Don’t take away fishing pond

 

Dear editor,

I find it appalling that the town council would like to destroy the damn and associated pond on Waterworks Road.

I use the pond quite often for fishing, and know others that do also. The fishing is not the best, but stocking the pond would solve that and bring back the many who used to use it. My father and I fished it when I was younger.

As a lifelong town resident, I would be thoroughly disappointed if this beautiful resource is lost. Council claims “light use,” but every time I have been I have never seen a town council member around. I see more people using the pond than I do the $8.1 million (and rising) bike trail. I guess since the powers that be, or the Smithfield clique, do not use the pond they see no need to save it.

We need a town council that represents everyone, not just the select few. Save the pond and abandon the dang bike trail! Rides are still using the road anyway, so why worry about it? Use that money to repair the damn and keep a beautiful and natural resource. The world is losing too many of these as it is. This is leading to the ever-growing concrete jungle.

 

Jim Minto

Smithfield

 

 

Need more info on IW COVID cases

 

Editor, Smithfield Times

The Virginia Department of Health website showed 31 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Isle of Wight County as of April 12. The site gives no details.

It would be helpful if local officials would provide more information. The privacy of those infected should of course be protected, so names and addresses should not be released. The information that I’m suggesting includes any deaths, ages and any underlying health issues of those infected, how many have required hospitalization, and any information on how they became infected. 

This kind of information might help to eliminate anxiety in the community.

 

Wayne Willis

Smithfield