Bubbles in the Bathtub

Jupiter, Singer and Palm Beach islands all are barriers between the sea and the mainland. They are dynamic pieces of land. They shift with the weather and the tides, protecting the mainland from the ravages of the sea. Why do we continue to spend millions of dollars in taxpayers' money to try to keep them the way we want them?

Why not make all barrier islands national parks and let nature use them as intended? Then, everyone could enjoy them and we would not spend millions of dollars repeatedly to move sand around. Take a look at Assateague and Chincoteague, Va.; Cumberland Island, Ga.; and the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

If you build on shifting sands, you can expect your buildings to shift and slide into the sea. If we let them return to the natural course of change, sea turtles won't have any problems nesting. They did just fine for millions of years without beach renourishment projects. And the seas and shorelines have shifted many times during those eons.

KITTY PHILIPS