Tisbury’s Good Idea

The Tisbury selectmen are on the right track as they begin to explore the idea of a two-town venture in shellfish management with their neighbor, the town of Oak Bluffs. In a working session last week the selectmen began a conversation with Oak Bluffs shellfish constable David Grunden about the possibilities of a shared venture. Tisbury has been without a permanent constable since the sudden death of Derek Cimeno last fall.

And as the selectmen consider the next step, their thinking about a possible joint venture with Oak Bluffs makes so much sense — both from the standpoint of cost efficiencies and of caring for one of the Island’s most precious resources: its shellfish. The two towns already share the Lagoon Pond, and on his side of the pond Mr. Grunden has been very effective, not only monitoring programs and enforcing laws but also working to secure grant money for projects that range from eelgrass studies to storm water management.

Mr. Grunden would like to expand the work to include the town of Tisbury, because when it comes to grant money there is strength in numbers and in a regional approach. And that makes infinite sense.

There are many more details to consider, of course, but we hope the selectmen will keep this ball rolling, and naturally their sister board of selectmen in Oak Bluffs needs to be included in the conversation. A joint meeting is in order.

And perhaps a two-town venture in shellfish management can be a model for future regional projects on the Island, whose balkanized character, while part of its charm, should not be a roadblock to good thinking across town lines.