Controversy, primarily around land use and land development issues, has been a defining trait of the Vineyard community in recent years. So it is remarkable and gratifying to see signs that the Vineyard is uniting around the common goal of conserving energy, improving efficiency and thinking about the future.

What follows is a collection of reader feedbacks from the Gazette Web site.

Traffic Mishap Kills Vineyard Haven Woman, published Feb. 1:

This is so sad. I hope that the illegal alien who was driving the van will be prosecuted and then deported back to Brazil. He was cited three times for unlicensed driving, so he does not deserve to live on the Island. He is getting the best of care at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, at the expense of us taxpayers. Where is the justice in this?

Christine Powers

Waltham

•

SEAT BELTS SAVE LIVES

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

We were deeply saddened to hear about the death of Brandy Marie Gibson in an automobile accident. We did not know her but understand she was a beautiful young woman. Our hearts go out to her family and friends.

According to the police, Brandy and the two other people severely injured in the accident were not wearing seat belts.

Lagoon Bridge, 1872

From the Vineyard Gazette editions of May, 1969:

I threw in the towel on Martha’s Vineyard winters 10 years ago and never looked back. I traded in the gray Januaries, the icy roads of February and the interminable crawl through March first for the white winters of Concord and later for the damp, slushy ones of Providence, R.I.

Sustainable Island

Four years ago the Vineyard Energy Project wrote a ten-year action plan outlining a series of strategies for the Island — which imports virtually all of its energy — to achieve greater independence.

Louise Aldrich Bugbee: 1914-2008

JUNE MANNING

508-645-2574

(lthslnks@gis.net)

It is apparent that perhaps global warming is catching up to us or we are to it. As many reminisced on Wednesday of where we were thirty years ago during the blizzard of 1978 and compared it to the 54-degree temperature of the day in 2008, it was quite a difference.

The next wave of reminiscing was that of when the Vineyard was predominantly Republican. Everyone tries to pinpoint the change to a Democratic phase in the 1960s.

JOHN S. ALLEY

508-693-2950

(alleys@vineyard.net)

The weekend weather was a mixed bag. It rained most of Saturday but cleared off and was mild and sunny on Sunday. The Dumptique is closed all of this month and will reopen in March. The gas station was unquestionably the busiest place in town Sunday morning with their special Sunday fuel price. All Patriot fans suffered a severe blow when the team lost the Super Bowl to the dreaded Giants. On the upside, the Patriots did finish the year with an incredible 18 wins but lost the big one.

JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

What a week. Chilmark was excited by the primaries as indicated by the large number of voters who turned out. All the excitement and rhetoric seemed to bring on a thaw and the weather was decidedly not frosty! Then again, maybe the skies were weeping for our beloved Patriots who will be back next year.

We are happy to learn that Bill Gamson is out and about again. He broke his kneecap slipping on the ice in Boston in early December and has been immobilized since then. Best wishes from us all.