Letters to The Editor 10.08.15

Stay Out of the Shoulder

Amagansett

October 2, 2015

To the Editor,

Without initiating a debate about the desirability (if not necessity) of the “courtesy left,” might I suggest that the “arrogant shoulder pass” is a far more serious and potentially dangerous maneuver that appears to have become socially acceptable despite its illegality and potential to cause a variety of problems.

Is it really so difficult to wait — seconds, not minutes — for a driver ahead of you to complete a left turn against traffic, as opposed to snapping a vehicle into the right shoulder without regard to runners, walkers, bikers, parked cars — and accelerating by on the right shoulder of the road? Add “idiotic” to the description when the third car back feels compelled to create a new lane of traffic in the shoulder without any idea what lies ahead or how to rejoin the road if the turn clears before the stopped traffic clears.

You all seem willing to wait longer for a cup of coffee at Jack’s; why can’t you stay out of the bike lane-shoulder?

BILL OHLEMEYER



On Route 114

East Hampton

October 4, 2015

Dear David,



Almost every time I drive on Route 114, there’s a car tailgating me. And it makes me nervous. The cars are too close to me and could rear-end me. Or make me drive erratically. And this happens all the time.

I think there are several reasons why this is happening. First, there are fewer truly local roads in East Hampton. People work in East Hampton but live midisland, so the roads are filled with cars commuting and hurrying back to their offices or homes, especially on Route 114 and Montauk Highway. And on the weekends, people are hurrying to get home after driving out from the city. On 114, the cars drive way over the posted limits. So anyone driving at the speed limit is going to be tailgated.

Second, I hardly ever see a police car on Route 114. And without any penalties, and fear of a speeding ticket, there’s no fear of tailgating as a way to push the car ahead to go faster. And that’s dangerous. I think there should be a police presence on 114 and Montauk Highway every day during rush hours, especially between the hours of 3 and 5 p.m. That’s when workers are rushing to get to their offices, or just home.

Third, there is no passing lane on Route 114, so speeders have no legal way to get ahead of slow drivers. So they tailgate, which is illegal. The town should hire retired police to fill out the force when needed. They could even place empty police cars next to roads. That may be enough to slow down speeders. Also, cameras that can judge speeders would be helpful.

The intersection of 114 and Stephen Hand’s Path is particularly dangerous. And on Montauk Highway at the intersection near the post office.

I hear more and more sirens when I’m standing anywhere in the village. I’m assuming ambulances and police are responding to accidents. I think better enforcement and stiffer penalties could prevent many accidents and make driving in our area safer and more pleasant.

Sincerely,

LARRY SPECTOR

Harry and Snowman

East Hampton

October 5, 2015

Dear David, As an alumna of the Knox School, located in St. James, Long Island, I want to thank Jack Graves for his very fine article “Harry de Leyer Is Back in the Saddle,” Oct. 1, 2015.

Over the years I have thought of Harry de Leyer as a special human being, in that he saved Snowman from the slaughterhouse. Snowman gave many years of happiness and enabled many the Knox School to win many ribbons, including numerous blue ribbons.

Both Snowman and Mr. de Leyer brought many accolades to The Knox School, especially in 1958, when, under the training of Mr. de Leyer, Snowman was the champion at Madison Square Garden.

I am pleased to read in Mr. Graves’s article that the documentary “Harry and Snowman” will be screened this week at the Hamptons International Film Festival.

Harry de Leyer not only got a bargain, paying $60 for Snowman at auction in New Holland, Pa., he received a champion.

While at the Knox School, because of his fine reputation for his horseback riding program, Harry de Leyer attracted many students to the school, both nationally and internationally.

Thank you, Harry de Leyer.

ELIZABETH VOGT ROSSUCK

Community Aquaculture

Hampton Bays

October 3, 2015

Dear David,

Thank you for the endorsement last week for eeSEED, the proposed oystergrowing program which your editorial called a “good project.” It is. This offers folks in East Hampton a chance to launch a community aquaculture garden in the waters off Three Mile Harbor Road. At a time when we are watching the surging interest in farm-to-table and dock-to-dish efforts on the East End, this pilot project seems perfect.

I want to give a shout-out, though, to the unique East Hampton Shellfish Hatchery out in Montauk at Fort Pond Bay. Your editorial stated the juvenile oysters would be provided by Cornell Cooperative and their successful SPAT program (Southold Project in Aquaculture Training). This is an East Hampton town project from the start to when they are slurped down. The spat and seed oysters will be from the East Hampton town hatchery.

I became a fan of the hatchery as a Springs School fifth-grade teacher who partnered with the Group for the East End’s TERN program. The curriculum hooks students on learning about our natural ecosystems, and I happily learned right along with my students. Every May we’d pile onto buses and climb to the top of the historic Montauk Light before heading over to the town’s hatchery for a magical afternoon. There we’d meet up with both Frank Quevedo (now executive director of SoFO, the South Fork Natural History Museum) and Barley Dunne. They’d explain and show samples of each step in the process to return approximately 15 million oysters to the waters of East Hampton Town every year. That began in 2006 and is going strong. This field trip became the capstone of our yearlong immersion in studying our local ecology. Every one of us, young and old, was totally engaged, thanks to the knowledge and dedication of these marine educators.

I met Dr. Scarlett Magda, a veterinarian and the project’s catalyst, while birdwatching this summer. We chatted and I learned of this proposal and signed on right away. This is a movement that is spreading. The SPAT program originated up in Peconic Bay 14 years ago. Shinnecock Bay has a project with shellfish farming going on now, in partnership with Stony Brook’s marine science department. Moriches Bay launched a Save the Bay project this May where 50,000 oysters were deposited to grow in western Southampton Town. It is exciting and encouraging to witness this.

I’m still amazed to know that each oyster, once they are edible-size at around 18 months old, will help us improve the quality of the water by filtering two gallons of water per hour. They help us and they are delicious to eat. Many species of shellfish are filter-feeders, but the oysters are the champs.

At the core of the proposed eeSEED pilot project for East Hampton is education for all involved. Participants will learn from Barley at the hatchery and with Frank at SoFO. The time seems right to share the knowledge of shellfish growing. This is a movement that should catch on as a community “marine” garden.

IRENE TULLY

Free Milkweed Seeds

Minneapolis, Minn.

October 3, 2015

Hi David,

Two years ago, my wife, Ann, and I started a foundation in Minneapolis, to try to save the Monarch butterfly. The foundation is SaveOurMonarchs Foundation, devoted to saving Monarchs by planting milkweed seeds.

So now SaveOurMonarchs.org offers free milkweed seeds to anyone. You can just send your request for seeds to SaveOurMonarchs.org and click on Get Seeds.

We provide more information at Facebook.com/SaveOurMonarchs or SaveOurMonarchs.org. Those who order the seeds will receive them immediately.

No milkweed, no monarchs!

WARD JOHNSON

Doesn’t Need Fixing

Amagansett

October 4, 2015

Dear David:

The Oct. 1 edition of The Star reported that a group calling itself the East End New Leaders advocates reducing the size of the RECenter’s gym in order to add television sets, blackboards, chalkboards, and game tables, all in the alleged interest of improving the lives of their children and others.

Do the “New Leaders” believe that their children would benefit from watching more television? Or playing more board games? Or that the local schools’ art programs are deficient, and need to be supplemented by the RECenter? Or, if the suggested changes were made, would the children come?

I don’t challenge the integrity of the“New Leaders,” but I do question their qualifications. I have, however, no doubt as to the competence of Glenn Vickers, the director of the center. It is his task to manage the RECenter, and if changes are necessary, he will initiate them.

In the interest of full disclosure, I use the RECenter on a daily basis. In my opinion, it works and doesn’t need fixing.

SIDNEY B. SILVERMAN

A Meal to Die For

Sag Harbor

October 5, 2015

To the Editor,

According to Webster’s Dictionary, tithing is giving a tenth of one’s income to the church.

For over 50 years, I worshipped the almighty dollar. I spent eight to 10 hours a day, seven days a week, not even taking Sundays off, working to make as much money as I possibly could.

I wanted to have a nice house to live in with a nice location. (I live on the waterfront in Sag Harbor). As a matter of fact, my waterfront property was featured on the cover of The Hamptonian magazine, May 21-June 3, 2009.

I wanted to have a nice car which looked good and expensive. It looks good and is expensive. It only gets 14 miles to the gallon, but it looks good and expensive.

I wanted to eat well without having to spend too much money on food. I found out through the grapevine that the Hamptons have senior nutrition centers where you can eat like a king for a whole lot less — $15 a week. My only added expense is driving to the bank to deposit my savings from eating at the senior nutrition centers. Remember, I only get 14 miles per gallon with my gasguzzling, expensive-looking car.

Getting back to tithing, there is a church in the Hamptons that serves a meal which is so good, it’s to die for. They have been feeding me for so long for free that, although I don’t have much of a conscience, I am beginning to feel a little guilty. Can you imagine being fed a gourmet meal for free, week after week and not having to leave a tip, let alone pay for the food? Give me a break!

Because the preacher and his congregation have been so unselfishly kind and giving, I have decided to tithe my earnings from my new profession as a dogsitter to this church, which truly practices what it preaches.

RICHARD SAWYER

Move the Airport

East Hampton

October 5, 2015

Dear David Rattray,

I would like to make a modest proposal for the peaceable enjoyment of our bosky environs and the preservation of the sanity of a goodly proportion of the inhabitants thereof:

Move the airport.

This summer I urged and applauded the town board’s brawny plan to give the East End a quieter summer and then had my hopes dashed by the “temporary” injunction, so I resorted to reporting the noise on the noise complaint forms. By August, I realized I was one of the “frequent” reporters, and I was afraid my complaints would be undervalued. I asked friends and neighbors if they were making reports, and found that some were cowed by the notion that “the big money” is behind the airport/airplanes and there’s no point in making the effort.

By my count, I’ve sent 190 noise complaint forms, phone calls, and emails. At the beginning of the summer, it seemed we would have two days a week without much traffic overhead, but soon Tuesdays and Wednesdays were noisy, too. Tranquil trail walks in Wilson’s Grove amid the tall pines of the Cathedral and to Chatfield’s Hole were blighted by the hellish noise of aircraft. We stopped going to our small beach on Northwest Harbor because of flights at two to five-minute intervals. In August, banner planes belched over our yard, towing ads for Sloppy Tuna and Farrell Live the Life. (Huh? A bad sandwich and something that sounds like a food supplement?)

One July Sunday evening we couldn’t believe how many planes we heard but couldn’t see, so we stood at the airport fence from 6:30 to 7:15, losing count of the comings and goings. It was shocking to see how few people actually traveled — all that noise and fuel to carry one guy and his duffle, a couple with their little dog, a man in a suit who boarded a multi-passenger jet which ran its engines for 20 minutes while awaiting him, and finally a family of four in a small plane. The waste and inefficiency is mind-boggling.

By mid-August I was seeing more and more planes crossing directly over our house and yard. Could it be that the pilots were privy to my complaints? Eventually I came to realize they were cutting corners on their mandated flight patterns from Northwest Creek to Orient Point. Why not? They disregarded the curfew hours and altitude rules, why shouldn’t they fly anywhere with impunity?

Blessedly, we had an opportunity to go to Cape Cod for Labor Day. I’m happy to report that the soul of the Hamptons has gone to Truro for a dose of sweet simplicity, where the beaches are whiter than ours and adequate trash containers are provided and also wheelchairaccommodating mats for access to the sand. And the Provincetown airport is situated on the very edge of the land, within the National Seashore, where there is no regularly scheduled helicopter service, although plenty of Cape Air flights to multiple cities.

So here’s my proposal: move the airport out of the way. Take it to the very edge of a stretch of sandy land where it won’t bother the majority of people who don’t use it. Take it to Gardiner’s Island and provide luxury ferries to various landings. Take it to Napeague State Park and create jazzy little shuttle trains with bar cars. Take it to the Pine Barrens, where the airplanes can use the L.I.E. as a flight path. Take it to Gabreski, with access to elegant and exclusive train cars that could travel on the existing rails to and from Montauk and all stations along the way. Just take it somewhere else that isn’t surrounded by people who are losing their hair and their minds and their equanimity.

SHERRY LUKACH

Wainscott Project

East Hampton

October 4, 2015

To the Editor: Affordable housing is never a simple issue. There is always some Nimbyism, racism, lawsuits, and a lot of general negativity. But when the local politicians turn against you, it’s the kiss of death. No one questions the need for affordable housing in East Hampton. In the context of need, the Wainscott project seemed ideal. It was supported by the town housing office, the town affordable housing committee, the local Democratic committee, almost every business in Wainscott, and the hundreds of people who signed up in need of housing. The town board initiated and supported the process — until it didn’t. Walking away from a $15 million gift that would have greatly benefited the people of East Hampton.

At the Group for Good Government debate, Supervisor Cantwell said that the project would double or triple the enrollment in the Wainscott School. The same position as the Wainscott School Board, which sent out several letters estimating that the project would add 110 kids to the school and cost the school $5 million to expand. According to the supervisor, the Democratic-controlled town board no longer supports the project.

While the town board’s decision to bail on the project, in an election year, didn’t come as a surprise (they are politicians), the rationale absolutely was.

The issue of the impact of the project on the Wainscott School had been put to bed months ago. The East Hampton Planning Department analyzed the Wainscott study and concluded that 28 new kids might enter the Wainscott district, with 8 or 9 possibly attending the school. At a meeting attended by the supervisor and Councilwoman Kathee Burke-Gonzales, Dean Lucera, BOCES superintendent, explained that the school had several options of how to educate additional kids, and that they had the right to cap the number of students going to the school and tuition the rest of the kids outside the district. (The Wainscott school tuitions all children from fourth to 12th grades outside the district.) Which meant that no new children would enter the school beyond the number they capped the school at, requiring no expansion and no change to the composition of the school.

Superintendent Lucera’s statement refuted the schools board’s position and should have put the issue to rest. For the town board to use the Wainscott School as a reason to withdraw support from the project is disingenuous and demeaning toward the people of East Hampton. It would be simpler and more truthful to say that they really don’t support affordable housing in the town, and that they don’t have the intestinal fortitude to deal with the possible lawsuits that the project might generate.

The problem is further complicated because by using family size as a metric for the project the town board clearly violates the Federal Fair Housing Act and is subject to an investigation and lawsuits by New York State and the federal government. Furthermore, with the number of kids being capped, one would have to wonder if the real issue was the ethnic and social character of the new students. Everyone connected to housing was aware of this problem, yet the town board persisted.

Clearly, the interests of the Wainscott School take precedent over the needs of the town. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, the town board has come down on the side of Wainscott. Wainscott is simply too wealthy, too white, and has too many lawyers. And the town board has too little backbone.

We will probably never know why the town board bailed on the Wainscott affordable housing project, but it’s not too hard to venture a guess or two.

NEIL HAUSIG

Water Management

East Hampton

October 3, 2013

Dear David, As a young man I enjoyed diving for scallops in our local bays and harbors, pinhooking for striped bass, and bullraking hard clams. I always put a very high value on these activities, not always financially, although I was paying bills, but because I found them to be a pure form of employment and a special lifestyle.

Ultimately, I studied at Southampton College, pursing degrees in marine science and computer science. During that time, it was refreshing to go diving for bay scallops after class in late September and to be able to fill the freezer in a few hours.

Later in life, as a director of information technology for a Fortune 1000 company, I continued my passion for our local waters as a recreational fisherman and water-sports athlete, ultimately changing careers to work locally in the outdoor recreation industry.

The waters of the Peconic Bay estuary and the special chain of salt ponds along our south shore beaches are unique and magical. In support of our waters, I have been an active advocate and fundraiser for clean water on Eastern Long Island for many years.

How does one measure abundance and quality of life from year to year? For some it is the yield of their garden, for others it’s the return on their portfolio. And then there are those who look to our waters as a measure of our natural bounty. For centuries the waters of East Hampton have been the foundation of our community.

After spending over half a century on our waters, I can say with confidence that the abundance of our local marine resources has been diminished in both diversity and quantity. Local waters are facing many challenges such as road runoff, leaching septic tanks, overdevelopment, pollution from fertilizers and pesticides, and climate change.

The journey to restore clean water to our community has begun. Baseline testing of trustee waters commenced in 2013, by Dr. Gobler of Stony Brook University. The testing to date has included algae blooms, dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity, and coliform bacteria. The cost for trustee water-testing was $39,178 in 2015, with a projection for a slightly higher cost for 2016.

Baseline testing is important to the overall management of town waters and should continue. This is an important first step. We face a long road ahead with respect to clean water management, and funding from both private and government sources will be required. The ability of the trustee board to work with community groups and other governmental agencies will be an important part of the process.

We need a strategic plan for clean water and for managing our natural resources. I will work hard to develop and implement such a plan. There are many talented environmental people, academicians, and companies that are available to work on our town’s clean water initiatives. What is currently lacking on the trustee board is a strong communicator who can conduct a professional business meeting and coordinate the many aspects of future clean water management operations.

My professional background as a strategic information technology planner and my lifelong passion for our environment will provide a great service to the trustee board. Please come out and vote for me on Nov. 3.

RICK DREW

Candidate for East Hampton Town Trustee

To Endorse Rick Drew

Amagansett

September 29, 2015

Dear Mr. Rattray, I am writing this letter to endorse Rick Drew as candidate for the trustees of the town of East Hampton.

Having met and interacted with Rick on many occasions, I have been impressed by his critical thinking and evenhandedness. Rick not only thoroughly examines an issue from all sides but fairly takes into account the considerations of the parties involved. He is a person of high moral standing and freely gives of his time by volunteering for various causes.

I urge everyone to vote for Rick on either the Democratic or Independence party lines and am convinced that we could not find a better representative for the board of trustees. He will do a terrific job for his constituency.

Sincerely,

EILEEN RAFFO

Working to Stay Here

Barnes Landing

October 4, 2015

Dear David, I can’t agree more with the Sept. 24 editorial “Action Needed on Affordable Housing.” There is no way to overstate that need, and its urgency. I’m a 28-yearold local resident, I went to East Hampton High School, and I’ve since seen a heartbreaking majority of my peers move away — not because they wanted to leave this beautiful area, but because they could no longer afford to live in their own hometown.

We all know why this is happening, but no matter how the culture of greed and money may change this area’s image, the root of why people have always been drawn here remains the same. The natural beauty of our area and the history and traditions of our community make us rich in a way that transcends wealth. Now if we could only afford to stay here!

I’m running for town trustee because I care about East Hampton. I want to help protect our beauty and resources, and I have the knowledge and passion to do so. I went to college for ecology, because I had always been enthralled with the natural world growing up here in East Hampton. Every little piece of our natural and cultural diversity adds to the richness of our town.

I know everyone who runs for an office here says that “the beauty of our town inspires me to care for the environment,” but ask anyone who knows me, and they will attest to my intimate knowledge and staunch defense of nature. I worked for three years as a nature educator at the nonprofit South Fork Natural History Museum to put my passion to use educating and sharing with others the true depth of our natural beauty.

When I first returned from college I found a community that had become practically unlivable for its own residents. I, like many young locals, had to live in my parents’ house for years before I was lucky enough to find a year-round rental that I could afford, and it sure isn’t my dream home. I could have left, I could have moved to Massachusetts like my brother, to California like some friends have, or to Brooklyn, but I chose to stay here and protect the community that raised me, to fight this good fight and work to keep this town our own.

There are more people like me who are working against all odds to stay here. We should do everything we can, use every tool we can craft, and take every opportunity to offer locals a way to continue our way of life and keep our community intact.

One place where the trustees can make a difference in housing issues is Lazy Point, traditionally an area where people could go who couldn’t live elsewhere. Just because the prices of local properties have skyrocketed doesn’t mean the trustees should raise their Lazy Point lease fees to match, especially when the residents there already deal with the drawbacks of living on public land. Here is an opportunity to preserve a traditional aspect of our local community, and I don’t condone taking the risk of pricing locals out of that area.

There are possibilities for solving this problem, and they are various, while sometimes contentious. The closing phrase of your editorial on housing sums it up: “Everything should be open for discussion.” While it can take time to implement solutions, our current town board has been proactively and creatively addressing this urgent crisis, and I commend their work.

Sylvia Overby has been a leader on affordable housing, and her push to accommodate affordable apartments above businesses in L.B.O. districts is a great example of developing a creative and multifaceted solution. Her chainstore legislation also helps to preserve our community character while keeping money in local pockets. She deserves reelection, along with Peter and Larry.

Other politicians are assisting with creative solutions. Fred Thiele’s plan for a C.P.F.-style tax to provide financial benefits for local house-buyers is another positive contribution to our toolbox. Buying is only half the problem though; young locals need to be able to rent affordably while saving up to eventually buy. Other solutions implementing a similar tax may have to be developed to tackle all aspects of the issue. We must find a way to assist locals in finding yearround rentals, and discourage landlords from kicking out tenants to rent for a lucrative summer. Perhaps a sort of incentive program for landlords to provide year-round rentals over seasonal ones could be developed.

Whatever we do, we must act fast to save our community. I’m well suited for trustee, and my focus there is our environment, but I believe the future of our environment depends on our community remaining intact. It takes the cooperation of many to protect this town, and I hope that my candidacy and election will motivate others in my generation to stay if possible, and to stand up for the community that raised us. I hope I have not just your vote, but your passionate support and assistance in keeping this town our town.

TYLER ARMSTRONG

Lazy Point Leases

Springs

September 30, 2015

Dear Mr. Rattray, Last week’s editorial regarding the necessity for affordable housing in our town was absolutely on point: Without real assistance, working families and their children will ultimately be unable to live here. Ironically, this is not a new problem for East Hampton, as was pointed out by Stuart Vorpahl at last Tuesday’s trustee meeting.

Mr. Vorpahl, a longtime former clerk of the trustees and a renowned town historian, pointed out to the meeting that Lazy Point was in fact established as an affordable alternative to East Hampton’s housing prices, a place where people unable to pay for regular market rate housing could reasonably lease a small piece of publicly owned land, and “throw up a shanty.” The tenant then had the ability to continue to live where their livelihood in fishing, farming, or whatever was located.

Mr. Vorpahl decried the change evident in the Lazy Point community, where formerly well-understood simple rules and simple homes have now become complicated and contentious pieces of investment property for some privileged few, some of whom have multiple homes in town and elsewhere.

One Lazy Point resident decried the lack of a market for Lazy Point homes, blaming the trustees for creating uncertainty since the leases there are from year to year, as they have always been and were when his home was purchased, and because the ridiculously low rents for their lots have been raised, although not close to market rates for waterfront or waterview property in our town. In fact, who among the rest of us wouldn’t like a virtually guaranteed lease to a quarter-acre or more of such property for less than about the monthly price of a 100-square-foot storage unit, notwithstanding paying town property taxes Amagansett rates on their structures?

Some of the Lazy Point residents rudely accused the trustees of a “reign of terror,” for creating “uncertainty,” so that no one will buy their houses. Someone certainly would, if the price were right. Asking prices that value an annual lease as if it were the land itself is silly. Moreover, as the trustees appropriately seek to ensure that the public at large receives the full measure of its property value, there would certainly be market reluctance to gamble on what the actual leasehold might cost. Not to be cynical, but if you can’t sell your house, you could buy a lot elsewhere in town and move it off public property. It’s your house, but it’s on our land. Obviously, not everyone at Lazy Point could afford to do that, or would want to even if they could. It’s a lovely spot.

The trustees have said they understand that, and have consistently recognized real hardship among their tenants. In fact, the trustees have when necessary reduced lease fees to Lazy Point residents who could not afford to pay because of some financial hardship. After all, as Mr. Vorpahl pointed out, Lazy Point was set up as refuge housing of last resort for town residents, not just another enclave within the fabled resort we call home.

In any event, it is the trustees’ — our elected, legally established stewards — collective responsibility to decide what to do about Lazy Point leases on behalf of the property owners — the rest of us. Tenants don’t dictate terms to landlords in the real world, however long the negotiation. Watch the meeting on LTV.

IRA BAROCAS

Against Leaseholders

Amagansett

October 5, 2015

Dear Editor, I just finished reading the letter on the annual Big Clam Contest written by Deborah Klughers, a current East Hampton Town Trustee and a candidate for re-election. It was an informative letter about the contest, and at the bottom contained a plug for her continued presence on the trustee board. Ms. Klughers cites her educational background in marine science and how she’ll use that, along with “a good deal of common sense,” to do a fine job.

Anyone who has been to a trustee meeting over the past year has seen her “common sense” on vivid display. The trustees have been in a very tension-filled dialogue with the Lazy Point leaseholders over a variety of issues involving their one-year leases. Ms. Klughers, along with a few cohorts, has in the recent past dropped numbers that suggested raising the leases 1,100 percent and 300 percent. Earlier this year the lease was eventually raised 10 percent, but not because of her good common sense. Ms. Klughers has conducted a vendetta against the leaseholders, often stating that they “are not paying their fair share.”

Lazy Point leaseholders pay an annual lease fee, plus real estate taxes on their homes. The Lazy Point Neighborhood Association undertook a comprehensive study using town tax rolls and put together a document that showed that all 50 leaseholders were paying their fair share and more when compared to property owners in the nearby surrounding areas. In fact, some were paying over twice the amount for equivalent homes in the areas where homeowners owned the land.

Either Ms. Klughers has not read the document given to the trustees, or does not comprehend the information presented in the report. The past few months have seen progress between the trustees and the neighborhood association, and a vote on the matter nears. But, at the last trustee meeting on Sept. 22, Ms. Klughers could not refrain from her obstructionist, hostile histrionics. She suggested that all Lazy Point leasedland homes should be reassessed (reassessment of only a part of a town is illegal in New York State). She laboriously pored over lease conditions that have been in existence for years and on which she had previously voted every year.

Another diatribe occurred after Mr. Barocas of Springs questioned the fair value of Lazy Point properties. Was this scenario set up in advance? After all, they are close friends. Both of them live in Springs, where school taxes are much higher than Amagansett. If they are sick of their high taxes, why don’t they sell their homes and buy one in Lazy Point, which is in the less expensive Amagansett School District? Even some of the other four trustees present commented about Ms. Klughers trying to set things back to the beginning after all the hard work and negotiations to forge an agreement.

A letter to The Star last week by Diana Walker remarked on the conduct at the trustee meeting on Sept. 22, which she had attended: “Beware of who you vote for, some of them are nuts.” I’ll leave it to the reader to guess who she was referring to. It’s telling that of the nine Democratic trustee candidates, six of them were endorsed by the Independence Party — Ms. Klughers, along with Zach Cohen and Tyler Armstrong, were left out. Why was that? Are there hidden issues with these three candidates?

When Election Day rolls around in a few weeks, the voters have to stop running down a party line and put some thought into the voting process. There are 18 trustee candidates. Vote for the best nine, no matter what the party affiliation. The residents of East Hampton, now and in future generations, deserve thoughtful representation from their elected officials. Let’s vote out obstructionism and hostility. Elect a trustee board comprised of people who know how to collaborate, solve problems, and actually attend trustee meetings.

For the record, I am not a Lazy Point leaseholder.

BOB FELDI

Trustee Job-Gate

East Hampton

October 5, 2015

Dear David,

Have you seen the latest trustee meeting on LTV? It was amazing.Oneperson held the group hostage while they droned on about wanting a 4-percent rent increase from houses on Lazy Point. Nobody seemed to agree. And the chairperson, who earns a six-figure salary (thanks to Wilkinson), didn’t even lift her head to guide, participate, bring to a vote, or end the endless discussion. She just kept writing in her notebook. Where is the leadership? Where is the sense of accomplishment? Nowhere to be found.

And now a new trustee job-gate scandal. Everyone who works takes days off for sickness or a vacation. Some of the trustees just come to as many of the meetings as they care to, some missing up to a half of the meetings held in a year. And we’re paying their salaries of up to $600 per month (for only two meetings per). Presumably their checks are mailed to them no matter how many meetings they miss. Shouldn’t there be a standard for attendance and a deduction taken for meetings that are missed? Ms. McNally, the $100K leader, is actually quoted in The Star as saying, “I think that’s something perhaps I need to step up my own game on — to say ‘let’s get here.’ ”

For too long the trustees have been known for their hostility towards the town board, disrespect toward the public, and now for allowing elected trustees to decide when to participate. There appears to be ineffective leadership and a real lack of responsibility. How can the public elect those who are usually absent when we cannot actually hear them at work?

It’s time for new leadership and new trustees. The Democrats are offering a group of fine people to step in and share their experience on the waters, their study of the beaches, their knowledge, and their strong interest in the positions. Vote Democratic.

NAOMI SALZ

Attendance Problem

Amagansett

October 4, 2015

Dear David,

Christopher Walsh, the tireless town trustee reporter, did an excellent job in his front-page story “Trustees Miss Meetings.” Lately there have only been five of the nine trustees attending the bimonthly trustee meetings.

Since there seems to be an attendance problem at meetings, the trustee clerk should be addressing the issue directly; that’s leadership. Trustees who miss meetings should be contacted, and if meetings aren’t attended there should be a written explanation to the rest of the board and residents for why so many meetings have been missed. The trustee clerk has usually defended their absence rather than addressed it.

As a volunteer trustee-board watcher and Democratic, Independence, and Working Families candidate for the trustee board, I can see many of the changes that are necessary for the better functioning of this board. The trustee clerk should be preparing a handbook for elected trustees so they better understand the duties and responsibilities of being on the board.

Nat Miller has been on the trustee board for four years and Stephanie Forsberg for eight years. Shouldn’t they understand the attendance expectations for a trustee? If you aren’t present how do you deal with important issues before the town?

Trustees have many challenges to face and are responsible to the constituents they are elected to serve. They must be tireless advocates for improving water quality, not just testing the water; coastal erosion, not just tagging fences on the beaches; getting input from all that are elected to the office, not just the word of the trustee clerk. Establishing meeting rules and regulations should be the first order of business for a new trustee board.

RONA KLOPMAN

Introducing Rick

Amagansett

October 5, 2015

Dear Mr. Rattray: It has been our pleasure to be neighbors with Rick Drew, currently running on both the Democratic and Independence tickets for town trustee, for over 25 years. His younger daughter is the same age as our granddaughter, playing and swimming together over the years.

Rick is not only the patriarch of a fine family, he is a reasonable person, honest, dependable, intelligent, knowledgeable, loyal, well-read, and a lifelong outdoorsman. He has devoted a good portion of his life’s activity to the environment we so gratefully share.

We humbly ask your support in introducing Rick to the people of East Hampton not so fortunate as we are in knowing what a wonderful representative Rick would be for our public waters and each/all of us.

Sincerely,

MARGARET MARY A. VIRGADAMO

PAUL T. VIRGADAMO

Pond Is Suffocating

East Hampton

October 4, 2015

Dear David,

Georgica Pond is suffocating from a freshwater cyanobacteria algae bloom. The Republican trustees refused an early opening of the pond to the ocean. Salt water will kill it and wash the dead residue out to sea. My crab net is beginning to look like an ornament. Dem/Indy trustees will work for the people.

PAT MANSIR



Georgica Pond remains closed to crabbing, shellfishing, and fishing. Ed.

Water Quality Projects

East Hampton

October 5, 2015

Dear David, I read with interest your editorial “Massive Water Plan Sidesteps Priorities.” As a member of the committee appointed by the mayor to review the water quality issues of both Hook and Town Ponds, I can assure you that 1) Lombardo and Associates has done exactly what they have been tasked to do, and 2) during the consultant selection process, the village board made it clear that they were not seeking a “turnkey solution”; rather, they were seeking expert research and ideas how to solve the water quality problems that face the village. Any remediation that the village undertakes would likely be put out to competitive bid. And all of the proposed undertakings would certainly reduce pollution in the groundwater that eventually filters to our drinking water aquifer. So drinking water would be protected.

There are big differences between Town and Hook Ponds compared to Georgica, and vast differences between the ponds and Accabonac Harbor and Lake Montauk, so the remedies will likely be different for each.

So, David, how would you prioritize water quality projects in the village?

ARTHUR S. GRAHAM

Hook and Town Ponds

East Hampton

October 8, 2015

Dear Editor: I feel compelled to respond to your editorial “Massive Water Plan Sidesteps Priorities.” The village takes the issue of water quality very seriously and remains committed to finding solutions that will address the problems that plague Hook and Town Ponds and their extensive watersheds.

East Hampton Village and the Hook Pond Committee have worked hard for 18 months with its consultant to develop plans that can work together and improve water quality. The committee was made up of members from the environmental community, the town’s Natural Resources Department, town trustees, and Hook Pond property owners.

The appearance of blue-green algae a few weeks ago further highlights the need for action on the part of the village. We have submitted applications for grants to New York State and Suffolk County, where we have already been successful in securing money. Although it is encouraging that these governments have appropriated more money to water quality grants in recent years, this only heightens the competition among municipalities all over Long Island for grants.

Assemblyman Thiele and Senator LaValle have decided to allow local governments to use funds from the successful community preservation fund for water quality programs. Hopefully, this capability will be approved by voters in a succeeding referendum. Such an additional funding mechanism would prove crucial to helping towns and villages implement expensive water quality projects. This is also why New York State allows villages, under State Village Law, to create water quality districts to help offset the long-term financial costs of certain water quality systems and projects that will improve our village watersheds.

The health of Hook and Town Ponds is important to East Hampton Village. That stated, we remain steadfast in continuing to work diligently for our residents in this issue.

Sincerely yours,

PAUL F. RICKENBACH JR. 

Mayor

To Drink the Water

Springs

October 5, 2015

Dear David,

I attended the C.C.O.M. forum on Saturday that discussed water quality, although the topic was supposed to be about the future of Montauk in 2050. However, there is no future for anyone, anywhere on the East End, if we cannot drink the water. What we have, no matter where we live, is valueless without the ability to drink the water. It really is as simple as that.

The discussion between East Hampton Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone was encouraging, but it will not happen overnight, and there will be many aspects and steps to be taken that must come together to ensure the future.

One of them is a rental registry. Just think of that house in your neighborhood, which used to be occupied by a family, or maybe a couple, or maybe just a single person, and suddenly, for reasons not always evident, there are a multiple of cars and the comings and goings of many people. If septic systems, and even brand-new ones, are obsolete and the root of our problems, as they don’t mitigate the nitrogen present in urine, imagine what is happening now with how many more times the toilet is being flushed. And then there showers, dishwashers, and washing machines being run more frequently than when there was a single family, couple, and/or a person residing in that house. Disaster!

Single-family residences are meant to be just that. That is what they are designed to be.

A rental registry is a tool that will help the code enforcement officer do his/her job more efficiently. Isn’t that what we all want? And the proposed new law is easy, and not intrusive, so all who rent can continue to do that just that. It’s a first step on the road to cleaning up our endangered water system that lies just under our feet in the sole-source aquifer.

Think about more than your self-interest, ’cause really, this is your self-interest. Support the new rental registry law to ensure the survival of East Hampton!

Sincerely,

PHYLLIS ITALIANO

My Critiques

Springs

October 4, 2015

To the Editor: At the debate hosted by the Springs Citizens Advisory Committee on Sept. 28, the Democratic council candidates offered critiques of my oft-stated positions on beach access and the community preservation fund. I appreciate the opportunity to address their remarks.

Sylvia Overby opined that since my suggested increase in the $250,000 C.P.F. exemption to $500,000 “would also benefit the rich,” she was opposed to it. In other words, $5,000 in savings to all buyers should be forgone, because not everyone was properly deserving of this benefit. Never mind that the $5,000 saved would mean much more to the less affluent, or that she supports a regressive taxing of the working people of the town.

I restate my position: Increase the exemption to the C.P.F. to help enable transactions for working people.

Peter Van Scoyoc offered that my critiques of the failure to provide public beach access at Dolphin Drive were incorrect because there is already sufficient public parking. Where? In multiple bites at the apple, his town board has flubbed on this issue. When they placed this 37-acre, $8 million South Flora parcel in preserve status, they failed to provide for any access whatsoever. When then called upon to provide parking for usage of this 1,700 feet of beachfront, they banned any new parking.

The public at large should have been considered when this town board gave away the usage of $8 million of oceanfront.

Debates are useful in clarifying the positions of all candidates. I offer the above for that purpose. I want to thank the Springs Citizens Advisory Committee for their caring effort to allow all of us to present our ideas.

TOM KNOBEL

Candidate for Supervisor

Future of Our Town

East Hampton

September 29, 2015

To the Editor,

Dear East Hampton: Now that the summer’s over I think it is time for a talk. We’ve been sold out over the years, and we have gotten to a point where we must address it. Politicians have run our community into the ground on the promise of being “pro-business” by eliminating burdensome regulations. We now accept that this rhetoric is dangerous to our community.

“Pro-business” is code for policies that strip away local control over our town.

Leaving out the discussion of the negative impacts of laissez-faire economics on the United States at large, small towns do not benefit from a lax regulatory culture. This is especially true of vacation destinations like our town.

What inevitably happens when the rules governing development and commercialism are relaxed? The extremely wealthy and big companies benefit at the expense of everyone else. We’ve seen it right here: The homes are bought up, and used for three months out of the year. Non-local businesses set up shop in the summers, kill off their local competitors, and close down in the off-seasons, leaving us with empty storefronts. And of course, like clockwork, every year our community shrinks.

The end result is a steady rise in the cost of living for those who do remain. The year-round local population consolidates into fewer and fewer areas with already high population density, resulting in tax increases due to school tax.

The only industry that survives is the service industry. However, even those businesses have a hard time keeping year-round employees and staying afloat in the winter. It is getting to a point where nobody with less than $1 million in the bank can afford the cost of living — and that is especially difficult to swallow for those of us who grew up and have roots here.

That’s what’s at stake here: the future of our town. Unchecked commercial development is destroying East Hampton. We cannibalize ourselves when we cater to big business interests at the expense of our community. That’s why issues like the Y.M.C.A. running a for-profit gym out of the RECenter instead of having a place for our kids, the airport seeking to expand to allow for larger and larger and commercial aircraft, Uber skirting taxi laws and exploiting the seasonal market, and of course the explosion of the party scene in Montauk, matter.

Instead of measuring ourselves by how friendly we are to outside business and seasonal residents, we instead should ask how we have looked after the year-round community. Fifty-five percent of the homes in East Hampton are second homes. I cannot be the only one who feels they should not get priority over only homes.

This November election is right around the corner, and I see ads with the old familiar anti-regulation/anti-local control rhetoric.

I don’t know how bad summers have to get for some residents to realize what’s happening. The Republicans and recent Independence candidate, Lisa Mulhern-Larsen, have relied heavily on this “pro-business” rhetoric, while pushing for the expansion of the airport via the acceptance of F.A.A. funds. These politicians have all the foresight of Elmer Fudd.

The biggest deterrent to getting active politically for people my age is the speed at which bad ideas are accepted and turned into policy, while good ideas suffer from a lack of political will.

There are issues that get swept under the rug during an election, but are as necessary to our community as any: our large Latino population is underrepresented in government, we desperately need affordable housing, a cell tower was built in Springs without voter approval, and finally, we must unify our school districts to reduce taxes on the year-round population, but we can’t because of the bureaucratic nightmare that would entail.

The East End New Leaders seeks to change the conversation in order to revive the community on the East End by mobilizing the underserved communities and young people to fight for the heart of our town. We remember Main Street.

Sincerely,

WALKER BRAGMAN

Remember History

Amagansett

October 4, 2015

Dear Editor; I couldn’t help but laugh as I opened The Star last week to an ad paid for by the Town Republican Committee that stated in big letters “It’s Time to Take Back East Hampton.” I laughed because I thought, does the Republican committee have short memories of the past Wilkinson team, who seemed to try to sell everything? I was reminded of a quote: “If we don’t learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it.” So I tried to remember history, and wondered where were the voices of Tom Knobel, Margaret Turner, and Lisa MulhernLarsen at the time. I don’t remember hearing one of them opposing what the Wilkinson team tried to do, or defend how they treated people.

The first fiasco was the Wilkinson team wanting to sell the fishing docks, and second, selling the alleyway to the Ronjo Motel to, it seems, Chris Jones and associates, for a reason I did not quite understand. The Wilkinson team then decided it was going to sell Fort Pond House, against the wishes of many in the Montauk community.

The Wilkinson team then supported a proposal by Chris Jones and associates to hold a 3,000-people concert at the 555 property in Amagansett against the wishes of many residents, and that proposal failed but not for a lack of trying. Where were the voices of Knobel, Larsen, and Turner and the Republican committee?

The present East Hampton Town Board, including Sylvia Overby, Peter Van Scoyoc, Larry Cantwell, Fred Overton, and Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, has since purchased 555 with community preservation fund money. The building was there, and it’s better than 78 houses. The problem of the building can be solved.

It has been suggested by one of the Republican candidates, MulhernLarsen, that community preservation funds could perhaps be used for more police and code enforcement. Perhaps she should call Fred Thiele and get his opinion on that. I also remember that the situation in Montauk didn’t happen overnight. The Cantwell board is not responsible for the problem.

So it is not a question of taking back East Hampton, it is a question of fixing what the Wilkinson team left us and who can better fix it. I am voting for Sylvia Overby, Peter Van Scoyoc, and Larry Cantwell, knowing that they will do a good job.

ELAINE JONES

Chairwoman East Hampton Independence Party

Get Things Done

Springs

October 4, 2015

Dear David:

The town Democratic administration has lived up to our expectations. Two years ago they said that they would end the dysfunctional wrangling of the previous four years and get things done for the community. They’ve more than made a down payment. They increased the level of code enforcement between July 2014 and July 2015 by 36 percent in Montauk and by 130 percent in Springs, where I live. Now they have added more enforcement staff in the 2016 budget and are working to craft a rental registry law focused on helping with the enforcement process.

They clipped the wings of out-of-control nightclubs in Montauk, and minimized the possibility that Amagansett would become another East Hampton, overrun by chain stores that indelibly mar its historic small-town image. They took control of East Hampton Airport from the F.A.A. and took the first steps to reduce airport noise. All while keeping town finances in order and a cap on my taxes.

So why would we replace them now? The Republicans want to make a comeback, but what do they offer? Almost nothing but vague generalizations. And their few specifics are dangerous! Like using the C.P.F. transfer tax for anything but open space, and giving the airport back to the F.A.A.

I am for keeping the administration we now have. Please vote for Peter Van Scoyoc and Sylvia Overby on Nov. 3. We can’t take a chance on losing them. They are doing what we desperately need.

Sincerely yours,

ANITA SHELDON

Strong Leadership Team

Springs

October 5, 2015

Dear David, Running a town is complicated. Before becoming town supervisor two years ago, Larry Cantwell served as East Hampton Village administrator for 25 years. Before becoming Democratic councilpersons four years ago, Peter Van Scoyoc and Sylvia Overby served a combined total of 13 years on the town’s planning board, Sylvia chairing for four years, and Peter also served five years on the zoning board, the last as its chairman.

These three people know how to do the job. During their minority stint in the Wilkinson administration, Sylvia and Peter used their savvy to challenge the majority, saving Indian Wells Beach and town control of our airport. During the past two years in the majority, Larry, Peter, and Sylvia, with their fellow Democrat Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, have racked up a strong record of accomplishment. It includes more and better code enforcement, many fine acquisitions of open space through the C.P.F. transfer tax, and the first noise restrictions on East Hampton Airport. Others to which I attach great importance are moving an important affordable housing prototype onto the beltline and launching needed planning to improve coastal resiliency and preserve town waters. The list goes on as these people add creativity, energy, and determination to their résumés.

We can’t afford to break up our town’s strong leadership team. The Republican candidates proposing to replace Peter and Sylvia as councilpersons have no comparable experience and no new ideas. Tom Knobel, chairman of the East Hampton Town Republican Committee, is running for supervisor only to ensure his needy political party a candidate. To serve the people of our town, we must keep Cantwell, Van Scoyoc, and Overby on the job. We urge everyone to vote for all three on Nov. 3.

Sincerely,

TINA PLESSET

When We See a Fish

Amagansett

October 1, 2015

Dear David, When we see a fish, we call it a fish.

When we smell a fish, well. . . . The East End New Leaders support the young of East Hampton Town in advocating more affordable housing. The Wainscott School Board does not want an affordable housing opportunity in their hamlet. They fear the physical expansion of their teeny, tiny schoolhouse, and they fear a tax rise. The Wainscott School Board seems not to mind that their neighbors in Springs pay eight times their rate. The East End New Leaders have been asked to look upon their Wainscott friends with understanding and tolerance, but they are having a very hard time. “When we see a fish. . . .”

All good things,

DIANA WALKER

Some Accomplishments

Springs October 5, 2015

Dear David, I am a resident of Springs for 15 years, and I am strongly in favor of re-electing Larry Cantwell, Sylvia Overby, and Peter Van Scoyoc.

As far as I am concerned there is no choice. They have listened, they care about our concerns, and, more important, they have made a difference in our town by working hard and getting things done, such as a law restricting new nightclubs, a law restricting any new chain stores, a law that increases fines for town code violations, a law banning single-use plastic bags.

They acquired 150 properties that were environmentally fragile using community preservation fund money, reducing future building; reduced total town debt by $10 million their first year in office, cut $800,000 a year from the town budget by closing the scavenger waste plant, and achieved a credit upgrade. Most important of all at this time, they support a rental registry that is long overdue.

These are just some of the accomplishments so far, and there are many more to come.

Please cast your votes for Cantwell, Overby, and Van Scoyoc. Thank you.

RITA WASSERMAN

Shown a Callousness

Amagansett

October 4, 2015

Dear David, The cartoon in last week’s Star is a fitting image of the heartless and irresponsible management at PSEG and its disregard for the residents of Amagansett and East Hampton.

As a longtime Amagansett resident, I cherish my village and am proud of all those (concerned individuals, businesses, environmental organizations, and community farms) who maintain its beauty with such integrity and stewardship. PSEG is not one of those organizations.

From the very beginning, when it took over the reins from LIPA, it has shown a callousness and disregard of the communities it serves. Whether it is putting profits before the environment with its 60-foot toxic (and ugly) poles and/or placing shareholders before residents by clearing land without the proper permits, we have taken a giant step backward in preserving the beauty of the East End. Court battles have replaced promises of working with community leaders, and as the cartoon in The Star demonstrated, more gigantic poles have replaced the promised trees and shrubbery that were supposed to hide the work being done to the Amagansett substation.

For our communities that work so hard to preserve their beauty by making sure that our lands are not over-cleared and wetlands are preserved, PSEG seems to have carte blanche to alter the landscape with no regard to the environment or aesthetics.

In this election year, it would be nice to hear an outcry for more responsible corporate leadership in a community that has worked so hard to preserve its history and character.

CHARLES WELLMAN

Renewable Energy

Manorville

October 5, 2015

Dear Editor: As honorary chairman of this year’s Long Island Pine Barrens Fall Gala, to be held on Oct. 21 at the Oheka Castle in Huntington, Alec Baldwin is in a unique position to help Long Island achieve a long-desired goal: power Long Island with 100 percent renewable electricity by 2020.

In 2012, leading Long Island energy activists met and unanimously agreed to test the proposition of whether it’s possible for Long Island to be powered by clean, renewable energy by 2020. Guess what? We found that it could be done!

With two grants — one from the Rausch Foundation and the other from the Long Island Community Fund — Renewable Energy Long Island contracted with Synapse Energy Economics to study the feasibility of powering Long Island with clean electricity by 2020. Synapse’s report, “A Clean Energy Vision for Long Island” (released in September 2012 and available on the Renewable Energy Long Island website), concluded that, yes, Long Island can be powered by 100 percent renewable electricity by 2020. Incredible!

Then, in 2014, under visionary political leadership, the Town of East Hampton set a goal to meet “100 percent of community-wide electricity consumption with renewable energy sources by

the year 2020. . . .” Meanwhile, Richard Amper, execu-

tive director of the Long Island Pine Barrens Society, seems to be undermining our renewable energy effort. Amper points out the environmental issues associated with the aging Port Jeff and Northport plants, but he is silent on the many environmental challenges posed by the proposed Caithness II plant and the fact that Caithness II will undermine our renewable energy future. How can Amper be silent on the two proposals for enormous, pressurized, interstate gas pipelines that will tear a 100-footwide permanent right-of-way through acres of the pine barrens (and both the Carmans and Peconic Rivers) to feed the Caithness II plant? How can the executive director of the Long Island Pine Barrens Society allow the possible destruction of pine barrens lands with a subsequent threat to our groundwater? This is not sane!

Ross Ain, president of Caithness Long Island, has co-chaired the Pine Barrens Fall Gala for the past seven years, but Dick Amper has refused to release the amount of money that Ain and his affiliates (Caithness Energy, Caithness Long Island, and other L.L.C.s) have been donating/investing in the LI Pine Barrens Society throughout this period.

Alec Baldwin, please request, in the interest of transparency, that Dick Amper reveal these financial figures.

Mr. Ain’s unbounded greed is seen in his financing proposal for Caithness II. This fossil-fuel plant, along with the new substations and monster interstate gas transmission lines it requires, will cost ratepayers between $5 billion and $8 billion. The proposed contract is called “take-or-pay.” That means ratepayers will foot the entire bill whether or not the plant is used. All risk is shifted deviously, by Ross Ain, from Caithness II investors to the ratepayers. Ross Ain’s greedy Caithness II plan may best be described as a robbery of Long Island ratepayers, and, because we will be financially tied to this power plant for the lifetime of the contract (20-plus years), it will destroy the renewable energy future that lies within our grasp.

PSEG-LI, in probably the first-ever honest assessment of Long Island energy needs, concluded that we don’t need any new power sources until 2024. So isn’t this the perfect moment to implement our 100 percent renewable energy goal? You bet it is!

Alec Baldwin, I know you care about this issue and desire a sustainable, renewable energy future for your/our children, grandchildren, and generations to come. And let’s also protect, from fossilfuel-powered climate change, this island that we love and call home. Please do whatever you can to enlighten Dick Amper on the destructiveness of Caithness II to the pine barrens, ratepayers, and our renewable energy future, while helping him turn on Long Island’s renewable energy light!

PETER MANISCALCO

Climate Change

East Hampton

September 29, 2015

Dear David,

This week JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, and Goldman Sachs issued a joint commitment to “accelerate investment in renewable energy.” They are joining Google, Facebook, Hasbro, Nike, Coke, and dozens of other major corporations who now recognize that climate change poses a dire threat to the economy. It isn’t about polar bears anymore. It’s about feeding people.

Marissa Buchanan of JPMorgan Chase says, “We do recognize that carbon does have a cost, and it’s important that government steps up and takes the lead.”

That is where we come in. Believe it or not, in a democracy, we run the show — but only if we do our job. Last week 11 Republican members of Congress, led by Congressman Gibson of the 19th District of New York, co-sponsored a resolution in the House of Representatives recognizing that climate change is real, it is manmade, and we have an obligation to address it. This is a huge step toward ending the denial that exists almost exclusively in our elected government, when science, industry, the populace, and now the pope all acknowledge the danger that carbon emissions pose to our lives and livelihoods.

Our Republican congressman has not yet signed on to co-sponsor the Gibson resolution on climate change. There is a price to pay for a Republican to support such a resolution. Congressman Zeldin got $15,000 from the Koch brothers for his last campaign. Why should he risk that source of money from fossil fuel interests unless he knows his constituents care about the issue?

Let him know you care. Take five minutes, call his office (202-225-3826). Politely ask that he co-sponsor the Gibson resolution. A very nice person will thank you for calling.

A business fails if it has too many employees who don’t do their jobs. Democracy fails if the “demos” — the people — don’t participate. Do it now. Be counted.

DON MATHESON

Citizens Climate Lobby

Kim Davis

Noyac

October 3, 2015

To the Editor: I’m shocked and appalled that the pope would meet secretly and tell Kim Davis to “stay strong.” By this action, he was aiding and abetting a lawbreaker who is refusing to perform her functions as a public servant. If she objects to her sworn duty, she should have resigned.

Even more disturbing, why was the meeting so secret? Seems like he was trying to send mixed messages to the U.S. public. Despite the Vatican’s attempted damage control, this secret meeting bursts the bubble of goodwill he tried so hard to establish during his visit.

ED JABLONSKY

Bombing in Syria

Springs

October 3, 2015

Dear Editor,

Remember when Mitt Romney told Obama that he should be worried about Russia, and President Obama in his usual arrogant tone dismissed Romney. Well, guess what. Putin has made a total fool of our president again. Putin has aligned with Assad and is bombing the rebels that are against Assad, and the United States will draw another red line. Putin is well aware he only has 16 months to take advantage of Obama’s fantasyland. Where were you, Obama, when Putin started bombing Syria? The media is so busy asking hypothetical controversial questions of the Republican candidates that are so loaded, irrelevant, and absurd. I want to see them ask the Democrats the same stupid questions. The Democrats will never admit that under a Democratic president poverty and income inequality have become worse here, and mostly among minorities. Salaries for the working class are down. So simple, ignore some of the most important issues facing our nation. Obama has spent $500 million to hire five Syrians to fight ISIS, and the liberal media asks, “What do you think of a Muslim president?” Really? Five hundred million dollars taxpayers’ money for five fighters? What a bank account this man has.

In God and country,

BEA DERRICO

Speaking of Bernie

Sag Harbor

October 5, 2015

To the Editor.



He will rise like the ocean, he will rise.

I’m speaking of Bernie Sanders. The wind is blowing at his back, and he can no longer be ignored by the major media. He has not run any commercials, instead saving his money for a new-media blitz this winter in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Super Tuesday states. Rather than benefit from contributions through a Super Pac, Senator Sanders, who has called such fund-raising grown corrupt, has amassed a million online donations over the past five months, faster than Barack Obama did in his first groundbreaking campaign for president. Sanders can no longer be ignored by pundits who were asleep. He has raised $26 million since July, more than Obama took in for the comparable period in 2007.

Bernie has done very, very well without having to spend much money at all, relative to Hillary, said David Axelrod, a Democratic strategist who was a top advisor on Mr. Obama’s campaign. The key to his success has been attracting more than 140,000 volunteers who have registered online. Seeing the momentum grow and grow makes it a lot easier to get commitments. Both the old and the young are learning about Sanders from Facebook.

Sanders took his message of confronting inequality to Liberty University, a leading Evangelical Christian college, where he sought to build what he called common ground with students, beginning with the foundations of Christianity itself: the Bible and family values and the Golden Rule: Do unto others what you would have them do to you.

Sanders said, “I am far from a perfect human being, but I am motivated by a vision that exists in all of the great religions — in Christianity, Judaism, in Islam, Buddhism, and other religions. We don’t have to agree on everything. I myself have a Jewish background. There is a question of morality here, which often is missing in our culture of politics as usual. I believe change will only come from outside a corrupt system. Proof may lie in a government where 60 percent of the people don’t vote. That causes divisions in itself, that can lead to violence instead of peace and justice. Keep the faith. Therein is our hope for a more inclusive country and a far better future. President Obama himself has said we are the only advanced nation with repeated mass killings and guns out of control.”

I love my country and am concerned with my 6 children and 25 grandchildren. What kind of legacy are we leaving for them? Native Americans have taught us about seven generations, while we always seem to be seeking a quick fix based on money.

In peace,

LARRY DARCEY