The residents of Martha’s Vineyard are not unfamiliar with high-profile visitors. In fact, most residents of the small New England island are welcoming President Barack Obama and the economic boost his family’s visit is expected to generate. But one cottage industry isn’t so happy about it — the island’s small cadre of marijuana farmers.
“The word was that some of the island marijuana growers actually had to get their crops in early,” said Mike Seccombe, a senior writer for the Vineyard Gazette, in an NPR interview Sunday morning. “They thought the helicopters scoping the place out for the president may have had something to do with drug enforcement.”
Seccombe was explaining how Obama was different than past visitors just as the president was preparing to leave for the island to start his family’s weeklong vacation, rough weather from Hurricane Bill causing a delay.
As Seccombe explained, Saturday marked the arrival of “40 [sport utility vehicles] full of guys in dark suits,” security preparations not seen in visits by previous power players like President Bill Clinton. But all the security may remain in hiding for most of the trip. “We don’t expect to see quite as much [of Obama as we did of Clinton], who loved to get out and about. … According to the briefing we got from Robert Gibbs, the Obamas have no scheduled public engagements.”
Gibbs also delivered a stern warning to the media: “It is our strong hope and desire that you all, during this family vacation, will respect the privacy of Sasha and Malia Obama. This is a strong request by the first family.”
But that’s not to say local business are not hoping to get a visit from the first family or, at the very least, cash in from their visit to the island.
Reports are saying businesses have cardboard cutouts of Obama in their windows, street vendors are selling shirts with the first family’s portrait, and some local sweet shops have named ice cream flavors and cupcakes after their famous guests.
Besides Obama, those guests may include Oprah Winfrey and Tiger Woods, both of whom are rumored to be joining the Obamas this week, Seccombe said.
