KEY PATH PROTECTION

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

This letter is to inform the Island community of an upcoming meeting of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission that will take place on Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m. at the Olde Stone Building in Oak Bluffs. This public hearing is to address the nominations by the Edgartown planning board of Ben Tom’s Road, Pennywise Path, Middle Line Road, Tar Kiln Path, and Watcha Path as districts of critical planning concern. These five paths date back to the 1600s and 1700s and some likely trace paths used by the native Wampanoag. Middle Line Path and Pennywise Path in particular were significant enough that they were used to define some of the earliest setoffs of land to individuals. These paths are valuable reminders of our Island history and are used extensively today for recreational purposes. They are some of the few areas where Islanders can continue to walk, bike and ride horses without the interruption of motorized vehicles. If these nominations are approved, these paths will gain a new level of protection from alteration or expansion. If you enjoy walking, biking or riding through the relative solitude of these quiet paths and don’t want their character to change, you may want to mark your calendar now to show your support of the DCPC declaration. For more information, visit the commission Web site at mvcommission.org. Thank you.

Gail Gardner Craig

Edgartown

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CAPE WIND RUSE

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

We constantly see this argument in favor of Cape Wind in your publication and others:

“If approved, the project is expected to generate three quarters of the electricity needs of the Cape and Islands.”

It is wrong on two counts.

Despite what Cape Wind tells you, they cannot trace usage of their electricity to the Cape. The electricity is sold on an elaborate and complex network and no impartial expert will claim that they can tack down where the electrons from a specific plant go. What is more, what happens to the electricity generated overnight by the wind, that electricity may never be supplied to the Grid or anyone since needs are so low at, say, 3 a.m. That is included in the 75 per cent — but you really cannot count it.

Permission to build a wind-powered electric power plant based on a claim that it supplies a need to the Cape and Islands is illogical. By that reasoning I could build a smelting plant on Nauset Beach as long as I could supply all 75 per cent of the steel needed for the cars driven on the Cape — would that be okay? Of course not.

As an aside, Cape Wind has been positioning its opposition as hypocritical rich people who claim to support the environment and are now getting their due. All those minivans stuffed with families and overflowing with rubber rafts and bicycles seem like ordinary people to me. Ordinary people who just want to enjoy the Cape and all the natural beauty it has to offer.

Dick Pirozzolo 

Wellesley

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POTS, PANS AND EXPERTISE

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

The following letter was sent to Edgartown School principal John Stevens:

This past summer nine chowder suppers were held at our church to benefit the Island Food Pantry, under the sponsorship of the Federated Church Growth, Renewal and Outreach program. Happily this community outreach program raised $1,600 for the food pantry.

Our success was based not only on the work of many volunteers, too numerous to list here, but also on the advice and assistance of your cafeteria manager, Gina de Bettencourt. Most of us were not accustomed to cooking and serving large quantities of food. Gina loaned us serving vessels, pots and pans and her expertise. For this we thank her and the Edgartown School.

Bess Stone

Edgartown

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CHAIN OF COMPETENCE

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Your edition of August 31 carried Jane Slater’s excellent report on the events of August 23 when Barbara Walker suffered congestive heart failure while swimming in a cove off Menemsha Creek and a series of helpers moved her rapidly from there to the cardiac intensive care unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. The sequence — from the daughter swimming with her, to nearby kayakers and an observer, to the Tri Town ambulance emergency team, to Dr. Zach and the staff at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital emergency room, to the ambulance and helicopter crew — was an incredible chain of cooperation, alertness and competence. Because of all these persons with those qualities, Barbara survived and is now enjoying this final month of this year’s Vineyard sojourn. As her husband, I speak for her and all our family in expressing great admiration for and gratitude to all involved in this rescue operation.

R.G. Walker

Chilmark

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CARING EXPRESSIONS

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Thanks to the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, Vineyard Nursing Association, Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard, the Rev. Spinney of the First Baptist Church and Father Nagel of the Good Shepherd Catholic parish, as well as to the many family members, friends and firemen who supported us during a very painful time in our life. Your expressions of caring meant so much.

Gloria T. Sylvia

Edgartown