Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Regarding “Always at the Helm, Joe Cressy’s Legacy Unites May 27, 2011.”

I could never take Joe Cressy’s place, but

I can offer what I am. Not the hail fellow

well met Joe sounded from his memorial

article but an honest environmentalist and

dreamer who believes in what

is right and will love Chappaquidick

like I love America.

I’d like to send this and

move there, but I never will.

I visited several times in the

1980s but didn’t get over to

Chappy. I took the paper not long

ago and saw the article. It made me

wish I had led a life like Joe’s.

Everyone seems

“assigned” a life for lack

of a better word. We decide some things but not

our most basic temperments. And others.

I’m going to subscribe to the Vineyard Gazette

again and send the letter.

I guess my place is here

feeding feral cats, food shopping —

reading, writing, listening to

the radio and

caring about the Vineyard,

the world and Chappaquidick

from afar. I saved

the paper to wrap

coffee grounds in

and when I picked it

up I saw Always at the Helm,

Joe Cressy’s Legacy

Unites. Some unions

are late and

not the way you would think.

Bonnie Todd Green, Atlanta, Ga.