Letters to the Editor for June 17, 2021

Missing Something
East Hampton
June 7, 2021

Dear David,

I can’t figure out for the life of me why some rich person’s custom-$33K-fireplace dilemma would be front-page news of The East Hampton Star. I had to reread the article to make sure I wasn’t missing something or a connection to a larger story — but no, there is no greater meaning here other than explaining how the wealthy complain about the mishandling of a custom home project that costs more than some people’s entire yearly income. This is absurd. There are so many important topics to be covering at this moment.

I outline a few that should be explored: The explosive increase in cost of living in this town. Locals being pushed because of such insane rent increases, the airport closure issue, worsening water quality issues due, in large part, to septic failure and excess nitrogen-loading, the future of kelp farming on the East End as a possible remedy for the above issue. These things need to be talked about to reach as many people as possible to make a real difference. Lets talk about the serious issues. Onward.

SCOTT BLUEDORN
 

Leaf-Blower Law
Springs
June 14, 2021

Dear Mr. Rattray:

I read with interest your piece in The Mast-Head in the June 10 issue. You cite the rules of the Village of East Hampton leaf blower law. In fact, the Town of East Hampton Code Chapter 155 is even more prescriptive. Some of the important points in this code that are worth understanding:

• Gas or diesel-powered leaf blowers are prohibited from May 20 to Sept. 20 of every year, whether used by a contractor or a homeowner or tenant.

• All types, including electric, are prohibited on Sundays from May 20th to September 30th of every year, no matter who operates them.

• Between Sept. 21 and May 19 of every year, gas or diesel-powered leaf blowers are prohibited before 8 a.m. and after 6 p.m. on weekdays and before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

• Between Sept. 21 and May 19 of every year, all leaf- blower use (including electric types) is prohibited on Sundays and federal or New York State holidays, unless the unit is operated by the homeowner or tenant between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Since the village is in the town, this begs the question as to whether the town code prevails on leaf blower use everywhere in the town.

Sincerely,

STEVE TERRY

 

Improving the System
North Haven
June 10, 2021

Dear David:

What’s with all the “Save Our Police” signs popping up on the roadside everywhere?

Have our police officers been kidnapped, held hostage somewhere, imprisoned by criminals? What’s the problem here in the idyllic cash-rich Hamptons, as we swiftly unleash ourselves from the bonds of Covid-19 as if that pandemic had never happened?

I had to Google the subject to find that a local internecine squabble in the elite Village of Southampton may explain these signs, although they show up well outside the village. It seems village residents are becoming aware of some village police department management problems that are similar to those elsewhere in the nation. The quality of its force is being affected by nepotism, budget squandering, and misdirected resources. One media site leaves the suggestion that the Police Benevolent Association is promoting the signs.

Is this some local version of an ignorant victim-shifting response to the recent nationwide awakening that some law enforcement departments need a closer look at management and deployment of resources? Are we seeing a local version of the tyrannical P.B.A. fighting to the extreme any effort to control costs and bad behavior?

Countrywide, some cases of supervision and accountability have been found seriously lacking. Money is being wasted, and wrongdoing goes without reprimand. Far worse, racial injustices have now become so obvious they must be resolved.

Is this a weird response to “Black lives matter,” the recent movement chant, inclusive in purpose? It does not attempt to suggest otherwise. The lives of all humanity, citizens, and professionals matter. No one [who is] sensible, except for the most hardened of bigots and racists, has suggested otherwise.

It seems that efforts to redirect resources so that public services can be more safely and effectively delivered are interpreted as a threat to the police. This must be the reason for the blitz of identical road signs distributed by some misguided agitator.

We need to care for everyone, including our police. So, let’s stop dumping all of our screwed-up social problems on them. They cannot respond to everything. Our officers cannot possibly be properly trained for all of the wide variety of situations for which the public may call for help.

Many social work agencies could better respond to nonviolent situations, leaving officers to their more traditional duties. This would be safer for everyone, including the officers.

So, let’s rethink those signs, folks.

Save our police by improving the system of training, accountability, staffing, and assignments of duty to include appropriately trained social worker professionals.

Stop the drama and just improve things.

ANTHONY CORON

 

Springs Park
East Hampton
June 9, 2021

To the Editor,

There are all kinds of opinions on whether or not we should make changes to the Springs Park. It’s been a bone of contention (no pun intended) on both Facebook and the next-door apps, especially by people who want to leave it as is. The recent committee that was formed by the town board to figure out what to do came up with a lot of suggestions, and there’s still all kinds of controversy and conflicting information on this.

I would be absolutely delighted if they carved out a fenced-in area for small dogs and I let the town supervisor know that. My three little pooches play just fine with other dogs and run happily in the small-dog park in Southampton, where there are shade, benches, and a water faucet but it’s 18 miles and 40-plus minutes away and I would like something like that close to home here in East Hampton. I know many other small dog owners would like it, too.

I stopped going to the park when I was knocked to the ground by big dogs that flew out of an overgrown area with no human supervision in sight, and my little dog was attacked by a big dog on one of those long metal leashes and survived okay because I separated the mean dog — which the owner, apologizing profusely, confessed was aggressive.

The rest of the folks insisting that everything be left as is could enjoy the 20-plus acres of the wild Springs Park as they wish, but let there be one small piece at the front near the gate and parking area set aside for small dogs’ fun and safety.

TRINA SULLIVAN

 

Consider the Impact
East Hampton
June 10, 2021

Dear Editor,

The Northwest Alliance is an organization that has looked after the area around Northwest Creek and Northwest Harbor since the early 1980s. The area we have worked to preserve and protect has suffered many challenges over the years, not least of which is the increasingly crowded use of the area for activities that traditionally are best enjoyed in isolation. One such is firearm target practice.

As you certainly know, gunshots are loud and persistent so the following might be obvious: People use the bay for running, walking, kayaking, paddleboarding, sailing, etc. Often families with children use this area as a safe alternative to the ocean. In fact, a family with a child was looking to enjoy the bay at that time of the last shooting setup. None of these activities are possible while people are shooting. Additionally, there is a great effort to look after the endangered piping plovers, hawks, and other birds, particularly during their spring nesting. Noise at this caliber and type is a sure way to disrupt their most vulnerable activity.

Unfortunately, the police have not proved to be effective in restraining excessive gunfire. For instance, May 23, a Sunday, the East Hampton police were alerted to gunfire. Within approximately 20 minutes of the call, the shooting stopped. Ten minutes after that, an officer called to report that he did not find anyone on the beach. Although the gunfire was arrested for the moment, it is not our impression that the shooters were discouraged from future target practice on our beach.

In summary, the officer’s response was surprising. Although Northwest Harbor is one of the more remote areas of East Hampton, the bay beach is increasingly widely used in all the ways listed above. It is not clear why all persons and children using the bay beaches or crossing the bay on water must clear the way to accommodate a makeshift shooting range, which is clearly unsafe and a risk to life.

We realize the Northwest Harbor bay beaches are part of a public shared nature reserve and shooting and hunting are activities that appeal to some. However, I hope the people using the bay to shoot can consider the impact on wildlife, residents, beachgoers, and bay visitors traveling the waterway and take advantage instead of the gun clubs in the area.

Sincerely,

T. JAMES MATTHEWS

Chairman

Northwest Alliance

 

Throughway for Trucks
East Hampton
June 13, 2021

Dear David,

Thank you to the town board for their unanimous agreement at the June 8, 2021, work session that our neighborhood’s petition should be heard and put forward for public comment.

Since the trestle was raised by the M.T.A. on Accabonac Road by Collins Avenue, our residential neighborhood has become a throughway for large trucks that formerly could not fit under the trestle. My parents, Karen and Bill Sturges, bought our house in 1964, and while we were always cautioned that people drove too fast on our street, we just had to get to the sidewalk. I don’t believe my mother had the misgivings I have letting my young relatives cross the street in front of our house since the trestles have been raised. Thank goodness our son is away at college. It’s positively nerve-wracking.

I know times change and things change, and it is part of life to adapt, but this neighborhood is not designed for this new traffic. Houses are very close to the narrow road, with no shoulders on either side. (My neighbor Todd made that excellent point during the public comment.)

Eventually, there will be a catastrophic event involving the death of a bicyclist, pedestrian, or child, or an overturned truck and destruction of property — or something else I can’t even imagine.

What is now called Accabonac, between Collins and Floyd, was once called Lily Hill Road (now there is an off-street on Accabonac with that name). There was an excellent column in The East Hampton Star during World War II, “Letters from Home,” in which the writer visited all the houses, walking down the road, with sons away in the war. My house was the Jasuinus’s. Barsdis was a Gold Star family. It is a vivid description (March 15, 1945).

This is a working-class neighborhood. When I was very little, our neighborhood dogs used to gang up and head over to the A&P to beg for goodies. No one on our street dares even let their dogs or cats out anymore. I get that time is over. We’ve adapted. But sacrificing our families’ safety, and peace and quiet, to benefit what? Who?

We are not 27. We are Lily Hill.

Thank you,

MORGAN VAUGHAN

 

Car Service?
East Hampton
June 9, 2021

Dear David,

To the town board: When will you start taking us to medical appointments? Most of the seniors have been vaccinated and have a card to prove it. I know we cannot go back to regular lunches at the center until everyone has been vaccinated. You are all asking us to vote for you on Tuesday, but why should we?

Ask Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, she is in charge of senior services. The seniors who don’t drive and are bused to the center cannot pay $25 to hire a car service. I had to pay $65 plus the dental fee to get a tooth filled. I am able to do it.

JULIA KAYSER

 

Essential Information
Springs
June 14, 2021

Dear David,

I heard from a friend this past week that I needed to renew my town beach permit, that they were all expiring soon and that immediate action was needed. My first thought was, why haven’t I heard about this until now, why hasn’t the town made it a priority to inform everyone that this is happening and that there were time issues.

I then went to the town web site, assuming that there would be information posted about the need to do this and how to get it done. Well, this was not the case. In fact, I had a lot of trouble just finding a place to get information about beach stickers. I finally found a message buried in one of the sections in the site that told me that I should call the town clerk about beach permits.

This is not the first time I have gone to the town site and have been extremely frustrated by how difficult it is to find things that should be very accessible. This was certainly the case this past year in regard to Covid information. The town did a miserable job communicating about Covid-related matters. Back in the fall, they supposedly had hired consultants to help them deal with this communications problem, but I’ve not yet seen any evidence of anything having been done.

As we consider candidates for town positions in the upcoming primary, I hope that the issue of how the town does and does not provide us with essential information gets addressed. To me, it’s as important as how many glasses of wine any of the current board members had at a local fund-raising event.

LEN RUBIN

 

Transferred to Montauk
Montauk
June 14, 2021

To the Editor,

A number of letters to the editor have attempted to debunk and discredit the extent of social and economic damage that will occur to the hamlet of Montauk if closure of the East Hampton Airport occurs. Thematically condescending, factually misleading, and, at times, plainly absurd, they purport to portray Montauk citizen concerns as somehow insignificant, foolish, illegitimate, and selfish as compared to the far more important and justifiable contentions of anti-airport groups, which they obviously support.

One writer states that Montauk concerns over a major transfer of helicopter traffic to the Montauk Airport are irrational and unsubstantiated as helicopter companies presently servicing East Hampton Airport will find other more convenient and larger venues then Montauk. The C.E.O. of the largest commercial aircraft company presently providing service to East Hampton Airport has publicly stated, in writing, if East Hampton Airport closure occurs, their helicopter flights will be transferred to the Montauk Airport. Why would someone attempting to avoid a traffic congestion problem spend $700 only to fly to the West Hampton airport, where that same problem originates?

Commercial helicopters land on tops of buildings, decks of yachts, hospital and firehouse parking lots. Though smaller then East Hampton Airport, Montauk airport is still large enough to handle a major increase in helicopter traffic. If, through closure, the East Hampton Airport is not available, Montauk Airport as the favored alternative is not an irrational statement or an unsubstantiated rumor but, based on the above statements, irrefutable fact.

A second writer claims he can easily solve all of Montauk’s problems through a rerouting schedule devised on his personal “Google Maps” account. Ten years of East Hampton town board efforts, multiple law suits, an army of lawyers and millions of tax payer dollars, have all failed in convincing helicopter companies to alter present East Hampton Airport landing approaches. What mysterious, unique power would Montauk have in maintaining and controlling an amateurish Google flight pattern that would take longer and increase flight mileage all at a higher provider cost?

More seriously, another writer questions the basic fundamental overall importance of Montauk issues in consideration of its “only 20 percent relevance” to the entire population of the Town of East Hampton. This obviously biased statement actually begs for a comparison between Montauk and the “relevant” percentage of the East Hampton town population who have relentlessly claimed airport quality of life issues. 

Discounting Queens, Nassau, and Western Suffolk counties, the North Shore, and any other area outside the direct and primary responsibility of the Town of East Hampton, what is the actual, factual number of legitimate, tax paying East Hampton citizens negatively affected by East Hampton Airport noise issues?  What is their “relevance factor” as compared to Montauk? 

Present actual Montauk commercial helicopter routes include fly-overs of hundreds of private homes, dozens of hotels, restaurants, retail establishments, marinas, and the ocean and bay beaches visited by thousands of tourists. A closure of the East Hampton Airport is not a solution but only a problematic transfer from one sparsely populated area of East Hampton town to another more populated and economically important part of the same community.

  Finally, one writer condescendingly chides Montauk for its political effrontery in threatening the town board with its concerns as if somehow it is bad form, ungentlemanly and impolite to pursue a solution through lawful confrontation with its elected representational government. The hamlet of Montauk is a legal and legitimate part of the Town of East Hampton and expects (demands) its elected officials to treat it as such.

Town Board Members Bragman, Burke-Gonzalez, Lys, Overby and Supervisor Van Scoyoc all have unanimously and publicly pledged “under no circumstances will I support an increase in aircraft traffic at the Montauk Airport” and “Montauk residents are entitled to the same degree of support, attention and protection from aircraft noise as historically provided to the other East Hampton town residents.” These statements are not off-the-record informal conversation or out-of-context misrepresentation, but the result of freely made thoughtful commitments by each and every single current member presently serving on the East Hampton Town Board.

Not only Montauk, but the entire Town of East Hampton, is watching, waiting and expecting the town board to honor the promises made to their citizens.

TOM BOGDAN

 

Last Game
Amagansett
June 13, 2021

Dear Editor

The 2021 Little League season draws to a close at the Pantigo Place ball fields this week. It will likely be its last season of baseball at this location. The ball fields are a neighborhood gem, cherished by the families of East Hampton, a park that keeps our children safe and their ball fields within our community. They are being stolen from our community by the town board in exchange for a paltry $1.75 million. Oh, and as for the young ball players of our community? Well, they can just go take a hike — to Wainscott, specifically.

Yes, the East Hampton Little League shall henceforth be playing in Wainscott.

Nope doesn’t make sense to me either. Never did and never will.

And, just to add a kicker, this town board has decided not to replace the approximately 5 acres of precious parkland the ball fields currently occupy. Thereby subtracting nearly a quarter of active park space from East Hampton town’s park inventory. This, in the face of the ongoing growth spurt in our town!

As was written in the 2002 Recreation Committee’s recommendations to the Comprehensive Plan, “Little League practice can continue to use the lighted neighborhood scale park at Pantigo Place for the immediate future until more hamlet parks become available closer to where the children live.”

Closer, yes, not farther away. That’s how you embrace the children of our community.

It’s true. East Hampton, “the planning town” has no plan. No plan for parks and recreation and no plan for health care. That is how the East Hampton Town Board finds itself attempting to destroy a community park to satisfy the needs of health care. Crazy right?

Can it really be that, after spending hundreds of millions of dollars on land over the last 40 years, we have no other suitable site on which to put the ball fields? Or the emergency annex? Really?

No site in Amagansett or Springs instead of Wainscott? C’mon, man! Wainscott is as far away from the young ball players as you can get in this town.

As I have said for over a year now, if the town board can’t replace the Pantigo Place ball fields with a suitable alternative site, centrally located between East Hampton, Amagansett, and Springs, then leave our children alone to play ball right where they are — safe, active, and nearby.

CHARLIE WHITMORE

 

Sounds of Sport
East Hampton
June 14, 2021

To the Editor,

Players screaming and chanting, parents and grandparents cheering, coaches instructing, and the crack of a bat — these were all of the wonderful sounds that were ringing through the township recently; and what wonderful sounds they were.

Last week the championship East Hampton Little League softball and baseball games were played — and I do have to say that the girls softball game that I watched was one of the best played, coached, and spectated game that I have ever watched, and I have been to many ballgames, including the World Series. The excitement of the players was motivating and the tension of the many different moments produced a palpable increase in everyone’s bodies. Wow, what a thrill sitting through it with my family and real buddies.

After a season that was canceled due to the worldwide pandemic, the return to the field was done in a safe and organized way in which it protected the players and spectators, and ended up being a beacon of hope for the months to come for our township. But it wasn’t just done at Little League games, the sounds of sport and recreation were heard again at lacrosse games, winning football games, running events, and much more.

Why is this important to me? First is the spirit of teamwork that is produced on a playing field by the players and the coaches. Between the lines and in the dugouts are where lifelong friends are made in our dear community. Second, outside the fences is where the parents, family, and friends get to cheer their loved ones on and get to meet each other after grueling days of work and catch up. These are some of the foundations toward a strong sense of community and lasting devotion to the tenets that make East Hampton a special place to live, raise a family, and grow old together.

The future of East Hampton lies in this sense of teamwork and that is why it has been a pleasure to work with individuals who are planning for the promise of greater access to recreational and increased quality of life needs. Over the past two years Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, Tim Garneau, myself, and a dedicated committee have been working toward the design and installation of state-of-the-art Little League ball fields for the future generations of East Hampton’s children. This project is one that will make athletes proud to play on the fields and parents glad that their hometown now has ball fields like other locations on Long Island.

But the design of these fields started with years of teamwork put in by Peter Van Scoyoc and his determination to continue the push to bring a much-needed and overdue freestanding emergency medical center to the township. Taking the baton from past Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell, and working as a team with the Southampton Hospital Foundation, he has helped shepherd this project that will benefit all in the community by providing high quality medical aid within our town’s borders and also reduce hours of driving and stress for the town’s volunteer ambulance corps.

I want to applaud the East Hampton Little League board of directors for designing a Covid-compliant season and all of the volunteer coaches for making memorable moments for the town’s youth and more specifically my daughters.

And lastly, Thank you to all of the players for playing a sport you love with teamwork, determination, and honesty. It makes me confident that the future of East Hampton is bright and in good hands — or gloves.

Sincerely

DAVID LYS

East Hampton

Town Councilman

 

Squabbling Supervisor
Springs
June 14, 2021

Dear Editor

After serving six years as the Police Benevolent Association of New York Association founding president, I took on a new role as the legislative director. For those of you who do not know, the job and the State Legislature were not new to me, as though the years I have been lobbying Senate and Assembly members on a host of issues important to my members.

This year was no different with two considerable challenges in a financially unstable Covid-impacted legislative session. Of importance to my members was the passage of a collective bargaining agreement and correcting a pension inequity that was having an adverse impact on the state’s ability to recruit and keep young police officers from defecting to other police departments.

After much to-do, the collective bargaining legislation was passed as part of the overall state budget in April, which left us seven weeks to accomplish what we were told could not be done in today’s anti-police climate. After many discussions with a wide swath of legislators with various political ideologies from right to left, our police pension legislation passed on the closing night of session in the Senate, 63-0, and the Assembly, 149-0.

We accomplished this goal by building bridges and frank dialogue to find common ground and understanding. This brings me to East Hampton, where a squabbling supervisor and town board members are more concerned with personal animosity than building those bridges of understanding.

This is why we need a change in Town Hall and to elect Ken Walles supervisor and George Aman and Joe Karpinski town councilmen. When elected officials are more interested in backbiting and undermining each other, we, the public, lose. We have only to look at what is occurring at Truck Beach to understand the depth of failed governing.

If you want to make a difference to move East Hampton forward for all its residents instead of the chosen, we want you to come join us to help make the town government responsible and responsive.

MANNY VILAR

Chairman

East Hampton Town

Republican Committee

 

Negative Attitude
Springs
June 11, 2021

To the Editor,

Whoever wrote last week’s editorial (Primary Matters), was obviously not at the actual Democratic Committee’s convention when all the candidates had their interview and an opportunity to tell the committee of their qualifications, desires, and interests in pursuing the job at hand.

It was much to my surprise, that Mr. Bragman, seemed not to care if he got the job or not. He was arrogant, rude, and generally dismissive of all present, and, especially, of his obvious preexisting dislike for the supervisor. I said to my wife Bette (also present), “This guy sure doesn’t act like he wants to be on the board. “He has another agenda.” He did not have the honesty to state that it was Peter Van Scoyoc’s job that he was really after and not the one that he was so poorly “non-interviewing” for.

My knowledge of Mr. Bragman’s service to the town has been my own Zoom attendance at town meetings. I had always been disappointed by his obviously negative attitude directed at his fellow board members in general, and the supervisor in particular. He seemed to me to be all talk, ill-prepared, and he generally had a “what am I doing here?” attitude. Frankly, I wouldn’t hire him as a member of any team that I was responsible for.

As far as the matter of who didn’t pay for a ticket to an affair that benefits our first responders and food pantries, gimmie a break.

Mr. Van Scoyoc’s most urgent and existential job still is, to get our town through the pandemic. He did the most commendable, responsible, and exemplary job of leadership. He came through for us all by getting our town our own facilities for testing and inoculating, our community to the point of East Hampton being number one in the state in controlling safely this deadly threat to our communal and personal way of life. Come on, guys, politics aside, what are your priorities? He has earned this re-election and more. Thanks, Peter, Well done to you and our magnificent hardworking board and trustees, I am proud to live here and am grateful for your service.

Fact check: Cate Rogers never ran for the board before.

LARRY S. SMITH

 

Shocked to Read
East Hampton Village
June 13, 2021

Dear David,

Because you are the chronicler of our beloved community, I am actually shocked to read your continuing disparagement of our local town government, and particularly your disregard for all of the excellent work that has been spearheaded by Peter Van Scoyoc.

You and Mr. Bragman are still acting like we are in the mud-slinging, truth-questioning Trump era, instead of in a new summer of hope with East Hampton having the second lowest infection rate of any town on Long Island. Peter Van Scoyoc and his team made that happen. He personally brought back the vials of vaccine that were so adroitly administered in our East Hampton vaccination center. On the day of my first shot, there was a steel drum playing and a feeling of optimism, even joy, as we waited in the extremely well-organized lines.

The current administration’s support of the Food Pan-try, including delivering 67,000 meals to shut-in seniors, has been a massive success.

Keeping Wainscott in our town has made East Hampton stronger.

Peter Van Scoyoc’s emphasis on creating sources of renewable energy has been an incredibly positive demonstration of his clear thinking — understanding the future and what this town needs to succeed in this complicated 21st century.

David, you used words like “dysfunction, “ridiculous-ness,” and “cut it out now.” For the good and betterment of our irreplaceable community, I ask you to reconsider this harsh and unjust assessment. Instead, implore every one of your readers to vote. It is my hope they will choose the person who has so ably steered our beautiful town though an incredibly difficult time: Peter Van Scoyoc.

We are so lucky to have an honest man like him.

DIANNE BENSON

 

The Peter I Know
Wainscott
June 14, 2021

Dear David,

I had to snap my fingers in front of my eyes a few times after I read your editorial of June 10, 2021, because I could not believe what I was reading. The Peter Van Scoyoc you describe isn’t the Peter I know. The Peter I know helps out at the vaccination center in Wainscott. The Peter I know reads to preschoolers at the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center. The Peter I know brought water mains and clean water to our hamlet. The Peter I know cares about improving our community.

I’ll be voting for Peter Van Scoyoc.

MICHAEL HANSEN

 

Collaborative Leadership
Springs
June 14, 2021

Dear David,

I am Cate Rogers, and I am running for town board. I fell in love with East Hampton as a child and knew then that this special town with its unique character and history was my home. I am deeply committed to our town and as councilwoman, I will bring the experienced leadership needed to bring our community together in pursuit of collaborative solutions to the complex issues that we face. As a member of the town board, I will seek to build on our many Democratic successes while continuing to recognize and respond to the evolving needs of our community.

As a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals for nine years, seven as vice-chair, I focused on protecting our precious natural resources from the impacts of overdevelopment. If elected, I will utilize my understanding of our town codes to continue this mission on the town board.

I have also served on the nature preserve committee, the energy sustainability committee, the energize/solarize task force, the emergency preparedness committee, and I am a member of the Springs Citizens Advisory Committee.

In 2017, after witnessing the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy, I was trained by Former Vice President Al Gore for the Climate Reality Project and began my advocacy for solutions to the climate crisis as a climate leader. I now serve as a training mentor, a co-chair of the New York State Coalition of Chapters, and a founding member of Win With Wind and Windworks, L.I.

As a coastal community we are most vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis, and I know that together we can build a resilient, sustainable East Hampton; a future that includes a sustainable community.

I strongly believe that success in public office comes from working together for equitable solutions by facilitating an informed community, building coalitions, gathering diverse opinions, and finding consensus. I brought this collaborative style of leadership to the East Hampton Democratic Committee first as a volunteer almost two decades ago, and when I was elected chair in 2018 of the 37-member committee, opening up selected subcommittees to all members of the committee and facilitating community outreach programs that went beyond politics.

With your vote, I will bring the same drive, passion, and positive energy that I brought to the community as a volunteer, grass-roots organizer, Democratic Committee chair, Z.B.A. member and vice chair. This is what public service means to me. I am endorsed by the Democratic and Working Families parties.

Please vote in the Democratic primary on Tuesday. Early voting began on June 12.

Sincerely,

CATE ROGERS

 

More Work to Do
East Hampton
June 14, 2021

Dear David:

There are two basic tenets that I subscribe to as a member of the East Hampton Town Board: The first is that my job as a town board member is to enable the community to achieve its goals, by getting the facts and building consensus. It is when we encourage public participation to assist in problem solving that we make more informed decisions.

The second tenet is that the town’s budget is an “accounting” of our community’s priorities. Or put another way, a reflection of what we value. Over the last year, we took swift action by establishing Covid testing sites, creating a vaccination clinic where over 4,300 town residents were fully vaccinated, delivering over 80,000 frozen meals (and counting) to homebound seniors, and supporting our local food pantries. The town’s 2021 adopted budget also included increased grant funding for our not-for-profit partners — Meals on Wheels, Project Most, iTri, the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center, and Springs Food Pantry — that support our children and our seniors.

My years of public service have been firmly rooted in my core values — family, hard work, compassion for one another, and respect for our environment. I am asking for your vote in the Democratic primary for East Hampton Town Board on Tuesday because there’s more work to do.

Sincerely,

KATHEE BURKE-GONZALEZ

East Hampton

Town Councilwoman

 

For Van Scoyoc
East Hampton
June 14, 2021

To the editor,

In this time of a pandemic East Hampton has witnessed exceptional leadership from Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc. I believe he has literally saved lives. First, he partnered early in the crisis for Covid test sites in East Hampton and then prepared a town owned building as a vaccination site for residents. It is the only municipality on Long Island with that distinction and the Supervisor delivered those precious vaccines to the site himself and continues to do so today.

I have worked with Peter for 15 years. I have seen his thoughtful approach to issues, his unwavering dedication to our community and his commitment to preserving East Hampton’s environment. Peter is a tireless worker.

Everyday challenges or a crisis, Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc has proven to be the leader East Hampton can count on.

SYLVIA OVERBY

East Hampton

Town Councilwoman

 

Led by Example
Springs
June 14, 2021

Dear Editor,

My name is Shana Samot. I grew up in Springs, am a graduate of East Hampton High School, and the mother of two children. I’m excited to support my father, John Whelan, as a candidate running for town board. I wanted to write this letter on behalf of myself, and my two sisters, Therese and Amelia.

My father has always been a devoted East Hampton resident. Born and raised in East Hampton, he chose to raise my sisters and me here because of his love for this town. I have fond memories of exploring Northwest Woods, biking through the trails in Springs, and sunset sails in Gardiner’s Bay.

Our father has always led by example and showed us what a positive impact one person can make in a community such as ours. He is devoted to his volunteer work and has been involved in different areas of service work over the years. He has volunteered much of his time to Maureen’s Haven (homeless shelter) and the Retreat (domestic violence shelter), as well as being a lector at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church. In addition, he is passionate about gardening, and his role on the board of directors for the EECO Farm. Growing up, we would go with our dad to visit nursing homes and the elderly homebound. My father and my mother continuously showed us the importance of community involvement and helping others.

My father is one of my best friends. He is a loving grandfather deeply adored by his two grandchildren, and he is a friend to many. His heart is in this town, and he is running for the right reasons — he knows how incredible East Hampton is, and he wants to help preserve it. My father is passionate about this town and will do whatever it takes to see East Hampton thrive.

Please consider using your voice in the Tuesday primary and voting for John Whelan for town board. He has shown up throughout his entire life for East Hampton, and with this position, he can continue to do so.

Sincerely,

SHANA SAMOT

 

Independent Voice
Springs
June 14, 2021

Dear David,

Thank you for your paper’s continued efforts to cover all that is important in our town. I am a lifelong resident of East Hampton and a candidate in the forthcoming Democratic primary on Tuesday. The Independence Party has endorsed me.

It has been my pleasure campaigning for the trust of East Hampton voters in this primary — and for the general election on Nov. 2. When I meet voters, I tell them that I aspire to bring a new and independent voice to the town board. I also tell them that I want to contribute my 30 years of professional experience in planning, zoning, architecture, and project management to curtail development, maintain community character, protect our natural resources, preserve open space, build a well-designed and environmentally responsible senior center, promote eco-friendly affordable housing, and seek best alternative energy sources. I am passionate about doing government work for my hometown and look forward to bringing a new and unique skill set to the board.

I will work congenially with my fellow board members but am not afraid of differing opinions. As chairman of the zoning board of appeals over the past seven years (and previously two years representing our town on the Suffolk County Planning Commission) I have proven that board members can “agree to disagree” on determinations and then move on with new important business. No personality conflicts or feuding is necessary. This is simply democracy.

I intend to be accessible to all of our citizens, no matter their party affiliations, with an open-door policy. I will collaborate with our town committees to plan and implement near and long-term goals, and work to create a hometown that future generations can be proud of.

Most sincerely,

JOHN P. WHELAN

 

Would Be My Choice
Wainscott
June 14, 2021

Helen and David,

As many folks know, I am not a Democrat and cannot vote in the upcoming primary for the East Hampton Town Board, however in support of the best interests of Wainscott, John Whelan would be my choice in a heartbeat.

I don’t have to elaborate on his efforts as chairman of the town zoning board in protecting and ensuring environmental issues that so dearly affect our hamlet’s quality of life. John needs our support and will again in November as he stands alone and on his merits (without political interference) in achieving a victory as our newest East Hampton Town Board member.

Please encourage everyone to get out and vote on Tuesday and think about a vote for Wainscott’s friend, John Whelan.

RICHARD MYERS

 

The Real Deal
East Hampton
June 14, 2021

To Whom It May Concern,

I’ve never been particularly active in local politics, but it has come to my attention that Jeff Bragman is running for town supervisor, so I wanted to write this letter because I feel our community has an important opportunity in his candidacy.

I’ve known Jeff for years and can say he’s the real deal! He’s spent a lifetime working to protect East Hampton’s environment and local culture and I encourage voters to give him a look on June 22 and in November.

Thank you,

VICTOR BORISOV

 

In Lockstep
Amagansett
June 13, 2021

Dear David,

In driving around town what is very visible are the signs that represent Peter Van Scoyoc, Kathee Burke-Gonzalez and Cate Rogers’s candidacies with the same dark-blue background, hard to read, and put up in rows of three everywhere. It is truly representative of how these Democrats function — in lockstep. They march in step as closely as possible: bad news for East Hampton, our democracy, and better government.

Lockstep is a standard method that is mindlessly adhered to and one that minimizes individuality. If these candidates are elected, just imagine how East Hampton government will function: no individuality or questioning and no listening to constituents. It’s as close to how the Republicans in Congress function now — lockstep.

My fellow East Hampton Democrats, in order to have a better-functioning government, elect those who question, offer intelligent suggestions, and make listening to residents a priority. Vote for Jeff Bragman for supervisor, John Whelan for town board, and Rick Drew for trustee. Early Democratic voting is happening now at Windmill Village at 219 Accabonac Road in East Hampton and Democratic primary voting day is on Tuesday at your local polling location.

JILL DANIS

 

Unity Problem
Amagansett
June 14, 2021

Dear David,

I wanted to weigh in one last time as voters head to the polls for the upcoming primary, and remind them what this vote means to our town.

As the Star editorial board has pointed out, the current supervisor can be temperamental and impulsive, punishing people he doesn’t like, regardless of the merit of their ideas. This closed-minded leadership is filtering down to the other town board members. They now act as a unit.

That unity presents a problem when the board majority’s default position seems to be an aversion to public input. We see this tendency on display with their developing plans to change the Springs Dog Park.

In contrast, Jeff has kept the public informed and involved. He blew the whistle on the Duryea case involving the current supervisor and other board members. Mr. Bragman was also the sole town councilmember to adhere to the ethics code when a local business offered lavish hospitality as a gift. When the town board of ethics rebuked the other councilmembers in a unanimous letter for how they handled the situation, Mr. Bragman was the only one to take the letter seriously and act accordingly.

Lack of independence leads to a lack of inquiry, and that’s how bad decisions are made. This board needs true leadership, not boss management, and Mr. Bragman is the only man for the job.

Sincerely,

GEOFFREY HEPPENHEIMER

 

We Do Not Want
East Hampton 
June 13, 2021

Dear Reader:

When we put leaders into place, we expect them to serve us by spending time, space, staff, and money to devote a level of service that unfailingly honors the trust we put in the votes we gave them.

We do not want our regulations incalculably compromised in order to have an elected official be stroked and head-patted by a wealthy man who wants to buy Montauk.

We don’t want to pay a salary to an elected town board official who is spending months on end in another state, basically phoning in a performance to East Hampton Town. (Is the supervisor not face to face supervising 20 percent of the town board?)

We don’t want to listen to the devolution of our town board meetings into squealing, infantile turd-throwing by a few culpable officials at a principled member.

We do not agree with the derelict behind-the-scenes bullyragging political requirement that town board members be faithful to the board rather than to the constituents.

We do not appreciate the ham-fisted performance by the ersatz leader of the party committee who torpedoed the best candidate and then placed herself in the position of front runner.

Nope.

Sincerely,

PATRICIA HOPE

 

Tired of Bullies
Springs
June 14, 2021

To the Editor,

I remember when it came to light that Peter Van Scoyoc colluded in a private meeting with the billionaire Marc Rowan, and advised him to sue our town (regarding Duryea’s) because “politics and public pressure prevented them from doing anything.” If a so-called leader is willing to deal with our town in such a deceitful and underhanded manner from the start, what else will he do if we allow him to continue?

Peter’s conduct at board meetings has been disgraceful, and he is an embarrassment to the entirety of East Hampton Town.

I don’t know about you, but I am tired of bullies. It has been proven time and again throughout history how important good leadership is for the well-being of a community, not at all in the least regarding morality. The transparency and clear-cut ethics of Jeff Bragman are quite refreshing, and as a leader I think he would serve the town well. Bragman has shown time and again that he will ask the hard questions, raise the necessary concerns, and lead in a fair and transparent manner.

Jeff Bragman is the kind of town supervisor we need.

REBECKAH KILARSKI

 

Save Amagansett
Amagansett
June 14, 2021

To the Editor,

Amagansett: Who is good for its future and who may be a disaster. If you plan on voting in the upcoming primary, my experience as a 40-year full-time resident may shed some light on bad decisions affecting this community and its property values.

Let’s start with Amagansett’s historical identity. There are guidelines for maintaining the appearances of our historic buildings, but when it came time to replace the wood roof at the Marine Museum on Bluff Road, Peter Van Scoyoc and company installed a cheap asphalt roof despite many emails from local residents asking that they follow protocol. Why wouldn’t our town want to be an example about how proud they are of Amagansett’s history and maintain the buildings properly? Although most may not notice while driving by, it’s these little details that show a sensitivity to our hamlet’s importance. This lack of concern is yet another nail in the coffin of Amagansett. Why wouldn’t they consider a historical renovation when they have the funds? Because they just don’t care!

Then we have another candidate whose aesthetic judgment is to put brightly colored plastic boards all over our beautiful beaches. American with Disabilities Act requirements do not stipulate ugly, so using natural wooden slats or bamboo would have at least shown some sensitivity and thought to the surroundings. Besides, these ugly plastic planks just end abruptly on the hot sand, leaving a person to roast. Why do they do this, one may ask? Because they just don’t care!

As a way to reduce density and preserve open space, many of you may have paid the 2 percent community preservation fund tax. The law does not allow commercial uses nor moneymaking operations on that land other than agriculture, yet Peter and company decided to make Amagansett the “event center” of the Hamptons by attempting to validate their interpretation of the law. The truth is that the previous supervisor reached out to our community and asked what we wanted to see happen at the 555 Montauk Highway location, and all agreed to keep it as open space with a biking and jogging trail and some benches. It would have been a safe place for kids to learn to bike or seniors from the senior housing across the road to walk safely as well as joggers or anyone who enjoys nature and open space to use.

Once Peter Van Scoyoc took over, he tossed out the plans and disregarded the wishes of Amagansett and then made some other quiet arrangement without community involvement, which allowed a two-day East Hampton Village weekend fund-raiser in August. This forced traffic off the busy congested highway down through residential streets making frustrated speeding drivers a danger to us who live here. The response was that they didn’t see any traffic problems. Hmmm, they came to that conclusion while they were a mile away partying with their friends? Yeah, right! Peter and company considered that a successful affair so now they want multiple events there every year despite the Amagansett community’s disapproval. Why would they operate with impunity, one may ask? Because they just don’t care!

Amagansett residents have been asking for home mail delivery for years. Knowing that funds were made available to other appointed town committees, we thought the board would be willing to help us as well. We designed a beautiful postcard and did a mass mailing to the Amagansett box holders. A great deal of discussion, time, and effort was made by community volunteers but when we asked the town to share some of the costs, they outright refused (except for Jeff Bragman). One would think that they would have picked up the ball and handled the whole project themselves since the community was asking for help. Why wouldn’t they want to help the Amagansett community, one may ask? Because they just don’t care!

I could go on with other bad judgment calls by Peter and company, such as an attempt to give away a portion of the Amagansett trails system to a millionaire, bypassing the environmental planning process for the billionaire owner of Duryea’s dock, allowing commercial events on agricultural land on Main Street where millions of taxpayer dollars were spent acquiring the development rights, but I think you get the point.

Please take the time to watch the town board work sessions and board meetings on LTV. There you will witness typical Trumpian tactics. It appears that when some board members don’t have the knowledge, facts, or long-term foresight to deal with a problem but only the desire to get it off of their plates, then the plan is to attack anyone who disagrees and to discredit them in any way they can. We just had four years of purposeful confustication at the White House but it’s still alive and well here at Town Hall, as you will see.

It is very upsetting to watch how his minions pile on abusively to the only town board member, Mr. Bragman, who is experienced enough to look at the long-term benefits or consequences of these important resolutions. Why would the four other board members be so angry every time Mr. Bragman wanted to do the required reviews? It is disgraceful to watch Peter and the sycophants attack Bragman at every opportunity when Bragman’s main goal is protecting East Hampton citizens and the environment. Isn’t that why we are here?

As a land use attorney and former prosecutor, his education and relevant experience exceed that of the other board members combined. Many residents are very concerned that if Van Scoyoc, Burke, and Rogers are elected, the commercialization of Amagansett will continue and will be a disaster, as has happened in other resort areas that lost their character and tourism as a result. If you are concerned with the direction we are headed, simply avoid voting for the candidates on the dark blue signs.

The noise, the traffic, and the density have only increased with these three candidates. Meanwhile Montauk protested the lack of peaceful enjoyment of their properties so it looks as if it’s being directed to Amagansett. Why would the four board members choose that fate for Amagansett, one may ask? Because they just don’t care! Save Amagansett and vote for Bragman.

Sincerely,

JAMES MACMILLAN

 

Entirely Dedicated
Springs
June 12, 2021

Dear Editor,

As we have witnessed over the past four years, our national policies have been set by alliances with industries, sometimes shrouded in “science” by lobbying groups supported by commercial interests. Let’s not let that happen here.

Electing candidates and members of our various town boards with no allegiance to outside commercial interests is very important to protect the interests of the entire community. Knowing sources of income is valuable information to avoid conflicts of interest.

For that reason, I support Cate Rogers for town board. She is entirely dedicated, full time, to addressing the issues that face our town and overall environment. She has no financial ties to local commercial interests.

My preference is to pay our town board for full-time work, especially with all the new issues because of the increase in our population.

Sincerely,

SUSAN HARDER

 

Cate Is a Leader
East Hampton
June 12, 2021

Dear Editor:

As a colleague and friend, Cate Rogers through proven leadership and experience will safeguard and preserve all that we cherish in this town. During my reign as zoning board of appeals secretary for the Town of East Hampton, I worked with Cate on a daily basis for nine years. During that period I witnessed firsthand her work ethic, passion, dedication, and commitment to anything she takes on. Cate is a leader in every sense of the word.

A vote for Cate Rogers is a vote for the future of this town.

Sincerely,

DENISE SAVARESE

 

To Know Kathee
East Hampton Village
June 14, 2021

Dear David,

I am writing this letter in support of Kathee Burke-Gonzalez for re-election to the town board.

I first met Kathee about 20 years ago when I was the school social worker at the Child Development Center of the Hamptons. Recently, I have come to know Kathee in a professional role as councilwoman. As a town board member over the last eight years, Kathee has demonstrated over and over again that members of our community play a valuable role when they are given the opportunity to participate, collaborate, inform priorities, shape policy, and assist in problem solving. Whether they are formally appointed to a town committee, speaking at a public hearing, or during a public comment period of a town board work session, Kathee listens and takes to heart the cares and concerns of our community. Kathee is a leader who is responsive to all of the voices in the conversation, one who strives to build consensus. Kathee understands it’s a privilege and honor to serve the residents of our community.

In 2018, Kathee formed the Adolescent Mental Health and Substance Use Task Force. As a member of this committee, I saw, firsthand, Kathee advocate for the needs of the youth of our community. She also produced and co-hosted a show on LTV to initiate a community conversation about adolescent mental health, substance use, dating violence, screen addiction, and other issues confronting our youth.

As liaison to the Human Services Department, Kathee secured additional funding for Meals on Wheels and the Senior Nutrition Program, expanded senior health and wellness programs in East Hampton, Springs, and Montauk and contracted to purchase seven acres on Abraham’s Path to site the new, larger senior center. During Covid, through the Human Services Department, over 68,000 meals were delivered to residents in our community.

As liaison to the disabilities advisory board, she has striven to increase accessibility at town beaches and parks. As liaison to the Springs C.A.C., she collaborated with Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming and Suffolk County on a $7.6 million reconstruction of Springs-Fireplace Road, complete with a newly poured concrete sidewalk and a partial bike path to improve safety for cyclists. She supports installing new bike lanes in other areas of the town where feasible.

These are just a few of Kathee’s accomplishments as well as (along with her fellow board members) handling the challenges of the pandemic with setting up and managing Covid testing and vaccination sites and implementing procedures and protocols to keep us safe while maintaining a fiscally responsible budget!

I recently heard Kathee describe herself “as someone who doesn’t like to sit on the sidelines.” This is evident in her determination, resolve, and proven record. Kathee is smart, task-oriented, determined, and gets the job done. She values transparency, public participation, and strongly believes it is her job to be a voice for all of the residents. If you want a strong, informed, and reasonable voice to continue to represent us in town government, please vote for Kathee.

Best,

ROSEMARY G. BROWN

 

Positive Attitude
East Hampton
June 15, 2021

Dear David,

By electing Cate Rogers as a member of our town board, I believe we would be putting in place a candidate of high personal integrity and a work ethic that is hard to match. As chairwoman of the East Hampton Democratic Committee, Cate’s positive attitude and ability to build consensus has helped us achieve great results in the work we’ve had to do in the three years since I have been a member.

Her experiences in East Hampton Town government, her work as a mentor with Al Gore’s acclaimed Climate Reality Project, her support of renewable energy initiatives, and advocacy for an informed community has well prepared her to lead in the challenges facing our town.

I will cast my vote on Tuesday for Cate, Peter Van Scoyoc, Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, our returning trustees, and a new nominee, David Cataletto, who would bring his life-long love of the natural beauty of the area as well as youth and enthusiasm for its protection to the board of trustees.

Thank you,

MARY BUSCH

 

Get Out and Vote
East Hampton
June 13, 2021

Dear David,

I know a lot of us are tired of politics; however, it is so important that we all get out and vote. Vote for the candidates who will put the welfare of our town above politics. Vote for the candidates with the experience and proven leadership to keep our town safe and moving forward.

We are fortunate that under the leadership of Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc, vaccination clinics were created in Wainscott and other pop-up sites in Springs and Montauk, as well as testing sites in East Hampton and Montauk, helping us get through the COVID crisis. Just one example of the many positive actions taken by our Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc.

 Vote for the candidates who will work hard for our seniors, for a green-energy future, for more affordable housing, and for the well-being of all of us. A vote for Peter Van Scoyoc for supervisor, and for Kathee Burke-Gonzalez and Cate Rogers for town council, is a vote for the health and betterment of our community. Election Day is June 22 and early voting has already begun for the Democratic Primary.

Kind regards,

AFTON DiSUNNO

 

To Support Kathee
East Hampton
June 13, 2021

Dear Editor,

When I tune into town board meetings it is clear to see that Councilwoman Kathee Burke-Gonzalez loves serving our community. Kathee comes to every meeting prepared and asks thoughtful, deliberative questions to understand the facts. She listens intently to everyone’s viewpoints and clearly has the ability and desire to work with everyone.

During her tenure on the town board, she has made protecting our pure drinking water, advancing clean, renewable energy, planning for climate change and sea level rise, providing affordable housing opportunities, balancing the town budget, and addressing the needs of our children, our seniors, and our hardworking families, her top priorities.

The above is why I am proud to support Kathee and hope that she will receive your support as well. We need her compassion, her tireless work ethic, and her ability to build consensus on our town board. Registered Democrats can vote for Kathee on Tuesday, June 22, in the Democratic primary.

Sincerely,

MICHELE DRAGONETTI

 

Peter and His Team
Amagansett
June 14, 2021

Dear David,

In recent years, East Hampton Town, like the rest of our nation, has faced many unprecedented challenges. I have been proud of the town’s citizens who make their priorities known verbally and in the voting booth, and of the town board, led by its principled and determined Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc, that has taken us up on those priorities and moved them forward.

In a pandemic that has already killed almost 7,000 Americans, Peter and his team calmly enlisted public support for masking, social distancing, testing, and vaccination. Peter created a town clinic that injected over 4,300 doses. Despite an influx of second-home owners, new owners, and temporary residents fleeing the cities, the town’s vaccination rates were high and the death rate low.

The team kept our other priorities on track during the pandemic crisis. Committed to meeting 100 percent of community energy needs from renewable sources by 2030, the board kept solar, wind, and other options moving, collaborating with federal and state agencies and our own Democratic board of trustees. It updated a septic renewal program instituted to arrest contamination of drinking and seawaters.

This town is also committed to serving the social needs of its residents. Many have suffered in the pandemic. Board member Kathee Burke-Gonzalez steered a program that sent 67,000 meals to seniors and supported overburdened food pantries. The Van Scoyoc board’s careful management of town finance during and prior to this period has enabled new land purchases and accelerated planning under way for affordable housing.

The Van Scoyoc team has been a class act. Yet there is a primary against Peter in his bid for re-election as well as against Councilwoman Kathee Burke-Gonzalez and the third Democratic Committee nominee, committee chairwoman and climate change leader Cate Rogers. All three deserve our votes. No challenger has suggested better priorities for our town than theirs or more expeditious ways to achieve them.

Sincerely yours,

JEANNE FRANKL

 

Enthusiastic Support
Wainscott
June 14, 2021

Dear David,

I write with respect to the upcoming election for town supervisor. I plan to vote for Peter Van Scoyoc based on his strong record of accomplishments and to do so with enthusiasm.

As a Wainscott resident, I have been pleased with Mr. Van Scoyoc’s steadfast commitment to clean energy and the South Fork Wind project in particular. He is to be complimented for his keeping the project moving through the regulatory processes, notwithstanding strident neighborhood opposition that sought to derail or short-circuit that process. Mr. Van Scoyoc also drove the town’s highly successful response to Covid, including the local vaccination program.

By contrast, Mr. Van Scoyoc’s opponent, Jeff Bragman, has a record remarkably free of tangible accomplishments. I am not aware of any projects he has brought to completion. And he has consistently opposed or obstructed projects initiated by others on the town board. As the town’s liaison to the Wainscott CAC, Mr. Bragman failed miserably in providing a communications bridge between town and local community.

Mr. Bragman’s principal accomplishment has been to bring Newt Gingrich style politics to East Hampton. He has succeeded in regularly frustrating and annoying his fellow town officials. Although I am not a fan of their — at times — intemperate responses, I do understand their exasperation. But more to the point, I do not believe that Mr. Bragman should be rewarded with the supervisor’s post based on his demonstrated ability to promote bickering and discord. He has not shown that he can get anything done, and accomplishments are what matter. Peter Van Scoyoc has many accomplishments to his credit.

Sincerely,

JOHN H. HALL

 

It Takes a Team
Amagansett
June 14, 2021

It takes a team to address the concerns and lifestyle of the people of East Hampton town. Peter Van Scoyoc, Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, and Cate Rogers will work together to provide the leadership and hard work they have demonstrated for the many years each has served our community. Their work on the environment, affordable housing, clean energy, and a proper center for our senior citizens are just a few of the issues this energetic team has devoted themselves to.

Please vote in the Democratic primary and support Peter, Kathee and Cate.

DAVID HILLMAN

 

The Best Candidates
Amagansett
June 13, 2021

Dear David,

“What is clear right now, though, is that we have a real race on our hands, and that is good for East Hampton — and good democracy.” This line in your recent editorial encouraged me to go forward and research the Democratic candidates running. That’s what one does in a democracy in order to cast a vote for the best candidates.

In researching the background of the candidates chosen by the Democratic Committee, the results are exceptionally scary. Peter Van Scoyoc, a candidate who alters his background and has anger-management problems. Read former Town Historian Averill Geus’s letter from last week stating that Peter claims his descendants were from the 18th century Van Scoy family, but “Jeanette Edwards Rattray’s local volume of such families does not have any relationship to be found.”

There was also a piece written by The Star on May 29, 2011, when Peter ran for office in that year, reflecting Peter’s actual Virginia background and his past life living in Rhode Island, where he ran a construction business that failed.

Then there is Cate Rogers, who has only lived in Springs for seven years (see her resume on the East Hampton Democratic Party site). A dysfunctional town board doesn’t need to add more inexperienced candidates or those who aren’t honest and forthright in serving this town.

As an aside, I attended that town board meeting when Averill Geus went to the podium a few years ago to challenge Peter’s claim to being part of the Van Scoy family. The next day I heard that Peter lost his temper and fired Averill from being town historian and placed Hugh King in her place. Is that the kind of person we want leading our town? Truth and honesty should matter.

The 36-member Democratic Committee meeting on Zoom rejected the best of the Democratic candidates screened (and some members didn’t even attend the committee vote). It makes you wonder what the Democratic Committee was thinking in their choices. Our town has 20,000 residents, so how can a tiny committee make our choices for us?

Those who should be elected in the Democratic primary are Jeff Bragman, an attorney and current four-year town board councilman who has lived in East Hampton for over 35 years and has brought up his son, Walker, here. Mr. Bragman has spoken up with honest questions for the past four years in order to make this community a better place. John Whelan, a lifelong East Hampton resident and chairman of the zoning board for the past seven years. John Whelan, an architect, who served on the Suffolk County Planning Commission for two years, appointed by this town board, and who actively saved development from happening on 555 in Amagansett. Rick Drew, current East Hampton trustee for the past six years and a champion for our environment and waters for all that time.

On Democratic Primary Day, Tuesday, don’t forget to vote for the best candidates with proven records. Jeff Bragman for supervisor, John Whelan for town board, and Rick Drew for trustee. Our town deserves the best!

RONA KLOPMAN

 

Action-Oriented
Springs
June 11, 2021

Dear David,

I write to express my enthusiasm for the accessibility and excellent judgment of our local officials, and to urge all Star readers to turn out this week to vote for the re-election of nearly all of them — with a few exceptions.

Because of the action-oriented programs of Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc, we were able to easily get Covid vaccinations even though there were virtually no other nearby vaccination sites on eastern Long Island. The East Hampton positivity rate is among the lowest in the nation as a result of the consistent, wise leadership of town board members Peter Van Scoyoc, Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, Sylvia Overby, and David Lys. It promises to be a spectacular summer here as a result.

The consistent support of alternative energy, including offshore wind, by the town board and the trustees shows their good judgment. It took true grit, in the face of illogical Nimby opposition by certain Beach Lane summer residents along with — shockingly — board member Jeff Bragman. Let’s vote him out. An excellent candidate is running to take his place: Cate Rogers!

The board and trustees negotiated strong environmental safeguards in the wind farm lease agreements and secured $29 million in finance for further protection of our waters and marine life. East Hampton’s commitment to be powered free of fossil fuel by 2030 is now within reach.

Kathee Burke-Gonzalez is just the kind of dedicated and effective official that we have the good fortune to see on our town board. As a resident of Springs, I appreciate how she participates in every one of our local civic organizations, listens attentively, and goes right to work supporting the policies dear to our hearts. Her efforts support the town’s senior population, advance affordable housing, and protect our waters.

Francis Bock ably led the trustees’ incisive analysis of the impact of the cable landing for the South Fork Wind Farm, negotiating extensive environmental protections, research, and community benefits. Let’s re-elect eight of the nine trustees and cast a vote for a new candidate, David Cataletto. Susan McGraw Keber is especially well known, an awesome advocate for myriad good causes and an effective communicator.

It is imperative for every one of us to show up at the polls this week to cast our votes for these standout candidates!

Sincerely,

ALICE TEPPER MARLIN

 

Effective Leadership
Amagansett
June 13, 2021

Dear David,

Clusters of signs planted along our roads these past days signal the local Democratic primary election, the pre-election process in which voters select candidates for their own political party to run in an upcoming general election. Early voting is now in progress. This June 22 election is a particularly important one because it is about responsible, effective leadership for our town and choosing which candidates are most qualified to provide that leadership.

I strongly believe that our current supervisor, Peter Van Scoyoc, is that candidate; he has the experience and the record to prove it. A prime example is his steady, successful management of the pandemic crisis here, from rallying our citizens early on to accept and practice the new protocols of disease control, to setting up testing and vaccination sites throughout East Hampton, all while dealing with the huge surge in population flooding the town, straining our resources.

Other examples of Peter’s effective leadership include creating additional affordable housing opportunities, initiating a program for energy sustainability, acquiring more acres of open space, balancing the budget, and maintaining an AAA credit rating.

Unfortunately, the positive teamwork and cooperation so necessary for these accomplishments were rejected by Councilman Jeff Bragman, now seeking nomination for the office of supervisor. Quite the opposite, his voice during his term has been overwhelmingly negative and critical.

I am profoundly and personally disappointed by Jeff’s negativity in office because, as a member of the East Hampton Democratic Committee, I strongly advocated his nomination and worked hard for his election to the town board. I had expected him to serve actively, contributing constructive ideas and legislation, but that was not his style.

So, to assure the continuing medical, environmental, social, and financial health of our community, I urge Democratic voters to “accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative” by voting for Peter Van Scoyoc for supervisor, Kathee Burke-Gonzalez and Cate Rogers for town board and the trustees endorsed by the Democratic Committee of East Hampton. Early voting continues through Sunday, and on June 22 voting resumes at the regular polling places.

Sincerely,

BETTY MAZUR

 

21st-Century Problems
East Hampton
June 10, 2021

Dear David,

In his song, “The Anthem,” the Canadian poet Leonard Cohen wrote, “There is a crack, there is a crack in everything . . . that’s how the light gets in.” Lux et veritas, light and truth, the two go together. Jeff Bragman is someone who seeks transparency, seeks to shine light through the cracks.

I have had the pleasure of conversing with Jeff on several occasions. Jeff makes no assumptions, asks probing questions, and is open to new ideas. His vision for the community of East Hampton considers the residents and their irreplaceable environment. The community of East Hampton is changing quickly, and 20th-century thinking is incompatible with 21st-century problems. Jeff has the vision and the humility to adapt and lead.

A veneer without cracks may seem the epitome of perfection, but without an entry point for light and someone inspecting it, the weeds of corruption will germinate in the dark. Jeff Bragman has proven he is not afraid to shine a light on the cracks. So taking to heart the memorable words of Amanda Gordon, delivered at this year’s presidential Inauguration:

 

When day comes we step out of the shade,

Aflame and unafraid.

The new dawn blooms as we free it,

For there is always light,

If only we’re brave enough to see it,

If only we’re brave enough to be it.

 

Jeff Bragman is brave enough; he is the right man at the right time. He will have my vote.

JAMES C. MEYER

 

Matter Politicized
Montauk
June 14, 2021

Dear David,

As a Montauk resident, I would like to offer a perspective on some of the controversy surrounding Duryea’s and the town board.

Duryea’s is now a destination restaurant invoking “South of France vibes” with good food in a spectacular setting. It keeps locals employed and brings positive upscale tourism to Montauk, yet it remains relatively low-key in terms of exuberant revelry. Understandably, the owner has been seeking a change of use from takeout (you have to order your food at the counter) to a normal wait- service restaurant. In return, the community has been adamant about making sure the town prevents a further expansion of use, a new sanitary system that meets their parking and seating capacity, and an explicit prohibition on ferry landings from cruise ships, among other items.

Unfortunately, it appears that the owner also seeks to provide for a significant future expansion of the restaurant by installing a much larger than required sanitary system. This would threaten the character of the surrounding residential community and bring a substantial intensification of use. This is why the planning board process, the site plan review, is a critical check and has been appropriately required by the town.

Supervisor Van Scoyoc has always maintained an open-door policy that allows everyone to schedule a meeting to express their views or concerns. The owner of Duryea’s, frustrated with the planning board process, scheduled an appointment with Supervisor Van Scoyoc at Town Hall during normal business hours (and one other town board member attended). The meeting was not “secret,” as town board Member Jeff Bragman has stated, as he seeks to unseat Supervisor Van Scoyoc in the upcoming Democratic primary.

According to sworn depositions regarding this meeting, the Duryea’s owner expressed frustration with the town planning process. Supervisor Van Scoyoc reiterated the requirement of this process for everyone seeking a change of use. Perhaps as means of leverage, the Duryea’s owner alleged that Duryea’s has longstanding underwater and dock rights that supersede the town code. Supervisor Van Scoyoc disagreed. What is being spun in the political debates by town board member Bragman is that Supervisor Van Scoyoc was encouraging litigation. This is just blatantly inaccurate. Predictably, litigation by the Duryea’s owner against the town commenced shortly thereafter, as the Duryea’s owner did not receive the response he had sought.

Michael Sendlenski, former head town attorney, who successfully negotiated a settlement with the Surf Lodge to address violations in return for an upgraded sanitary system (and other concessions), was in charge of the Duryea’s litigation. It was likely that the success of the Surf Lodge settlement, and the clear understanding that sanitary system upgrades were a high-order priority for the town board, gave Sendlenski the misguided notion that he was free to unilaterally negotiate and enter into a similar settlement with the Duryea’s owner without the necessary town board approval which can only be obtained through a town board resolution. The settlement agreement that Sendlenski entered into was signed only by Sendlenski as both the town attorney and as the town.

When Supervisor Van Scoyoc and the town board discovered this overreach by Sendlenski, they immediately questioned the validity of the settlement agreement. The town board hired outside counsel to challenge the illegitimate settlement agreement and to defend against the outstanding lawsuits filed by the Duryea’s owner. Shortly after that, Supervisor Van Scoyoc accepted Sendlenski’s resignation.

This whole matter has now been politicized. However, through the sworn depositions, one can conclude that what went awry is a town attorney acting independently and beyond the scope of his authority in his attempt to get what he believed was a town board global mandate for sanitary system upgrades. The contested settlement agreement is now before the courts as the judge so far has urged both parties to move toward reaching a settlement despite clear evidence that the agreement is invalid.

It’s up to the town board to negotiate a successful settlement that does not allow monied interests to coerce unfair and unjust benefits that are otherwise unavailable to other establishments with similar circumstances.

In summary, good intentions to resolve a longstanding issue with Duryea’s concerning a grossly inadequate sanitary system, wait service, road flooding, insufficient parking, among others, were made into a fiasco by town attorney Sendlenski.

The town has thrived under the leadership of Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc. Let’s not allow a distorted narrative crafted by his adversaries seeking political gain to distract us.

LAURA MICHAELS

 

Does the Dirty Work
East Hampton
June 11, 2021

Dear Editor,

I support Peter Van Scoyoc for East Hampton supervisor after working with him on Covid vaccinations and witnessing his leadership and compassion.

The first day that we administered vaccines in East Hampton, to first responders, Feb. 13, was a little chaotic: Few or none of us had ever done anything like this before. It was a long day, and I watched Peter as he addressed all kinds of snags and confusion. There were schedule mix-ups, system disconnects, and malfunctions. Rooms were configured and re-configured. He ran out into the freezing cold to fix traffic and outdoor security issues, and then he ran back inside to address the next indoor issue, including showing local leaders around.

Despite the constant barrage of questions and complications, he never lost his cool and he expressed his appreciation to every person all the time.

A few Saturdays, he hung a speaker in the vaccination hallway, and we danced to music while we vaccinated thousands of people. When the weather got warmer, he joined another musician and played guitar to entertain people waiting on the long line.

A good leader gets people to follow directions, but an excellent leader does the dirty work alongside everyone else and thereby inspires the community to want to help, because the people are motivated to work toward the greater good. This is how I felt working with Peter during the vaccination days. I would work with him again in a heartbeat.

SOOZY G. MILLER

 

Deserves Another Term
East Hampton
June 14, 2021

Dear David,

The facts speak loudly and clearly.

Peter Van Scoyoc has done a good job and deserves another term as supervisor.

The Covid-19 pandemic is something that no one anticipated, and when it arrived on the watch of the former president, much of the response was left to state and local governments. Our small town on the eastern end of Long Island was not important to the federal or state government. When it became clear that help was not on the way, under the leadership of Peter Van Scoyoc, the town board and others got to work and arranged for local Covid testing sites and Covid vaccination sites in Montauk and Wainscott. Very few towns of this caliber were able to match this performance. Peter got doctors, nurses, as well as many citizen volunteers to willingly give their time. The rest of the pandemic story is well known. He kept us safe and got us the vaccine.

Peter, working collaboratively with the other three active members of the board, dealt with meals for seniors, affordable housing, environmental issues, renewable energy including solar and offshore wind, quality child care, emergency medical center, water quality, sea-level rise, the ill-advised Wainscott incorporation issue, and on and on. The remaining board member, Jeff Bragman, is an obdurate complainer, criticizer, and whiner who accomplishes very little.

 Most of the boards I have dealt with, including large corporations, small family operations, and nonprofits, all work on a consensus basis, which requires flexibility, listening skills, and a willingness not to have everything go your way. None of those boards would tolerate Jeff Bragman as a member. Cate Rogers, a long-standing, hard-working, dedicated public servant, is a great choice to replace him.

Peter’s patience is admirable, his listening skills are very good, and he allows all board members to have their say. Peter is a fair man and a true leader.

I cannot think of a better candidate for supervisor. We are lucky to have him.

JEREMIAH T. MULLIGAN

 

Solid Records
Montauk
June 14, 2021

Dear David,

Results matter! Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc and Town Board Member Kathee Burke-Gonzalez have registered solid records in implementing initiatives important to Montauk and to the town. These are just some of their accomplishments over their tenure: aggressive pandemic response by establishing Covid testing sites in East Hampton and in Montauk and a vaccination clinic in Wainscott; protecting our precious water quality by providing critical funding for water improvement projects throughout the town, including Fort Pond, Lake Montauk, and Georgica Pond; facilitating funding for the restoration of Montauk’s Fort Pond House and Second House; committing $3 million in capital funds to the renovation of the Montauk Playhouse, plus additional funding toward the renovation and expansion of the Montauk Skate Park; significant preservation of open space in Montauk (and throughout the town) through preservation fund purchases that reduce density, protect water quality, and maintain our rural character; continuing to pursue environmentally responsible clean energy initiatives, including solar and wind power throughout the town, and facilitating the creation of a post-storm recovery plan while promoting a sand-only nourishment plan for our beaches through the prospective Army Corp of Engineers project.

Kathee Burke-Gonzalez and Peter Van Scoyoc have earned our support in the upcoming Democratic primary because results matter.

CHRIS POLI

 

In Support of Good Work
Springs
June 12, 2021

Dear David,

We have been living through a difficult year. I hear some referring to my young grandson and his friends as the pandemic generation. These have been awful times but I have felt so very fortunate to be living here in East Hampton. Peter Van Scoyoc led us through this past year and still leads our town with skill and care. His ability to move us toward our renewable energy goals while successfully dealing with Covid-related problems illustrates his ability to look to the future while deftly handling the curveballs thrown to us today.

I have worked with both Kathee Burke-Gonzalez and Cate Rogers on various projects. I have found Kathee as my C.A.C. liaison to be always available, helpful, enthusiastic, and optimistic about what we can achieve. Cate’s tireless work in many areas including town committees, appointments, and her work as a climate reality leader demonstrate her work ethic and dedication to improving our community.

Today we are all living through unprecedented times. We need a team who looks to the future with optimism and skill.

Sincerely,

TINA PLESSET

 

Distraction at Best
Montauk
June 11, 2021

Dear Mr. Rattray:

I read with interest The Star’s endorsements and recommendation concerning the upcoming Democratic primary for town supervisor, and I think you missed the point. While temperament and collegiality are certainly important to effective public service, nothing is more important than proven effectiveness and leadership in uncertain times. We’ve just been through paradigmatic uncertainty with the Covid-19 pandemic, and as a community led by Mr. Van Scoyoc, East Hampton distinguished itself. Your editorial was notably silent on this most important consideration. Why?

Like pretty much everyone else, including The Star, I don’t appreciate the bickering between Mr. Bragman and Mr. Van Scoyoc. The sniping and “gotchas” and heated discourse are all nonsubstantive and do nothing for the people of East Hampton. The bickering is a distraction at best. It’s irrelevant nonsense — what my grandmother would’ve called narishkeit. It only serves a political purpose by drawing attention away from what’s important.

Consider, by contrast, the town’s pandemic response — in particular, the pop-up vaccination center — something The Star inexplicably disregarded in its June 10 editorial. No one can or should discount the planning and execution required to pull that together, the credit for which goes to Mr. Van Scoyoc. At a time when leadership mattered most, he delivered. He rallied the community — professionals and many volunteers — to act together in a way that very few other communities anywhere did. The test of leadership is what a person does when it really matters. Mr. Van Scoyoc’s personal engagement and purposefulness were striking, made all the more impressive by how the community rallied to the plan. It is a textbook example of how great towns work, remarkable public service and responsible problem solving. It should be a case study. It is certainly important, as it directly affected the lives of nearly every resident of this town to a greater or lesser degree. It weighs very heavily for me as I consider the two candidates.

As with children, sometimes the best way to stop their bickering is to ignore it. But, also as with children, we should acknowledge and reward successes and good work. I get that Mr. Van Scoyoc is, by reputation, assertive and insufficiently collegial; he should work on that and you rightly take him to task over it. But you failed to acknowledge Mr. Van Scoyoc’s success and good work at a critical juncture. Instead, you rewarded all of the pettiness and goading and gave no credit for a job very well done when it mattered most.

JONATHAN YELLEN

 

Shaking My Head
Montauk
June 14, 2021

To the Editor,

We all know how important — and increasingly rare —- independent, local newspapers are. I am a proud subscriber and generally consider The Star to be a gem of local journalism. I believe the staff and management of the paper to be honorable, talented, and intelligent, which is why I am left shaking my head in disbelief that David Rattray speaks of Jeff Bragman in positive terms.

Here’s my take: Jeff is a smart guy who decided the best way to carve out his niche was to be an obstructionist under the guise of independent truth teller. “But, Jeff gives ‘voice to opposing views,’ “ you say? I call B.S. He is not a problem solver; he is a grenade launcher. He has shown little appetite for constructive cooperation. I have taken to watching town board meetings on LTV and find myself shaking my head and yelling at the TV at Bragman’s grandstanding, performative antics.

Allow me just one example of Jeff’s many obstinate, counterproductive positions, and that is his objection to a proposed satellite emergency medical facility on Pantigo Road. Is it possible that he does not recognize the urgent need for this? A round-trip ambulance ride from Montauk to Southampton Hospital can be over an hour and a half in the summer, often with two or three providers on board. That takes valuable resources out of the Montauk community. Clearly, the long trip is often unavoidable and reasonable, but Jeff may not realize that many of these calls are for nonlife-threatening incidents, like sprained ankles and fishhooks in fingers. A closer facility could cut transport time in half.

As a Montauker, I appreciate that Peter Van Scoyoc is fighting to get that medical facility built, as I know what it will mean to those of us out here at The End. Peter has also organized multiple, highly successful, vaccination clinics, not just in East Hampton but in Montauk. He takes the health and safety of our community seriously and has worked hard to ensure it. Creating these vax clinics was a passion project for the supervisor, who has significant historic ties to this community and was an effective liaison to our Montauk Citizens Advisory Committee for years. He has shown up and fought for us; Jeff has not.

This town board has proven itself to be highly effective, despite Bragman constantly throwing sand in the gears. I’m tired of bomb throwers. We had one in Westhampton for four years and that didn’t work out well. On my town board I want problem solvers, collaborators who come together as an effective team to serve the needs of the people. Jeff Bragman doesn’t fit that bill; Peter Van Scoyoc, Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, and Cate Rogers do!

Regards,

JESSICA JAMES

—

Mr. Van Scoyoc’s claim of “historic ties” to East Hampton has been disputed. Ed.

 

Worked Diligently
East Hampton
June 14, 2021

To the Editor:

We support Peter Van Scoyoc for town supervisor. As we all anxiously waited for vaccines to become available, Peter worked diligently to plan the vaccine distribution to town residents. Peter was at every single town-hosted vaccine clinic directing traffic, guiding and supporting his constituents through the process, and leading us to the 72.5 percent vaccination rate we have today.

The clinics were extremely well planned under Peter’s leadership and executed flawlessly by the many community members who volunteered; the process moved quickly and safely, and we felt at ease and well informed every step of the way.

Peter knows that we need to be resolute to ensure the next generation of Bonackers are able to enjoy the pure waters and beautiful landscapes we can take for granted living in such a beautiful place. He knows that we must put bold initiatives in place that make our waters and lands cleaner and more productive, including the expansion of the shellfish hatchery program and the preservation of hundreds of acres of open space and farmland so that our farmers, fishermen, and all who rely on the natural beauty of East Hampton Town are able to continue our livelihoods for generations to come.

We are voting for Peter Van Scoyoc for East Hampton Town supervisor and we hope you will join us in strengthening our community and building a future that preserves the area we all love.

RANDY and DEMI REICHART

 

Tim Garneau
East Hampton
June 14, 2021

Dear David,

Last Tuesday night I met with Town Trustee Tim Garneau and his wife, Courtney, at Northwest Creek to help out with the horseshoe crab survey. The count is run by the Cornell Cooperative Extension and takes place during the spring when the full moon and high tide coincide.

It was a beautiful evening, and we walked along the shoreline, flashlights in hand, searching out their distinctive domes, sometimes half-buried in the sand where they mated and released small clumps of foam on the water’s surface. Tim explained that the “foam” is made of fertilized eggs and provided a major source of nutrition for migrating shorebirds who feast on it before their several-thousand-mile journey. He also told me that this intimidating creature goes back 450 million years and is quite harmless but in recent years has been overharvested for conch bait and pharmaceutical products because of its unique blue blood.

By the end of our walk, Tim logged in 61 sightings and tagged 12 horseshoe crabs, the whole outing took a little over an hour and was a great way to connect with our surroundings and learn something as well.

Stay well,

PAUL VOGEL

 

Stand Up to Leadership
Amagansett
June 14, 2021

Dear David

The time has come for the Democrats of East Hampton to stand up to their party leadership and vote for Rick Drew in this Democratic primary. The Democratic committee’s decision, led by Cate Rogers, to try to deny Rick Drew a spot on the Democratic ballot line is beyond comprehension.

Rick is a three-term incumbent trustee. His 99 percent attendance record at trustee meetings is a testament to his commitment to do the work of the trustees for all the residents of East Hampton. His background in marine science and his commitment to the environment have made this a better place for all of us.

Where did Rick go wrong? Unfortunately, he wasn’t in lockstep with the Democratic Party on all their issues. However, his intelligent and thought-provoking questions invariably led to better outcomes on the issues he did question. To me, that’s a big plus and not a minus.

Let’s get out and vote in this Democratic primary on Tuesday. There is also early voting at Windmill Village. Let’s reject party cronyism and vote for Rick Drew for a better East Hampton.

Thank you,

VINCENT PRIORE

 

Maintain and Protect
East Hampton
June 14, 2021

Dear David Rattray and the Paper:

I write in support of Susan McGraw Keber in her current re-run for East Hampton Town trustee.

I have known Susan and her family for almost 10 years now, and I admire her dedication, her very hard work, her love and care for her local community and our local nature and wildlife.

Susan has been steadfast in her positive work to maintain and protect our woods, trails, bays, waterways, and wetlands.

To mention but a few of her amazing efforts: taking part in the shellfish hatchery oyster-farming program and the horseshoe crab spawning study, expanding Sag Harbor’s water-monitoring program as well as a water quality improvement program for Wainscott Pond. Her efforts are endless.

I also admire her work to ban the intentional release of balloons, which has a serious adverse effect of pollution in our waterways and terrible effects on our birds and other wildlife. Her efforts here see the proposals move forward in the New York State Senate and Assembly.

Again, I truly believe there could not be a better candidate than Susan to be re-elected as East Hampton Town trustee.

We need her to be re-elected to continue this great work!

PAULO SIQUEIRA

 

Starts With Susan
Montauk
June 8, 2021

To the Editor,

It was my pleasure to be able to collaborate with Susan McGraw Keber from 2019 to 2021 on environmental projects, such as the ban on the intentional release of balloons in Suffolk County and water quality issues in collaboration with Surfrider Foundation’s Eastern Long Island Chapter, where I was an employee.

Susan is a true champion with proven results for serious environmental threats facing our town. She’s not afraid to tackle uncomfortable issues. She spearheads the latest legislation to ban the sale of the helium balloons in East Hampton Town that litter our beaches and waterways. She enrolls our schools and community members in the process. Change must start somewhere, and it consistently starts with Susan!

Susan works tirelessly for our greatest resource: our beaches and waterways. East Hampton Town needs Susan McGraw Keber for town trustee, 2021!

Sincerely,

JILLIAN KAMPF

 

She Wades Right In
Wainscott
June 13, 2021

Dear Editor,

I have known Susan McGraw Keber for more than three decades, but counting her as a steadfast friend is not why I am endorsing her for a third term as an East Hampton Town trustee. I am endorsing her because she is a passionate advocate for our environment and the natural beauty which makes the East End a special place to live.

And what’s special about Susan is that she never just talks the talk. She wades right in. You will find her in knee-high boots in Napeague Bay for the shellfish hatchery’s oyster-farming program benefiting our fisheries and clean water. You will see her at Accabonac Harbor monitoring mosquito larvae or working hand in hand with local environmental organizations to restore the saltmarsh. She has helped to expand Georgica Pond’s water quality program, to enlarge Sag Harbor’s water quality monitoring program, and to pursue a long-term water quality improvement program for Wainscott Pond.

But one of her biggest gifts to our community is spearheading the East End’s and the county’s ban on the intentional release of balloons, a tremendous hazard for our birds, fish, and wildlife. Susan is true to her word, tireless, and devoted to our community. We will all benefit from her third term as an East Hampton trustee.

KATHRYN PERRY

 

Keber’s Commitment
East Hampton
June 13, 2021

To the Editor,

Four years ago, I wrote a letter to the editor asking if you knew Susan. She was making her first campaign run for East Hampton Town trustee. I would wager by now many of you in the community have come to meet and know Susan McGraw Keber’s commitment to the preservation of our shorelines, wetlands saltmarshes, harbors, lakes, the sea, and all the creatures that inhabit them. She is dedicated and relentless in preserving their integrity for the generations. Your support for her continued work as an East Hampton Town trustee in the upcoming primary will be valued and appreciated.

Thank you,

PATRICIA WADZINSKI

 

Backside of Justice
Plainview
June 11, 2021

To the Editor,

Judges are supposed to be wise and possess a lot of wisdom, so why does Supreme Court Justice Denis Boyle seem to possess less wisdom than a wisdom tooth?

Here is Judge Boyle’s recent record (and my case against his remaining an acting Supreme Court justice): Two months after Alberto Ramirez was arrested for an October shooting, he was rearrested for another gun crime. Yet after his $25,000 bail was reduced to only $2,000, Judge Boyle set him free with no bail. After a third gun arrest in February, Ramirez was again locked up until Judge Boyle lowered his $75,000 bail to $10,000, thus enabling Ramirez to be free to shoot Eric Velasquez to death on May 16.

That’s not surprising, since Judge Boyle had previously released manslaughter-charged Jordan Benjamin so that he was free to slash a young woman across her abdomen and yet be re-released on $3,500 bail!

I daresay that Judge Boyle’s public-be-damned judicial decisions make him somewhat akin to a boil on the backside of justice.

RICHARD SIEGELMAN

 

Scumbaggery Definition
East Hampton
June 11, 2021

David,

Listening to the Arizona vote-counter advocate explain that we must guarantee that no dead people voted, one is amazed by her ignorance and how well she carries her degeneracy. Like her abortion confederates, she is concerned with the nonliving rather than with the living. Ninety-million eligible voters didn’t vote. The definition of a degenerate idiot is really simple.

Forty years ago, a more virulent scam was promoted by a former actor: trickle-down economics. Making rich people richer would make the rest of us richer by some kind of magical osmosis. Forty years later and much poorer, we still haven’t figured out that Reagan was acting — the definition of institutional stupidity.

Forty years later a former TV star sold us an election fraud scam to obfuscate the reality of trickle-down and confuse the country enough to re-elect Republicans — the definition of ignorant scumbaggery.

Prolonging the 40-year cycle raises the issue of conscious perversion, the difference between pedophiles who are afraid of what they might do if left to their own devices and those who believe their past behavior is behind them and no big deal. Except for the kids they violated.

How we define Republican perversion and call it out is the issue? Forty-seven thousand votes would have enabled another 40-year cycle.

NEIL HAUSIG