Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

The line-up of characters: Dion Clarke, president of Harlem Fine Arts Show and chief dumbo who has no understanding of advanced events planning nor with taking precautions to safeguard valuable artwork; Kathy Burton, board selectman chairman of wherever, who didn’t think too clearly if things are legal or not (see July 13 Vineyard Gazette); various Harthaven residents with a mentality of, well, clams, who spoke against allowing a permit of a big tent for only four days; Professor Dr. Skip Gates, who gave an opening talk Thursday evening, August 9, in which he boasted how he once beat down the price of artwork being offered to him by noted artist Romare Bearden and then went on to mention how some of his extended payments probably bounced. Being highly educated and a punk simultaneously, I suppose has its privileges.

As a vendor at this butchered event, where booths were unsuitably placed in nooks and crannies and subject to the elements at Hooked, I hold the greatest enmity for Mr. Clarke, who I could almost understand if he was a benign dumbo but I imagine that he most likely received an offer of early release from a New York funny farm after promising to put together a business plan, which indeed he did.

During the evening of the last day, after my booth lights were suddenly shut off, Dion came running to me to exclaim that Gail King was then in my darkened booth. I suppose that had I returned in time, I could have taken Gail’s little hand in mine and led her around my darkened booth with my flashlight.

Now I ask you, did someone have a 20 year old grudge to settle with Lola’s now Hooked? Come on, come clean.

Bill Katz

Hartford, Conn.