MARGARET KNIGHT

508-627-8894

(margaret02539@yahoo.com)

Tuesday’s annual town meeting was the year’s best opportunity to engage in the democratic process. As Vineyard Haven moderator Deborah Medders put it, “We’re voting our values directly.” There was just enough controversy in the warrant articles to produce some interesting back and forth — including a humorous comment from our town moderator, Jeff Norton, about the difficulty of cinching in his belt in these trying economic times — but not so much controversy that I left the meeting with the feeling of disbelief that I live in the same town as all those people who voted against the article that I was so definitely in favor of, or vice versa.

Chappaquiddickers had a strong voice during the evening. Some spoke out in favor of approving the Community Preservation Fund money earmarked for restoration of the Carnegie wing of the library. Brad Woodger compared it to the need to put out funds to keep up the family home. Pat Rose, head of the library trustees, read from the library engineer’s report that said the work would be unharmed by moving the building, if that comes to pass with a new library, to counter information read from the financial advisory committee engineer’s report.

The town did pass that article, as well as one to approve funds for a survey connected to a proposed bike path on Chappy. Peter Wells asked to reduce the funds from $27,842 to $6,270 — an amendment everyone seemed happy to approve — because although the financial advisory committee did not recommend the full amount approved by the community preservation committee, they would agree to a lesser amount. As several people pointed out, the money is already there — we paid it along with last year’s land taxes. The survey will be of the dike road, the section of the proposed bike path from the ferry to the dike bridge that has not been done before.

The bike path is a controversial topic, and Peter suggested the town meeting was not the forum for discussion of it. The voters would probably start to leave by the third day, anyway. He said the purpose of the article is to complete the survey that already includes the main road, in order “to facilitate discussion of possible solutions to a neighborhood issue, which is having pedestrians, bikes and baby buggies sharing the road with motor vehicles.” He suggested the survey will be used as a tool to enables us to have logical, productive discussions, adding: “We will need the input from all concerned during future meetings ... to reach the best possible solution to this valid issue.”

I left the annual meeting with a satisfied feeling of having participated in governing my town, and of being a part of the town’s folk. As Sarah Smith, Gosnold’s town treasurer said, “What’s the point of the whole year if you don‘t go to town meeting.” It’s true that Cuttyhunk is a bit smaller, and therefore more intimate than Edgartown. Sarah put the size in perspective when she added, “It’s the only time people get together besides the Historical Society cocktail party.”

Frank Partel’s first novel, A Wound in the Mind, The Court-Martial of Lance Corporal Cachora, USMC was published on March 27. The novel addresses psych-casualties, particularly Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, during the period of 1967- 68. His neighbor on Chappy, Richard Schwartz, psychiatrist with Harvard Medical School, helped him to understand and differentiate PTSD. Frank says his book “moves the naval historical genre forward into the 20th century and continues the theme of naval leadership popularly developed by C.S. Forester and Patrick O’Brian.” He says it raises an anti-war theme, but there is also plenty of naval lore for those that like good sea stories. It is available online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. For details, go online to awoundinthemind.com.

Vineyard Conservation Society’s 17th annual Earth Day Beach Cleanup is tomorrow, Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. until noon. You can help keep plastic and other garbage out of Vineyard waters. All materials needed for cleanup will be provided at the beaches, including, in Edgartown: State Beach, Bend in the Road, South Beach, Wilson’s Landing and Lighthouse Beach. Afterwards, you can join others at SBS for a free community lunch.

If you would like to help shape the future of the Island’s cultural life, you can join the Martha’s Vineyard Cultural Council for its annual community input session on Tuesday, May 5, at 7:30 p.m. at the Howes House. For details, call 508-627-7837. Last fall the MVCC awarded more than $38,000 in grants to local musicians, writers, actors, artists, directors, dancers, festival organizers, students, naturalists and more.

The land bank is offering free wood chips to Chappy residents in April, up to three loads delivered. Just call them at 508-627-7141.

The On Time III has been out of the water in Vineyard Haven, preparing for Coast Guard inspection while getting its spring work-over. It should be there at least another week. Peter is acting as go-fer, the one to go off to buy the nuts and bolts needed by the crew working on the boat. Since his truck is full of tools needed on the job, he’s been riding his bike around town. When people see him, they exclaim, “You rode all the way from Edgartown!” He has to admit he didn’t, and tell them the bike’s his dinghy while his boat’s in dry dock.