Menemsha Blues

As if the July twelfth fire in Menemsha wasn’t bad enough, now the town is beginning to confront the difficult task of rebuilding what was lost in the fire. Which is substantial.

There will be a special town meeting in September to address matters of spending related to rebuilding the West Dock. The Chilmark selectmen are leading the way, under tremendous pressure on all sides to restore the Menemsha waterfront, and they deserve the full support of townspeople at this time as they navigate the choppy waters of decision-making on an array of tough questions and choices. To begin with, sound engineering advice is needed; dialogue has been under way for the past few weeks between the selectmen and Kent Healy, a respected civil engineer from West Tisbury. Once a plan is completed for rebuilding the pier system around the site of the boathouse, voters will have to consider it and would have to approve any money to pay for it; hence the need for a special town meeting. And there is more.

The Coast Guard, of course, will be responsible for rebuilding the historic boathouse, which was completely destroyed in the fire. This week the selectmen made it clear they are openly unhappy at what they describe as slow progress in removing burned material from the site of the fire that sits on United States government property. What happened to the Coast Guard, which has been so good and responsive until now? The town deserves answers to its questions.

At their meeting this week the selectmen also deliberately — and wisely — put two other pending town projects on a back burner, at least for now: the Tea Lane Farm project on Middle Road, and a bathroom addition at the Chilmark School. Prudent decisions in a town long known for its prudence, especially when it comes to spending.

Meanwhile, it seems as if at least half the town turned out for the Chilmark volunteer fire department’s Backyard Bash on Wednesday afternoon. The annual picnic took on an extra measure of poignancy this year after the fire, and the mood of solidarity was heartwarming. Chilmark is a town that knows how to pull together in a time of crisis.

On that note, it would be fun to see Ballywho, the Island band that got its start playing free concerts behind Menemsha Texaco on Sundays in summer, make a return, not to raise money, but town spirits.

Call it a night to chase away the Menemsha blues.