Opinion
I need to point out some contradictions that exist on the Island regarding dogs. A letter to the editor on July 19 about dogs on the beach generalized dog owners as “idiots” and “irresponsible.” This I take issue with as I would never act in the way the Walkers describe their beach and dog situation. Right underneath this exhortation is a sensitive story written by Peter Robb about his love for his dog, Lucca, and the kind loving act of adopting dogs. Quite a contrast.
The Mill Brook is one of the Vineyard’s great natural treasures, with its clear, unpolluted waters that run from the glacial boulder-strewn terminal moraine of the North Shore to the sandy outwash plain that rims the Tisbury Great Pond on the south shore.
Imagine our shock on Saturday after a lovely family stroll through the gingerbread houses when we came upon the shark tournament. It was a truly barbaric display and the antithesis of the Vineyard we know and love. Adults encouraged children to participate in the dismemberment of the sharks and all celebrated the grisly displays of bloodied, severed sharks’ heads.
The only one that comes out looking really good in the new un-reality TV show The Vineyard is the Island itself. Filmed mostly in the chilly month of May, the ABC Family series manages somehow to capture the glorious warmth of a summer day.
About 30 years ago one law school student could choose to take a break from his academic responsibilities and spend a few days on the Vineyard, where young Barry would be welcomed by his friends. If he came by Cape Air, no one on its flight path would be alarmed. And no one would record or care how he spent his time before the return flight.
It has been brought to my attention by a number of people in Oak Bluffs that a crosswalk that was accessible for disabled individuals in wheelchairs was recently painted over, one way of stopping the use of the crosswalk. At first, I didn’t understand this move, but then lo and behold they started to park taxis in the area that now blocks the use of the sloped ramp altogether.