To the Editor:
I take issue with a line from a recent editorial (“Condemn the attacks on a small-town weekly newspaper,” August 23) regarding a police raid on a local paper in Kansas. Here is the line: “Unofficially, our newsroom here in Vineyard Haven has been described in those same dogged terms, committed to holding public officials accountable, a tag that we’re proud of.” I would say that your paper selectively holds public officials accountable. Here are two obvious examples that you overlook.
First, the town of Chilmark used Community Preservation Act money, public money, to purchase two lots for the new parking lot at Squibnocket. The Community Preservation Act (CPA) is a smart growth tool that helps communities preserve open space and develop outdoor recreational facilities. The town of Chilmark denies the general public access to said beach lots that the public paid for.
The other example of The Times’ lack of commitment is West Tisbury’s select board’s diversity statement. Here is a quote from the diversity statement: “The select board believes it has a responsibility to capitalize on the strength emanating from these differences, and has a duty to ensure its employees, citizens, business associates, and the members of the general public are treated with dignity and respect in all of their duties and dealings with the town of West Tisbury.” That was from three years ago, and the town still denies the general public access to Lambert’s Cove Beach, a town park. Not dignified or respectful at all.
Erik Albert
Oak Bluffs
