To the Editor: I am a resident of Vineyard Haven and I am writing in support of the upcoming beer and wine resolution. Having a glass of wine with one’s dinner would in no way disrupt the quiet, friendly, residential character of this town. In fact, I think this resolution may help. Wouldn’t it be easier if you just could walk downtown on a warm evening and have dinner with friends? Or, you might run into someone you haven’t seen in a while and decide to stay and share a meal together. Maybe it’s dinner and a movie. Or you could meet the relatives at the ferry and stay to have something to eat. Maybe the husbands would prefer to get a beer and a hamburger while the wives do some shopping. A friend gets an award, a colleague retires. There are hundreds of different variations of this. This resolution is not about drinking, it’s about socializing. When a group of friends go out to dinner, they may like different items on the menu, and they might order a glass of something different to go with it (one beer, one pinot, one cabernet, and an iced tea – coming up). They have a quiet evening talking about their lives, their families, and what a wonderful place this is. That’s basically what this resolution is about, and I hope the community will vote yes. Henry Stephenson Vineyard Haven
The writer is a member of the Tisbury planning board.
