Letters to the Editor: 07.06.17

Radio Club

Montauk

July 3, 2017

To the Editor;

The Bonac Amateur Radio Club participated in the American Radio Relay League’s annual field day on June 24 to 25. Joining over 40,000 other ham radio operators around North America, BARC members set up their equipment at the GATR site in Montauk to test ham radios capabilities, using temporary transmitting stations. 

Each year the club receives invaluable assistance from a number of others in our community who help make our event a great success. We would like to thank Jim Grimes of Fort Pond Native Plants and his crew for setting up the army tent to provide shelter over the weekend, Scott Fithian and the Village of East Hampton for the use of a bucket truck to erect a temporary transmission antenna, and Lou Tusso and his phenomenal staff at the Montauk County Park for providing an accessible and clean area for our event. The success of our event depends on a little help from our friends and neighbors, without it, the event would not be possible. Thank you from BARC!

In addition, if anyone in the community is interested in learning how to become a ham radio operator, stop by one of our monthly meetings. BARC meets the fourth Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. in the Amagansett Library community room. Our next meetings will be July 27 and August 24. All community members are invited to attend a meeting to learn more.

Sincerely,

EDDIE SCHNELL

President

Bonac Amateur Radio Club

A Car All Done

East Hampton

June 25, 2017

To the Editor, 

In the greater scheme of all that’s going on in the world, it really was a small thing, but it was my small thing.

Midafternoon on June 14 I got a traffic ticket, expired N.Y. safety inspection sticker. What I thought I had until October. No, expiration was April. Oops! 

Worse, the “check engine” light had come on four days ago — and, maybe more worse, the rear wheels were beginning to make a whirling sound. I was going to tend to it soon. So now a traffic ticket? 

But within hours I was to go UpIsland for several days. I wouldn’t be back in time to have work done and get the ticket waived. 

Long story short, I called Buzz Chew and fretted, “I gotta get out of town now.” They said, bring the car in. I did, got home, got UpIsland, and got back. To a car all done!

At traffic court I told the young lady I’d go to Buzz Chew immediately. She said, “Oh, Buzz Chew, they’re great.”

EDWARD GALLICAN

The Time to Pounce

East Hampton

June 30, 2017

To the Editor:

Maybe I’m the eternal optimist or maybe I’ve just been doing this too long. Either way, I believe it is important to address the grim snapshot of the state of Hamptons real estate as described by my contemporaries, for all of whom I have tremendous respect.

I have been reporting on East End home sales for 25 of the 35 years of my real estate career. During my tenure, I have seen two crashes, a few recessionary markets, and several bull markets. As they say, the only thing constant is change. And change it does. 

For the most part, the homes we sell are vacation homes, which, frankly, are luxury items to the buyer — few are primary residences. These buyers don’t have to have what we are selling, as they can always opt to rent. The majority of our buyers work in some area of the financial markets: stocks, bonds, hedge funds, banking, etc. These particular buyers, for the most part, buy at the top end of our markets.

Definitely, there has been a strenuous pull-back on the high end over the past 12 to 18 months, due to various factors. But as with all cycles, this one, too, will come to an end, and a shift from a buyer’s market to a seller’s market will take place. We are already experiencing an uptick in showings, contracts, and sales. The stock market is strong, bank stocks have rallied due to dividends, the Federal Reserve has shown confidence in our overall economy, and lending regulations are easing. All are indicative of a strong selling season.

On the high end, price adjustments are yielding some incredible bargains. There are several examples where you couldn’t buy the land, build the house, landscape, and accessorize, and pay less than the asking. So, for those value-driven buyers, the time to pounce is now. 

As for the mid-markets, all eight Town & Country Real Estate offices have experienced heightened sales activity. Last week, there were 82 closings on the East End and $135 million changed hands. That is a respectable statistic!

While our markets may have faced some headwinds such as the presidential election, geopolitical concerns, heightened emotions, there is change in the air. After all, the only thing constant is change. 

JUDI A. DESIDERIO

Town & Country Real Estate

Hook Pond Lane

East Hampton

July 2, 2017

Dear David,

Thank you, Christopher Walsh, for your reporting on the East Hampton Village Zoning Board of Appeals meeting considering the 20 Hook Pond Lane spec owner/builder variance application for a three-car garage as a stand-alone 748-square-foot, two-story facility with indoor staircase to the windowed second floor. You spelled out for readers the image of what an assault is rolling out on this laneway. This variance is in addition to the “as-of-right” 6,450-square-foot spec house already under construction. And at this writing, the stand-alone garage foundation is in the ground. 

Thank you, David, for including the plunder of our shady country laneway on The Star’s front page reporting other assaults to the East Hampton community, including the latest disappointment in the town’s effort for local control over the airport noise town residents must endure, and the advent of Uber’s ride-hailing services only encouraging whatever else our community can next expect during this peak summer holiday.

But it is the Z.B.A.’s giveaway to the spec builder, in my backyard, that is the nightmare I have to live with after 50 ears on the laneway, the last six as a local resident. “ ‘Shame on me, I did not know we had three front-yard setbacks.’ ”   Does the spec builder really think we believe this after he tells us proudly he has built nine spec houses in East Hampton? The Z.B.A. did. 

We on the laneway knew this real estate developer was always pushing on the envelope with just how much could be achieved for his own pocket, his return on investment, on this real estate deal. This is the owner/builder who posted his commercial builder’s large white advertising company billboard on Ocean Avenue. Fortunately it did not work. Once reported, the sign was immediately removed by a village department not willing to “reluctantly” approve his advertising grab. Not so the Z.B.A.

It did not matter to the Z.B.A. considerations that the spec builder did not notify the neighbors of the pending zoning board hearing. It did not matter to the Z.B.A. that the drawings the architect presented at the hearing were the first public images of what the spec builder was proposing. It was at this time, at the podium, I learned we were talking about a three-car garage. After reading about the variance in the Z.B.A.’s public agenda, even the village office did not have these documents to share when laneway residents requested proposed drawings that we assumed were on file.

While waiting for a demolition permit, it did not matter to the Z.B.A. how the owner/builder stripped the building site of protective landscape even including laneway and the trimming, without permission, of neighboring trees. It did not matter to the Z.B.A. members that the drawings the architect presented at the meeting were the first time the laneway residents actually saw images of what the spec builder was proposing for the variance under consideration, in addition to the outsize, now 7,000-square-foot spec house. For marketing purposes, you can see the 20 Hook Pond Lane model, the “Contemporary Traditional,” on the builder’s website.

It did not matter to the Z.B.A., the lawyer speaking for a resident, in addition to each and every laneway resident who spoke about the spec builder’s strategy of presenting his “overall plan in segments.” I quote the architect: “We just chose to back the (proposed) garage out so we could get started on the construction.”

But it did and does matter that the Z.B.A. would not entertain a request by the laneway residents and the lawyer who addressed some of the recent amendments to the village zoning code, which, according to the lawyer, “took significant action legislating an ordinance that explicitly prohibited exactly what’s being sought here.” 

Given the opportunity, I would have had the time to examine what this village ordinance means to this real estate deal. It is a very dangerous precedent to set for residential homeowners who depend on interpretation and implementation by village leadership and their appointed public servants to safeguard what is most important to us, security. 

And that is exactly what did happen. The Z.B.A. gave away the safety they were appointed to protect. They not only handed this real estate developer everything he needed to complete his “package,” the Z.B.A. set the precedent the next real estate owner/builder can use to capitalize on the deal, in building for the marketplace.

For this reason, the Z.B.A. is no place for members of the real estate community. It is a conflict of interest to have members from the real estate community in a position to make decisions on projects whose owners could be future clients. This Z.B.A. decision is a perfect example. Number 20 Hook Pond Lane will go on the market once the 7,196-square-foot construction project is complete. 

It is too late for Hook Pond Lane. The air has been sucked out of my laneway. However, given the spec house is landlocked with no access to the treasured Hook Pond, and once the laneway’s landscape matures again, there will not even be a glimpse of Hook Pond. A mighty loss to the real estate deal and its return on investment, no matter how big the house is.

LINDA JAMES

Septic Upgrades

Amagansett

June 30, 2017

Dear Mr. Rattray, 

In Carole Campolo’s letter in the June 24 issue touting Paul Giardina’s environmental credentials, she states that Mr. Giardina, a town board candidate, “recently authored a plan for solutions to East Hampton’s septic issues.”

I recommend reading this proposed “Septic Waste Improvement Plan,” which is easy to find on the East Hampton Republican website at ehnygop.com/news-views. Ms. Campolo fails to mention that the proposal would repeal the highly popular ordinance, passed this year by the East Hampton Town Board, dedicating a percentage of community preservation fund money to septic upgrades, and substitute a database. 

Yes, a database, keeping track of people with broken septic systems in each watershed area. The plan states that when a watershed district “has a listing of greater than XXX (recommend between 20-100) failed septic systems the Town will provide that list to the Suffolk County Department of Health for the purpose of obtaining funding.”

So instead of financing the upgrade of outmoded septic systems near water, as the existing law does, the Republican plan would simply keep track of failed ones, and then when some number of them occurred, would ask the state for money (which could be refused).

The rationales given for repealing the C.P.F. legislation are: “not [to] impose costs on homeowners who have adequately designed and maintained systems” and to (of course) “stimulate the private sector.”

This is highly reminiscent of another “repeal and (not really) replace” plan we have all been reading about. 

At the well-attended town board meeting at which the C.P.F. proposal was debated, both conservative and liberal voices were represented in the public portion. There was some disagreement about details of implementation, but there was not one voice raised on either side disputing that pollution of our water by leaky septic is a very serious danger. Mr. Giardina’s plan does not seem to acknowledge that. I suggest that in November, we stick with the party that is really trying to solve the problem. 

JONATHAN WALLACE

Water Quality Problems

Montauk

June 26, 2017

Dear Editor,

The Town of East Hampton should be commended for considering a low-nitrogen sanitary system standard and rebate proposal. Antiquated, failing, and ineffective septic systems are contributing significant and harmful nitrogen loadings to our ground and surface waters. However, without addressing the downtown Montauk wastewater issue, we continue to threaten the human and environmental health of the Montauk community.

Downtown Montauk is in dire need of a community wastewater treatment system, and the need has been well documented in East Hampton Town’s Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan, Lake Montauk Watershed Management Plan, East Hampton Town Water Quality Improvement Plan, and most recently the Montauk Hamlet Plan.

The time to act is now. The water quality problems will persist until a comprehensive approach is taken. East Hampton Town must step up to the plate and pursue a downtown Montauk community wastewater treatment system.

LAURA TOOMAN

President

Concerned Citizens of Montauk

Failing Septic

Springs

July 3, 2017

Dear David,

During our many years of attending the Springs Citizens Advisory Committee meeting, we have often discussed our school cautioning the then-board president that a school filled with young children, who are using the bathrooms frequently, will have problems with its septic system. 

Considering the age of the school, and being a retired schoolteacher and administrator who walked many a hall in my day and observing the kids going to and from the bathroom, this was an outcome that was as sure to occur as one month following another. Now we know the results of their head in the sand attitude. 

The Springs School, with the largest school population in East Hampton, has a failing septic system, which has to be pumped out regularly, about every eight days, and is affecting the world around the school. This is the reality. 

The school board wants the community preservation fund to bail it out of what it has done to the area. I agree with the powers that be: The school has a fund set aside with millions in it that can correct its mismanagement. Step up to the plate and use the money stashed in that fund that you were hoping to put into your expansion plans to fix the problem and leave the community preservation fund to go to other projects, including the installation of approved systems that will mitigate nitrogen for the many cesspools and septic systems that are also in trouble and where the residents lack a reserve fund of millions.

Sincerely,

PHYLLIS ITALIANO 

Dog, Not Dad

East Hampton

June 29, 2017

Dear David,

My letter in The Star on June 29 was meant to say that Willie, our friend’s dog, was killed in May. Not his dad. 

Either way, we must slow down on roads, especially in neighborhoods!

NANCI LaGARENNE

Environmental Outrage

Montauk

July 2, 2017

Dear David:

I have achieved my summer migration to the deep tranquillity of North Hollow, in Vermont, and so am getting my news from afar. But still.

As usual, my letter concerns issues of environmental outrage, disruption, and sustainability, to wit:

Ron Perelman, the owner of 60 acres on vulnerable, assaulted Georgica Pond, has the brass nerve to dangle the promise of upgrading his 17 septic systems in order to sway the East Hampton Village  Board to rezone his property, etc. I sincerely hope that Diana Walker has not permanently furled her whip and in her role as town whipper will consent to beat this dastard down Main Street on a well-publicized date, preferably in the fall when I return. For Mr. Perelman, the upgrading of his systems and placing the nitrogen-reducing barriers that would reduce the pollution load on a valued and beautiful pond would be the mere penning of a work order. No financial burden, I suspect, on this billionaire in our midst. How dare he not have done this eons ago.

Another villain that you have brought to our attention is the owner of a property on Hook Pond who is indifferent to its welfare, although perhaps within legal boundaries. And let’s not forget the people who object to farm buildings needed to support our beloved organic farms, Quail Hill and Balsam Farms. Diana, attention must be paid.

The proposed Playhouse in Montauk, to which the town has pledged $3 million, if I recall correctly, was an environmental disaster-in-the-making when last I saw their presentation to the Montauk Citizens Advisory Committee. I believe much in their plan has changed since then, including moving the pool to the ground floor where it will not need a feat of engineering worthy of the Eiffel Tower to hold the weight, and will have the advantage of being surrounded by earth that mostly remains above 55 degrees F. And therefore it would require considerably less energy to heat in winter. But does the proposed building meet net-zero energy consumption standards? And will it have a sophisticated wastewater system that will contribute zero pollution to our precious sole-source aquifer? 

Any new construction, and particularly on this scale, should not be permitted or supported by the town unless it will contribute to meeting the town goal of 100 percent renewable energy and place no new burden on our water. I beg you will withhold your editorial support, dear editor, unless this be the case. 

And huge kudos and congratulations to Gordian Raacke and the East Hampton sustainable energy committee, and the Towns of Southampton and East Hampton, for a greatly successful South Fork 100-percent renewable energy forum. 

This important presentation of information for the 21st century comes at a time when the head of the Environmental Protection Agency reinvents the language, so “protection” means undoing or weakening climate and health-saving measures. The president’s E.P.A. cabinet choice, Scott Pruitt, has acted to destroy protections of the nation’s waterways, delayed the obligation of fossil fuel companies to monitor and control leaks of methane gas, delayed the date that would make chemical companies comply with rules that would prevent explosions and spills, and reversed a ban on the use of Clorpyrifos, a chemical that E.P.A. scientists had admitted is linked to the damage of children’s nervous systems.

No, dear editor and readers, God has not blessed America with a president and his lovely family that care about our lovely families. I fear God must be distracted, or bored with our antics and ready to see this experiment fail, or playfully roll the dice with the universe.

To quote Will Shakespeare entirely out of context, “O pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, that I am gentle with these butchers.”

JANET Van SICKLE

Besieged by Aircraft

East Hampton

July 2, 2017

To the Editor:

When I first came out to the Hamptons, 30 years ago, I thought the infrequent recreational plane was quaint. Fast-forward to 2017. I now am a full-time homeowner, and am constantly bombarded with outrageously noisy low-flying helicopters and unhealthy fuel emissions from all manner of jets. From late spring to late fall, I am besieged by unrestricted aircraft flying in and out of East Hampton Airport.

This was not the original intent of our local airport.

Generating fewer than 30 jobs, with no air controller on the job on a full-time basis, the airport not only presents a danger to the neighborhoods in its flight path, it does not add to the economic vitality of our community. Overwhelmingly, the profits flow to corporate entities in New York City, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Very little of the seasonal profits stay in East Hampton!

The 600 acres of commercially zoned land can better serve us, generating hundreds of local jobs.

I never thought I’d support closing our airport, but as the season approaches, and the noise begins, I am increasingly leaning to this solution.

The airport users are stupid. Rather than voluntarily respect curfews and learn to live side by side with the Hamptons communities, they are money-hungry and have created adversaries who will vote in community leaders who support their demise. Greed is a powerful tool, but the power of the people to control their own communities is, also!

MICHELE G. SHENFELD

Keep the Airport Open

Springs

July 3, 2017

Dear David,

Last week the Supreme Court ruled against East Hampton in the town board’s last-ditch effort to overturn a lower court decision. This undertaking by the town board, as predicted by many, was a colossal waste of time, money, and resources.

As East Hampton Town supervisor I would be in favor of keeping East Hampton Airport open. 

I am not in favor of an airport that resembles a scene out of the movie “Apocalypse Now,” squandering of taxpayer money on failed litigation, or giving up on reaching an agreement with all those involved.

Some in our town have turned the East Hampton Airport issue into an opportunity for political gain. This is wrong, has done a disservice to our community, and has made political pawns of the airport’s neighbors and users. I will not play this game. 

As the founding president of New York State’s fifth biggest police union, the Police Benevolent Association of New York State, results matter. To get results requires dogged determination, skill, and expertise in being able to bring people together.

I have met with and will continue to meet with representatives of all sides involved. All your voices are important. We must end this divisive discourse that serves no one.

As supervisor I would bring something no one has, a proven track record of complex negotiations and resolution. When I became P.B.A. president I took over failed negotiations between the governor’s office and the prior union. The contract had been expired over seven years, and negotiations were stalled, with no acceptable deal in sight. Within five months I turned an unacceptable $47 million contract offer into a $74 million contract that Governor Cuomo approved and praised. The settlement was passed by the P.B.A. membership 99 percent to 1 percent with almost 98 percent membership participation, and approved unanimously by the State Legislature. Under my leadership the union has had a string of gains, and continues to have successful gains that were unattainable under the past failed union.

I am humbly asking for your vote in November so we can end the divisive politics in East Hampton and work for all the people. People first, politics last. We can all work together to solve problems and challenges our community faces. 

P.S. to the political operatives that I have never met: Rather than write opposition letters and comments on Facebook, let’s meet and discuss the issues. If we put politics last and our community first, we can work together to reach common ground.

My phone number is 631-324-0528; email [email protected]. On Facebook, Vote Manny Vilar East Hampton Town Supervisor. 

Let’s work together and get the job done.

MANNY VILAR

Close This Facility

Wainscott

June 30, 2017

Dear David,

Despite the best efforts of our town government, the residents of this town have to suffer the constant barrage created by the so-called elite. First they tried to buy the election, then they litigated to allow them to destroy any sense of peace in our own homes, both here and in other areas, This intolerable mess gets worse as time goes on. The out-of-state helicopter and seaplane companies infest the skies like locusts, and cause not only noise but expose us to dangerous low altitudes as well.

At 11:52 this morning, a seaplane was just above the treetops and well under a safe altitude, approximately 200 feet. (That is the distance between two telephone poles.) My three grandchildren ran in the house in fear. It is time to stop the merry-go-round and close the facility before a tragedy happens. Let me get this straight. These inconsiderate S.O.B.s sue us, the town residents, who own the facility, so they can disrupt any enjoyment of our homes and properties. Sheer arrogance!

They have been emboldened by court decisions, and the flight standards division of the Federal Aviation Administration plays the three blind mice.

The time has come to stop this as soon as possible and close this facility. In addition, there are environmental concerns, because the deepest part of the federally designated sole-source aquifer sits under the airport — our source of drinking water. What happened to the two national geological test wells that were located at the entrance? They disappeared, and allegedly contained unidentified petrochemical compounds that made it a cleanup site.

The illegal bathrooms installed in some hangars without building and Health Department permits. Since this facility only benefits a relatively small group and adversely disrupts the majority of everyday residents, and those of many other areas, how many times do we need to get poked in the eye and have the bird flipped at us? 

Shut the barn door and let the horses go somewhere else.

ARTHUR J. FRENCH

Three Candidates

Amagansett

July 3, 2017

Dear David,

The East Hampton Town Democratic Committee has proudly selected its slate for this year’s election. At the top of our ticket are three qualified candidates, Peter Van Scoyoc for Supervisor and Kathee Burke-Gonzalez and Jeff Bragman for town board, who have been enthusiastically endorsed at a convention of our party members.

Councilman Van Scoyoc has an astonishing record of progress. Peter’s longstanding commitment of 16 years of public service to our community and town government makes him the only supervisor candidate qualified to continue the forward momentum for East Hampton. As a current town board member, Peter has shown exactly why experience matters. He knows our town; he understands our issues. He listens and gets the job done for our community. Our committee stands firmly behind Peter for the supervisor position. He has always been there for East Hampton.

For town board, we had a record number of applicants. We wish to thank each and every one for their time and interest. Our process was long and deliberate, and we are confident we selected candidates who will promote our Democratic ideals and progressive agenda and best serve our community.

Re-electing Kathee Burke-Gonzalez for town board is an obvious choice. She has throughout her public service career been a hard-working, consensus-building, caring leader. She has moved important issues from campaign talking points to action. Kathee hit the ground running after her election victory in 2013 and has never stopped working for our community. She has earned her position. We are very pleased she seeks to continue working for our town.

We are very pleased as well to support Jeff Bragman for town board. While new to seeking your vote, Jeff has been standing strong for our neighborhoods for decades. He has devoted a large part of his local law practice to successfully advocating for our residents facing large neighborhood-changing projects, and has been a staunch protector of the environment and quality of life for our residents. His work ethic and dedication have no equal. He is the unanimous choice for a new member of our team, and the entire Democratic Committee enthusiastically supports him. His passion for East Hampton rises above words and promises. He has earned our respect.

These three candidates have proven track records. Their accomplishments have helped to keep East Hampton progressive while they each work hard to understand our traditions. They make it look easy, but it is their dedication and hard work that get it done. They set the standard, yet they seek to improve and build upon their accomplishments both in the public and private sectors.

At a time when national political agendas are creeping closer to home, we must unite as Democrats and stand behind candidates that put the interest of the town ahead of their own. The actions of Peter, Kathee, and Jeff speak to their character, and they have taken upon themselves the responsibility of a prosperous future for East Hampton. We know that Peter, Jeff, and Kathee will prove to you, as they have proven to us, that they are the first and only choice. 

We invite you to get to know them as we have, and look forward to your support for them and for steady leadership for our town. If you would like to hear from Kathee, Jeff, and Peter themselves, please email us at info@ ehdems.com

JEANNE FRANKL

ILISSA MEYER

Co-chairwomen

 

Never Under

Amagansett

July 2, 2017

Dear Mr. Rattray:

All too often, those who really don’t know what the board of trustees represents and how we uphold our unique historical and traditional capabilities, want you and your readers to believe the board is argumentative and that adherence to the jurisdiction granted in the Dongan Patent means the board has not worked well with other entities. I find this very perplexing, as I have been a member of the board of trustees for 26 years and have always found the board able and willing to reach an agreement or compromise with others once each is aware of the concerns of the other. 

I have a few examples the community may not know about that I’d like to share.

Did you know the State Department of Environmental Conservation can close waters to shellfishing based solely on the number of boats that may be moored or docked? This is based on an assumption of boat waste and the fact that the D.E.C. does not have the resources to adequately conduct water quality tests.  So, before Three Mile Harbor was designated a no-discharge Zone, the board of trustees was able to facilitate mooring procedures which satisfied the D.E.C. that the boats in the mooring grid would not be detrimental to the waterway. The trustees kept approximately 90 acres of Three Mile Harbor open and available to shellfishing and other marine pursuits. The board worked with the D.E.C. to ensure the safety of the waterway, and yet also to benefit the residents of East Hampton without lessening the trustees’ ability to regulate their waterways. 

Did you know the United States Fish and Wildlife Service does not have a lot of staff to enforce its regulations here? When charged with protection of piping plovers, the service’s protocol in the event of an infraction to their methods or the loss of a bird was to have local enforcement shut down the beach area until they arrived to investigate. Due to our problem of few beach accesses, this could result in a large beach area being closed for commercial and/or recreational use for hours if not longer, and then by the time their representatives arrive, any “evidence” of what happened would be lost to wind and tide. 

The board of trustees, along with the Natural Resources Department, was able to develop a local incident report to use in the event of any harassment or harm to the plovers or to protection measures. We created a completely new strategy to assist the feds while also keeping beaches available for the public. This was accomplished by working with them, not by giving them authority over local beaches for monitoring methods.

With regard to the jurisdiction given the board of trustees in the Dongan Patent, did you know the trustees created policy to restrict the use of chromate C.C.A., under certain circumstances in waterways within our jurisdiction before the D.E.C. or the town? Or, did you know the trustees prohibited the use of metal posts when installing shoreline fencing before the D.E.C. or the town? Or, did you know the trustees’ policy for repair or replacement of bulkheads in place or behind an existing structure, instead of 18 inches in front, was initiated before the D.E.C. or the town followed suit? And, did you know that without the board of trustees’ ability to regulate docks, the D.E.C. would require every structure needing repair or replacement to be lengthened to allow for three feet of water at low tide? Imagine what that would do to navigability in our harbors! 

All the above are examples of the jurisdictional “home rule” capability of the board of trustees. All are implemented by a local governmental entity to ensure health and safety, as well as access to local waterways and beaches. Often, the regulations of other agencies do not take into account the needs of this community. 

Although there are many more matters undertaken by the board of trustees to help residents enjoy the beauty and resources of our township, I hope I’ve convinced some readers to consider any criticism of the work done on their behalf by former boards of trustees from whence it comes. East Hampton is the town we all live in because of the board of trustees — sometimes working independently, sometimes working with, but never working under other agencies.

Without this local level of government, I fear for our future. To that end, I would appreciate support from my friends and community in this year’s election for another term representing them as a town trustee. 

DIANE E. McNALLY

Rights and Traditions

Springs

July 2, 2017

Dear Editor, 

As I happily drive along the Napeague oceanfront to meet with my family and friends for a day at the beach, I am grateful for our East Hampton Town Trustees. They, along with the town board, CfAR, and other supporters, have ensured the citizens of East Hampton will have access to our beaches. They have also saved several other oceanfront beaches, which were named in a lawsuit brought by landowners wanting to privatize the beach for themselves. Their intent was to prohibit town residents from their right to access, use, and enjoy these beaches we have always treasured.

The East Hampton Town Trustees have governed since the Nichols (1666) and Dongan (1686) Patents were written. The trustees were our first governmental body in East Hampton. They were and are authorized to preserve, protect, and defend our rights to land grants from those patents. The people were given the right to hunt, fish, hawk, and those things which would allow a colony to succeed. These patents also contain liberties and freedoms which were the seeds of our Constitution.

I am chagrined to hear some of the incumbent members of the current board who are willing to give up possession of trustee lands, i.e., trustee roads and trails in the woods. Their reason is that they do not want to be bothered with maintenance and the stated “they don’t go anywhere.” I do not want to see one inch of our community property given away because it’s bothersome! We are continuing to grow as more people settle in our area. These properties may have significant importance and value in the future.

I can only hope the candidates seeking a seat on this board (and even a few incumbents) take the time to learn the history and purpose of this governmental agency. These board members represent the people of East Hampton and their rights to these lands, beaches, roads, bay bottoms, and bluffs. I hope they learn what rights they protect and what properties they do own. I hope they do not give away local rule. I hope they can stand and fight and not be intimidated.

We are fortunate to have an experienced and knowledgeable sitting board member who has done all this. I will be supporting Diane McNally, the first woman clerk of the trustees, who has spent nearly 30 years fighting to keep the grants intact and has stood firmly for our rights and traditions. I hope, dear readers, you will support her also.

MARGERY COURTNEY

President’s Behavior

Amagansett

June 28, 2017

Dear David,

Like many (read most) other people, I am often (read usually) mystified (read horrified) by the actions of the president of the United States, which seem utterly mysterious (read dangerous).

Recently, in “Seven Brief Lessons on Physics” by Carlo Rovelli, I came upon as good an explanation of the president’s behavior as I am ever likely to find. It is based on a theory in quantum mechanics called the standard model of elementary particles.

To underscore my point, I have used some editorial license in replacing the “standard model” theory with a name invented by Trump’s first wife, Ivana: the Donald.

“Despite the long series of successful experiments, the Donald has never been taken entirely seriously . . . (he) looks, at least at first sight, piecemeal and patched together. (He’s) made up of various pieces and equations assembled without clear order. A certain number of fields (but why these, exactly?) interacting among themselves with certain forces (but why these forces?) each determined by certain constants (but why precisely these values?) showing certain symmetries (but again, why these?). . . .”

“The very way in which the equations of the Donald make predictions about the world is also absurdly convoluted. Used directly, these equations lead to nonsensical predictions where each calculated quantity turns out to be infinitely large. To get meaningful results, it is necessary to imagine that the parameters entering into them are themselves infinitely large, in order to counterbalance the absurd results and make them reasonable. This convoluted and baroque procedure is given the technical term ‘renormalization.’ . . .  ”

“The greatest scientist of the 20th century after Einstein, Paul Dirac . . . repeatedly expressed his dissatisfaction at this state of things, concluding that ‘we have not yet solved the problem.’ ”

All the best,

JOANIE McDONELL

Trump-No-Care

Springs

June 28, 2017

To the Editor:

Congressman Lee Zeldin supports Trump-no-care. Do you?

LARRY S. SMITH

Offshore Oil

Springs

July 3, 2017

To the Editor,

The president recently signed an executive order directing a review of locations available for offshore oil and gas exploration, with an eye toward opening currently off-limit areas in the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans to drilling. Bipartisan groups of legislators up and down the Eastern Seaboard have responded, sending letters to Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, imploring the administration to abandon these efforts. Opening the Atlantic to seismic testing and drilling threatens our fishing communities, coastal businesses, and the quality of life that everyone here enjoys.

The 45-day public comment period for the 2019-2024 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program ends Aug. 17. Go to regulations. gov and make your voice heard.

Sincerely, 

CAROL DEISTLER

Cornerstones

East Hampton

June 30, 2017

To the Editor:

On June 23, the East Hampton Town Senior Center celebrated the lives of all its participants over the age of 90. Families and friends joined 26 men and women from our community who have the good fortune to have lived long, meaningful lives, many of whom are originally from East Hampton, Amagansett, and Sag Harbor. The staff of the center did an outstanding job to make this happy occasion a day to be remembered for everyone involved. 

Special thanks to Deputy Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc, who was wonderful as the master of ceremonies; Councilwoman Sylvia Overby, who was warmly welcomed by many participants who have known her for many, many years; Michelle Posillico, the program supervisor, who makes every day a special occasion for center participants, and Durell Godfrey, photographer for The Star, who always gets the best shots of the center’s lively seniors.

When this week’s Star arrived at the senior center, many people quickly paged through to see Durell’s photographs of the celebration. Everyone was greatly disappointed not to see coverage of the event. After all, people who regularly attend the senior center are the elder cornerstones of our community. What is more important than our community’s heritage in the print edition of a normal news week? 

The Star, however, decided to cover the event online rather than in print. Clueless is the term that comes to mind; most participants at the center are not tech-dependent. While a few may have a computer at home, it is not where they regularly get their news, especially local news from The Star. Finally, the generation that was celebrated is also the generation that has kept scrapbooks of events for decades; those books do not include printouts from the internet; they are browned with age from articles found in newspapers.

Next year when men and women at the town senior center will once again be celebrated for their advanced age, I hope that the staff of The Star remembers that all of us, whether we live on Further Lane or Queens Lane, have only one thing in common: we are all aging. Moreover, fewer than 75 percent of us will reach the age of 90.

NANCY R. PEPPARD

Please Be Prepared

Springs

June 30, 2017

To the Editor:

My, my! There must be something to global warming and climate change effects after all. Severe, extreme storms. Record-breaking high tides. Torrential flooding. Record-breaking heat waves. Bernie Sanders and wife team hiring criminal lawyers anticipating corruption accusations. Senator Feinstein, judicial committee, Representative Adam Schiff, Democrats, the forever tormentors of President Donald Trump, announcing and initiating the investigation of former Attorney General Loretta Lynch for possible obstruction of justice. 

This surely to be followed by Hillary, Comey, Bill, the Clinton Foundation, and possibly Chelsea Clinton. Former F.B.I. Director Comey demanded to explain his personally leaking confidential documents to none other than The New York Times. My, my! What global warming can do! 

The Democratic National Committee to be investigated for its refusal, blocking the F.B.I. from investigating the obvious Russian hacking. Representative Debbie Wassermann Schultz, former D.N.C. chair, for rigging the Democratic primaries and screwing Bernie Sanders. And — are you ready — there are soundings from both sides of the isle to discuss, seek an explanation, from President Obama about possible negligence of the obviously ongoing Russian hacking during his term, and deceiving the nation in mid-2016 on television by explaining, trying to convince us, how ridiculous it is to believe that our foolproof, impregnable election system can be compromised. “Impossible.”   Sarcastically advising candidate Trump to stop “whining” and go back to the election campaign. Dereliction of duty? Obstruction? 

The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision for President Trump’s immigration ban and several cases for freedom of religion. CNN repenting about their fake news, firing three journalists, and promising to watch their act from now on. Republicans winning all cases in the Supreme Court, five in a row, up till now.

And yes, this drastic climate change, confirmed that it is the cause of the activation, rumblings in the dormant ominous volcano’s range of Hillary’s uranium bonus to Russia, Bill Clinton’s Russian speeches rewards, and the Russian donations to the Clinton Foundation. There is an awakening there. The horizon looks ominous, threatening black indeed. Calling Noah! Noah, where are you! Noah! Please be prepared!

EDWARD A. WAGSCHAL