Fishing pier is a wonderful idea

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To the Editor:

While I am an avid reader of the electronic posts on The Times web site, I usually only comment to clarify misconceptions regarding wastewater issues.

I find myself however feeling obligated this week to respond to “Good Grief,” who feels that since we are surrounded by water that there are plenty of places to fish. I must totally disagree with this statement. A fishing pier is absolutely one of the best things we could do for our town and its residents.

I know bringing up my kids there was no place where they could just go and drop a piece of squid in the water and feel the excitement of catching a fish. Whether it’s a scup, sea robin, or even a sea bass, this opportunity has been missing for so many generations of Oak Bluffs children and parents, that to finally have an opportunity for them to share in a special moment which will surely be remembered as a fond one is absolutely the right thing to do.

How nice it will be to see kids with some bait in a bag or stuffed in a pocket, riding their bikes to the pier to do some fishing.

What a wonderful opportunity for a child who may be restricted to a wheelchair to experience the thrill of being able to fish alongside their friends. How wonderful it will be to watch the sun come up while relaxing on our pier.

While it’s true the Steamship grants permission once a year for kids to fish off its pier during the kid’s derby (four hours) this is hardly enough of an opportunity for our kids to both learn and enjoy how to fish.

The pier will only enhance our town in ways I cannot even begin to explain in an electronic post. I have heard that there will be upkeep costs and the need to check it out at night to make sure older kids are not hanging out there causing mischief for the neighbors.

I say this is a very small price to pay for the hours and hours of enjoyment that this pier will provide, not only for the kids of today but for generations of kids who will get the opportunity to enjoy a sport that has been inaccessible to them for way too many years.

I hope you one day find the joy of having this pier and realize that this project will do more for us year-round residents than anyone can imagine today.

I do hope that we as a community will get behind this project and let all the elected leaders and decision makers know that this is a project we support.

Joe Alosso

Oak Bluffs