Each year on the Fourth of July, when I am awoken by the giant mosquito-like sound, it brings a smile to my face and throws me back to cherished times of childhood, when I heard the hydros every summer.

It was with great sadness that I read the front page article in The Beachcomber on July 11 (“Sheriff’s office threatens to end holiday hydro race”). It has propelled me to share with those of you newer to the Island the great sense of nostalgia the hydros evoke for so many of us.

The sound of the hydros is so much more than just noise. The hydros bring on their wings the true beginning of summer, the anticipation of Strawberry Festival and all of the promise that summer holds.

We learn to live in harmony with each other, to tolerate lawn mowers, chainsaws and firecrackers going off at all hours of the day and night in the days leading up to the Fourth of July. What’s a few minutes of hydroplane engines once a year?

Upholding tradition is an essential piece of a strong community. In the name of tradition, I invite those of you who may not understand to go check out the races at dawn on the Fourth of July or at least be willing to wear ear plugs for a few minutes out of respect for a long-standing Island event.

— Kimberly Field Rotter Davis