Nothing Else Matters

    Montauk
    August 9, 2008
To the Editor:
    My family and I want to express our gratitude to the entire Montauk community for the help, warmth, and compassion they have shown us since the untimely death of Pete Fagan, my husband of 36 years. All that support started with the volunteers from the Montauk Fire Department, who responded immediately when I called 911 early in the morning of July 13.
    For the past nine years, Pete had been a seasonal employee at Theodore Roosevelt County Park’s Outer Beach, and I want to thank the park employees, officials, and the campers for their kind generosity after Pete’s passing. The Suffolk County Park Police gave a police escort to Calverton National Cemetery after Pete’s funeral service, for which Kathryn Nadeau Custom Framing had framed collages of Pete and his family.
    The Mass ended with bagpipe music played by Jerry Murtha, who was a New York City fireman and friend of Pete’s, and two of Pete’s cousins. MTK cafe generously hosted a reception after the funeral.
    Not long afterward, a huge group of people came out for a benefit at the Old Harbor House. Merchants, artists, and countless others donated raffle prizes, and restaurants from all over Montauk donated pasta dishes and other foods for the fund-raiser. Pete’s fellow fishermen showed the depth of their friendship.
    All of these kindnesses brought to mind a tribute my son Paul had written on the occasion of another untimely death, that of Lars Simenson. At that time Paul wrote:
    “From pain comes triumph, from triumph comes remembrance, from remembrance comes suffering. Each new feeling pushes us to places we never wish to visit in our lives.”
    “For all our lives, in life and in death, we will stay in Montauk. My roots started here and they will end here, and through my eyes, nothing else matters.”
    Sincerely,
    GAIL FAGAN and P.J.,
    DAN, TIM, and PAUL FAGAN

Thank Our Neighbor

    Montauk
    August 7, 2008
Dear Editor,
    How lucky are we? Seventy-seven acres of Montauk oceanfront moorland will be preserved due to the selfless generosity of one citizen along with the cooperation (and money) of the town, county, and state. Most of us can hardly imagine the huge pile of money a developer would fork over for such a prime piece of real estate. Our neighbor said no.
    He obviously wants something better. Not money-driven, but wildlife, environment, and beauty-driven. Can you imagine how many times this man and his late wife gazed upon this beautiful area? Walked along its cliffs? Took beach walks and chilly swims in its shadow?
    There must be a connection to this land that only they can know. Others may feel their own connection from their beach walks and surf sessions nearby. It’s special. It’s amazing. It’s important. How can we thank our neighbor for saving something so beautiful? Rename the lighthouse? Lifetime reservations at Dave’s Grill, 7 p.m.? Private parking space at the Surf Lodge? Obviously, he doesn’t care about these things. He knows what’s important and meaningful to the place he loves. He proved that. Thank you, Dick Cavett. You are my favorite.
EDWARD PATROWICZ

Solution

    Montauk
    August 9, 2008
To the Editor:
    Solution to the East Hampton Town financial mess: Sell Montauk!
GERARD CUTILLO

Subject to Removal

    Montauk
    August 8, 2008
David,
    With regard to your editorial “Double Standard on Bonds” (Aug. 7), you argue for ratings that are at least as good as for-profit companies whose books show similar financial circumstances.
    You should know, David, that not only do corporations have risk of default, their responsible executives have great risk of termination. If we are going to use analogies for the benefit of municipal finance, let us use analogies for the benefit of the taxpayers.
    You are right that the playing field isn’t level.
    If a corporation’s chief executive office and senior management outspent revenue by 10 percent every year, if they depleted cash on hand, if they showed no interest or accountability in their operations, if they provided financial misinformation to their shareholders, and if they lost shareholder value year after year they would not only be criticized but terminated. Graver performance could even lead to Enron or WorldCom outcomes. If their supervising board of directors showed a similar lack of accountability, they too would be subject to removal. And, if the shareholders lost value on this continual basis, the stock would be abandoned.
    Those same dynamics have occurred for the last five years in the Town of East Hampton, resulting in a four-level drop in our bond rating. David, if you want to treat the town like the rating agencies treat corporations, fine, but then we should also treat our elected officials as if they were corporate executives. Let the terminations begin.
BILL WILKINSON
—
    Mr. Wilkinson ran unsuccessfully for East Hampton Town Supervisor in 2007 and has said he will seek the post again in 2009. Ed.

Ted Did It

    East Hampton
    August 11, 2008
Dear Editor:
    Is there finally a crack in the McGintee-Hults stonewall?
    While Ted Hults was reportedly on vacation a week or so ago, Mr. McGintee broke his silence on what has gone on and said, in essence, Ted did it!
    The newspapers reported that Mr. McGintee said that the idea to take $8 million out of the community preservation fund was Mr. Hults’s. In addition, McGintee was reported to have said that the reason Mr. Hults gave for invading the earmarked funds to pay the general expenses of the town, was so that the town would not have to pay interest on this unauthorized loan! Despite a recent directive from state officials to pay the lost interest into the C.P.F., the town has not done so.
    To think, these are the two financial wizards behind the East Hampton budget (and maybe the $12 million-plus deficit!).
    In a different vein, but one precipitated from the ever-growing destruction of our reputation as a town, in a recent article in Newsday, while Supervisor McGintee was busy blaming our current fiscal woes on everyone but himself, County Legislator Jay Schneiderman was labeling us something akin to, or beyond, a third-world country, when he said, “The disparity between rich and poor [in East Hampton] is probably unmatched anywhere in the world.”
    With friends like this, East Hampton doesn’t need enemies.
    You can’t make this stuff up!
BEVERLY BOND

Town’s Budget Woes

    East Hampton
    August 4, 2008
Dear Editor:
    As a municipal bond analyst for over 20 years, and currently working as a consultant to financial institutions on municipal bond issues, I have become interested in reading on these pages the weekly back-and-forth concerning the town’s budget woes and the discussions regarding if, and when, the town had budget surpluses and when did it create its first deficit.
    These questions are all easily answered by a review of a legal document that the supervisor and all members of the current town board publicly released on June 4, 2008, after swearing, by signature, as to its being honest and accurate.
    On that date the town entered the municipal finance marketplace and borrowed over $5.3 million in bond anticipation notes. This money was borrowed to pay for numerous items that are explained within the document but include such large items as the Springs Youth Center ($2.3 million), and various smaller items such as the police tow truck ($130,000), or Montauk trash containers ($15,000), and even a Jet Ski for lifeguards ($8,000). There are 25 other cost items listed as well.
    This officially authorized document (called an “official statement” or O.S.) requires full disclosure of the town’s finances and must be filed with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. The Appendix of this public document contains a copy of the town’s most recent audit, which was released (after being certified) by the town’s outside accountants.  
Page B-5 of this O.S. shows the “Combined Statement of Revenues, Expenditures and Changes in Fund Balance — General Fund — Townwide” and the following page (B-6) shows the same information but it is for Part Town only.
    In the spirit of fairness, reviewing and combining both charts must be done in order to give a full and complete picture of the town’s budget situation and fiscal health from fiscal year 2002 through fiscal year 2006.
    The data show that as of Dec. 31, 2003, the town had a combined positive fund balance (or surplus) of $9,700,894. However, by the end of fiscal year 2006, the town had a combined negative balance (or deficit) of $2,115,171. It is really as simple as that.
    However, it should be noted further that on pages A-5 and A-6 of the same O.S. the town’s unaudited figures as of December 2007 are projecting a much higher combined deficit of ($8,449,937). This much larger negative number, of course, is subject to an up or down adjustment after final certification by the auditors.
    In addition, the O.S. is also filled with other types of interesting and valuable information that would be of concern to all East Hampton taxpayers, such as, the total employee health care costs, the projected savings from closing the Natural Resources Department, total outstanding town debts, total assessed property valuations, projected and historical tax rates, the town’s 10 largest taxpayers and employers, etc.
    At the recent town hall meeting on July 21, I spoke about this matter to the crowd of about 175. At that time I explained how anyone can obtain this important document directly from the S.E.C., but I added that I would gladly e-mail it for free to anyone requesting a copy. I now make this same offer to you and your readers.
    If any concerned citizen would like to see these facts and the O.S. for themselves merely send me an e-mail at dkcirillo27@yahoo.com, and I will forward you a copy by return e-mail.
    If you do not have access to e-mail from your own computer or the library, send me a note at my mail drop, 81 Newtown Lane, East Hampton 11937, and I will try to make arrangements for you to photocopy the O.S. for these $5.3 million bond anticipation notes yourself.
    Everyone should make the effort to get the facts and the objective truth.
    Thank you all for your time and attention to this very important matter.
    Cordially,
    DON CIRILLO
    Municipal Disclosure Advisors

On Our Watch

    East Hampton
    August 11, 2008
Dear David,
    Alec Baldwin’s money is safe from the Republicans because Bill McGintee is an honest man. When all the facts are on the table we will see that the Republican cries of financial ruin are as overblown as the myth of the Montauk Monster.
    The town does have a deficit and, yes, town board members who were elected with the endorsement of the Democratic Party have had a hand in it. The structural deficits in the operational budget that began in the Schneiderman administration were not corrected quickly enough and the deficit grew on our watch.
    No laws were broken and most of the harm was done with good intentions. Board members were willing to spend tax dollars to fund their pet projects but unwilling to raise taxes to balance the overall budget.
    The surplus left by Cathy Lester finally ran out, squandered by the unbalanced spending habits instituted by Jay Schneiderman and his crew, which were not corrected aggressively enough by the town board in 2004. Times were good when Jay got into office.
    The community preservation fund was just starting to generate large sums of money, freeing up taxpayer dollars for other uses. The $15 million Lester surplus was in the bank and it was used to plaster over the operational deficits. There was a lot of money around and Jay started to spend it. Millions were borrowed and expensive projects undertaken. Oil was down and real estate was moving up. We have to understand what caused the problem in order to fix it.
    The town board is the only body in town government that is authorized to spend money. You need three votes to pass a budget and four votes to bond for money. The supervisor is the chief fiscal officer, but it takes a majority of the board to authorize spending — on his own the supervisor can’t spend a quarter.
    The budget officer can’t spend a dime on his own. His job is to pay the bills run up by the town board and moving funds from account to account to pay the bills is part of his job. He may have done his job too well.
    Overspending is something that can only be done by the town board, as balancing the budget is a task that can only be done by the board. The board’s first priority must be to put together a balanced budget this year. I hope they will work with Supervisor McGintee to get it done.
    On the current Board, Julia Prince has no responsibility in the overspending but she is working hard to fix the mess. Brad Loewen has always been the loud voice calling out for fiscal sanity on the board, unfortunately often ignored. Pat Mansir and Pete Hammerle don’t want to be connected with raising taxes, but they sure don’t mind spending. Ms. Mansir alone has recently been calling for more spending.
    The deficit was created collectively by all the boards since 2000, but it must be fixed, and fixed now by this board.
    BILL TAYLOR
    Chairman
    East Hampton Democratic Party

    East Hampton
    August 10, 2008
Dear David,
    This note is to express my thanks to American Legion Post 419, in Amagansett, for the use of their facility on July 21. It was the location for a first public town meeting.
    The community-spirited gathering was well attended and the spacious hall was able to accommodate the crowd. How fortunate for us that there is such a space available to the public.
    Sincerely,
    TRACE DURYEA  

Erroneous Assumptions

    Sag Harbor
    August 11, 2008
To the Editor:
    We found your editorial of July 31 (“Not Open for Business”) filled with innuendo and erroneous assumptions disingenuous not only to the well-intentioned members of our village boards, but to all residents of Sag Harbor. Further, the insinuation about our mayor and any type of “a back-room deal” is not only ludicrous, but probably borders on libel.
    Members of our village boards, including our mayor, came to what they felt was the best solution to the Bulova project that has been an eyesore plaguing our village for literally decades. Our village board members took all factors into consideration in trying to arrive at a solution that’s in the best interest of all the residents of Sag Harbor.
    There will always be varying opinions as to how to best handle a project of this magnitude. The Bulova project isn’t being “slipped by the public in the middle of the night” — quite the contrary. Board members have listened to input from the public for literally years.
    Many, though not all, who had once felt the on-site solution to be the best path, felt differently after hearing from families who would possibly be the recipients of the housing. At the last zoning board of appeals meeting it was stated that the overwhelming consensus of the potentially effected families was that they did not want to be situated in the Bulova complex, but would rather have an opportunity to have single-site housing.
    An article in the Aug. 7 issue of Newsday states that affordable housing legislation for Long Island had been signed into law by the governor. The new law mandates that 10 percent of developments greater than five units be affordable, thus, in the case of Bulova, that would be seven units.
    The law allows the developers to build the units elsewhere, or pay a fee that could also be used in other municipalities for the units or to go toward down payment assistance for affordable housing. Our boards have managed to acquire and keep the entire $2.5 million in our community. That could potentially work out to an over $350,000 down payment toward a single-family home for each recipient. Kudos to our mayor and our board members.
    Also, the fact that a developer makes overtures of an offer of a sorely needed community-youth center and perhaps a theater should not be dismissed without further examination; to do so would be irresponsible.
    It should be remembered that these same developers do already have certain property rights. Community participation does not always equate with personal gain . . . the replacement of our movie theater sign is a good example. One should also remember the old adage that “a thief is always the first to lock his house.”
    Sincerely yours,
    ROBERT FISHER
    Vice President
    Sag Harbor Business Association

Pheasants Forever

    Ontario, Canada
    August 7, 2008
Dear Editor:
    Your news report on the efforts of young Peter Joyce Jr. to replenish the depleted flock of pheasants was most heartening. It is impressive that he is doing this on his own initiative, and with his own resources.
    I am writing to let this young man — and indeed all others who could be interested — know that professional help is available. Gratis. The United States national conservation organization Pheasants Forever is replicating, with these magnificent and beautiful birds, the effort made over many years by its sister organization Ducks Unlimited.
    Ducks Unlimited has had tremendous success all over the United States and Canada in restoring the population of many different species of ducks, which had suffered population collapse because of factors that include the ravages of DDT, over-hunting, and loss of habitat. Ducks Unlimited persuaded many corporations, foundations, and individuals to make gifts to support their campaign, and worked with governments at all levels to secure habitats, preserve and protect wetlands, etc., in their noble effort to help restore one sector of the natural balance of our continent’s fauna and flora.
    Now the Peasants Forever organization is well on the way to duplicating the success of Ducks Unlimited. As just about everything is, in these times, the organization can be found on the Internet. The Web address is www.pheasantsforever.org.
    Even those not interested in getting directly involved with this restoration effort will find the information interesting. In the climate of Long Island, pheasants can easily fend for themselves. They survive and thrive, after all, in the Dakotas and in Alberta, Canada’s coldest province. One does not have to be a hunter to appreciate them. As a footnote, these birds, as it is with quail also, are easy to farm. I know of Cistercian monasteries where the monks raised flocks of pheasants for their own dinner table, and for sale.
    So good luck to young Mr. Joyce in his public spirited effort. I trust others will be supported to join his efforts, and that others in different neighborhoods of Long Island will follow his example, particularly now that it is known that expert and cost-free help is available from Pheasants Unlimited.
    I noted that Mr. Joyce will soon be off to Syracuse University. I did some of my graduate work there. It has one of the finest university libraries in the world.
    C. ALEXANDER BROWN

Disheartening News

    Montauk
    August 11, 2008
Dear David,
    Last week was not a very good news week for East Hampton wildlife. First came the report that the East Hampton Town Board had passed a resolution to add seven town-owned properties to the list of sites where shotgun or bow hunting for deer will be allowed.
    Then came the news that the Natural Resources Department has received from the state seven nuisance-hunt tags for turkey and six for deer, which will allow hunting on East Hampton Airport property. East Hampton Indoor Tennis and the Peconic Land Trust have also received nuisance tags to hunt deer on their property.
    And then there is the young man in Montauk who, as a community project to earn his Eagle Scout Award, decided to reintroduce pheasants to Montauk. When the 200 pheasants he has raised reach maturity, they will be released to be hunted in several Montauk hunting areas.
    It’s not only wildlife that have been the object of bad news. Rita’s Stable in Montauk may have to shut down after Labor Day because of financial difficulties. According to Rita Foster, the owner, if that happens there will be nowhere for her horses to go but “the kills.”
    It’s all disheartening news for animal lovers. But it’s far worse for deer, rabbits, squirrels, turkeys, pheasants, ducks, or geese. And even horses.
BOB SILVERSTONE

Blood Money

    East Hampton
    August 10, 2008
Dear Editor:
    As a taxpayer and longtime homeowner in East Hampton, I join concerned people everywhere, who are shocked, appalled, and outraged to learn that the Town of East Hampton, despite assurances to the contrary given last fall, has once again decided to expand hunting areas and at a time when hunting is on the decline, nationwide.
    And while we realize that the sale of hunting licenses is a way to fill the coffers (with blood money), we also realize that we are no longer living in caves or in a time when there is a need to kill an animal in order to put food on the table. Nor should the town, by its actions, contribute in any way to creating needless risks and endangering an ever increasing population of fall and winter residents and visitors to our area. Accidents do happen and it would take just one senseless death of a person or beloved pet to make everyone take notice and for this town to be filled with shame and remorse, not to mention multimillion dollar lawsuits.
    I have always considered this a “civilized” community, one in which people were enlightened enough to find killing for recreation or amusement, i.e. hunting, a hideous “sport,” an anachronism that belongs to a time long gone by.
    As an educator, I find that it teaches cruelty and violence to our children and demonstrates a lesson in insensitivity and disrespect for the wildlife that share this planet with us. It is perhaps no coincidence and certainly of no little significance that almost every serial killer and every depraved “monster” who has taken innocent lives in mass killings and school shootings, started out by killing animals.
    There can be no justification whatsoever for the depraved and senseless slaughter of millions of birds, rabbits, waterfowl, deer, etc., for “fun.” Many of these pitiful creatures are only wounded and die a slow, painful death, which often results in leaving babies orphaned and doomed.
    As for the dangers deer pose on the road, while certainly a serious matter, the promised road reflectors and slowing down would go a long way in eliminating many of the incidents that occur. Instead of catering to “special interests,” it is the duty and responsibility of elected officials to help the community to move forward by legislating for the benefit of all and by imposing restrictions that reflect changing times and the will and needs of the community at large, which also includes second-home owners, visitors, tourists, all of whom support this town in one way or another.
    We must not continue to condone the slaughter of the innocent while waiting for “cavemen” to evolve; some never will and need to be dragged into the 21st century by their coattails. Violence and the killing of any innocent being should never be acceptable and officials must set a positive example by condemning it and legislating it out of existence, wherever it rears its ugly head. This is a serious matter and is one that will not be swept under the rug.
    We therefore urge town board members to reconsider an ill-conceived plan that disrupts the peace and quiet of so many people in our town and jeopardizes lives.  We also urge this board to stop pandering to the “old boys” and special interests and to get with an up-to-date program on managing deer populations through nonlethal methods.
    And, finally, we urge the town to at once put forth a plan to preserve and protect critical habitat and wildlife on true sanctuaries, refuges, and preserves, so that the wildlife we all love can continue to co-exist along with the two-legged inhabitants of East Hampton.
    Traditions change with time and it’s long past time for such cruel and senseless “traditions” to be relegated to the dustbin of history.
    ZELDA PENZEL
    President
    People for the End of
    Animal Cruelty and Exploitation

Class Battle

    Amagansett
    August 11, 2008
Dear Editor,
    I am an East Hampton High student writing in response to the outrageous cost of the Jonas Brothers tickets for the Ross School concert. This concert was the Ross School’s way of “giving back” to the community. But which community? The filthy rich with their mansions?
    The locals are good enough to clean your houses, serve you food at restaurants, and even, I’m sure, valet park your cars at the Jonas Brothers concert, but we still aren’t good enough to attend.
    Now personally, I’m not a fan of the Jonas Brothers, they’re not bad, but they’re not incredible either. It is the injustice of making a kids’ band concert tickets about $1,500 so that only the “desirables” can attend. And sure, when people started to kick up a fuss, they made some of the tickets about $500 but for some that is still too much.
    I can understand if it was $1,500 for the Prince tickets last year, which adults would be more inclined to go to rather than a kids’ Jonas Brothers concert, which is about the equivalent of having Miley Cyrus come out. This is not adult entertainment, this is a kids’ band so they should have made it a reasonable price so kids could actually go.
    In some ways this is just another example of the class battle that goes on out here. You either are wealthy or you work for someone who is. So what makes us less entitled than them? Is it the fact that they give the Ross School thousands of dollars in donations, but that wouldn’t be giving back to the community? Maybe if these people have more money than sense perhaps they’d like to make a donation to the town to get it out of the financial mess it’s in.
    Sincerely,
    ASHLEIGH K. BENNETT

Serve Our Students

    East Hampton
    August 11, 2008
Dear Editor:
    I am writing as a Ross School board member who is deeply saddened by the decision of East Hampton Indoor Tennis to file two lawsuits against our school challenging the much-needed expansion of our athletic programs and our new Athletic Center, which includes two additional playing fields, an outdoor basketball court, six tennis courts, and a field house.  
    As the Town of East Hampton has agreed, we are a not-for-profit school that simply is trying to serve our students and families who are very eager for our facility to be completed. We have so many young athletes who will benefit from our new athletic facilities.
    Other than E.H.I.T., we have received no negative feedback regarding this natural expansion of our school, so it is disconcerting that a member of our East End community would attempt to jeopardize the rights of our students.
    As E.H.I.T. has no legal grounds to contest our approval process, it is unfortunate that both the town and our school must now spend valuable time and critical funds to refute Scott Rubenstein’s invalid misrepresentations of the situation.
    As the story in last week’s East Hampton Star, written by Kate Maier, says, quoting our attorney, Dan Ruzow, “It’s all to protect the monopoly that Mr. Rubenstein has on tennis, and it doesn’t make any sense from a legal or common sense sort of view.”
    The public is aware that E.H.I.T. has benefited for many years because Ross School paid to use its facilities for its students, and the boys tennis team used E.H.I.T. as its home courts.   
    Ross School has long valued the opportunity to serve the community by sharing its facilities with its neighbors on the East End, very important to our growing community of families. Any possible costs or fees that might be affiliated with this use during nonschool, noncamp, nonpractice, and nonsports playing hours allow the school to maintain its facilities for student and school programs.  
    Since our new facility will be used primarily for educational purposes, we do not understand why Mr. Rubenstein and David Eagan, who is representing E.H.I.T. in its lawsuits, will not admit that Ross School is well within our rights as a not-for-profit school to move forward with this wonderful project.
    One would expect and hope that we can work together within our community with good will and a dedication to our students, who represent the future. Thank you.
    BERNHARD KIEMBOCK
    Ross Board of Trustees and
    Ross School parent

Home Team

    Water Mill
    August 11, 2008
Dear Editor,
    I am writing on behalf of myself, my brother, and my sister who attend Ross School in response to the article about the construction of our new tennis courts and athletic fields that appeared in last week’s paper.
    These new facilities will make it possible for Ross’s 9 varsity teams, 9 junior varsity teams, and 12 middle school teams to play on our home fields. This will help our teams reach their potential by not only allowing them to play at home and have the support of our family and friends, but also by cutting down travel time for both practices and games. It would be great to have a home team that actually plays at home.
    I know my family is looking forward to sharing memories made at our new athletic center. Ross School needs more sports facilities because we all love sports. It’s sad that East Hampton Indoor Tennis is trying to stop us from having this wonderful opportunity.
    Sincerely,
    JOHAN WALSTAM

Place to Play

    East Hampton
    August 11, 2008
Dear Editor:
    I am in full support of the Ross School putting in tennis courts. It is a wonderful game and I know the children will benefit their whole life from taking up the sport and along with all the wonderful things the school stands for, I am sure it will also be a wonderful community service too. I for one would love an alternative place to play.
MICHAEL BASSETT

Dream Come True

    Hampton Bays
    August 11, 2008
Dear Editor,
    As a long time student at Ross School (and my sister is an alumna) I am writing in response to the article that appeared in the Aug. 7 edition of your paper, discussing our new athletic facility.
    I am on the Ross boys tennis team and having tennis courts of our own would be a dream come true. In addition to tennis, we would also have fields and basketball courts on which all of our home teams could play. No longer would we have to travel for longer than we practice, or even travel away to play a home game.  
    Why would East Hampton Indoor Tennis try to prevent local kids from being able to have these facilities and share them with the local community whenever possible?  
    We at Ross just want to play sports. Athletics is an important part of my school experience, and I truly hope we soon are able to enjoy our new facility, as we need it very badly.
    Sincerely,
    Ian Sinclair
    Ross Student
    Class of 2010

Preserve the Green

    Sagaponack
    August 9, 2008
Hello,
    I recently read the story about Sagaponack being a “green” town. If only that were true. I believe that we are the only ones who have a solar heated pool (and an ozonator). Also, we have a wonderfully extensive garden, with onions, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and many others.
    As homes in Sagaponack get larger and larger, I truly hope we’re able to preserve the green that’s left.
    Best wishes,
    LANA KISLIN

Our Grandchildren

    Sag Harbor
    August 10, 2008
To the Editor:
    Now that the Republicans are trying to convince Americans that gasoline prices will drop precipitously if we just open our remaining reservoirs offshore and in the Arctic to oil drilling, I would like to suggest the following gentle response. Our grandchildren will thank us if we save these last reserves for them, instead of burning them up in our S.U.V.s.
    They, of course, will not be burning oil anymore (it will be way too expensive for that), but will reserve it for more valuable uses.
    I’m sure Republicans have grandchildren, too, but I guess they forgot.  
JOHN ANDREWS