Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

My family and I are following the high drama of the encroaching and angry Atlantic as it closes in on the Wasque property of the Schifters. As with so many other problems the world has experienced over the recent past, much could have been done to mitigate or eliminate the disaster if a more prudent decision in the public good was made just a few short years ago. But that was then and now it appears that good and earnest Vineyarders are caught deliberating the best path to resolution. Clearly a very dangerous situation exists worthy of the skill and experience of an Army Corps of Engineers. I do hope that your contingency planning is widened quickly to include damage control and containment which includes immediate demolishment of the existing 8800 square foot home before it spills into the ocean. Unfortunate as it would be for the owners, it may be the best decision.

Maurice H Hartigan, II

Oyster Pond Road, Edgartown and Pound Ridge, New York