‘Kumbaya’ moment with Island-wide turf vote

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To the Editor:

I read your recent editorial about the whole Island voting for the field at the high school (“Ballot measure a chance to end the turf wars,” Jan. 18), and had a few thoughts. Since it may be logistically hard to get all six towns to do this, and we may face other issues affecting the whole Island, I came up with a better idea. 

We could create a commission where all of the towns had two representatives to vote on issues of planning for the Island. We could call it the Commision for Martha’s Vineyard. And say, for example, the commission voted to approve the turf 10-6, people on the Island would feel that their voices were heard. Also, the three up-Island towns, with a collective six representatives on the commission, could give their opinions about a restaurant rebuild in Oak Bluffs, even though the three towns combined have fewer residents than Oak Bluffs.

Back to Island-wide voting, this is the third time in recent memory that the idea of an Island-wide vote has come around, the other two being the roundabout and parallel parking on Circuit Avenue. All three in Oak Bluffs. Why let up-Island residents be the only ones who get a say in another town? If we are going to vote as an Island about the high school field, why stop the voting there? Let’s have an Island-wide vote on the field, while also voting for public beach access to Lambert’s Cove and Squibnocket, both town parks. It would be the ultimate “Kumbaya” moment for the Island. 

Erik Albert
Oak Bluffs