Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

I encourage West Tisbury voters to come to an informational meeting about the Mill Pond, on Wednesday, Jan. 30 at 5 p.m. at Howes House in West Tisbury. The Mill Pond has been the subject of some discussion in recent years, including whether it should be dredged and maintained, be left alone, or have the weir boards removed from the spillway to restore the free flow of the Mill Brook to the benefit of native fish populations and water quality.

This last option is one that came to light after a town meeting vote in 2010 when voters approved $25,000 “to fund engineering and environmental studies on which to base a long-term management plan for the preservation of the town’s historic Mill Pond.” Stream restoration of Mill Brook deserves a place in this important conversation about whether or not to preserve Mill Pond.

The meeting on Jan. 30, hosted by the board of selectmen, represents the first time that townspeople will have a chance to have a full discussion of all of these options, not just that of dredging the pond. Various experts will be on hand to present information and answer questions, including stream restoration experts from the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration and The Nature Conservancy.

Prudy Burt, West Tisbury