The Benson Papers Montauk April 3, 2015 Dear Mr. Rattray: Thank you for the article about the Benson papers in the March 19 issue. While consolidating and researching my father’s papers (Richard T. Gilmartin), I found that they were called the “Montauk Matter” since the 1930s, when my father was East Hampton town clerk. I have a copy of the original receipt for those papers, signed by Arthur Benson, plus a typewritten (easier to read) copy done by my father. Also included are articles and letters concerning my father’s quest to have these artifacts returned to East Hampton, where they truly belong. My father contacted one Ms. Thyrza Benson Fowler, granddaughter of Arthur Benson, and she felt the papers should be returned to East Hampton. I was rather surprised that the Brooklyn Historical Society contacted the East Hampton Library and allowed East Hampton to copy certain documents. A delegation from Montauk (Dick White, Robin Strong, and myself) drove in to Brooklyn in 2004 after I secured an interview with Ms. Deborah Schwartz, the president of the Brooklyn Historical Society. Ms. Schwartz hinted that perhaps Brooklyn could manage a loan of these documents to East Hampton, providing there was proper security, etc. My point is this: Why doesn’t East Hampton take possession of the originals, and give the copies to Brooklyn? Not only are they historical documents directly related to East Hampton, they are really East Hampton Town government papers that belong in our archives. I suggest a petition drive be started to request a long-term loan of these artifacts, or an outright gift of them back to East Hampton. Cordially, TIM GILMARTIN On West End Road New York City March 30, 2015 Dear David, That was my grandfather’s house that burned down last week on West End Road. I have a personal connection, obviously, but I think people in general might want to go take a look at what’s left. There’s not much to see, a lot of charred rubble, and it still smells of the fire, or did a few days ago when I was there. It’s also, apparently, an attractive enough nuisance that they’ve put up a cyclone fence around it, very shiny and new, which you won’t want to climb. And, burned or not, it’s still private property, but even so I recommend trespassing. You can’t see much at all from the street side, so don’t bother going down West End — the temporary fence runs across the driveway — but you can park at Georgica, walk down the beach and up over the dune, at which point you’ll be close. I don’t think the owners will object — I doubt they’re around — but if they are and they do, so what? I can tell you that Mr. James, my grandfather, died about 1930, when he was 34, and that I personally find it hard to imagine a man not only so rich at that age but complacent enough to have built such a house. Look at the old pictures, if you don’t remember it, and you’ll see what I mean. When I was very young, and generally, for some reason, after hurricanes, my mother would drive us over, and we’d go a little way up the drive, close enough to see the roofs and the chimneys. I could tell by her stillness, out the corner of my eye, that she was very unhappy, but it didn’t worry me much because at age 5 or 6 I was pretty well convinced that if she’d asked whoever owned her house now to give it back, they would. I went down last Sunday after the snow. I didn’t mean to, but I couldn’t help thinking of my mother, not even in her teens and before her father died, when there would have been parties out on the lawns. My mother has been dead for 15 years, and when I don’t remember, who else will? Do go take a look at what’s left. JOHN FORD Shavers and Shavees Montauk April 4, 2015 To the Editor: The Montauk community would like to thank Janis Hewitt for coverage of our St. Baldrick’s event, held at St. Therese on March 15. This is a volunteer-driven fund-raising event for childhood cancer research. We had 21 “shavees,” who raised more than $8,000 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. We would also like to thank Father Tom for his participation and support of our cause, as well as the St. Therese staff, Maureen, Ellen, and Madeline, our shavers, Chris, Pam and Rose, our shavees, and all of you who cared enough to support the efforts of our volunteers. Sincerely, SIMONE MONAHAN Lie in the Trench Amagansett April 3, 2015 Dear David, The only argument for a sandbag hardening of the beach in Montauk is an imminent emergency. Otherwise the only legal remedy is additional, compatible sand. It appears that some of the truly supremely, temporarily, stupid are considering placing sandbags filled with junk sand on the Montauk beach. This will certainly lead to more erosion and the prospect of “Oh, let’s go to Montauk and see the rocks covered with sandbag poo!” Dumb. Dumber. Dumbest. I propose that about 500 of us lie in the proposed 3,100-foot sandbag trench. It would be wise to self-select. No replacement parts that might compromise the wildlife. Okay? Okay. All good things, DIANA WALKER An Embarrassment East Hampton March 31, 2015 To the Editor, The Montauk parade on March 22 was a fine tribute to the Friends of Erin and especially to Terry Watson. Unfortunately it was marred by the tasteless picture on the cover of The Star’s supplement. Certainly you could have found a more appropriate picture. Much has been accomplished to raise the image of the parade, but the picture is an embarrassment. PAUL DONNELLY Neighbors Taking Care East Hampton April 2, 2015 Dear Editor: To the good people of East Hampton, we the members of the East Hampton Clericus (Clergy Association) wish to extend our deep-felt gratitude to the restaurants and volunteers of the East Hampton Community Soup Dinners. We gathered together on five different Wednesday evenings over the wintertime for fellowship, good food, and good times. On those five evenings 932 bowls of soup were served and people were fed as we followed our faith imperative to feed the hungry. Each meal consisted of bread, soups, fresh fruit, desserts, and music. First of all, we thank our volunteers, who represented the following congregations: The Jewish Center of the Hamptons, Most Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church (which also provided the wonderful space for our gathering), St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, students from East Hampton High School, and other members of the greater East Hampton community, and especially Doreen Quaranto, who coordinated all the volunteers and the events. At each meal we broke bread together, bread a primal symbol of fraternity and hospitality. We thank Breadzilla, Twice Upon a Bagel, and Hampton Bagels for being benefactors in making our gatherings so successful and comfortable with your wonderful food. With some of the coldest nights on record, we needed something warm to eat, and the various soups provided kept us all nice and warm, and for some of our brothers and sisters it was the only warm food for the day. With deep gratitude to the following: George Hirsch’s Hirsch Living, Art of Eating, Debbie Geppert’s GG Catering, Nick & Toni’s‚ La Fondita, Rowdy Hall, Townline BBQ, and Simply Sublime, that kept the soup flowing. These companies helped us do what we, as people of faith, regardless of denomination, are called to do to take care of those in our community who are in need. They help us break down the walls of separation so that we are truly neighbors taking care of each other. Blessings be upon all those who made this season of the Community Soup Dinners possible. With all things being equal, we’ll see you next year, and remember, these meals are free to everyone in the community. If you haven’t been to one, you don’t know what you’re missing. Respectfully, DENIS C. BRUNELLE Convener of the East Hampton Clericus and Rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church An Embarrassment Amagansett April 6, 2015 Dear David, After reading last week’s front page story concerning the Springs Elementary School situation, I felt it was important not only to write a letter to further emphasize the problem but to suggest two possible ways to reduce the burden on Springs residents. The overcrowding of the elementary school with the special burden it imposes not only on the children struggling to be educated in less than ideal conditions but also on all Springs taxpayers requires attention. Let’s face it. Springs is the least affluent and the highest taxed hamlet of the township — from Wainscott to Montauk. It’s not fair. What can be done to address this inequity? For one thing, the concept long proposed by educators, consultants, and others of consolidating all the school districts, with its increased efficiency, and, more important, its substantial cost reduction, has to be revisited. A second and more politically dangerous plan would be to have a townwide real estate reassessment. I live in Amagansett and in both issues, the school density and tax level, my situation is way out of line as compared to the residents of Springs. On a different note, as suggested by Alec Baldwin’s gift to the school, I think that his many contributions, both of his time and his pocket, deserve attention. Just look at his gift to the East Hampton Library as an example of his generosity. Maybe the town board could consider some form of recognition. IRVING HIRSCHBERG Doesn’t Make Sense East Hampton March 31, 2015 Dear Editor, Last year, Save East Hampton, a local citizens’ group, was formed following the PSEG/LIPA construction of a six-mile overhead transmission line on 60-to-70-foot-tall utility poles between the East Hampton and Amagansett substations. Our group’s concerns were, why was this additional power needed, why are these monster utility poles and transmission lines placed within 20 feet of houses and swimming pools on narrow residential streets, and why were they placed within striking distance of homes? Our group questioned the claim for additional power or “redundant power” that PSEG/LIPA maintained was needed, even after our group discovered that for decades, the main transmission line along the railroad has worked nearly flawlessly, except for three brief moments when it faulted for about 10 or 20 minutes. In addition, we questioned if there was a storm and lines-poles were to come down, wouldn’t the new “redundant” lines surrounded by trees along this new six-mile route be more likely to fail than the primary lines along the railroad on the metal towers that have no trees? Lastly, as far as additional power needs during peak periods such as summertime, so far it seems things have worked well — plus, aren’t more and more of us becoming energy-efficient through solar power, wind power, LED lighting, etc.? The construction of this transmission project didn’t make sense a year ago and it still doesn’t make sense today. Save East Hampton stated when this project first began that this was just the beginning of PSEG/LIPA’s plans for Long Island. These new poles and transmission lines would soon creep into everyone’s villages and neighborhoods and, as a result, the landscape of our towns and scenic views would be changed for the worse, and more residents’ health and safety would be put at risk. And now, unfortunately, this is coming to fruition. This week, as reported in Newsday, in order to fortify the grid, PSEG plans to install larger poles and stronger cables throughout Long Island. In fact, they plan to work on 300 separate work projects, of more than 1,000 miles of power lines and equipment, and expect to replace up to 4,000 poles with newer, wider poles that will be much taller than the existing poles. In addition, the new poles will be treated with pentachlorophenol (penta), a carcinogen that is banned in other parts of the world. This is a concern not only for the health and safety of residents but also the possibility that penta could seep into and destroy our fragile water supply. The Newsday article stated that these new projects planned by PSEG for Long Island would require “a significant contracting presence and hundreds of contractors to complete the work over the next three years,” of which “most of the work will be given to outside crews.” So, although PSEG/LIPA keeps stating that, in the short term, above-ground power is the cheapest way to provide power to our area, in the long term, the monumental costs to maintain these overhead lines is lining their pockets, as well as their stockholders’ pockets, with more ratepayer money for fees for tree-trimming, outside contracting services, emergency repair, and constant maintenance of aboveground lines and poles that are consistently being damaged by the storms and high winds of Long Island. Perhaps it is time to plan for the future, take into account how vulnerable our area is to storm-related damage, and provide a safer, more reliable, and cost-effective source of power for Long Island by burying all of our new and existing transmission lines. Let’s start in East Hampton and be an example that other Long Island towns follow, and demand that our local leaders insist that PSEG bury these lines to protect the health and safety of our residents, preserve the beauty of our unique, beloved town, and to provide long-term cost savings for a healthy and robust economy. Sincerely, LYNNE BROWN Swatting at Bees’ Nests East Hampton April 2, 2015 Dear David: It’s not your father’s Republican party anymore. It is clear that America’s swatting at bees’ nests in the Middle East for many years has had the predictable result: swarming violence in all directions. Recently a letter here, incomprehensibly, suggested that the cries from that region of “Death to America!” should be laid at Obama’s feet. Those cries began before Obama was a senator, let alone president. By now, one would expect recognition that the Cheney-Bush fantasy of a Pax Americana created by military means in that region was delusional at best. Swat one nest, activate 1,000 previously dormant enemies. Three recent developments offer a shred of hope. First, maybe Iran will not be our next war, thanks to Secretary Kerry and President Obama actually trying to do what Nixon did in China, and Reagan did with the Soviet Union: talk to the enemy and avoid sending American youth to their deaths on foreign shores. Second, a coalition of Arab countries joining forces themselves against expansionist Iran. Who knows? The result cannot be worse than our previous strategy, which had two main results: each “terrorist” killed resulting in 10 more; each dictator deposed resulting in ungovernable anarchy, making whole countries ripe for radical takeovers in the power vacuum. Third, Georgetown, Texas, of all places, a city of 55,000, is going to 100 percent renewable energy — wind and solar — simply because it is now cheaper than fossil fuels. Once we all do that, we will not need to mess around in the Middle East, protecting our source of oil. Another old-time Republican, Dwight Eisenhower, warned us about allowing the “military-industrial complex” to become too powerful. We don’t often hear that phrase anymore, maybe because too many are afraid to offend them. DON MATHESON Same Urge to Play Southold March 22, 2015 Dear Editor, Two weeks ago I had a touch of happiness to meet again the greatest tennis player, Vic Seixas, that I knew, from the West Side Tennis Club during the ’50s and ’60s. I’d watch him play, and learned. It had been more than 50 years since I’d seen him last. He was 91 years now and looked pretty much the same and had the same urge to play. I shook his hand like it was a water pump, almost nonstop! I was so happy again. ANITA FAGAN
Published 5 years ago
Last updated 5 years ago
Letters to the Editor: 04.09.15
April 8, 2015