To the editor:

In response to your article, Weather or Not? Sept. 9

No disrespect to Mr. Jim Farrell, chief meteorologist, but we don’t want or need such a monstrosity, as the 110-foot WINK Doppler radar tower on Pine Island.

You are quoted, “they’re harmless, they’re not going to hurt the wildlife, they’re not going to hurt the population, if they were dangerous, they wouldn’t be allowed.”

(Hmm …. where have I heard that before?) Let me ask you this — do you truly know what long-term effect this will have on us, the islanders who live and work here and our protected and unprotected environment?  

You also stated, some metropolitan areas, such as Tampa, have these. We are not a metropolitan area. We are and want to continue to be unique in our island character and charm. What is and has been special about our island is being different. That is what attracts people to our island. When visitors come here, they don’t want to see staggering towers that are in the cities where they came from. Nor do we, who make our homes here! 

Our families have lived here and surrounding islands for seven generations. We have fought long and hard through the years to protect our island from such intrusions.

Do you think Sanibel/Captiva or Fort Myers Beach would want this? 

These public input meetings are just going through the motions. More than likely, the deal has already been made and we are forced to live with it and why? We have Doppler radar on NBC2.

Rhonda Dooley

Bokeelia