<p>When Long Point was opened to the public in the late 1970s, I was asked by the Trustees of Reservations to form and head a local committee to help manage the refuge.
When Long Point was opened to the public in the late 1970s, I was asked by the Trustees of Reservations to form and head a local committee to help manage the refuge. The first rule we adopted was “no radios, no boom boxes.” We didn’t want the noise of the outside world intruding on the peace, quiet and sanctity of this nature reserve.
Contrast this, to the current plan of The Trustees to bring a giant mirrored hot air balloon to Long Point on July 12 and 14, creating a carnival-like scene of free and ticketed events followed by evening performances when the balloon will transform into a light sculpture serving as a backdrop to live music.
One of the original donors of the old Long Point duck hunting club to The Trustees was my good friend Pete Blodgett. He would be sickened by this abuse of his gift.
I have been connected to The Trustees in various volunteer roles for more than 50 years including that of a former corporate trustee for 35 years, and my wife Tess and I have been generous supporters of the organization. We are saddened by this apparent change in mission which seems so at odds with the old TTOR that honored the land it protected.
In addition to the above, as riparian owners of property on Tisbury Great Pond we are dismayed by The Trustees’ obviously inappropriate plan which will adversely affect our neighbors and the very character of the pond community.
Kib Bramhall lives in West Tisbury.
Comments
Long Point Beach in West
Nelson Sigelman Vineyard HavenLong Point Beach in West Tisbury, part of the 632-acre Long Point Wildlife Refuge, is part of a legacy that owes much to President Theodore Roosevelt, who is often cited when sportsmen are described as the nation’s first conservationists.
I suspect that many of the visitors basting and swimming on any given hot summer day may not know or even care how this beach came to be a public oasis in a long stretch of private sand.
Long Point is the gift of three duck hunters, the last remaining members of the Tisbury Pond Club. In 1979, Frederick (Pete) Blodgett, Carl Gilbert, and William Rogers gave the property to The Trustees.
Nineteen years ago, following the discovery of an old club journal in an attic, I set about to write a story about the club ("Hunting's Rich Tradition Is Chronicled in Tisbury Pond Club's Journal').
I wondered if the men were still alive. I found a Blodgett in a Dover phone book (remember those) and by a stroke of good luck the number belonged to the man I was seeking. He was 95 years old, but “nearer to 96,” he said. Mr. Blodgett said that despite offers of a great deal of money per acre he and the remaining two members had other ideas.
Mr. Blodgett told me: “We thought it [the property] was so good the public ought to have it. So we started to give it to The Trustees of Reservations because we trusted them more than we did the government.”
The generosity of these men and their wishes should never be forgotten.
Thank you, I will think of
JohnThank you, I will think of these men while enjoying the balloon. Without them, it would not be possible.
"Open to the public" means
John"Open to the public" means accepting of the actions of the public. I too, dislike music at the beach & believe all should be required to wear earphones. However, I also do not like listening to spoiled kids wine to their parents, or parents talking about there recent accomplishments. But, that doesn't mean I should get my way. If I want silence, I have to buy my own beach. Many people may enjoy the balloon and we must respect the wishes of the Trustees, unless we decide to take control and do what we want. Greed is so difficult to sell to others.
They have strayed from their
ECS FLL/MVYThey have strayed from their objective which is not entertaining the public but managing land. They are now all about the money, something we don't need more of particularly in our NON-profits. That fiasco on south beach, their handling of piping plovers on Pogue being prima facia examples of what a disaster they organization Trustees has become. I dropped my membership and won't be renewing any time soon. HORRIBLE organization it has evolved to become.
The Trustees of Reservations
Nelson Sigelman Vineyard HavenThe Trustees of Reservations is a fine organization committed to managing its properties for responsible public use while meeting stringent state and federal environmental regulations. It is a difficult balancing act that sometimes leaves me disappointed when I must defer to nesting shorebirds. I am not familiar with a "fiasco" on South Beach. I do know that Dukes County was incapable of managing Norton Point Beach, once littered with lines and rusting fence posts, now ably managed by The Trustees under contract to the county. I have fished the length of Chappaquiddick because The Trustees believe in public access. The Trustees is a big organization. It makes mistakes. My guess is that someone in the mainland office misjudged Island culture and politics when he or she floated the hot air balloon idea. But short of the Martha's Vineyard Land Bank I can think of no other organization (mind you it is a private) that is responsible for more Island land that is open to public use.
Well stated
Tom West TisburyWell stated
Tisbury Great Pond has always
Andrew MooreTisbury Great Pond has always been a place of refuge. Nature gets the front row seat for once. I hope the Trustees will continue in that effort.
This sounds like a terrible
Katherine Scott TisburyThis sounds like a terrible plan!
Apparently the Trustees need to be constantly reminded of the meaning of the trust of which they are the trustees. Not just the physical land that is held in trust, but the trust of the public that the Trustees must enjoy in order to carry out the mission of the organization. Undermining that trust weakens the organization's credibility with potential donors. This hurts us all.
That trust is undermined by such a plan, which violates the spirit of the place, and the spirit in which it was given: given not just to the human public, but also to those organisms with which we share this planet on whose behalf the the original donors also acted.
Uh, excuse me, but we’re not
Cynthia B ChilmarkUh, excuse me, but we’re not talking about a helicopter here. A hot air balloon , once it gracefully lifts from the earth using brief spurts of propane , gently and peacefully floats in the air based on careful calculations of wind conditions. Watching a hot air balloonpeacefully and silently float in the sky is a most glorious and relaxing sight. I simply do not understand the uproar and objections to this very temporary treat.
Other than being a waste of
Thomas Hodgson wtOther than being a waste of perfectly good (and increasingly scarce) helium, this Great Pond area balloon event is brief and benign. Especially when compared to the constant daily blasting and pollution and commotion caused by ever-increasing jet and plane traffic, it's downright trivial. Tempest in a tea pot.
Thomas:hot air balloons are
Steve FalmouthThomas:hot air balloons are filled with hot air, not helium.
I agree with Cynthia B. A 2
John F ChilmarkI agree with Cynthia B. A 2 day event with balloon and focus on climate change, hardly a carnival. How wonderful for MV and I can't believe the NIMBY attitude. The Trustees is for special places for public use and enjoyment. That hasn't changed. Their care of Norton Point greatly improved the trash, chaos that was present before. This sounds like a respectful treat for residents on top of their great care for properties up island and on Chappy.
Did anyone see the excellent
Katie H. VHDid anyone see the excellent exhibit at the MV museum two years ago about the 60s and the movement toward preservation and conservation? The people who love this island, whether living here year-round, coming here for the first time or something in between, love it for its natural beauty, preserved thanks to those efforts decades ago. Sticking something manmade -- even if temporary -- in the bosom of such a beautiful, fragile, natural landscape that was gifted in perpetuity just seems like an ill-placed instagrammable marketing ploy that will make land donors think twice about Trustees as stewards. Not everything old is good and not everything new is bad. But stop and ask why you love this place and what you are prepared to do to keep that beauty preserved.
Katie, thank you for the
Lorraine EdgartownKatie, thank you for the reference to future land donors thinking twice about the Trustees as stewards. It will for me, definitely. I think the Trustees have strayed far from the original purpose and vision. Glitz, thy name is perfidy!
Why not launch this hot air
Sarah ChilmarkWhy not launch this hot air balloon at State Beach between OB and Edgartown. A lot more people will see it there.
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