To the editor:
The Bristol Mills Dam was built in 1914, largely for industrial purposes. No longer needed for that purpose, it has become a Bristol icon because of the unique opportunity it affords thousands of families and children as a premier swimming hole every summer.
A study was initiated which reflects some difficulty the alewives experience during migration because of the dam. The dam provides a water source for the fire department, helps control the water levels in the lakes above, and affords a unique opportunity for community recreation. Considering the trade-offs for improving the passage for alewives, which would eliminate the swimming hole, it seems clear that the dam and swimming hole should be saved.
If Norman Rockwell were alive and still painting, you can bet he would be sitting at the Bristol Mills swimming hole with his easel and painting a cover picture for the Saturday Evening Post worth millions of dollars. The swimming hole is worth much more than that to all the children who laugh and play there and for future generations as well.
Some things are worth saving. Those who are eligible need to vote at the Bristol town hall on July 24.
John Kinloch
Bristol
