Editors, Vineyard Gazette;

Citizens of West Tisbury who stay until the very end of next week’s town meeting will make a decision that is crucial to the character of the town. They will decide the fate of the Mill Pond, which has been the welcoming sight on entering our village for nearly 400 years and was gifted to the town for safekeeping over 40 years ago. The Historic District Commission has requested formation of a committee to restore, maintain and preserve this bucolic treasure for generations to come. There is no doubt that the pond needs care and that we need to repair the damage done by invasive species and get it back to the beautiful ecosystem that so many of us have loved for generations.

Near the top of the agenda, there will be discussion on eliminating the pond, based on years of study funded by the town to examine the entire watershed. It is true that climate change and man’s actions have had huge impacts on our world. Herring and eels may no longer run as they did, but it is not clear that opening the dam and allowing the pond to go to grass will solve problems related to global issues. Once the pond is gone, the face of our town is changed forever. It seems to me that working together to restore the pond would be a good first step.

The fact is, we all love this Island and West Tisbury in particular. Let’s not let the pervasive bitterness of the outside world come into our community, but rather work together, sometimes with respectful disagreement, to determine the future of our village.

For my part, I will vote to preserve the Mill Pond and hope to see my grandson Peter, holding his dad’s hand as he marvels at the swans or finds raccoon tracks along the pond’s edge. Some things supersede the science.

Meg Carman
West Tisbury