Upending Town Tradition

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Once again, the good citizens of Vineyard Haven are being asked to vote on beer and wine sales, but this time the wording of the ballot makes it pretty hard to know exactly what we’re voting for.

The upcoming ballot asks us to grant our selectmen the right to issue an unlimited number of seasonal licenses. The wording of the ballot question obscures this, making it seem as if 19 year-round restaurants may be licensed. However, if the yes vote carries the day, there will be no cap whatsoever on the number of seasonal licenses. Due to building and water regulations, dozens of restaurants won’t instantly qualify, nor will the current board of selectman be likely to grant large numbers — now. But as the economy improves, there will be increasing pressure on selectmen, backed by big-money interests that aren’t necessarily the same as the interests of those who live here.

We all appreciate the restaurants that are here for us, year-round, in good times and bad. We see Main street struggling, and we want to help. But a yes vote April 27 could have the opposite effect. It could radically upend the traditional character of Vineyard Haven, turning a quiet place for families into a raucous seasonal town, where new restaurants milk the summer crowds, drive up rents and displace longstanding businesses, leaving year-round residents with a Main street that is as dead in winter as Edgartown. For those inclined to vote yes, I can only echo Humphrey Bogart’s advice to Ingrid Bergman at the end of Casablanca: “You’ll regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of your life.”

Geraldine Brooks

Vineyard Haven

Haven or Pottersville?

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

If the citizens of Tisbury open the door to alcohol sales even a tiny crack, we invite nothing less than the demise of 300 years of tranquility. Within a decade, there will be bars and liquor stores intimidating the quiet grace of Main street. Our harbor will begin to suffer a swell of boaters intent on the booze, not the beauty of Vineyard Haven.

Our children will wonder why we did such a thing to such a satisfactory town, all in the name of what? The answer is, of course, the misplaced motivation of a few individuals, hoping to make a buck at the direct expense of the very character of the town itself. Heck, in a few years, when those folks have leveraged the local law to turn their restaurants into the bellowing cash cows of late-night bars, they’ll be complaining that we don’t let them stay open late enough!

I can only imagine Henry Beetle Hough, for a half-century the gallant guardian of our wonderfully rural and unique quality of life on Martha’s Vineyard, watching as yet another precious gift from the gods —Tisbury’s grace and tranquility — erodes like a piece of the Gay Head bluff, dropping off to sea. I can’t help but think of Jimmy Stewart, in It’s a Wonderful Life, stumbling through town, aghast at how Bedford Falls suddenly became Pottersville.

Tony Balis

Vineyard Haven

Keep What We Have

I firmly support Vineyard Haven keeping alcohol regulations the way they are now. If then I am accused of not supporting the town’s businesses, I would happily show my credit card bills and check register with multiple Vineyard Haven businesses named throughout. I can make sound recommendations of good restaurants in the town based on fine food, ambiance and price. When out-of-town guests arrive, they are often delighted to find out about the BYOB policy, and specifically choose to stay in Vineyard Haven for dinner. Many guests comment they wish it were so in their own hometowns.

Recently I went back to my hometown of Needham. When I grew up there it was a dry town. Now Needham allows a small number of liquor licenses for restaurants. Sweet Basil, where we dined, has chosen to remain BYOB. When we arrived there was an hour wait and the hostess suggested we walk down the street to a less busy establishment where we could get a glass of wine and an appetizer. When our table at Sweet Basil was ready we received a cell phone call and went back. We knew in advance that Sweet Basil was BYOB because they unashamedly advertised that way. An hour wait is clear evidence that customers were choosing to dine at Sweet Basil.

I wish restaurants in Vineyard Haven would grab hold of the wonderful opportunity to offer dining with BYOB. They already have great food, ambiance and fair prices. With a little ingenuity, an advertising campaign which extols the benefits of BYOB could give them an edge over the competition. Please vote to keep what we have and continue to support Vineyard Haven businesses.

Connie Alexander

Vineyard Haven

Saving Main Street

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

I was born and raised in Vineyard Haven and still live there.

Main street has evolved from a group of merchants who provided affordable goods and services year around for our town residents. Now there are very few stores who continue to meet those needs. Now we have T-shirt and souvenir shops, art galleries and expensive shops to attract tourists.

Fellow residents who enjoy our quiet, self-sustaining community now want to change it.

Beer and wine is not going to save Main street. This ballot question opens a can of worms with its proposal for 19 year-round licenses and any number of seasonal licenses. The selectmen will become power brokers. Main street will become another Circuit avenue with restaurants and television sets. How soon will a game room follow?

Main street needs parking and landlords who don’t charge an arm and leg for rents.

Don’t destroy what is left of Main street. Preserve Tisbury. Vote no on question one.

Mary Ellen Larsen

Vineyard Haven

Risk and Uncertainty

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

As spring fills the air with new life and energy, Vineyard Haven is calling for our help.

A small group of merchants and developers has once again petitioned the town to allow the sale of beer and wine in 19 year-round restaurants and inns, plus an unknown number of seasonal establishments. A set of legislative guidelines has been copied practically verbatim from Rockport, without an original thought given to our unique harbor town. All three of our selectmen show unbridled enthusiasm for this change (two are in the restaurant and inn business). All three assure us that they will create appropriate regulations at some future time, and they inform us that the rules can be arbitrarily changed any time at their discretion. The only certain thing about this ballot question is its uncertainty. Given the endless list of unanswered questions, it makes common sense to vote no since we don’t really know what we’re voting for.

For nearly two centuries Tisbury has been above the sale of alcoholic beverages. Our town has become the Island gold standard for year-round vitality, ecological commitment, a genuine working waterfront and a prosperous business community. Most important, we are a visitor-friendly, family-friendly, and kid-friendly town.

This exceptional quality of life has been nurtured by citizens who value our town and its residents above personal gain. The entrepreneurial spirit of our business sector has always worked within our laws and prospered. Tisbury has achieved a high standard in contrast with our national culture where self-indulgence, complacency, and “me-first” attitudes are discouragingly common and clearly destructive.

The unique and independent character of Tisbury must not be compromised so we become like “everywhere else.”

In a few years, we will celebrate a century since the founding of Brickman’s Store and Cronig’s Market. The Mansion House passed that milestone 15 years ago. Walk through town and you will see that most of our shops and restaurants have been established for 30 years or more. Businesses on State Road are constantly upgrading and expanding. Our waterfront is one of the few in the world where boatyards, restaurants, retailers and residents coexist harmoniously and sustainably. Sail Martha’s Vineyard chose Tisbury as its home base for the safety of the Lagoon Pond where it conducts swimming and sailing instruction for Island kids at no charge.

For hundreds of boating enthusiasts, all our harbors are available to town residents at affordable rates for moorings and dockage. This is unheard of in most tourist communities.

Vineyard Haven harbor is a marvel of maritime cooperation. Ferries are constantly arriving from Woods Hole, New Bedford and Falmouth while tugs, barges, mini-cruise ships, and tall ships maneuver on the eastern side of the port. Each summer hundreds of private and charter sail and motor yachts are drawn to this port due to its welcoming atmosphere, nautical authenticity and easy access to town and Owen Park. In the outer harbor, where transient moorings and anchorages are available, dozens of local and seasonal kids join the sailing program at the Vineyard Haven Yacht Club. Our waterways are teeming with activity for all ages and the collateral benefits to our town are huge. For safety reasons among many others, permitting the sale of beer and wine would not be wise around this waterfront.

The quiet residential homes in our William street historic district, upper Main street, and throughout our town should not be subject to the inevitable increase in noise and mess from nearby restaurants selling beer and wine. It is unfair to the people who settled here for the tranquility.

We should embrace our business community and insist on excellence, but we must not risk eroding our established foundation. If we stand back and look objectively at our town in the context of our Island and our country, we will see the jewel in the crown. And it is not only our right but our obligation to vote on April 27 with a clear perspective of the issues.

Question one is more than a policy decision. If approved, the political, economic and cultural direction of our town could be irrevocably reversed. Do we really need to depend on the sale of beer and wine to be successful — or to be happy? Is this the message we want to send to our kids and neighbors?

We must vote to preserve the sustainable qualities of this town. Our focus should be on the greater good of all Tisbury residents. Let’s come together and express stewardship, not ownership. Protect our covenant with our town — for us and for generations to come. Please vote no to beer and wine.

Nat Benjamin

Vineyard Haven

Reasons to Say No

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Top reasons for voting no for beer and wine:

• The number of licenses: 38 beer and wine licenses (19 year-round and at least 19 seasonal with no package stores) is excessive for a town with a population of 3,811. That’s one beer and wine license for every 100 citizens. That’s more than Edgartown, which has a total of 34 liquor licenses (20 year-round, including four package stores, and 14 seasonal, including one package store, for a population of 3,932) or Oak Bluffs, which has a total of 34 (17 year round, including four package stores, and 17 seasonal for a population of 3,735).   

• Cost: There will be additional costs for monitoring licensees, enforcing regulations and policing the town and harbor, but we don’t know what those costs are. Before voting we should know what the additional costs are and how we are going to pay for them.

• Economic benefit: Restaurants will be the primary beneficiaries of the town granting beer and wine licenses. The September 2006 Report of Findings from the Town of Tisbury Beer and Wine Committee concluded “there would be no significant economic benefit or detriment to the town . . . However, forecasted benefits were projected primarily for the hospitality trades . . . Other market segments, and the much broader business population, did not envision a significant change.” Why should we risk changing the character of the town for the benefit of the restaurants?

• Regulations: The regulations are unclear and can be changed at any time at the whim of the selectmen. What criteria and conditions are they using to grant licenses? What distinguishes a bar from a restaurant? These questions should be answered before we vote.

• Enforcement and compliance: No plan for enforcement has been developed. Who is going to monitor compliance with regulations?

• Planning: Granting liquor licenses is not planning. It is a short-term, quick-fix, shortsighted solution to address the long-term economic viability of the town. The beer and wine proponents believe the sale of beer and wine in restaurants will boost Tisbury’s economy and revitalize the town. Who will really benefit and why do they think alcohol is the panacea for Tisbury’s economy? The proponents say it will increase all retail business in the town but present retail stores could be replaced with seasonal restaurants. The availability of beer and wine licenses and a sewer system increases the value of retail space and landlords may increase their rents. Seasonal restaurants that close for the winter will leave the town more of a ghost town in the winter. Finding long-term sustainable solutions to Tisbury’s economic problems warrants more thoughtful consideration.

• Good food and BYOB: There are restaurants in every town on the Island with thriving businesses that don’t serve beer and wine. The key is serving good food at affordable prices. Many people like the BYOB policy already in place in Tisbury because they can bring their own wine and avoid paying the cost of restaurants’ markup.

• Unintended consequences: Substance abuse on the Vineyard is a well-documented problem among both the adolescent and adult population. Is it necessary to drink alcohol to have fun and is this the message we want to send and model for Island’s youth?

Please vote no on question one.

Cindy Doyle

Vineyard Haven

Dry With a Twist

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

In times of financial constraint, capitalizing on quirkiness is often the best strategy. What sets Vineyard Haven apart from all other charming coastal villages is, let’s face it, that it is a dry town.

Other harbors have wooden boats, other hamlets have shingled shops, the curios are nice, the taffy is still sweet.

I have often wondered why the asset of being a dry town has historically been marketed with shame.

This is a curiosity! A wonder! Look at this! Such a town can still exist! A dry town. What does that even mean? What is it like?

Things like this are what people comment on at cocktail parties when they return home to Indiana, Detroit and Boston.

Vineyard Haven is missing out on a lucrative opportunity by not marketing this unique trait more positively.

The best part — the twist — to this dry town experience, is that you can actually drink here. Alcohol isn’t banned, there are just archaic (but quaint and kind of cool) rules that tell you how you can do it.

Alcohol is suddenly more than just a beer — it is tinged with the illicit glee most people ditch after too many college keg parties. A glass of wine becomes titillating because you have to source your own bottle from over the townborders, because you have to bring your beers in an iced backpack to any restaurant’s delicate meal. There is an adventure here, a different way of doing things. You can still get buzzed and have a good time, you just need to bring your own. You aren’t limited to the selection (or pricing) of the restaurant. If you want PBR or Dom Perignon, you can have it.

In this argument between silent streets and lengthened lounging hours, it seems that both are poised to win if you turn the problem a fraction of an inch in a re-branding direction.

This dry town Vineyard Haven is something to try, to experience. It’s not a hassle, it’s a way to show off your ability to adapt to another culture, to succeed at something different. It’s rugged, individualistic, identity-oriented, crafty, cool, and definitely worthtrying. Rarityis an asset, exclusivity breeds touring souls.

There seems to be no solid reason to sacrifice the obvious sanctity of the town as a restorative, relaxing, solid, sweet spot of vacation tranquility.

People pay to leave what they already know, they spend to experience refreshing air and simple silence. They like to go with friends. And eat really good food.

There is more cash to be made by shedding the shame and embracing the idiosyncrasy. In a world homogenizing faster than polar bears can wear polo shirts to get enough hits on Youtube, Vineyard Haven is still a wonderful place to escape the expected normality.

Re-brand the town. The Black Dog did it with a dog; why not do it with something so much more important, interesting, and in this day and age, unique?

Amy R. Carpenter

Jamaica Plain

Hollow Promise

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Of course the population of Tisbury, and of Martha’s Vineyard want their commercial centers to be vibrant, busy, and successful. The confusing question of overturning a long-standing commitment to being a dry town needs to be looked at through a wider and clear lens. To wit:

• The evolution of our style of life has brought us to our present situation. We are a remarkable place with many advantages, all contributing to our unique success as a tourist destination, and a year-round living paradise. This is our Vineyard vernacular.

• The vague hope that alcohol sales in town will ensure an economic bonanza without costs to the townspeople is a hollow promise.

• While these additional and long-term costs are difficult to quantify, they are nonetheless real.

• As currently detailed, only a few establishments would be in a position to benefit from the change.

• Monitoring the permits would take time and personnel from other town duties, or require additional hiring, if not now, then later.

• Enforcement also would take time, personnel, and perhaps require more police, and legal efforts — all costing more tax money.

• The pressure to expand the permits to include bars and stores would be almost impossible to resist as the expected economic bonanza from beer and wine with meals fails to appear, and only the selectmen and the town meeting would be required to change it.

• Tisbury’s unique, quirky, position would disappear and we would be pressured to mimic all the other shoreline resorts.

• The often promised reduction of meal prices because of the restaurants’ newfound, alcohol-fueled success is hard to imagine.

• In all, the town would be required to spend more, and perhaps much more to benefit a select few.

• It is clear from the evenly split vote the first time that protecting our quality of life, as difficult as it is to define, is the only substantive argument that cannot be questioned.

A. Kirk Briggs

Vineyard Haven