Posted by Kerry on Apr 25, 2009
Recycling, reusing the fallen trees
How green is my Vineyard? The full picture is elusive, but I know that we have to start somewhere. As we proceed with the development of the first LEED certified residential home in Oak Bluffs, the enthusiasm and well wishes are heart warming. And the reality of building a green house in the middle of a neighborhood of established older family homes is complex. I’m sure we will talk more about this issue as we progress.
The Vineyard has always prided itself on being a community of earth loving humanitarians. We are exposed to diverse and environmentally sensitive habitats and wildlife, and we have commissions that are manned by very passionate volunteers. But like everywhere else, we still wear blinders to the impact of our existence on the environment. Global warming, our carbon footprints, the oil crisis and the age of consumerism leading up to the present economic crisis are all puzzle pieces. There is also ignorance as to how to begin on something that seems so overwhelming. A feeling that one person can’t make a difference.
First thing I just want to take this opportunity to remind you all of whom won the election in January this year, if you have any sense that one man cannot make a difference, then that man has most certainly proven you wrong. Next, when my husband and I bought the land on Green Ave. (that’s right, Green on Green!), we had not planned on going in this direction, owning it for as long as we have, and worrying about the real estate market’s effect on us and our future. We now see this as an opportunity to learn and educate. We have met and are working with some of the most well informed green building consultants available in New England. When we decided to build a LEED certified house, we knew it was the right thing to do for our company, the environment and our daughter.
The team at Squash Meadow Construction has been nothing short of enthusiastic and open minded, despite this being a new avenue for them to grow into. I’ve been away all week and was excited to get back to the island to be a part of this project and share in the enthusiasm. I went to the site to document the beginning of the excavation process. When I arrived a neighbor had stopped over and was loading his car up with some trees that had been cleared. He was going to use them in his fireplace for heat next winter. Reduce, reuse, recycle and recover… the 4 R’s of sustainability. A great place to start.
Posted by Kerry on Apr 19, 2009
Oak Bluffs Harbor
Welcome to Martha’s Vineyard! What a relief to finally see those words as you exit the ferry and land on the Vineyard from lands near or far. Everyone has the same feeling of excitement and anticipation as their vacations are about to begin. Also of relief, that the steamship experience is behind you and you don’t have to worry about it for another week… If you are lucky it’s 2 weeks or a month until it’s time to leave. Who needs the stress? The looks of exasperation and the head shaking in disbelief because you don’t understand the arm flapping and apparent airplane directions coming at you? But that is a post for another day. So, whew, you made it, you are here! Woohoo!.
If you’ve arrived in Oak Bluffs, you may find yourself looking around for a recycling container to dispose of your soda can or water bottle. This is, after all, an island, so you know we have them. Well, believe it or not, we don’t. Due to circumstances beyond my comprehension, Martha’s Vineyard is critically under equipped to manage recycling. At the height of the summer traffic, you will find the trash cans in town full of things that should be recycled. Plastics, cans, cardboard and other products that would otherwise have second lives are going into the trash because people don’t know where to put them. Also noted, these people are on vacation and don’t want to have to look for the proper disposal methods. In a perfect world they would be readily available. Vacation and effort generally negate each other, but I am appealing to you here to make your Vineyard vacation a mindful one.
The only town on Martha’s Vineyard that has curbside pickup is Tisbury, so to get recyclables properly disposed of, they have to be brought to the dump and sorted by hand. For most of us who live here making that trip a part of our routine is not too much to ask. As a visitor, and presumably someone who loves the Vineyard and is vested in seeing it remain a beautiful island, does making that trip have value to you? How about for the earth and for your children? There are many ways to show respect for the environment and honor what mother nature has given us, recycling is the begining of the process. It is the simplest way to have the most impact in the short time that you are here. Recycling is a way to give back something to an island that gives so much of herself. Be mindful this year, take care of your island.
Please feel free to write to the www.mvtimes.com with suggestions on how Martha’s Vineyard can get it’s recycling system up to speed.
Posted by Kerry on Mar 24, 2009
A couple of months ago I received an email from our real estate database LINK. Unlike any other alert I’d received from them, it had nothing to do with selling property, but was a call for vacant houses to address a homeless problem. The message went on to say that there were two homeless men looking for shelter, and did I know of anyone who would be willing to rent to them at a reasonable rate.
I have to admit that my first thoughts were negative. Who would be living HERE without shelter? This is New England and it gets cold! We do not have the facilities or shelters that a larger community has, and are not equipped to fund them. And this place is costly for basics like milk or bread, let alone housing. So I immediately went through my mental Rolodex of reasons as to why this was such a terrible idea, and how they simply needed to move away…problem solved. Solved for me maybe, as I would not have to think about it anymore. My judgmental, self-righteous self took over as I jumped to conclusions about who they were and what they were up to.
It did not occur to me in those initial moments of reflection that these men did not ask to be homeless. As crazy as that sounds, it is easier to blame the victim than the circumstances that led them to being homeless. I’m from the city, and have been exposed to this problem before, but you become blind to people’s needs the more you are exposed to them. You adjust your brain to say that it is a fact of life, and slowly become immune to it. They don’t call them the ” invisible people” for nothing. We make them invisible with our insensitivity and lack of action.
This being a very small community, it was only a matter of time before they became “visible” by default. You notice someone waiting for the library to open every day, or a church or gas station.
I contacted two clients whom I felt may be sensitive to the cause, and had empty guest houses that might work. I never heard back from them.
The email I received was followed up with a story in the local paper about the men , and why they were living on the street. Both had fallen into difficult times financially, and had lost their homes. They were long standing island residents, trying to hang on with the only means that they could find. I felt sad about my initial reaction, and sadder about the predicament that they were living with. I am not sure what happened to these men, and am keenly aware that our local housing issues have more than just affordable housing to consider.
The other day I went out for my morning run, and came back along a route that I use often. My route home borders a cemetery that is at the end of my street and there are many seasonal homes in the neighborhood. In a truck that belongs to a neighbor who is only here a few weeks out of the year, I saw a man. He is living in this unused truck at the end of my road. Do I let my neighbor know, or leave him be? Is he in trouble, or hiding out? What is my responsibility and to whom? I know that I feel nervous and cautious as I have a little girl at home with me, but I want to do what is best for everyone, not remove a “problem” as I see it…what would you do?
Posted by Kerry on Mar 17, 2009
At the risk of sounding exclusive, there is something different about Martha’s Vineyard…though it may not quite be what people who live elsewhere are thinking. Of course it goes without saying that adjustments have to be made to living on an island, and that we are markedly more casual in dress and in atmosphere than comparable resort areas.
There really are not that many black tie events held on Martha’s Vineyard. We have them, and getting dressed up is fun on the rare occasions that it is called for. The need for fancy shoes and fancy dress is but a distant memory for most, completely unknown to some and good riddance seems to be the majority consensus.
When the weather hints at turning, one thing for sure will be the barometer for Spring around here… flip flops. It is the Vineyard’s true test of an islanders capacity for endurance NO SHOES ! Despite the forecast predicting temperatures in the mid 40’s, suddenly shorts and flip flops are everywhere you look. People are so desperate to get that summer ball rolling, that a sunny day in March will do it. I have plenty of empathy, and I understand that not everyone loves winter. There is however, a rather large discrepancy between 40 degrees, and 70 degrees.
For clarification, there are the traditional indicators as well. This morning I saw crocuses in the lawn, buds on the trees and only needed 3 layers of clothing on my run. The sun is up way past 6 PM, and daylight savings has changed my life, also, unbelievably, Dairy Queen opens for the season today. Happily we are well on our way, and after what seemed a very long winter, Spring is officially with us as of Friday this week. I will be keeping my socks on well into April, and look forward to flip flop season in its own time.
Flip Flop
