From the Vineyard Gazette editions of August, 1958:

The Menemsha of today presents a contrast with the Menemsha that Ralph B. Potter of Cranston, R.I. knew sixty summers ago. But this contrast has not been reached abruptly, as Mr. Potter can assure you, for he has vacationed at Menemsha for every one of those sixty summers, and has watched the changes come in slowly and irresistibly.

BLADES IN THE WIND

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Summer’s Last Hurrah

Message in a Bylaw

Despite its two-time defeat on the town meeting floor, the pioneering Aquinnah energy bylaw remains ready for revival. Voters have sent a clear message to the town selectmen, planning board and other leaders and the message is this: the bylaw needs refining, with more open, public participation.

No Walk in the Park

The town of Oak Bluffs had concerns about the aggressive expansion of the popular Boston Pops outdoor concert first staged in Ocean Park last summer, and most of them have proven to be on the mark. National operator Festival Network, which ran an ambitious, exciting event here in 2007, instead of letting it grow organically, pushed too far this year in trying to exploit its initial success. The risk is that a mutually beneficial event with so much potential will be soured for the future.

This is a tale with a moral. I will try not to tax your attention too long. But I have to go way back to begin because it begins with my childhood. It is about houses and children, and which came first.

We had a cottage in the Highlands of unimpressive size and appearance. My mother loved it for its easy care. It couldn’t even stand in the shade of our city house, and there certainly were no special rules for children. No one had ever looked aghast at a child on its premises.