Opinion
From Feb. 6, 1948 article by Joseph Chase Allen: It is probable that not in many a year has a winter excited so much comment as the present one, and all in the same vein.
It’s quiet out there. Too quiet. This is the time of year on the Vineyard when the Island shuts down and it can be hard to find even a cup of coffee on the morning rounds. But this winter it feels even quieter as the flu and its various cousin illnesses deplete schools and offices and whole families take to their beds.
Sometimes there is that one person who has vision and energy and steps forward to lead the way. And in the process, things get done. Gray Bryan was just such a person, and when he died three weeks ago, the Vineyard lost a great friend. Gray Mac W. Bryan Jr. died on Dec. 29 at the age of 85. He was ahead of his time, at least when it came to water quality protection on the Vineyard.
As president of the Tisbury Great Pond Association, I question the legality of the proposed 80-foot cell tower at the head of Town Cove.
Aside from the aesthetics, or lack thereof, necessity or appropriateness of such a construction, I am extremely concerned about the precedent this would be setting.
I would like to give thanks to all the people who helped retrieve Thunder, the famous 400-pound Berkshire boar, on loan to me from Native Earth Teaching Farm. At the time I was away in Portland, Ore., and a family member was caring for my little farm that lies within Seven Gates Farm. The electricity in his fence went down late on Christmas Day and Thunder chose to visit neighborhood friends who often bring him scraps to eat. Many Vineyard phone circuits lit up, including mine from Oregon.
Thank you for publishing Mark Lovewell’s excellent article about Gannon and Benjamin building a whaleboat for the whaleship Charles W. Morgan. A number of people have contacted me asking questions about the ship’s Vineyard connections which I’ve summarized below for them and others who may have an interest.