Opinion
Property Value Reset
Falling property values are the quiet news of the day on the Vineyard, where assessors in every town are preparing revaluations. And while there has been no precipitous crash here and thankfully no foreclosure floods of the type that have been seen on the mainland, values have fallen significantly. This a direct reflection of a real estate market which is going through a significant correction amid ongoing reverberations from the economic recession.
If You Go to Sea
If you go to sea you really must know
What to do when the wind she blows.
If weather bodes toward a nasty gale
You must, beforehand, shorten sail.
As the gale comes on and it gets quite rough
Head up to weather but don’t let sails to luff.
It’s a good idea to use a drogue
To keep the vessel under good control.
If when quite rough and stomach is sour
When Vineyard Gazette editor Julia Wells hired me as a reporter in the fall of 2006, she took a big risk. Then again, at such a little paper, most risks are big.
I come from a family where everyone assumes a role in the kitchen. My brother mans the grill, you can usually find me elbow deep in sugar and butter, my father makes a mean Bolognese sauce, and my mother is one of those cooks who can whip up something delicious with whatever is in the fridge.
But there was one Hanukkah a few years ago where no matter what we did, dinner was bound for disaster.
Many Vineyarders have been treated to the sight: You’re driving north along Old County Road and up ahead you spot a shiny yellow, banana-shaped metal pod — looks a bit like a small rocket ship that failed to achieve liftoff — trundling along at 35 miles an hour. A head clad in a bicycle helmet pokes out of the top. Will you pass him? Well, he’s doing the posted speed limit and, what’s that up ahead? It’s another yellow bomber! At the straightaway past Old Stage Road the encapsulated riders zoom ahead.
Sometimes life makes us realize things about ourselves that we wouldn’t be able to see on our own. On our journey through life we are able to find some hints, and even a few proofs that tell us that what we think to be fantasy is real. Life can show us that dreams do become reality and all we have to do is believe in ourselves and not be so willing to put all our faith in others.