Opinion
What follows is a collection of reader feedbacks from the Gazette Web site.
Traffic Mishap Kills Vineyard Haven Woman, published Feb. 1:
This is so sad. I hope that the illegal alien who was driving the van will be prosecuted and then deported back to Brazil. He was cited three times for unlicensed driving, so he does not deserve to live on the Island. He is getting the best of care at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, at the expense of us taxpayers. Where is the justice in this?
Christine Powers
Waltham
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SEAT BELTS SAVE LIVES
Editors, Vineyard Gazette:
We were deeply saddened to hear about the death of Brandy Marie Gibson in an automobile accident. We did not know her but understand she was a beautiful young woman. Our hearts go out to her family and friends.
According to the police, Brandy and the two other people severely injured in the accident were not wearing seat belts.
Lagoon Bridge, 1872
From the Vineyard Gazette editions of May, 1969:
I threw in the towel on Martha’s Vineyard winters 10 years ago and never looked back. I traded in the gray Januaries, the icy roads of February and the interminable crawl through March first for the white winters of Concord and later for the damp, slushy ones of Providence, R.I.
FOR THE CHIEF
Editors, Vineyard Gazette:
I write to thank the residents of the Vineyard for the kindness extended toward the Williamson family suffering the loss of Peter Williamson, known on the Vineyard as The Chief.
I drove down from Boston on Jan. 27, the most wretched snowy day of winter with winds blustering around 50 miles per hour, with my sister, her daughter, and my cousin to attend the wake and funeral for Peter Williamson, our cousin.
The Island has lost another wonderful treasure.
Peter Williamson, the former chief of police in Oak Bluffs who died Jan. 23 left a legacy that goes way beyond his contributions and service to people on the Island.
Forty years ago I became a part-time police officer on the Oak Bluffs police force, working for Peter. I was the first of a line of summer police officers who either graduated from the same school, St. Michael’s College in Vermont, or were friends of ours who went on to become members of the force for varying periods of time.