The following letter was sent to the board of directors at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum.

Congratulations on your selection of Hugh Knipmeyer as a recipient of the Martha’s Vineyard Medal. No one deserves the honor more than Hugh.

Two weeks ago I wrote a letter to this paper in an attempt to raise the level of concern about West Nile fever and other mosquito-borne diseases coming to this Island. In my letter I urged a program of mosquito control which included aerial spraying and elimination of areas of stagnant water where mosquitoes breed.

While it would seem that plenty of folks know that James Dean got his first real show business break while on the Vineyard, surprisingly few know that the ferry Governor was in the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentlemen with Deborah Winger and Richard Gere.

This past weekend Featherstone Center for the Arts sponsored an Island-wide tour of artist studios. Seventeen painters and photographers, one tapestry designer and one jeweler welcomed us to their homes and working studios. We met artists we had never met, were introduced to their work, traveled down and explored roads we had never traveled before. Our thanks to the artists and to the hardworking staff and volunteers who made the weekend tours so successful with maps and artist biographies, and put a finishing touch to the weekend event with a great party at Featherstone. Thank you Featherstone, and Island artists!!

To the two people who felt the need to leave notes on my windshield at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital parking lot. I needed to drive myself to the emergency room early Thursday morning which resulted in a five-day hospital stay. I parked my BMW convertible in the closest open spot to the ER. I was not well and quickly glanced to make sure it was not a handicapped space. The sign says Fuel Efficient so I thought nothing of parking there as I get 36 miles per gallon.

I have never met Barbara Schlesinger and have no relationship with her whatsoever, yet I am compelled to write to the editor. I have never in my life written a public letter. This woman and her family need our support. She obviously cherishes the Vineyard as we all do and yet our local elected officials have failed to preserve our coveted Island. The Allen Farm has made a mistake. It needs to be corrected and the beauty of our Island needs to be preserved.