The people of Oak Bluffs should rightfully be proud of the beaches which are fundamental to our identity and our economy. Unfortunately, our town beaches have deteriorated over the past 10 years by the dumping of poor quality dredge material on them. To address this problem, the Oak Bluffs Citizens Beach Committee submitted a warrant article for next week’s town meeting to purchase a beach rake in order to clean and maintain our beaches and created an online petition so that people could show their support. So far 238 people — residents, homeowners and visitors — have signed the petition and written comments, four of which follow.

• It’s high time that the conservation commission listens to the will of the people and takes steps to take care of our beaches, not just for tourists but for those of us who pay taxes in this town. In spite of their stonewalling, there are options they have which are not being utilized. Why are they so adamantly opposed to supporting us?

• I don’t go to the beach anymore because the sand quality is so poor. It should be maintained with greater care to preserve as well as for tourism.

• Oak Bluffs has the distinction of including beaches right in town that can be enjoyed by all. I have loved and used these beaches all my life. As a full time resident of Oak Bluffs I urge the town to realize the necessity of preserving and improving the beauty and comfort of our beaches for residents and visitors alike. The purchase of a surf rake would be helpful in this endeavor. Please consider the importance of purchasing a surf rake to maintain our most important resource — our town beach.

• I’m signing this because I have been vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard for 25 years. We stay in Oak Bluffs and have enjoyed the beaches with our friends and family. Last year we were extremely disappointed by the condition of the beach and had many conversations with other concerned locals and visitors. Our children need to keep this vacation tradition going for another 25 years and they need the wonderful beaches of Oak Bluffs to do that. It’s too important to us. It’s in our hearts and souls.

In a $28 million budget there ought to be money to invest in a piece of equipment that will last 20 years or more (which works out to $2,000 per year) and will improve one of our most valuable assets.

Richard Seelig

Oak Bluffs