MEDFLIGHT UNAFFECTED

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Boston MedFlight would like to comment on the recent article titled Air Space Restrictions Disrupt Angel Flights Service After All, published on August 25.

Boston MedFlight, a 501(c)3 nonprofit charity, licensed as a Critical Care Service by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, has transported the most critically ill and injured patients throughout eastern Massachusetts and the Cape and Islands for over 24 years. Our patients originate from accident scenes or community hospitals and are transported to tertiary care centers in our region.

During the past 24 years, Boston MedFlight has worked with the Federal Aviation Administration, United States Secret Service and the Transportation Security Administration under many different circumstances and has found the offices to be reasonable and accommodating to the emergency and time critical nature of our patients’ needs.

The recent temporary flight restriction around Martha’s Vineyard since August 23 has been no exception. We experienced no delay in transporting our critically ill and injured patients and in fact have transported several patients off of Martha’s Vineyard without difficulty since August 23.

Dr. Suzanne Wedel

Boston

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DEFINING BIRACIAL

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

I have two grandchildren. They have a black mother and a white father. I think of my grandchildren as biracial. I do not think of them as black, nor white. President Obama has a white mother and a black father. I think of President Obama as biracial. I do not understand how anyone can think otherwise.

Of course, if you go back a few generations all of us may have more than one color on our family tree. But I don’t think most of us go back a few generations to decide what color we are.

David M. Cargill

Oak Bluffs

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CATCH SHARES

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Catch shares are not the answer to accountability in the fishing industry. A rule requiring the owner and operator to be on board the boat would work better. To make a public resource privately owned is a needless sham. Of course, the rich minority will own our oceans and that is why this management tool is being forced on us. Eighty per cent of people losing jobs is not successful. The fish are back and if you believe otherwise, you have swallowed their propaganda, hook, line and sinker. Look closely at the Pew Trust reports; the Pew was created by oil money.

Mary Beth de Poutiloff

Provincetown

AFTER A FALL

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

On a recent Monday night as I was walking through the square in Oak Bluffs, I managed to trip and fall on my face. Since it was very hot, the square was filled with people, all of whom (it seemed to me) jumped up to help. It was pandemonium. I was pulled to my feet, seated on the bench, given tissues, napkins, ice — and I heard some say, “Call 911.”

“No,” I said, “do not call 911.” I knew that I was not ambulance material. Someone had given me a mirror and I saw that the bleeding was stopped and it was only a superficial cut. I was ready to go home when a woman said, “You must call a friend.” All right, all right, I said. I gave them my friend Sara Craft’s number and in about five minutes Sara and the ambulance showed up. Someone had called 911. There stood Trulayna, Jason and others I did not know (I have been out of the EMS loop as I am no longer working at the hospital).

This brings me to the reason that I am writing this letter. Trulayna was so professional, doing a great neuro check and being kind enough not to commit me when I didn’t know the date (I never do). Jason calmly recommended a ride to the emergency room. Of course as a seasoned emergency person, I knew he was right, but I chose to be a bad patient and refused to go.

I am fine, thanks to everyone who helped, the tourists, emergency responders, Oak Bluffs police and Sara. Wish I knew all your names. You did a great job. Martha’s Vineyard has the best EMTs in the world; I love you all.

Dagmar Dockery

Vineyard Haven

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CELL COVERAGE

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

I admit I have not followed all the issues regarding cell phone coverage this year, but I have personally experienced two instances this summer where I attempted to make emergency calls to 911, up-Island, using my cell phone, only to discover no coverage. I can only assume there were many other emergency cell phone calls unsuccessfully attempted this summer. Anyone that is preventing cell phone coverage up-Island may soon, if not already, have someone’s life to be responsible for. Anyone now sitting on a committee that is preventing cellular coverage could have a lifelong burden to contend with if someone, maybe even a family member, had their life endangered due to the prevention of cellular service. Misguided conservation motives has its limits, and I sure hope it will not take a Vineyard life.

Paul Adler

West Tisbury