SHACK OWNERS REACT

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Two of the selectmen have decided to make the shack owners in Menemsha insure the lots they lease from the town, even though the town already has insurance. I called the two selectmen that voted for this and was told they are doing this for the Chilmark people and taxpayers. The two selectmen passed this without any input from us as we weren’t notified of this meeting. My guess is that we aren’t considered Chilmark people or taxpayers (we are) so they just passed it.

STOLEN FROM CHURCH

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

HONEST REPORTING

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

HAITIAN RELIEF

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

On behalf of the Haitian people, I’d like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to the Vineyard Gazette, especially to Julia Wells and her staff, namely Peter Brannen, Cooper Davis and Mark Lovewell, whom I had a chance to meet.

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Mental illness affects not only the person who is ill, but their families and loved ones as well. The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Massachusetts is sponsoring a free family-to-family educational course for family members of individuals with a serious mental illness. The course has been given nationwide to over 100,000 family members since its inception. It is taught by two trained family member volunteers and is intended to help family caregivers cope with a close relative’s mental illness.

TOWERING TURBINES

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

My partner, Jay, and I purchased a home on the Vineyard nearly six years ago. I don’t think we’ll ever forget the words of the listing agent, Rob Kendall, when he first showed us our house. He stood on our deck in the yard and looking out over the valley below and the vast ridge beyond, he raised his arms and beamed: “Welcome to the Chilmark Alps.”