LETTERS
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IN SUPPORT OF THE POLICE

To the editor:

On behalf of ASAP, the Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention, Inc. Board of Directors and Coalition, this letter is written in support of the Nantucket Police Department's efforts to reduce underage drinking on Nantucket, through 'shoulder tap surveillance' and other law enforcement strategies aimed at reducing underage access to alcohol.

ASAP is a collaborative of local organizations, committees and the public-at-large, which together serves as a community-wide substance abuse prevention coalition. The 22 member Board of Directors is representative of key stakeholder groups and constituencies, including youth, parents, school, business community, media, youth development groups, law enforcement, civic groups, healthcare professionals, local government and the community-at-large. Chief of Police Bill Pittman is an integral and active member of both the coalition and the ASAP Board of Directors, participating in all phases of our strategic planning, beginning in the fall of 2005 to the present.

As background, ASAP was one of six communities in Southeastern Massachusetts awarded a Technical Assistance Grant in FY2006 by the Southeast Center for Healthy Communities, SCHC, funded through the Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Abuse Services. The SCHC led ASAP through a comprehensive strategic planning process that engaged many community partners to develop a substance abuse prevention plan for Nantucket youth.

Throughout FY 2006 and 2007 ASAP focused on creating new collaborations and partnerships; built our capacity in evidence-based prevention; collected data to help us understand the causes, consumption patterns and consequences of youth substance abuse on Nantucket and created a mission and vision statement for the community.

In our first strategic planning year, with the support of ASAP Board Member, Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Robert Pellicone, the coalition advocated for, helped develop, and funded a modified Youth Risk Behavior Survey to collect data specifically about our Nantucket High School students. As part of Alcohol Awareness Month, ASAP sponsored two events, SADD's Grim Reaper Day and organized a Community Dinner and Town Hall Meeting on Underage Drinking.

Findings from our outreach, focus groups, surveys and forums revealed risk factors for underage alcohol use (community laws & norms favorable towards drug use, and the availability of drugs) and the need to strengthen corresponding protective factors (healthy beliefs and clear standards). Our needs assessment identified CMCA, Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol as a 'good fit' for Nantucket, and an appropriate science-based model program to address these specific risk and protective factors. ASAP applied for and was recently awarded a competitive grant (one of two communities chosen) from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Abuse Services for funding. Annualized at $100,000, the contract awards $550,000 over the life of the grant (FY 2007-2012) in targeted prevention funding to support ASAP's efforts to reduce Nantucket's underage drinking, by reducing underage access to alcohol.

ASAP is planning a community forum to be held during the 2007 National Red Ribbon Prevention Week, October 23-31, to present the results of the Nantucket High School 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey and ASAP's Substance Abuse Prevention Plan for Youth; to introduce the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services underage drinking prevention grant and the Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol program; to introduce our CMCA Coordinator, hired this past July; and most importantly, to engage and motivate the community to get involved and to help us in our efforts to reduce underage drinking on Nantucket. It has been proven that when communities effectively limit the access to alcohol by underage youth, it not only directly reduces teen drinking, but also communicates a clear message to the community that underage drinking is inappropriate and unacceptable.

To that end, we ask Nantucket residents and visitors alike to support our efforts, including those strategies effectively employed by the Nantucket Police Department, and to join us in October to learn how you can help us create a safer, healthier community for our Nantucket youth, by helping reduce access to alcohol by youth, and underage drinking.

Sincerely,

- Karyn Lindsay

President,

The Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention

VISIONS OF DREAMLAND

To the editor:

I'm heartbroken about the Dreamland.

It's my own fault for holding back at Town Meeting. I had so much to say and just as I was ready to raise my hand, the dreaded "calling of the question." Madam Moderator was fair and even handed as always. It was a long enough discussion for most tastes, but I feel like a decision that could change the landscape of our downtown forever could use a couple of weeks, not just one night.

If I had my druthers I'd want to host several community forums on the subject of the entire downtown. I'd like to see an "Area Plan for the Core District and downtown waterfront," to use the also dreaded plannereeze lingo. Seems counter intuitive since the area is so charming and mostly built out, but there are problems lurking and insidious alterations creeping in each year. What is our vision for our town center 50 years from now and more?

If I had spoken at STM I would have shared my vision of the Dreamland as a community center forming a triangle of our most prominent anchor buildings with the library and whaling museum, kind of like that triangle of a smart cook's kitchens where the stove, sink and refrigerator are all within reach. I see this triangle as a bustling, cultural campus, open year round, serving the community and garnering its support. The entire Dreamland building needs to belong to the people of Nantucket and be restored and redeveloped with our needs in mind.

If I had spoken at STM I would have talked about the League of Historic American Theaters' manual titled "Historic Theatre Rescue, Restoration, Rehabilitation, and Adaptive Reuse Manual." It's a definitive "how to" for any community trying to save a theatre and create a thriving community center and gathering place. I had a copy in my hands and wanted to draw everyone's attention to the chapter titled "Financing Your Historic Theatre Project: A Confusing Range of Choices."

Yes, the idea of diving into a multi-million-dollar restoration and development project scared many voters, even angered a few, but the options for success were plentiful and the town's involvement could have played a positive role. In this financing chapter the first admonition is to "engage professionals versed in historic theatre financing as part of the feasibility and business planning process." I suspect there were many of us at STM who knew that the proponents of Article 1 didn't have enough lead time to bring such due diligence to the meeting, but we fully expected that this work would have been produced before the subsequent ballot vote.

The Dreamland doesn't fit the classic investment model. That's why the numbers don't work for folks looking at the bottom line. The Dreamland is a place where community needs to invest in itself and the triple bottom line would be our gain in perpetuity. It's not too late. We shouldn't give up. If there is still a will, there is also a way.

Sincerely,

- Christine Silverstein

IS THIS HOW WE WELCOME VISITORS?

To the editor:

The police department, under the auspices of the Town of Nantucket, and its most recent "sting" using underage summer cops out of uniform to entice unknowledgeable, unsuspecting foreigners to buy liquor for minors is totally unacceptable. To lure our guests, many of whom work here, into such a position is both disgraceful and unethical. How dare the police with forethought and malice set up such an operation which is so punitive to people who do not know our local customs, laws and have difficulty with our language. Is this how we welcome our visitors? If Nantucket behaves in this manner is it any wonder the United States is regarded with scorn and dismay around the world.

This disgusting incident by the police is deplorable. Nantucket is in grave danger of becoming a "police state," a situation which none should tolerate. The police department's policies should be carefully reviewed and employees reined in and held accountable for decent, ethical, and courteous behavior. We citizens should not accept as normal overzealous, punitive behavior by our police. Some considerable energy should be spent now in making amends to our foreign guests and the citizens of Nantucket for actions that I hope the police department regrets. I sincerely hope that this kind of "police work" will never happen on this island again. Our hats are off to attorney Holmes for aiding these victims.

- Tamzin Carr Hutchinson

Bayberry Lane

EMBODIMENT OF COMMUNITY

The following is a letter sent to Suzanne Nelson, International director of the African Children's Choir and is reprinted here at the author's request.

Dear Ms. Nelson:

Over the past few months, as you already know, I have been putting together a benefit concert in order to raise money for both the African Children's Choir as well as the Appleton organ at the Methodist Church on Nantucket in Massachusetts where I live. With all the scheduling and planning that it took, I never truly got time to sit down and think about the true meaning of what I was doing for both the community in which I live as well as others with whom I share the same planet. Being from such an affluent area of the world (as well as the U.S. for that matter) does have its advantages as well as its disadvantages. I have never left the country, or even the east coast, so living on an island not only keeps me sheltered culturally but also geographically. Big mansions and SUVs are what I have known all my life, and as for extreme poverty and social distress, they remain only impressions upon walls of plasma screens. Lucky for me, though, as familiar as I have become with these luxuries, my parents have done their best to keep my mindset far more worldly and as humble as can be attained in such a place. I do not live in a large mansion, and my parents do not drive SUVs, but nonetheless, these comforts have still surrounded my upbringing.

There are many advantages to living in such a small town as Nantucket, many of which outshadow the disadvantages, which are few. One of the most notable things that anyone could pick up here is that Nantucket is the true embodiment of a community. It loves and supports its up and coming children and young adults, which is evident from the many organizations and benefits that support island kids. It is not large either, as I have already stated, and because of this many of the people who have been here long enough (which is the majority of the population) all know each other. But the most important thing that I have come to realize is that a community comes together. Whether it is in some third-world country village in a time of need, or a wealthy town recognizing its young members, a community has the ability to come together and make a difference in a time of crisis or celebration. After this concert that I arranged, I have come to realize this even more. From the people who played in the concert to those who helped me raise awareness for it, each aspect of the benefit happened in some way, shape, or form because of the place where I live and the people who are part of it.

I would like to close my letter by thanking all of those people who supported me in my efforts to help children who are trying to grow and learn in such difficult circumstances the same way they support me while I am growing in a far better situation. I want to thank all of my peers for their music and their time as well as all the individuals who have always showed me unending kindness and generosity.

Some donated goods for the cause, while others attended the event and donated funds as well as a show of support by filling the church and fulfilling a dream I have had since the first time I played music there. Finally, I would like to thank you, Ms. Nelson, for giving me the opportunity to reach from my small island to your special group of children.

Respectfully yours,

- River Bennett

EXTRAORDINARY EVENING

To the editor:

On Monday July 30, the community of Nantucket had the opportunity to witness the amazing local talents of student musicians in a concert benefiting music here and on the other side of the world.

The proceeds from the concert will be divided between the African Children's Choir and the renovation of the organ at the Methodist Church. In total, $2,600 was raised. This extraordinary evening was the brainchild of 16-year-old music student River Bennett.

I would like to publicly thank River for his tireless and unselfish actions. I was able to witness his experience as he saw how much work it took to arrange the artists to perform, gather information for the program, make and distribute the posters, arrange for the donation of refreshments and make a television appearance to promote it all! Oh and play in the concert too!

This was a leap for River who has watched his teachers and those associated with the Nantucket School of Music produce such events and now, was doing it himself. It made me very proud to know he is part of our music school. Also as one of his music teachers, I was thrilled to see him grow in this way.

River and the other talented performers from this evening gave the Nantucket community and beyond a very special gift.

Sincerely,

- Mollie Glazer, Executive Director,

NCMC/Nantucket

School of Music