Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

The Menemsha harbor dock project is on the warrant for the Chilmark’s special town meeting scheduled for August 6 at the Chilmark Community Center. The town received a grant from the Massachusetts Seaport Advisory Council to repair, rebuild and build docks in Menemsha. The proposed plan is to change the solid wood transient dock to concrete floats. I am passionately in favor of keeping the transient dock (the section that runs parallel to the jetty) solid wood. The proposed change to concrete floats will dramatically change the character of the place we have strived so hard to retain. One of the goals for Menemsha written in the Chilmark master plan is not to alter the character of the harbor.

A change as dramatic as the one proposed will certainly not be in keeping with these goals. I urge you to walk the dock and really think about how it makes you feel. How will it feel if it is concrete? Will it present the same charm, character and aesthetically pleasing vision it does now? If you feel strongly that we should appeal to our selectmen to retain the character of Menemsha, then I ask that you join me at town meeting, write a letter to the Chilmark selectmen, or write a letter to the editor and share your voice.

Keep it solid. Keep it wood. Keep it Menemsha.

Katie Carroll

Chilmark