LISTEN CAREFULLY

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Can you hear me now? Yes, loud and clear.

Can you hear me now? Yes, loud and clear.

Forty-eight-foot cell phone towers in 19 different visible locations all over West Tisbury is a bad idea.

The proposed cell towers are sited to be constructed on scenic vistas all over West Tisbury, places like Scotchman’s Bridge Lane, the Whiting fields, Fred Fisher’s farm, Indian Hill Road, North Road and several locations on Lambert’s Cove Road. Many of these towers are to be built on land that conservation groups, families and town officials alike have fought and worked hard to conserve.

At the recent town meeting with the American Tower company, many concerned voters asked questions that were not answered. The unanswered questions which are of particular interest and concern to me were:

• At what point in the process does the town lose the right to dictate appropriate node locations, number of nodes and the size of each node? The representative from American Tower made it very clear that the proposed locations could change if the carriers request a different location.

• Is it true that, once locations get permitted, larger towers can be built to increase coverage? For instance, on Scotchman’s Bridge Lane (which has open space and a seemingly good spot for a cell tower) could AT& T request and then build a 100 or 200-foot tower?

• Exactly how much clear-cutting will be done in each location? Will stone walls, cedars and large oaks be removed in favor of the cell towers? The American Tower representative made it clear that the towers could not be placed out of sight because trees would interfere with the signals; however, he was vague about how much clearing would go on around each of the 19 towers. He was clear that each tower gives off a signal that is only a quarter of a mile.

Last week a friend and I drove around to each of the proposed locations and had coverage in all of these locations; in most cases we had great coverage (I have a Blackberry and my Internet service worked fine, too). I have AT& T and my friend has Verizon.

As a voter in West Tisbury I am asking the West Tisbury selectmen to withdraw from the DAS plan.

Kaysea Cole Hart

West Tisbury

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Allowing WIND

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Several towns are now attempting to regulate wind projects. Please don’t overdo it. A lot of new technology will be appearing now that there is governmental support for green energy. Allow review, but leave the citizens the flexibility to innovate, even experiment. Don’t cripple our Yankee ingenuity; we need it more than ever.

Historically, Islanders have worked and traveled under sail power for centuries. Recently, the military at the Pentagon defined our dependence on fossil fuels as a major security risk to our country. In addition, global warming threatens coastal areas first. Our current energy systems put us in danger. We have the wind. Let’s use it to protect our home.

Rebecca Gilbert

Chilmark

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KIND STRANGER

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Thank you is not enough to say to the compassionate young man who stopped during a rainstorm on North Road last Friday night to catch and hold my two dogs and save them from a very uncertain fate. Not only did he stop traffic, he made a call to let us know the Wheaten and Lab were safe. After they were picked up, he left without leaving his name! I will never forget the kindness of this stranger.

Andrea McGee

Chilmark

WHOSE SKIFF?

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Nice headline — Podcast — for the Skiff’s Island photo. But I had always assumed it was Skiff Island, after the boat. So who was possessives’ Skiff, anyway? And do the Skiffs still own it?

Christopher Gray

Chappaquonsett

WOMEN EMPOWERED

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

I would like to thank all the people who attended Women Empowered’s Woman of the Year Brunch last Saturday, May 30. It was a warm and breezy day and the Mediterranean was covered with pink and while balloons, pink stones and petals welcoming our guests and our honorees.

It was a great occasion to present our first woman of the year award to Cindy Doyle and a lifetime achievement award to our founder, Kaye Flathers. The energy level was high, good spirits were everyone and from the calls, e-mails and visits on the street, all attending had a great time.

Susan Klein’s regaled us with her wonderful story, the food was fantastic due to the efforts of Leslie and Doug Hewson and the crowd filled the Mediterranean.

Our special events committee’s efforts were evident that day. I’d like to thank each and everyone of you and will do so personally next week at a celebration party at my home. Kudos to the members who were fun, creative and always got the job done.

This is my second event this year as executive director, and I’m amazed at the outpouring of donations, volunteers, board and committee contributions that accompany these events.

Please know that your work encouraged five new clients to call on Monday and Tuesday who had heard of the event and decided to make that first step toward empowerment through our life skills program.

The Vineyard community is a wonderful place to run a nonprofit organization. Vineyarders are generous, caring and giving people whom I thank from the bottom of my heart. I am proud to live and work on this beautiful Island.

Sheila Bracy

Vineyard Haven

The Vineyard Gazette welcomes letters to the editor on any subject concerning Martha’s Vineyard. The newspaper strives to publish all letters as space allows, although the editor reserves the right to reject letters that in her judgment are inappropriate. Letters must be signed, and should include a place of residence and contact telephone number. The Gazette does not publish anonymous letters.