To the Editor:
There comes a time where being over-protected is counterproductive. As a pilot, I have aviation weather at my disposal, so when I heard that all Island roads were being closed at 2 pm on Friday, due to the publicly forecasted hurricane conditions, I immediately contacted the Communication Center, three times, to tell them that aviation weather forecasted no high winds until maybe after 8 pm. I did notice the curfew finally got postponed to 8 pm.
Then I took my daughter, who is in photography school, on a hopeful venture to watch the waves, only to discover that all the public beaches were shut down and the police would not allow the public to even watch the waves. Again, this is over-protective and denies Islanders the right to experience a potential historical event at no measurable risk.
Luckily, I ran into one of the lighthouse keepers in Aquinnah, and we came up with a plan to watch the huge waves from the lighthouse and enjoy the show before darkness set in. I wanted my daughter to experience some of the magic this Island has to offer, and it was exactly that.
Next time, let’s get more realistic. Allowing the public to view a storm from a safe distance should be allowed. If we strip our Islanders of all cultural and historical experiences under the guises of public safety, a truly magical moment will be lost forever. And isn’t this the reason many of us continue to live here?
Paul Adler
West Tisbury
