas tree fully decorated, lit and propped
up on the back deck. All of these things and more, compliments of
our neighbor on Netock Avenue.
This summer we find our quiet Netock Avenue, our neighbor and his
art garden, are the center of controversy. As African Americans,
the piece in question was startling as we arrived, yet no more offensive
than the African American folk art exhibit we recently viewed at
the Museum of Folk Art in NYC. Yes, as a people with a history of
being discriminated against, persecuted and relegated to second-class
citizenship, just because of the color of our skin, it is understandable
that some of us may have been offended to see this depiction. However,
we must keep in mind that this is one piece of art in a garden with
other pieces; and, knowing the artist as we do, we must judge his
everyday actions and not his art.
So, at first glance one may see something that seems to be offensive.
Yet, when you take the time to speak with the artist, you learn
that this is a tribute to a man who provided him support and encouragement
in a time of need, a man who happened to be African American. Those
neighbors who know the artist know it is artistic expression. Hence
proving art is in the eye of the beholder, even for African Americans.
Bennie and Linda Giles
Oak Bluffs
More thinking needed about Y
To the Editor:
I am writing to weigh in on the issue of non-profit services, which
compete with tax paying, for-profit entities, in particular the
YMCA and various Vineyard health and fitness facilities.
It seems to me further dialogue should take place with respect to
the services which would be offered by the YMCA. Is it in the public’s
best interest to give non-profit status to an entity that may cause
some other businesses financial harm or possibly bankruptcy?
I am not familiar with any non-profit on the Island that directly
competes with for-profit entities.
I am supportive, in general, of initiatives to add services for
Island children as well as adults. I’ve been active in a number
of activity-related, non-profit entities – Vineyard Youth Soccer,
Little League, various student trips, etc. – none of these
groups provide competitive services.
I would request some rethinking of the services the YMCA is offering,
perhaps dropping some of those that duplicate already existing services.
Patrick Gregory
West Tisbury
Return the banner
To the Editor:
The parents and children of the Edgartown eighth grade class of
2006 have been hard at work, preparing to host Circus Smirkus on
July 29-30 at Katama Farm. This event is a fundraiser for the eighth
grade class trip to Washington D.C. On July 4, a banner promoting
the event disappeared from the Edgartown School. The loss of this
banner has severely diminished our publicity for the event, but
will ultimately cause a financial hardship as well. The banner was
on loan from Circus Smirkus, and if it is not returned, the eighth
grade class will have to reimburse Circus Smirkus from the proceeds
of the event. We ask only that the banner be returned to the Edgartown
School, no questions asked.
Thanks.
Eighth Grade Class of 2006
Edgartown
Share the market
To the Editor:
Thank you for your July 14 article regarding the community’s
efforts to build a YMCA and the resolve of a handful of individuals
to stop it. I imagine that any community-based recreation facility
has come up against similar obstacles, whether privately funded,
as this facility will be, or part of a municipal recreation facility.
Thankfully, the Y group on the Island is clearly continuing to make
every effort to work with these concerned business owners.
Most communities with non-profit or municipal recreation facilities
share the market with private health clubs. They can co-exist because
they offer different products. The most significant feature of our
Y will be a much-needed community aquatic facility that seriously
addresses the needs of a very broad base of Islanders and visitors.
This simply does not exist on the Island in any club. My guess is
that the vast majority of its members will join this Y because of
its swimming pools.
Hopefully the Y will offer other services that aren’t currently
met, including an affordable, family-oriented fitness facility.
The majority of the Y’s fitness customers will be new to the
market — health-minded individuals and families who cannot
afford to join any of the current clubs. However, in the process
of maintaining affordability, it may sacrifice a certain level of
service that the boutique clubs can continue to offer. Current club
members pay a premium for health club features that meet their needs,
whether it be location, programs, or level of service. These needs
will not necessarily be better met at a Y.
Most of your readers surely are with me in applauding the leadership
efforts of Y directors such like Jan Pogue and Cindy Doyle who are
working hard for the benefit of our community. Bon courage.
Ken Bailey
West Tisbury
Misguided business people
To the Editor:
A recent article in the paper describes a developing campaign by
the health club, anti-competition coalition who are marshalling
their forces against a formidable foe, the YMCA, which is proposing
to build a facility on the Island. Apparently one of them emerged
unscathed after their campaign against the Youth Tennis Center.
They have now revived and are preparing for another onslaught against
what they perceive as a threat to put them out of business.
These groups evidently have not studied American history very carefully,
as competition has certainly been the cornerstone of the American
business system. We did have a period in the late 19th century when
trusts attempted to take control of all American industry, but that
was fended off. Of course, we do have one survivor of that era in
the gasoline trust which exists on the Island.
Having some experience with owning and operating a business, I can
speak from firsthand knowledge that when a new competitor arrives
on the scene the strategy for the entrenched company is to offer
new services, alter pricing plans, create additional programs, expand
the market and generally be an innovator. This proved successful
for us, allowing our business to grow and prosper.
New competition also develops new markets. The YMCA, from my perspective,
is not seeking the same clientele served by the health clubs on
the Island. I have listened to two presentations from YMCA representatives
profiling the market they would be serving, and it is not the same
group who belong to private clubs. People who belong to private
country clubs do not rush to join the new public golf course that
has just opened in their community.
If the YMCA is ultimately successful in building a facility on the
Island, which will probably be some years in the future, I would
suggest that these misguided business entities would be better served
by concentrating their time and efforts in providing improved services
and pricing to their customers as well as seeking new members rather
than working against a facility designed to reach a broad segment
of the Island community.
Harvey Hinds
Edgartown
Angel will be missed
To the Editor:
I was very disappointed to read of the dismissal of Cathy Brennan
from Hospice. I lost my mother Ruth Noble two years ago from cancer,
and if it were not for Cathy and her well trained and compassionate
staff, I don’t know how we would have made it through this
very hard time. We were fortunate to have Vineyard Nursing also,
but Cathy supported us and counseled us, and when my mom passed,
Cynthia Barletta walked in, and I called her the silent angel because
she took things right over in a way that you would never have known
she was there. The ladies worked as a team, and I am truly grateful
to them.
Hospice may have had a reason why her dismissal was necessary, but
I can tell you that they will miss her more than they know, and
so will the future clients of Hospice, as they will never know her
tenderness, her compassion, and her professional ways.
Kathie Case
Edgartown
Part of the Hospice team
To the Editor:
Since 1998, we have been Hospice volunteers. We are proud to be
part of the Hospice team of nurses, social workers, office personnel,
board members and volunteers that provide our Island with compassionate
end-of-life care.
This is an important and vital mission that we will continue to
support in every way.
Gail Derick, Chilmark
Marie Doebler, Tisbury
Your money, well spent
To The Editor:
When you make a donation to your favorite charity, do you ever wonder
how your money will be spent to further the cause you are supporting?
Twelve years ago, a group of women calling themselves the Nightingales
decided to make it their mission to raise money for the purchase
of equipment for the hospital that would be used exclusively for
direct patient care —- equipment our families, friends and
neighbors might need should they find themselves in our hospital.
The hospital departments give us a wish list and we do our best,
with your help, to purchase as many items on the list as possible.
We are so proud to announce that our May Day dance party raised
$23,417 towards our goal.
With the money raised this year, our purchases will include the
following items; a trauma stretcher for the Emergency Room, a CO
2 monitor for the Intensive Care Unit, a new Bili Light System for
the Maternity Ward, an ice machine to be shared by the Labor and
Delivery room and the Operating Room, a traction table for the Physical
Therapy Department and 3 IV pumps for the Acute Care Ward.
Even though you don’’t need an invitation to attend this
event, Kolodny & Dorr have created a very witty and clever invitation
for us that the Tisbury Printer produces. Farm Neck graciously assists
us by allowing us to host our party in the restaurant. In between
feasting on delicious hors d’‘oeuvres prepared by the
hospital food service (yes, the hospital food service), and enjoying
a beverage from the bar stocked by Our Market, our guests danced
the night away to music spun by the Love Doctors. The silent auction
table was overflowing with fun and useful items for gardeners in
search of help with big and small landscaping projects and beautiful
artwork, all generously donated by Iisland businesses and artists.
Guests could also choose to buy a specific piece of equipment from
our Tree of Life, this year a lovely flowering mock cherry tree
that will grace the successful bidder’’s yard for years
to come.
Our thanks to all the businesses and individuals who help us pull
this evening together. We are so grateful that you are willing to
participate in this event. Our special thanks to those of you who
attended the party or sent a donation, as it would not be the fun
and successful fundraising effort it is every year if it were not
for your generosity.
We still have a few items on the wish list that the hospital needs
today for direct patient care. If you would like to help us, please
send your contribution to Tthe Nightingales, P.O. Box 4672 Vineyard
Haven, MA 02575.
Maria McFarland
The Nightingales
What hasn’t changed at IEH
To the Editor:
Just six months ago I wrote a letter to the editor concerning the
turnover rate of employees of Island Elderly Housing. Since then,
a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) has come out, and in it the same thing was mentioned along
with lack of communication between the board of directors and the
residents of both Hillside and Woodside. There was a bit of hope
when the HUD report came out that just maybe there was somebody
out there that cared about the situation. Apparently not, because
I got the sad news that Ellen Gaskill has thrown in the towel and
has now left.
I have personally known Ellen for years through the school system
when she was a special education teacher, and she was fabulous with
my daughter who now resides at Hillside Village. I know that Ellen
left her school job because she was ready for a new challenge. Her
new job was that of site manager at Woodside Village. Being such
a caring person, I had no doubt that she would shine in her new
position. Boy oh boy, was I right. She loved her new job, and once
again that love was evident in how the tenants loved and trusted
her.
In my last letter I wrote I was thanking Jay Foley for his kindness
and caring for the residents of Hillside and Woodside, where he
was on the maintenance crew along with Kevin Oliver. Both of these
kind and caring men left because of issues with management. I know
that their departure was a heavy blow for many of the tenants. I
have gotten to know Jim (the new guy) a little bit this spring when
a new apartment came up for my daughter. I sense that caring attitude
and sense of humor that is so important in a job. That attitude
now has me concerned. It seems to me that rather than being a positive
work ethic, it is a negative, and I truly hope I am wrong.
Since my daughter became number one on the waiting list at Hillside
three years ago, I have dealt with three site managers. Wendy, who
is number three, is leaving also because of a good job offer elsewhere.
That means in three years my daughter’s life will have been
placed in the hands of four people once Wendy’s replacement
hops on board. To me, this is a huge issue. Not only is my daughter
affected, but a big population of elderly people is also. My daughter
is lucky in the sense that her parents both live on the Island.
A lot of the seniors that I have met aren’t quite as lucky.
Consistency and trust in site managers is so important in their
daily lives because they don’t have family close by. The people
who are responsible for the maintenance of the building need to
be trusted members of the IEH community. Residents have been expected
to just breeze through these changes. Everybody is replaceable,
and that seems to be the norm at Hillside and Woodside.
Ellen and Wendy, I thank you for your caring. I thank you for loving
the residents whom you both served. Something is very wrong here
when one is forced to leave because they love their job. I see in
the ad for your replacements that being able to get along with co-workers
is a must. Seems to me, management needs to learn that lesson. Maybe
that’s the problem. Maybe the directors need to take a closer
look. There is a problem. Maybe HUD needs to come back and see what
hasn’t changed.
Maggie P. Bresnahan
West Tisbury
New resignations
To the Editor,
I wonder what the editorial board of The Times and the board of
directors of Island Elderly Housing will make of the two new resignations
of IEH employees that occurred this past week?
These workers join a long line of caring and competent people (the
maintenance men being only more recent instances) who started their
IEH jobs with high energy and promise only to wind up leaving them,
emotionally bruised and battered, in fairly short order.
Many residents of IEH became suspicious of this
inordinate turnover of people they’d come to like and to respect.
But the board didn’t want to be told that its emperor had no
clothes, and the local papers, for their own reasons, took their
cue from management, who spun the residents’ complaints as
a problem of “communication, and we’re working on it,”
whatever that might mean.
I hope at least one group of Islanders will give heed to the voices
of those principled residents who stepped forward to try to right
the wrongs they saw: I’m speaking of prospective applicants
for these soon-to-be-posted IEH openings.
Bill McCarthy
Edgartown
Wee correction
To the Editor:
David Irland’s article on the R.M.S. Republic is a wee bit
erroneous. The Republic was never built for the White Star Line.
She was originally the S.S. Columbus of the Dominion Line purchased
by White Star Line in 1903. And she sank on the January 24, 1905,
after a collision with the S.S. Florida, more than 100 years ago.
The R.M.S. Republic looked nothing like the S.S. Titanic, and her
real sisters, the S.S. Olympic and S.S. Britannic. The Titanic and
her sister Olympic were 883 feet in length by 92.5 feet in beam,
while the Britannic was 850 feet long by 94 feet beam. The average
gross tons of the three sisters was 46,500 tons, and they each had
four large funnels (stacks), while the poor little R.M.S. Republic
was 570 feet long, had only one funnel and was approximately “15,000
gross tons.”
Thus they could never be confused for sisters by anyone seeing them.
Also, the Olympic class weren’t built until 1911, six years
after the loss of the Republic.
Robert Lamb
Oak Bluffs
Sign solution
To the Editor:
Regarding the sign posted at Squibnocket Beach limiting access to
the neighboring, private property to the east, the solution, to
me, is simple. If the sign is erected by the town of Chilmark, it
should read: Boundary line. This is the limit of the Chilmark beach
at Squibnocket.
That leaves it up to the discretion of the beach visitor whether
he/she will trespass, or not. If the private owner erects the sign,
he might include reference to private property and “no trespassing.”
It is my understanding that in Massachusetts, where private beach
property is owned to the low water mark, even walking on the beach
is trespassing, unless you are there with fishing tackle with the
intention of fishing.
I don’t know the law in Massachusetts, but in other states,
when private property is used by the public for passage, unless
it is closed off for a day a year, it becomes public.
Lucille Plotz
Chilmark
Amplification
To the Editor:
I enjoyed your Vineyard Unplugged article ““Biodiesel
tanks fuel the interest of local industries”” from June
23. I wanted to see if you could help biodiesel supporters fire
back at a recent study that’’s gotten a lot of press.
Are you familiar with the study by David Pimentel, professor of
ecology and agriculture at Cornell University, which found that
producing ethanol or biodiesel from corn and other biomass uses
more energy than is produced (www.newswise.com, etal).
You wrote: ”“Another advantage to this emerging fuel …
for every one unit of energy needed to produce biodiesel, there
is a yield of three units. … to make petroleum gas, the yield
is only .8 units.”” If you can substantiate this claim
and publicize the heck out of it, that would sure help the green
energy cause.
Call me paranoid, but I suspect the oil industry has this Dr. Pimentel
in their pocket.
Carl Schupp
Austin, Texas
Why?
To the Editor:
Why is Vanessa out, but Lightning isn’t in Farm Pond? I miss
him.
Rya Baird, age 7
Aquinnah
Who is lecturing whom?
To the Editor:
While I appreciate the value of remaining an informed, responsible
citizen regarding the environmental catastrophes facing our good
and sweet earth, who should be lecturing whom at Sheriff’s
Meadow Foundation events?
The plan for a virtual march on Washington to gain community awareness
and garner the public into action to combat our global warming is
a nice idea. However, the plan gets a little fuzzy when certain
organizers perch themselves on high, moral horses, trotting themselves
around in private jets to give speeches (often to others who travel
by private jet) on why it’s bad to drive an SUV.
Perhaps some people justify their personal actions by telling themselves
the work they do is so important for the greater good that it entitles
them to make exceptions for their own environmentally polluting,
self-serving lifestyles. Social awareness should begin at home and
be put into practice in one’s own backyard first, long before
one starts telling others what they can and should do. And by the
way, exactly how many personal backyards are required for one socially-conscious,
environmentally-concerned, affordable-housing-proponent, neighborhood-disrupting
family, until they feel they own enough?
I don’t get it. Is this an example of, “Do as I say and
not as I do”? How on earth does our wonderful Sheriff’s
Meadow Foundation choose its guest speakers, anyway?
Jacqueline Mendez-Diez
Chilmark
Fickle news coverage
To the Editor:
Monday, July 18, there were 1,043 news stories mentioning Karl Rove
on top TV stations. Then there was the announcement about a nominee
to the Supreme Court. After that, there were only 128.2. Hopefully,
the news media will get back on track in covering who outed an undercover
agent and what was the reason behind it.
Karl Rove either broke the law or was grossly negligent with national
secrets yet he still works in the White House. Do we want such an
individual in such a high position? I certainly don’t. Also,
why did Bush say one thing but when the finger pointed to his good
friend, Bush said another thing?
Carole Early
Vineyard Haven
Feeling the loss
To the Editor:
In a recent Vineyard Gazette article, Chilmark selectman Warren
Doty was upset over the closure of a private beach adjacent to Squibnocket
beach. I’m sure I would also feel his sense of “loss”
if I could go to Squibby in the summer and walk to the no trespassing
sign. What a fine example of a up-ity Island hippy-krit.
Erik Albert
Oak Bluffs
Phone woes
To the Editor:
I have volumes of documentation regarding Verizon and my phone service,
or lack of it. There are too many horror stories to share. I had
no phone service on a weekend and drove to the Verizon facility.
As I drove in, an officer said, “You can’t be on this
property.” (I was leaving notes on all the trucks.) I said,
“Hey, if you put me in jail at least I’ll have access
to a working phone.” (I’m now dealing with strange noises
and intermittent dialing on all my phone calls.)
I have written the attorney general’s office. I have written
the headquarters of Verizon numerous times. I haven’t filed
complaints yet with the Federal Communications Commission and our
Congressman. I’d like the address. My dream is to file a class
action suit.
I have the phone service of a third world country. I spent three
weeks in Venice, Italy, and there was no comparison between my phone
service there and what I live with here.
Janice Blum
West Tisbury
Huge kindness
To the Editor:
The MSPCA Animal Care and Adoption Center would like to extend a
huge thanks to Barbara Dacey, WMVY Radio, and the Hot Tin Roof for
the benefit concert held at the Hot Tin Roof on July 13. The concert
was arranged by Barbara Dacey in memory of her beloved dog Carmen.
During a painful time for Barbara, she very graciously thought of
a way to not only honor Carmen’s memory but also to raise money
for the homeless animals on Martha’s Vineyard. Most people
are unaware that the MSPCA is not funded by the state or federal
government, but is a non-profit organization. We strongly rely on
the kindness of others such as Barbara to keep our shelter operating
and to find loving forever homes for the significant number of homeless
animals here on the Vineyard. Thank you to all that were involved
in making the evening fun and raising funds for the MSPCA.
Cynthia Hatt,
Animal Care and Adoption Center
Edgartown
Painful decision
To the Editor:
Thank you, Nelson Sigelman, for your sensitive writing about a very
difficult situation in your July 21 article “Hospice changes
spur staff resignations.”
I want to clarify several points. The consultant was hired in the
spring, but it was seven weeks after Cathy Brennan was dismissed
as director. And the need for reorganization and restructuring was
never discussed with Cathy Brennan or the staff until after her
dismissal.
For me, the decision to resign was a very serious, painful, and
soul-searching one. I loved my work with patients and families and
I miss it very much.
Kathy Fitzgibbon RN, BS, CHPN
Vineyard Haven
Not a Jewish view
To the Editor:
As members of the Jewish faith, we are appalled at the attitude
of the Goldsteins, owners of the Mansion House, concerning the proposed
new YMCA in Oak Bluffs. Their views in no way reflect the overwhelming
attitude of the Island Jewish community, and it is hoped that nobody
will believe that it does.
Over the years, both our families have benefited from the services
offered by the YMCA, in housing and in sport activities. The proposed
Y offers so many needed facilities to the Island youth programs,
that it is hard to believe that anyone could oppose it.
Ruth and Norman Sebell
Oak Bluffs
Sad loss
To the Editor:
I am very upset with the people who are running Hospice. My husband
just died with cancer, May 13, and Kathy Fitzgibbon was our Hospice
nurse.
I feel very sorry for all the people who will now not be able to
have her help during their last very difficult weeks.
It is so sad that, because of the administration that is running
Hospice, they have lost such a wonderful, experienced, knowledgeable
caregiver.
Shirley Kennedy
Vineyard Haven
Send her our best
To the Editor:
It’s a pleasure for me to congratulate you for the Martha’s
Vineyard Times newspaper.
I’m Alexia García, a 13-year-old reader. I’m from
Ecuador, and I study in a Catholic school. I’ve been in Martha’s
Vineyard Island for two occasions.
While my mother and I were reading your web page today, we found
an article about Mrs. Lee Fierro [Chilmark town news, July 7]. Because
of this, we would like you to help us send her our best and sincere
wishes, and to let her know that her pupil from the theatre classes
(“Bridge to Terabithia” performance) wants to say hello,
and that I always remember her even though I couldn’t finish
the classes.
Please, if you may, let her know my e-mail address so we can contact
each other.
Sincerely yours and thank you very much.
Alexia García
Guayaquil, Ecuador
Toyota’s lesson for us
To the Editor:
Toyota recently turned down big tax incentives from several southern
U.S. states and decided to build their new plant in Ontario. At
a time when US school systems are suffering dried-up funding, one
reason cited was the quality of the work force (Paul Krugman Op-Ed
piece in the New York Times July 25, 2005. And in a follow-up
on television, it was observed that Canada’s health-care system
in effect made labor $4 per hour cheaper.
Business leaders must look at a comprehensive picture, and in that
broader view cutting taxes is not an effective incentive when it
incapacitates the population of employees and the population of
consumers. There are things that business cannot do well. These
include among other things education, health care, and transportation
infrastructure. It is in the best interest of industry that such
functions be done by tax-funded government programs, and that they
be done well. And that is why Canada’s “tax incentives”
trumped ours. Toyota chose to pay more tax as a wise investment
in social infrastructure, rather than pay less tax at the cost of
paying for the consequences of unfunded infrastructure, including
not only education and health insurance but doubtless also less
easily measured effects such as stress, fatigue, and discontent
under the vague reference to the “quality of the work force”.
Our politicians need to understand this. May such news help to awaken
them from their current ideological trance.
Bruce Nevin
Edgartown
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