To the Editor:
In the mid to late ’60s, every Sunday my parents took me to the beach between the Steamship and Black Dog Bakery. Tilton’s Lumber Yard sat where the staging area for the Steamship Authority is today. The town of Tisbury owned a right of way to the harbor.
Tilton’s Lumber Yard left its gate open to the public so we could access the beach. With the Chappaquiddick-Kennedy incident in 1969, tourism grew rapidly. That was greatly appreciated by year-rounders. The Steamship wanted to add another slip to accommodate two vessels at one time. Tisbury voters must have voted the second slip in. I was too young to know. The town of Tisbury, the Steamship Authority, and the Luce family struck a deal where the town of Tisbury gave up the town’s right of way to Harbor Beach I mentioned earlier. They also gained the Owen Park property the town operates today.
In a way, the town of Tisbury’s hand was forced, being the main gateway to the Island. The Island needed the tourism!
In retrospect, should we have leased the right of way to have had some leverage with the Steamship Authority? They always operate in the red, and our rates will continue to go up for salaries, pensions, and boats like the Island Home, which is a captain’s nightmare, especially in New England weather. The town of Tisbury gave up the right of way to a private/public enterprise, which puts a big burden on the Islanders who have no choice but to use the Steamship. Tisbury residents have to subsidize it. Does our debarkation go up as well?
A final point: My father shellfished the Vineyard Haven Harbor; now the bottom around the Steamship Authority is as hard as cement. From silt stirred up in the docking process, the shellfish habitat has been compromised.
Glen Pachico
Vineyard Haven