On our way to church last Sunday, our first day of vacation, my grandson’s bike chain broke. Within minutes, Scott (dad of four young boys) and Carlos (red Toyota pickup truck) stopped to help. With the tools they had in their vehicles, they were able to complete the difficult task.

While doing my daily grocery shopping at Cronig’s the other day, I ran into a customer I hadn’t seen in a while, maybe in almost four years. She said, “Lorraine, I’m so glad when I get to the Vineyard in June and drive past your store to see that you’re still here and still in business. There have been so many changes, so many stores I loved that are gone.” She then listed some that have closed. I immediately thought if I hadn’t seen her in a while, maybe those other stores hadn’t seen her either. Couple that with the economy, no wonder our Island stores are struggling or closing. So I gently touched her arm and said, “Laura, if you want to see me next year, then come in and buy something even if it’s a simple T-shirt!”

Readers of the Gazette should know that there is a clear answer to the question “Martha, But Which One?” raised in your June 19 edition. Questions about the person for whom our Island was named were raised by J. Henry Lea and Fulmer Mead in George R. Stewart’s book, Names on the Land, quoted in 1945.

A grateful tip of the hat to Tim Boland for his excellent editorial, Tuesday, June 26, Wood Lilies Too Dear for Deer. “While we dislike suburbanization off-Island, we have our own brand of it right here.” Talk about a phrase full of meaning. In a gentle way, Mr. Boland slammed home some brutal truths. Thank you, sir, for not blaming the deer, who are only trying to survive. (Yes, I know, just like us. But we have the ability to plan ahead).

At last Thursday’s meeting of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, a majority of the commissioners present rejected a motion by commissioner Lenny Jason to rescind last fall’s controversial, unpopular and questionable approval of a roundabout at the blinker intersection. This proposal for the Vineyard has a longevity rivaling that of a vampire, and there seems to be no readily available stake to drive through its heart.

This letter is in response to an article published in last Friday’s Vineyard Gazette (June 22) regarding the superior court decision that upheld the Tisbury conservation commission’s denial of my application for a pier in Lagoon Pond. I would have preferred to have contributed my comments in the article, but since there was no attempt to get in touch with me until noon on Thursday June 21, to which I called back around 8 p.m., I apparently missed the print deadline. The decision for this case was May 30, so I openly wonder why I was given such little notice to comment.