Obama Drains Marthaâs Vineyard Pond To Retrieve Commemorative Golf Ball
Day 5 of President Barack Obamaâs annual vacation to the resort island community of Marthaâs Vineyard was met with dismay and controversy, when a fresh-water pond was drained so that a commemorative golf ball could be retrieved.During an early round of play at the exclusive Farm Neck Golf Club located in the town of Oak Bluffs, an unidentified member of the Presidentâs entourage hit aÂ ball into a pond facing the eastern edge of the course.Â  The water hazard is located above a natural aquifer made up of sand and gravel, andÂ serves as anÂ essential ground water filter.Cal Silva, Environmental Quality Officer for Dukes County remarked, âThe natural purifying system provided by the aquifer is indispensable for proper environmental balance, not only for this locale, but also for the entire Island.Â  We learned today that the pond was drained by executive order without our consent.Â  A homeowner whose property abuts the golf course informed me when he noticed that dredging of the pond had started, and quite honestly, I was shocked.Â  The health and well-being of local shellfish and wildlife may very well be severely compromised due toÂ this,â added Silva.Reaction spread quickly throughout this closely-knit community, made up of year-rounders, summer residents, and day-trippers. Cafe owner Suzanne North expressed a commonly shared opinion.âThis the kind of place where you leave things the wayÂ you found them, especially when it comes to nature.Â  Itâs unfathomable to me how this was allowed to happen, and all for a golf ball?Â  This is one of the few places left where people can share something special.Â  A lot of my regulars are very upset about it.âCafe patron Roland Sanders commented, âThey [the President and his family] keep a pretty low profile around here normally, except for when they come in town to one of the restaurants.Â  You wouldnât hardly know theyâre here until the whole Secret Service shows up and whatnot, so thatâs pretty exciting because you know heâs close by.Â  But this thing with the pond has made a lot of people a little uncomfortable now.Â  Itâs like they took charge all of a sudden and changed the way things work without first thinking about the Vineyard or asking anybody.âNot everyone in the town was as upset at the situation as Sanders, though. Several avid golfers from the area say they completely understood losing a ball in that water trap.âIâve golfed at Farm Neck many, many times,â said resident Henry Bellows. âIâve lost countless balls to that pond. If I had the power to have it drained to get them back, I would have. Now that itâs happened, though, I am tempted to sneak down there with a bucket and pick up some free balls.âQuality officer Silva expressed optimism that the natural balance could be restored if enough rainfall replenishes the now drainedÂ wetland.âNature has a way of taking care of itself.Â  Already there are a number of birds who are feeding atÂ the marshland that was created by this event, so thatâs a benefit in a strange way which weâve not been able to observe before.Â  I can only hope for the best, but my officeÂ will be meeting with the Presidentâs staff and Iâve personally requested a meeting with the head of the EPA.Â  Sheâs a New Englander, so I know she understands the island and how strongly we feel about this.âAccording to reports, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy, a Greater Boston area resident, would soon beÂ traveling to the island, located 4 miles from the Massachusetts coastline. President Obama would not comment on the incident, but a representative from the White House said that the environment has always been important to the President and his family.âThis was a really important golf ball, though,â he added. âOne of a kind. In case you are wondering, we were able to retrieve the ball after draining the pond, so it was not a total loss.â