CHEAP VINEYARD GAS

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Each time I read about gas prices on the Vineyard, your reporters always miss the fact that there is one grade of gasoline that sells for a bit less on the Vineyard than in many nearby locations on the mainland. This is not a joke. The gas that sells for a very competitive price is sold at the Martha’s Vineyard Airport. There, a gallon of aviation-grade 100-octane low lead gasoline sells today for $5.99 a gallon. That same gas sells for $6.10 in New Bedford and $6.19 in Mansfield. You can save three cents a gallon in Falmouth by using the self-service pump, but in general the av-gas on the Island sells competitively with many mainland locations.

How can this be? Well the simple fact is that whenever I fly my private aircraft I land off-Island and if the av-gas on Martha’s Vineyard were to cost 70 cents a gallon more than on the mainland, then a 100-gallon fill-up would be $70 more than elsewhere and no one would buy gas here. Selling gas is profitable for the airport but they must meet the competition or sell no gas. If you could fly your car the few miles it is to Falmouth, the gas stations here would never be able to get away with the highway robbery Vineyarders have had to put up with all these years.

I would think that the reporters would ask why the gas is so expensive here. If it’s the cost of getting the gas here, how does the airport sell for the same price as the mainland and make a profit?

To compare aviation gas prices just look-up airnav.com; the symbol for the Island is MVY.

Mark S. Alexander

Vineyard Haven

BEAUTIFUL ROUNDABAOUTS

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

First off, full disclosure: I am married to Chris Murphy, as many of you know — and I was born and raised in Oak Bluffs, as many of you also know. Many people have spoken about how the roundabout will spoil the character of the Island, and destroy the country-like feel of the Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road. We were just in Miami where we saw many roundabouts, all of which were grass circles with trees, bushes or flowers in them — all of them prettier than what is now at the blinker light. The Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road was widened a few years ago, and whatever country feel it might have had was lost. A roundabout with its greenery would surely be an improvement to what is there now.

Barbara Thomas Murphy

Chilmark

AUGUST FIREWORKS

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Each year my whole family and many friends come to Oak Bluffs for the fireworks. Most plan their vacation around this event. We all were worried that they would not happen this year. We saw your two articles in October, which left us wondering. I know the firemen’s association was going to have another vote, but I did not see the results of that vote.

But good news! Today I received a call back from the town administrator’s office saying yes, there would be fireworks as usual. Phew. I personally have a large group of people, and I know thousands more that will be pleased to hear that.

Lee Ann Tavares

Oak Bluffs

and Taunton