FIELDING ERRORS

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

DEMOCRACY IN ACTION

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

I’d like to thank all the Tisbury voters who attended two long nights of annual town meeting. Town meeting is the forum where major town issues can be debated and decided, and, as the saying goes, the world is run by those who show up. Shame on those who didn’t bother to participate.

PAY NOW, PAY LATER

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Several people have asked questions about my recent essay and presentations about Tisbury’s unfunded liability for other post-employment benefits (OPEB).

My analysis focused on these benefits rather than on pensions because the town started to fund its pension benefits some years ago. That cost is a regular part of the town’s budget, as it should be.

COUNTING TURBINES

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

How many wind turbines for Martha’s Vineyard?

Electricity is measured in kilowatt hours. One kilo equals 1,000. One 50-watt light bulb left on for 20 hours consumes one kilowatt hour of electricity (50 watts x 20 hours = 1,000 watt-hours = 1 kilowatt-hour).

HEALTHY FOR VNA

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

I have been reading about the VNA’s efforts to start a hospice and thought my experience with their agency might be instructive.

ANGELS AND EXPERTS

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

I write in direct response to last week’s letter written by Ebba Hierta, and would like to clarify the description of Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard as a “volunteer run” organization. We have a paid professional, experienced, licensed, trained and certified staff of registered nurses, social workers, a chaplain, a medical director, and administrators.

And yes, we do have volunteers.