To the Editor:

As time goes on, and as more and more discussion ensues, I find myself less and less patient with the three-cornered debate that has developed about the future of Mill Pond in West Tisbury. While I understand Prudy Burt’s slant on the issue, that taking away the dam and returning the property to its natural state pleases her conservation interests, I also can’t believe we’ve even allowed her to be considered in the discussion. The issue was never whether it should be returned to its natural state; the issue was whether it should be dredged or not. Prudy deftly inserted herself into the conversation to champion interests dear to her heart. I understand that. She’s a good woman, and a valued protector of the environment, but her opinion in this matter seems moot to me. The issue is simply: Do we dredge, or not?

When Donald Campbell gifted the property to the town back in 1948, it was with the understood condition that it would be cared for, and preserved for future generations to enjoy … as a pond, not as anything else but … a pond. It was a very simple condition which we, as a community, are compelled to honor. Let’s not muddy the waters (pun intended) any further by entertaining any thought that this iconic part of West Tisbury should disappear; let’s concentrate our efforts on the original issue. To dredge or not to dredge is, and should be, the only issue.

Charlie Kernick

West Tisbury

The post Wrong discussion on Mill Pond appeared first on Martha's Vineyard Times.

To the Editor:

I have two points to make about the affordable housing story (Dec. 24, “Oak Bluffs affordable housing committee fights uphill battle”) and editorial (Dec. 24, “Dear Santa”) in last week’s paper.

Good reporting on the Oak Bluffs affordable housing scenario. Now, how about equally extensive reporting on the other towns? If/when the “doughnut hole” parcel gets swapped with the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank parcel and it is joined to the town-owned land fronting the Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Road, some nonprofit entity could build all kinds of housing for rent and/or sale for affordable housing.

The Oak Bluffs population (along with its elementary school and high school census) will increase, but its tax base will not. Already our elementary school is the largest by, I believe, 75 students, and we have the highest Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School assessment because we have the most students.

Please count the number of non-taxpaying properties that currently exist just on the Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Road between County and Barnes Roads. More than any other place I can think of on the Island.

My second point: If you think any town, but most particularly Oak Bluffs, can afford to have its school system join the hospital and business owners in the “down-Island development,” you haven’t been following the budget development stories in your own paper.

Also, are you trying to further the divide between down-Island and up-Island: one area for local workers and another for those not dependent on the local economy? Just asking.

Maura McGroarty

Oak Bluffs

The post Just asking: Should Oak Bluffs shoulder the burden? appeared first on Martha's Vineyard Times.

Updated 10 am, Wednesday, Dec. 30

Oak Bluffs Police said Pilgrim Auto tow truck driver Brett C. Geddis, 25, of Edgartown answered a call for AAA assistance Wednesday from a woman whose car would not start and stole a wallet she had left in her stranded vehicle.

When police located Mr. Geddis later that morning, a search of the tow truck he was driving turned up two replica firearms, illegal prescription drugs, marijuana and a hypodermic needle, but not the victim’s wallet, according to a press release posted on the Oak Bluffs Police Department Facebook page.

The replica firearms are powered by CO2 and shoot small pellets. They are not illegal but may be easily mistaken for real guns, police said

Police arrested Mr. Geddis on the following charges: Larceny from a person; larceny over $250; possession of a class C drug (diazepam); and possession of a class E drug (alprazolam). He was released at 12:23 pm, Wednesday afternoon on $500 bail from the Dukes County Jail, according to jail officials.

“AAA Northeast was deeply concerned and disappointed to learn about the incident involving a tow truck driver employed by Pilgrim Road Auto Repair,” Lloyd P. Albert, senior vice president for public and government affairs, said in a prepared statement sent to The Times Tuesday. “AAA has suspended the towing company pending a thorough internal investigation. The auto club is currently coordinating efforts with local police departments on Martha’s Vineyard to ensure that AAA members get prompt emergency service.”

The incident began when a resident of the Pond View subdivision in Oak Bluffs called AAA for roadside assistance after her car would not start Wednesday morning, according to police. Pilgrim Auto, located in Edgartown, is the AAA representative for Martha’s Vineyard.

Pilgrim Auto sent tow truck driver Brett Geddis to the woman’s residence to assist her with starting the vehicle. “The victim stated that her purse and wallet were in the vehicle prior to the Pilgrim Auto employee arriving,” police said.

Mr. Geddis was unsuccessful in starting the vehicle, and suggested the woman make arrangements to have the vehicle fixed at a garage. The vehicle owner said Mr. Geddis claimed he had another call to go to, stated he would come back to assist her, and left the area, police said.

When the woman went to retrieve her wallet from inside her car, it was missing, police said.

The woman called police at 10:45 am Wednesday and reported the theft. Based on statements from the victim, police identified the Pilgrim Auto tow truck driver as Brett Geddis.

Oak Bluffs Police, State Police and Edgartown Police began a search for Mr. Geddis. Oak Bluffs police located Mr. Geddis driving the tow truck near the victim’s residence and stopped him.

“A motor vehicle stop was initiated and Geddis was questioned about the theft,” police said. “Geddis denied stealing the wallet and asked for a lawyer.”

Mr. Geddis is very familiar to police and with the court system.

In May 2008, Mr. Geddis, 17, was one of three Tisbury teens arrested by Edgartown police on burglary charges and arrested one week later after stealing a Jeep from the Tisbury Park and ride lot.

That same year Mr. Geddis and Michael Ellis, 21, assaulted

George Buckley, 79, a ticket taker at the Capawock Theatre in Vineyard Haven and stole almost $500 in theater receipts from him, as he was on his way to a bank night deposit box on Main Street at about 8:30 pm, September 30.

On April 30, 2009, expressing outrage at a crime he labeled violent and cowardly, Dukes County Superior Court Associate Justice Cornelius J. Moriarty II sentenced Mr. Ellis to two years in the Barnstable County House of Correction and Mr. Geddis, then 18, to one year in the Dukes County House of Correction.

The post Oak Bluffs Police arrest AAA tow truck driver on theft, drug charges appeared first on Martha's Vineyard Times.

Christmas lights still adorned North Water street in Edgartown as New Year’s eve revelers, dressed for the occasion, strolled along in the chilly night air to the Harbor View Hotel, the site for one of Martha’s Vineyard’s most elegant celebrations.

Many guests lined up to take group photos at the David Welch photo booth, posing with silver mustaches and other 2016 props. Others took the photo opportunity into their own hands, posing with selfie sticks and cellphones.

 Jim and Anne Fitzgerald had traveled from Natick for their first Harbor View celebration. The couple said they visit the Vineyard quite a bit. As Anne discussed her New Year’s Resolution — “less online, more real life”  — Jim kept dancing.

“I’m the only one working at this!” he joked.

Sue Dargan, also from Natick, was enjoying the celebration with her husband and kids. Last year, a death in the family shook their New Year’s Eve. “So we decided to come to our favorite place this year,” Ms. Dargan said. “I can’t think of a better place to be.”

Dan and Donna Linsalata, from Boston, were also new the party. Dan stood out in a full-plaid, red and green suit. “He got this as a Christmas present from his sister,” Donna said. “He’s really good at themed parties.”

“I think this suit might be flammable,” he joked. “It’s great.”

“It’s a one-wear suit,” she said.

They were taking a break, sitting on a couch outside the hor d’oeuvres room, but they were having a good time.

“Two bands, plenty at the bar, plenty of food,” Donna said. “It’s really great.”

Asked if she had any New Year’s resolutions, she didn’t hesitate. “Less plaid,” she said, laughing.

“Is that mine or yours?” Dan said.

Sitting near the lobby, Linda Nilson and Benjamin Warren posed for a picture together. From Cape Cod, they said they come to the Island a lot, but it was also their first time to the party. They had spent Christmas Eve at the hotel, but went back home in between visits.

“We have dogs,” Mr. Warren said.

“Four-legged children,” Ms. Nilson corrected.

Asked about their New Year’s resolutions, they looked at each other for a moment.

“Live life as a good human being,” he said.

Ms. Nilson hesitated to think about her resolution.

“She wants to be with me all year,” Mr. Warren said, chuckling. “Don’t you?”

“Yes, yes, yes, yes,” Ms. Nilson said. “I do.”

Matt Santos and Ericka Samoorian had traveled to the Island from Cranston, RI. It was the couple’s first visit. Prior to arriving at the Harbor View, Mr. Santos and Ms. Samoorian enjoyed dinner at The Grill on Main restaurant. During dessert, Ms. Samoorian said, she was about to enjoy her first bite when Mr. Santos became sentimental.

“I just wanted to try the tiramisu and he wouldn’t stop talking,” she said. Suddenly, Mr. Santos got down on one knee and proposed marriage.

Harbor View celebrants did not have to walk far to eat or dance off the calories. The Mike Benjamin band was in one room, the Joanne Cassidy band was in another. Servers and tables featured raw oysters, mini lobster tacos, shrimp cocktail, small pizza slices, steak and cheese lettuce wraps, fried olives, macaroons, fudge brownies, red velvet cupcakes, and much more.

Islander Angie Lyon accentuated her gold and white New Years outfit with a glittery seaweed headpiece she had received at Alchemy restaurant, which handed out 200 of the creative headbands for free. 

Visitors Michael Pessiki and Samantha Cavallo were celebrating with their in-laws, and showing off the location of their May 2016 wedding. The couple got engaged last New Year’s Eve and marked the occasion with a photo in the Harbor View photo booth operated by David Welch.

The couple picked Edgartown because 38 years prior Mr. Pessiki’s parents eloped at the Kelly House. To tie the celebration full circle, the couple is planning a welcome gathering at the Newes Pub in the Kelly House the evening prior to their wedding.

The cocktail recommendation of the night came from Harbor View bartender and manager Greg Fournier: homemade pomegranate grenadine topped with prosecco. The most ordered drink of the night was vodka soda. Asked to reveal his night cap when he finally made it home, Mr. Fournier said, Rittenhouse Rye 100 proof bonded, Manhattan with Peychaud’s Bitters.

Just prior to midnight, guests spilled out onto the porch overlooking Edgartown harbor and the Edgartown lighthouse, decorated with a Christmas wreath and lights. As fireworks erupted over the water, guests cheered one another, embraced their loved ones, and some briefly broke out into song. After the last spark settled into the dark water, guests filed back into the hotel, ready to take on 2016.

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The week between Christmas and New Year’s is usually a quiet time for a community newspaper. Barring weather disruptions not in evidence this year, time-sensitive news slows down along with the wheels of government and meeting schedules, and Island commerce generally takes a deep breath and/or makes plans for shortened winter schedules. As a result, newspaper staffs can throttle down a bit, attend to lists and ferry reservations, and hopefully have a few minutes left over for spiritual renewal.

This downtime brings an accompanying trap, though: that for those with even a very modest pulpit from which to preach, including The Times’ publishers, the relative quiet may be misread as an invitation to contrive and float earnest messages of many sorts — hopes and wishes, report cards, predictions, and the riskiest of all overreaches, the dreaded resolutions —- in anticipation of the new year’s new start. The optimistic self-improvement scaffolds we march ourselves up to and then slither off of, sometimes year after year, are and should be truly embarrassing. Isn’t there a wise old saying about the pathology of repeating the same failed thinking over and over while unaccountably expecting different and better results?

So rather than jinx the start of 2016, Barbara and I will opt for simply taking a moment to thank all of those we so depend on — our readers, Island businesses and organizations, and our staff and contributors — for allowing us to deliver the newspaper and digital content we love, and for encouraging us to feel that you, too, find what we do important and valuable.

The Times’ model of community journalism — being as useful as we can across the whole of our surprisingly diverse Martha’s Vineyard community — is complicated, with many moving parts, relentless schedule demands for timeliness, and a higher risk of error than we would like.

The extent to which we are successful depends on respecting and tending all of our constituents, beginning with a very diverse community wanting reliable information of all sorts, from breaking news to background and discovery journalism, to community profiles and activities, to accurate calendar listings and advertiser offerings, to conversations about the news, and trusting us to deliver as close to on-demand as possible. We are deeply appreciative that you value us, that you return to us often, and that you let us know when we’ve pleased (or disappointed or annoyed) you.

Then, because so many of you rely on us for local information in print and on the web, we can in turn ask for support from Island businesses and organizations in exchange for getting their messages out to the whole community. Performances and exhibitions, special sales, personal and household services, health information, community government and meetings, classifieds and directory listings — all advertisements and notices we depend on, but also an important composite narrative, the source material, if you will, that defines regular Island life. We greatly appreciate all of our advertisers — your support represents close to 100 percent of the resources needed to turn out a committed weekly newspaper, reporting and ads alike, for what after the seasonal frenzy dissipates is just a small Island economy.

The third leg of our system — putting the pieces together each week, without fail — falls to a caring, professional staff committed to producing the newspaper we want to deliver to the Martha’s Vineyard community. For The Times to work takes editors and writers with the highest possible standards needing to be exercised amid inescapable practical constraints, web specialists who dream up new ways of communicating while keeping our complex systems running, advertising representatives who want to make each transaction work for our hundreds of customers, designers and production alchemists who turn images, fonts, and digital bits into print and web products every day, and a front office and circulation team that want to make a success of every public encounter. To each of you, you have our admiration and our gratitude.

To our community of readers, advertisers, and contributors — our best wishes to you all for a thoughtful, peaceful, and happy 2016.

Barbara and Peter Oberfest, Publishers

The post Editorial: New Year’s Thanks appeared first on Martha's Vineyard Times.

The Martha’s Vineyard Museum board announced Monday that Phil Wallis, a native of southeastern Pennsylvania, and longtime Island visitor with family on the Vineyard, will be the museum’s new executive director, effective Feb. 16.

He replaces David Nathans, who resigned from the post in September after six years on the job. Mr. Wallis’s brother David Wallis is an Island artist with a home in Oak Bluffs.

Phil Wallis received his master’s degree in business administration from the Wharton Business School, and his undergraduate degree from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public Policy, according to a press release issued Monday. He has held leadership positions with several nonprofits over the past 20 years, most recently as executive director of Audubon Pennsylvania. At Audubon, Mr. Wallis led a team that grew the organization’s membership to 30,000 and completed two national education and conservation leadership centers serving more than 100,000 visitors and school-aged youth. Those projects included capital campaigns that raised $30 million.

That experience will come in handy as the museum moves forward with ambitious plans to move locations following its 2011 purchase of the old Marine Hospital/St. Pierre Summer School property, which overlooks Lagoon Pond in Vineyard Haven.

“We are delighted to have Phil leading our museum during this very important stage in our history,” Elizabeth Beim, museum board chairman, said in a press statement. “This is an exciting transformational time as we grow our museum and move into the Marine Hospital building in Vineyard Haven. We have begun our final architectural design process, and plan to open the new facility in 2018. This will require support from all communities on the Island, and Mr. Wallis is a proven collaborative leader and builder of non-profit organizations.”

“To lead in the transformation of the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, to expand the narrative of the Vineyard’s history, and to reconnect residents’ and visitors’ present experiences to the past through exciting interpretation in a truly extraordinary setting — I am thrilled to be part of this organization.” Mr. Wallis said. “The Vineyard is rich in its history, both human and natural, and in its multifaceted and seasonal communities. I believe that the museum can become the Island’s cultural center for everyone, that destination which residents and visitors alike ‘must see’ and experience, the institution that protects the Island’s sense of place … the memories that define us all.”

For more information on the museum, visit mvmuseum.org.

The post Martha’s Vineyard Museum names Pennsylvania man new executive director appeared first on Martha's Vineyard Times.

On Monday, Jan. 11, at 7 pm, the West Tisbury library will host its second “Writers Read” evening. This event features community members reading short original prose pieces. Both fiction and nonfiction readings are welcome. Each reader will have eight minutes to read. The event is free and open to the public. Those who wish to read must sign up in advance by calling 508-693-4307. For more information, visit westtisburylibrary.org.

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The Loft in Oak Bluffs will host an event on Jan. 8 from 7 to 10 pm to raise funds for the Oak Bluffs School’s eighth-grade trip to Philadelphia and New York City. Musicians Mike Benjamin and Johnny Hoy will provide a soundtrack to the evening. Tickets are $20; attendees must be 21 or over. Proceeds will help the eighth graders pay to see Broadway shows, visit Times Square, the Constitution Center, and the Franklin Institute, as well as other attractions and historical walking tours. For more information, contact Eve Heyman at the Oak Bluffs School: 508-693-0951.

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On Saturday, Jan. 9, the Polly Hill Arboretum staff will lead a guided tour, focusing on seasonal plants of interest. At this time of year, bark and tree structure stand out, along with fruits and berries. This year, due to the warm weather, the arboretum reports some flowering plants are blooming earlier than usual. The tour starts at 10 am, and runs for a little over an hour. Guests should meet at the Visitor Center and dress for the weather. Tours are free. For more information, call 508-693-9426.

The post Walking in a winter wonderland? appeared first on Martha's Vineyard Times.

Catherine A. Curran of Bourne, formerly of Oak Bluffs, died Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015, at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis. She was 93.

Catherine A. Curran was born in Georgia on Sept. 25, 1922. When she was a young girl, her family moved to Oak Bluffs. She graduated from Oak Bluffs High School.

Catherine, or “Mickey” as she was known, had a great appreciation for the beauty of the Island, nature, and animals. She enjoyed gardening throughout her life. From her youth, Mickey loved cats and dogs. Her family raised beautiful Siamese cats, and always owned dogs of all shapes and sizes. Mickey was an accomplished seamstress and needle worker. Her homes were filled with the beauty of her numerous creations. She could turn her hand to anything, a true gift. She was a kind, loving, and thoughtful woman.

Mickey and her beloved Edward or “Ted” lived in Hawaii, Nevada, Virginia, Delaware, and Massachusetts due to Ted’s job. The couple also traveled to and lived in Japan. Upon Ted’s retirement, the Currans moved back to Mickey’s family home in Oak Bluffs. Mickey immersed herself back into the community by volunteering at the Oak Bluffs Council on Aging, and by preparing AARP tax returns for seniors free of charge.

The great loves of Mickey’s life were her two sons, John T. Clements Jr. and Albert Clements, and husband Edward Curran. Her husband and son John predeceased her. Mickey leaves her beloved son, Albert Clements, her dear cousin Gloria de Bettencourt, and her dear friends the Cogliano family.

During most of the last five years of Mickey’s life, her home was at Bourne Manor, in Bourne. The administration and staff were true angels on earth who cared for Mickey’s needs with great love and attention, which her loved ones will forever appreciate.

Donations may be made in Mickey’s name to United Methodist Church of M.V., P.O. Box 2580, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557, or to League of Saint Anthony, Saint Lawrence Seminary, 301 Church Street, Mount Calvary, WI 53057.

Visiting hours will be held in the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home, Edgartown Road, Oak Bluffs on Friday, Jan. 8, from 5 to 7 pm. Her funeral service will be held in the Trinity United Methodist Church, located in the Campgrounds, on Saturday, Jan. 9 at 11 am, with burial to follow in the Oak Grove Cemetery, Pacific Avenue, Oak Bluffs. Visit ccgfuneralhome.com for online guest book and information.

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The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School girls varsity basketball team was back in action Saturday at home, where they took on a powerful team from Boston’s Cathedral High School. After dominating Monomoy Regional High School 69-30 last Wednesday, the Vineyarders came into Saturday’s game knowing they needed to keep up their strong play if they wanted a chance at taking down the Panthers, who beat the Vineyarders in their first game of the season.

The Panthers got off to a quick start after the opening tipoff, and led by seven with three minutes to go in the first quarter. That early lead wasn’t enough to get the Vineyarders down. In those final three minutes, the home team put up seven points to tie it, culminating with a beautiful three-point shot by sophomore guard Molly deBettencourt on a pass from senior forward and co-captain Sam Hargy. Cathedral went on to score one at the buzzer, closing out the first quarter with a two-point lead.

Cathedral opened scoring in the second quarter, taking a 22-19 lead on a free throw 44 seconds in. That was where the game really got interesting. With 6:36 to go in the second quarter, senior guard Emily Turney grabbed the ball from a Cathedral player and put it away, getting fouled in the process. She sunk her sole free throw, evening the score at 22 and setting the tone for the rest of the game, which would be a hard-fought battle for every inch.

“That’s a really good team,” Vineyard head Coach Maureen Hill said of the Panthers. “They’re physical, they move the ball well, they trap, and I thought my girls handled it really well.”

Cathedral took a slim lead after Turney’s free throw, but the Vineyard stayed close behind, dominating the final minutes of play. With 2:22 left in the quarter, junior forward and co-captain Erin Hill, the coach’s daughter, snatched a rebound and put it away, making the score 27-24 in favor of the Bostonians. Exactly a minute later, Hargy tightened the game with a two-point shot, cutting Cathedral’s lead to one. DeBettencourt then made a move for the lead, stealing a Cathedral pass with 30 seconds left and driving for the net. On her way there, she was hit hard by a Panthers defender and earned two free throws, both of which she made. That sent the game to halftime with the purple and white up by a score of 28-27.

“We just settled the ball down,” said Coach Hill. “Once we did that, we got back into the game, and then started pulling ahead a little bit.”

Junior guard Whitney Schroeder opened up scoring in the third quarter, sinking a two-pointer to put the Vineyarders up 30-27. From that point on, the game was really something special — both teams battled hard and traded the lead several times, but neither was able to muster any more than a three-point lead throughout the entire second half.

The third quarter ended on a low note for the home crowd, as Dejah Jenkins sank a three-pointer for the Panthers at the buzzer, putting Cathedral up 44-41. But the Vineyarders answered back quickly. Just 30 seconds into the fourth quarter, sophomore Lily Pigott sent a pass to Erin Hill, who in turn found deBettencourt just outside the three-point line. Without missing a beat, deBettencourt drained a three-pointer and tied the game up. Two minutes later, Jenkins again sank a three for the Panthers, giving Cathedral back the lead, but deBettencourt answered with a three of her own 15 seconds later, and put the Vineyard up 52-50 with 5:14 left. That was a lead the home team would never relinquish.

With just over a minute left, Erin Hill scored a crucial two-pointer to put the Vineyarders up 57-54, but Taliyah Countrymon was fouled just seconds later. Countrymon sank two free throws for the Panthers, cutting the Islanders’ lead to one. Turney was then fouled twice in the last minute, but much to the delight of the large away contingent, was unable to score on either set of free throws. With 5 seconds left in the game, the home crowd erupted as Schroeder was fouled in the scramble for a loose ball and sank one free throw to seal a hard-fought and much-deserved 58-56 victory for the Vineyarders.

“This is going to be great for us,” Coach Hill said. “It shows us that we can play with anybody. This team was in the D-IV South finals last year up at the Garden. For us to come in, play them and beat them here is going to really help us going forward.”

The Vineyarders’ next game is Friday at 4:30 pm in the MVRHS gym as they begin league play against the Coyle and Cassidy Warriors.

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To the Editor:

On Christmas Eve, we completed our 2015 Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign on the Island. One hundred percent of the funds raised through this annual effort will be used on the Island to provide services to our fellow Islanders in need. These services are available year-round, and include assistance with rent, food, fuel, and transportation. With the continued generosity of all, we will fulfill our mission, which is to “meet human needs in His name without discrimination,” for years to come.

We wish to thank our volunteers: Alan, Angela, Caitlin, Cristina, Gary, Jackie, Maddie, Paula, Ruth, Sue, and Tricia, who donated over 180 hours standing by the Red Kettles. We thank the merchants who each year grant us permission to place kettles in their places of business, and to the many, many individuals who make contributions.

If you would like more information on how we are serving and/or how you can help, please call us at 774-563-9436. You may also write to The Salvation Army, P.O. Box 1996, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568. Please remember that “needs knows no season.”

Richard S. Reinhardsen, chairman

Martha’s Vineyard Service Unit

The Salvation Army

The post Thanks for Red Kettle backing appeared first on Martha's Vineyard Times.

To the Editor:

Kudos to Martha’s Vineyard Community Services (MVCS) for launching Ripple, a support group for people with an alcoholic or an addict in their lives. We estimate there are at least 2,500 people walking around Martha’s Vineyard in need of treatment for substance-abuse disorder. And statistics have long shown that for every one of these 2,500, there are at least three people directly affected; typically, spouses, parents, grandparents, and most sadly, children. Often those affected simply don’t know where to turn.

Now, thanks to MVCS, these innocent victims have an option. The need for substance abuse treatment continues to be a major challenge for Vineyarders suffering from this disease, but thanks to the vision of groups like Martha’s Vineyard Community Services, we continue to make progress each and every day. Thank you, MVCS.

Bill Croke

Edgartown

Mr. Croke is chairman of the Dukes County Health Council substance abuse committee. —Ed.

The post Innocent victims appeared first on Martha's Vineyard Times.

To the Editor:

One of the issues regarding affordable housing is that many young and/or single workers cannot even afford “affordable housing.” They are often relegated to damp basements, outbuildings, crowded houses, and summer tents. They are sales and service workers, too affluent for social assistance, but too poor to afford decent housing. Clusters of 10- or 12-unit studio apartments, modeled after Island Elderly Housing, would be an affordable alternative for those who work in food service, hospitality, transportation, sales, and other customer service occupations. These are the workers that sustain our mostly tourist economy.

L.M. Smith

Oak Bluffs

The post Caught in the middle appeared first on Martha's Vineyard Times.

To the Editor:

This is a long-overdue thank-you letter. On May 26, last year, I started to throw up blood — a lot of it. My wife, Kandace, took me to the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital emergency room, where the doctor said that the only thing worse than what I had “was a heart attack,” and further, that I had to go to Massachusetts General.

It was late. No boats. No medflights. The nurses gave me as much blood of my type as they had. The doctor in charge said he would arrange for the Coast Guard to pick me up. The hospital’s staff parked their cars with the lights on around the helipad to help the Coast Guard helicopter land. As we approached Boston, the Coast Guard man said that the lights in Boston looked cool coming in, and he held me up so that I could see them.

How can I thank all of you? So many people helped me. I will start by thanking God, my wife Kandace, the excellent nurses and staff at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Oak Bluffs EMTs. Thanks to the nurses and staff at Massachusetts General, a place you don’t leave unless you are fixed or dead.

Most of the people who helped me didn’t know who I was, and perhaps will never see me again, and yet exhibited so much kindness and compassion.

Thank you all for my life.

Charlie Mead

Oak Bluffs

The post Thank you for life appeared first on Martha's Vineyard Times.

Five Corners in Vineyard Haven defies planning logic because there never was a plan or logic, just the slow evolution into disorder at Martha’s Vineyard’s busiest roadway hub — it just happened.

It might not have been much of a problem more than a century ago, when Islanders and visitors traveled through this intersection on horseback and in carriages without benefit of cell phones and GPS gizmos. Today they navigate it with horsepower — in SUVs, Hummers, Priuses, and every other manner of vehicle.

Any talk about taking steps to create some order out of the disorder elicits a variety of responses from Islanders. There are those residents who are resigned to the chaos and shrug it off as an inconvenience to be endured about two months of the year, much as they did with four corners until, after a decade of silliness, the roundabout went in and lo and behold, the inconvenience of long backups evaporated.

For some, Five Corners is a badge of Vineyard honor. It a testament to our unique quirkiness that we tolerate such a roadway mess — see how crazy it is, they say with glee, as they show their guests the Island sights.

Combine Five Corners with traffic arriving and departing from the Vineyard Haven Steamship Authority terminal, with the three-way intersection of State Road, Look Street, and Edgartown–Vineyard Haven, and with continued growth, and you have a recipe for gridlock, now and into the future.

In a story published last week (Dec. 31, “Study offers keys to unlock Five Corner, Look Street intersection”), Janet Hefler reported on a study commissioned by MassDOT and conducted by Greenman-Pedersen Inc. (GPI), an engineering and construction services firm, that was released last March and generated little public attention.

However, to their credit, Tisbury, regional, and state officials acted on several of the study’s recommendations.

Last spring, the Steamship Authority completed the reconfiguration of the Vineyard Haven terminal staging area, which included the addition of a second check-in booth to alleviate traffic backups during ferry arrival and departure times.

In September, Tisbury moved ahead with a trial reversal of traffic flow on Union Street. In November, selectmen agreed to continue the trial, which now provides an alternative route for vehicles leaving the Stop and Shop and terminal area. It is a change that has proven its worth.

Meanwhile, utility workers have been laying the groundwork that will allow for the removal of four utility poles on the north side of Beach Street, between Water Street and Main Street in Vineyard Haven, that now protrude into the roadway and have claimed untold numbers of vehicle side mirrors. The day those hazards disappear should be cause for celebration, and provide motivation for another change the study suggested for consideration: remove the expanse of brick in front of the post office in order to create a dedicated left-turn lane off Beach Road onto Water Street.

It ought to be relatively straightforward, as much as any road work can be, and would have some tangible benefits.

Easterly traffic flow is often slowed or stopped while a SSA terminal–bound driver waits for a break in westbound traffic so he or she can make a left turn.

That break often occurs when a driver coming from the opposite direction takes a right to get to the terminal, and only if a driver exiting Lagoon Avenue does not make a dash for freedom — ah, that lovable Island quirkiness.

“It was also noted that this intersection works only because drivers make eye contact with one another and wave each other on,” the report said. “Although this sense of ‘politeness’ keeps the intersection moving, it may also be contributable to various types of collisions that occur at the intersection.”

Has anyone noticed that the ability to even make eye contact is rapidly disappearing? Increasingly, eyes are hidden behind sunglasses or focused on text messages. Is there an app for eye contact?

The study also raised the possibility of a modified roundabout. That is a novel idea, one that has proven its worth. A new Stop and Shop has a better chance of being built sooner.

The post Editorial: A slice at the Gordian knot appeared first on Martha's Vineyard Times.

The Tisbury Department of Public Works (DPW) will make cut and split firewood available to residents.

It will be available at the local drop-off abutting the Park and Ride parking lot, the DPW said in an ad published this week. Residents will be limited to one level pickup truckload. Proof of Tisbury residency is required at the drop-off shed.

For more information, call the Tisbury DPW at 508-696-4220.

The post Tisbury offers free firewood to town residents appeared first on Martha's Vineyard Times.

According to the Healthy Aging Task Force, the street lists as of January 2015 showed 362 Vineyarders born in 1946 — 24 percent more than born in 1945, and 44 percent more than in 1944. There are a total of 1,821 Islanders born between 1946 and 1950. We recently asked any Vineyarder turning 70 in 2016 to come to the MVTimes office and have a photo taken. Some of them are here.

Fred Rundlet, innkeeper, retired health administrator with the Wampanoag tribe; used to own Zapotec; lives in Vineyard Haven; born on Jan. 15, 1946.

How’d you get here? I got here in 1980. A pretty famous folksinger from the Cape was getting married and wanted me to be part of the wedding. Her partner was a realtor. The [Look] Inn had been empty for three years. We were going up to Gay Head to have fun in the nude. I ended up giving her $100 and bought the inn.

Will you spend the rest of your days here? In one fashion or another.

Dog, cat hobby? Two cats; they’re gorgeous. Woody (born here) and Blue. Golf is a game I’m very good at. And I like old stuff — yard sales, junk stores, book stores. We were also involved in starting Bodhi Path, the Buddhist center. Part of the Buddhist thing is getting rid of old stuff. So it’s funny with the old stuff we buy. I like being with people; that’s my hobby.

What would you change about Martha’s Vineyard? Litter! People should start picking it up! Another observation is sad for me. My wife and I hike all the time; on Trustees’ land, you see very few Vineyarders. “We’re too busy!” they say.

Toby Codding, owned record store Rainbow Zen where Net Result is. Also worked in landscaping, music reporting for the MVTimes, DJing at the Hot Tin Roof; Vineyard Haven; born on Oct. 3, 1946.

How’d you get here? I came to the Vineyard as a summer kid; my family has been coming since the 1800s. I moved permanently in July of 1973 — didn’t even need a reservation to get on the boat.

Will you spend the rest of your days here? I have no choice. My family is here. I was able to buy land in the ’70s — I was only making $5 an hour, but it was stable. I’m trying to refill the house with my kids, but I fear for the future and if they can afford to stay here.

Hobby? I volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and the Island Food Pantry.

Would you change anything about Martha’s Vineyard? The community is fabulous. I witnessed that firsthand when we lost our home in a fire. But I fear for young people not being able to make it here. I don’t want to see them living in their cars.

Ron Zentner, retired programmer, Oak Bluffs; born on March 13, 1946.

How’d you get here? I retired in 2004 on a Friday, and I moved here Saturday. I had no history here. I came on a day trip with my wife in 1983. We rented mopeds, and we didn’t like it very much … because we were on mopeds. We came back to the Menemsha Inn in the ’90s. We were thinking about where to retire; we’re from Jersey City, and we kept coming back here, including in February. We just thought This seems like the place.

Will you spend the rest of your days here? We already bought a spot in the cemetery in O.B.

Hobbies? Walking, reading; my wife is involved in the GMO movement; I’m treasurer of Friends of the O.B. Library and on the Conservation Commission. I’ve also been involved in Meals on Wheels, and a whippoorwill survey in the State Forest. I don’t fish; I tried clamming and got six scallops.

Would you change anything about Martha’s Vineyard? People with a history think things have changed a lot. Though we weren’t here to see it, every time I see a big house going up, I wonder. I get off the boat and want no more boats. I don’t know if I’d change anything.

The best thing about being here? The beauty of the Island. When you drive up on Allen Farm and get the ocean view, or the way the light changes on East Chop throughout the year. It’s peaceful this time of year.

Barbara Murphy taught Spanish at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School for 32 years; Chilmark, born on May 1, 1946.

How’d you get here? [Born and raised here]. I met my husband [Chris Murphy] freshman year of high school at the old Tisbury High School in 1960. We were in the same homeroom.

Will you spend the rest of your days here? Certainly planning on it. Unless Trump gets elected.

What would you change about the way you lived your life? I wished I had paid more attention to people older than me. I assumed they were different from young people, but really they aren’t. Nothing changes from 18 to 85.

Chris Murphy, fisherman, Chilmark, born on April 4, 1946.

What would you change about the way you lived your life? When I believed in something, I would spend more time defending it. Sometimes I don’t do all I could to support something I know is important. I never regret doing too much, just too little.

Madeline McKay, retired accountant, Edgartown, born June 10, 1946.

How’d you get here? My husband has been coming here since he was born. I’ve been coming since 1976 and retired here last June.

Jean Tatelbaum, retired from dietary service at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital; Edgartown, born August 4, 1946.

How’d you get here? Boat. I had a timeshare at the Harborside. I worked for a computer firm that was downsizing, so I moved here and had a house built. It’s been 30 years now.

Will you spend the rest of your days here? Probably. I’m too lazy to move.

Cats, dogs, hobbies? I have a cat, Baby Girl. I call her B.G.

Would you change about your life? I don’t think there is anything I would change. I’ve met a lot of good people and learned a lot. The one thing I wish I could change on the Vineyard would be that when groups talk about establishing affordable housing, that the housing is truly affordable for those who work in the service industry.

Barbara Ravera retired from Traveler’s Insurance; lives in Edgartown; born on June 25, 1946.

Will you spend the rest of your days here? Now that I have two grandsons, it has lost its magic — they are off-Island.

Dog, cat, hobby? Martha the cat!

Favorite part of an MV day? Mornings.

Tom Pallas, working real estate broker; lives in Vineyard Haven; born July 16, 1946. How’d you get here? I came in 1998. I was talked into it by my ex-wife. We came to put [daughter] Naomi in kindergarten here.

Favorite part of an M.V. day? When I’ve had my first cup of coffee in the morning.

Will you spend the rest of your days here? Yeah, probably. Depends on how high the seas rise.

Dog, cat, hobby? I bike, Scrabble.

Would you change anything about Martha’s Vineyard? I would close off Look Street to traffic.

How would you live your life differently if you could? I’m pretty happy the way things turned out. So far, so good.

Jack O’Callaghan, retired IT/computer technician, lives in Vineyard Haven; born June 25, 1946.

How’d you get here? That’s a classic. It was 1976; I was between marriages, and with the woman who became my wife. You could probably dig up her obituary. It was our first vacation here, and it instantly felt at home. When we left, it felt like we left home. We came back to see what was the magic here, then came every season. We asked, “What do you do in the winter?” We just liked it. In ’88, we moved up here from Connecticut.

Will you spend the rest of your days here? No doubt about it. Home [Connecticut] is not the same as it used to be. There’s been a big development in my life. I just found out I had a son I didn’t know about — he’s 46! I left Thailand in June of ’69. That’s where I learned electronics, with the Air Force. After I left, I didn’t know if my girlfriend — she was Thai — was alive or dead all these years. It has weighed on me heavily. Recently, her husband passed away. I went out to Arizona where she is living now, in September for a four-day weekend and met my old girlfriend for the first time in 46 years. All we could do [now] is look at each other. And I have a relationship with my son.

Dog, cat, hobby? Two cats — Oscar and Felix. They moved up here with us as kittens. I’m tied to the Island. My mom is at Windemere. She’s 94; her mind is still sharp, but she has mobility issues — tough old lady.

Would you change anything about Martha’s Vineyard? I wouldn’t change much. I like the way it is. I even like the fact that everybody doesn’t like something. I like the M.V. Commission and the fact that so many people like it and don’t like it.What I like about being here is the small-town feeling. It’s 20 years behind the rest of world. I know it’ll change, but I can live with that.

Chris Brooks, retired (Boston Globe) newspaper editor; works at LeRoux Gourmet; West Tisbury; born on Feb. 5, 1946.

How’d you get here? We [he and his wife, Louisa Williams] first came in 1981. We lived in Boston, had never been here before, even though I grew up in Weston. My orientation had always been on the Cape. We came bike-riding, then came here each of the next summers, sailing and renting a house. We bought a house here in 1991 when bottom had dropped out of the real estate market. We rented the house out for ten summers and used it in the off-season. We took buyouts from the Globe in 2001 and moved here full time.

Will you spend the rest of your days here? One of the big jokes at the Globe was when one of the younger reporters referred to someone who was 55 as elderly; he almost got the shit beaten out of him. The rest of my days? That’s a good question. We do have a crash pad in Boston. We could very well move to Paris; who knows? I think we’re just going to do a lot more traveling and keep these two places.

Dog, cat, hobby? Our dog is Obediah. He’s Obie — not named after Oak Bluffs. My hobby is woodworking.

John Chapman retired college dean, Vineyard Haven, born Jan. 2, 1946.

How’d you get here? In 1978 my wife said, We’re going to take a vacation to Martha’s Vineyard. We came back in ’79 and rented a house; she had a real estate paper in her hand, and I said by the end of the day, we’ll have a house. That’s a rental now. We kept coming every summer. I took my wife and daughter for 22 summers from New Hampshire to here. Then in 2000, we bought our third house, retired.

Will you spend the rest of your days here? Oh yeah, I don’t know anything else but here.

What’s your favorite part of a Vineyard day? Looking out over the water, across Main Street into Vineyard Sound.

Fred Roven, owns MV Buyer Agents Real estate firm, Edgartown; born on April 8, 1946.

How’d you get here? I came for a summer to work as a massage therapist for Jackie Clason in 1987, and I stayed. I was planning to go to Santa Fe to go to massage school, but once I stayed through September, I had nowhere to go. I never made it to Santa Fe — still haven’t. My stuff was in the Berkshires at Kripalu; my cartons were packed, addressed to Santa Fe. I had someone pack them in a truck and send them here, and I never left.

Will you spend the rest of your days here? I have no thoughts of being anywhere else. Feeling the cold now, I think I could use a few months somewhere warm. I’ll hopefully travel, but it feels like this is home.

Dog, cat, hobby? I have a new puppy. Approaching 70, I thought about whether it was a good idea. He’s my buddy.

Favorite part of an M.V. day? Mostly when I have visitors. Enjoy going out for breakfast, walking the beach, a warm night out over dinner.

How would you live your life differently if you could? It would have been nice to have a partner over the years [now divorced]. Other than the ups and downs of partners, guess there is one regret: Instead of spending money on investment ideas, I wish I’d bought a lot of real estate when I came.

The post The 70 Project: Martha’s Vineyard’s first Boomer turns 70 appeared first on Martha's Vineyard Times.

December 7, 2015

Anthony Richard Marcantonio, Edgartown; DOB 2/23/89, uninsured motor vehicle: to be dismissed upon payment of $300 court cost; operating motor vehicle with suspended registration: dismissed at the request of the Commonwealth; marked lanes violation: not responsible.

December 28, 2015

Mauricio L. Sampaio, Edgartown; DOB 4/28/75, unlicensed operation of motor vehicle: continued to pretrial conference.

December 31, 2015

Stephen W. Luce, Edgartown; DOB 11/14/71, negligent/reckless operation of snow/rec vehicle: to be dismissed upon payment of $200 court cost; refusal to stop for police with snow/rec vehicle: not responsible; unregistered snow/rec vehicle: not responsible; public way violation with snow/rec vehicle: not responsible; helmet violation with snow/rec vehicle: not responsible.

Jacob M. Murphy, Edgartown; DOB 3/7/89, malicious destruction of property over $250, larceny under $250, breaking and entering a vehicle/boat during daytime to commit a felony: continued to pretrial conference.

Jacob M. Murphy, Edgartown; DOB 3/7/89, breaking and entering a vehicle/boat during daytime to commit a felony, malicious destruction of property over $250: continued to pretrial conference.

Jacob Murphy, Edgartown; DOB 3/7/89, larceny of a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property over $250, leaving the scene of property damage, use of motor vehicle without authority, negligent operation of motor vehicle: continued to pretrial conference.

Lucas Quintiliano, Vineyard Haven; DOB 11/19/86, unlicensed operation of motor vehicle, failure to dim headlights: continued to pretrial conference.

Peter A. Tennant, Oak Bluffs; DOB 12/13/57, assault and battery on a family/household member, assault and battery: continued to pretrial conference.

Kelly A. Thayer, West Tisbury; DOB 3/30/90, assault and battery on a family/household member: dismissed at the request of the Commonwealth and the failure of the alleged victim to cooperate.

January 4, 2016

Brandon M. Francis, Edgartown; DOB 11/22/91, OUI-liquor or .08%: continued without a finding for one year, the Defendant is to attend the driver alcohol education program with a loss of license for 45 days and must pay a state fee of $250, $125 HIF, $50 VW, $50 VDD, and $65 PSF; OUI-drugs (not identified): dismissed at the request of the Commonwealth; negligent operation of motor vehicle: probation for two years with restitution to be determined; speeding: not responsible; unlicensed operation of motor vehicle: guilty, filed; marked lanes violation: not responsible; possession of class C drug (mushrooms): continued without finding for two years; unauthorized use of motor vehicle: guilty, filed.

Jaroslav Kral, Edgartown; DOB 3/10/72, assault and battery on a family/household member: dismissed at the request of the Commonwealth and the failure of the alleged victim to cooperate; intimidating a witness/juror/police/court official: dismissed at the request of the Commonwealth and the failure of the alleged victim to cooperate.

Richard S. Parkes, Edgartown; DOB 4/26/87, unlicensed operation of motor vehicle: to be dismissed upon payment of $250 court cost and the completion of 16 hours of community service; driving the wrong way on a state highway: not responsible.

Michelle D. Plesser, Vineyard Haven; DOB 1/17/87, leaving the scene of property damage: pretrial probation for one year.

Brenna M. Turer, Ramsey, NJ; DOB 6/22/94, OUI-liquor or .08%: dismissed at the request of the Commonwealth; negligent operation of motor vehicle: continued without finding for one year, must pay $250 HIF, $50 and $50 PSF; speeding: not responsible.

The post Martha’s Vineyard court report: Dec. 7 – Jan. 4 appeared first on Martha's Vineyard Times.

AAA announced it has cancelled its service contract for roadside assistance with its longtime Island contractor, Pilgrim Road Auto Repair in Edgartown.

AAA suspended Pilgrim following the arrest on Dec. 23 of Pilgrim Auto tow truck driver Brett C. Geddis, 25, of Edgartown. Oak Bluffs police said Mr. Geddis answered a call for AAA assistance from a woman whose car would not start, and stole a wallet she had left in her stranded vehicle.

“Earlier this week, AAA Northeast formally ended its contractual relationship with Pilgrim Road Auto Repair,” Lloyd P. Albert, senior vice president for public and government affairs, said in a prepared statement. “AAA members on the Vineyard should continue to call the toll-free number noted on their membership card when they need roadside assistance. They will be serviced promptly by local tow operators on the Island.”

Immediately following the arrest, Mr. Albert said AAA Northeast “was deeply concerned and disappointed to learn about the incident involving a tow truck driver employed by Pilgrim Road Auto Repair.” He said AAA had suspended the towing company “pending a thorough internal investigation.”

Following the suspension, AAA began relying on several Island garages to fill the service gap.

At the time of his arrest, a search of the tow truck Mr. Geddis was driving turned up two replica firearms, illegal prescription drugs, marijuana, and a hypodermic needle, but not the victim’s wallet.

Police arrested Mr. Geddis on larceny and drug possession charges.

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