Outpouring of Love
East Hampton
August 5, 2023
To the Editor,
My adult son Luke died in the ocean this summer, and while I deeply mourn his loss I need to reach out and thank many in our community. The East Hampton police, Marine Patrol, Suffolk County police and helicopter units, canine units, lifeguards, and many volunteers for their above and beyond efforts to find him. Also thanks to all of those who offered their condolences and prayers. Having lived in this town for the last 36 years, I was deeply touched and comforted by the outpouring of love and concern for my son, my family, and myself. Our town was a truly loving and concerned village and it is a blessing for my family to be a part of our loving community.
Thank you all,
MICHAEL DESARIO
Done So Much
Montauk
August 8, 2023
Dear David,
PSEG is removing the many ugly telephone poles and crisscrossing electric wires at the entrance to our beautiful town. This work was largely the effort of John Keeshan. Unfortunately John is losing his sight and will never see the result of his efforts. John has done so much for our town (not as much as me): He’s responsible for the Turkey Day Run for Fun, and the downtown lighting, amongst many other things. I’m sure John would appreciate hearing from you.
Sincerely,
GEORGE WATSON
Very Grateful
East Hampton
July 30, 2023
To the Editor,
I wish to thank the East Hampton Senior Center and Vicky Lundin for reaching out to Southampton Hospital and arranging a visit from Dr. Fred Weinbaum, the interim chief executive officer.
Dr. Weinbaum gave an extraordinary talk on the emergency room coming to East Hampton in 2024. It will be fully staffed to provide emergency services. They will be able to do CT scans and M.R.I.s, which can be scheduled by outpatients. This facility has been long-needed.
A special thanks to Dr. Weinbaum, who took time from his busy schedule to speak with us. We are very grateful.
Again, the incredible staff at the Senior Center has provided useful information and shown their mission to make seniors cared for and informed.
Gratefully,
SHEL de SATNICK
Such Joy
East Hampton
August 5, 2023
Dear Mr. Rattray,
A brief, belated comment: I can’t remember when a front page image has given me such joy as seeing Sabina de la Cruz crossing the finish line, barefoot and all, and the most wonderful smile of pure happiness (July 20 issue.) Thank you.
CARLA CACCAMISE ASH
The Wall
I miss the Wall
No not the Great
Wall of China
No not the Berlin Wall
The cement wall
Behind the old A&P
Many of us learned
To play tennis
On the Wall
I loved the Wall
No matter how bad
You Played
It never said no
So if this is farewell
I just want to say,
You were more loyal
Than my dog
And never gave me
Fleas
FRANK ACKLEY
Take the Poop
Sagaponack
August 3, 2023
Dear All,
I first swam at Peter’s Pond in 1990, a couple of cold beers from the general store after a hard day’s work. First thing in the morning and last thing at night has been our swimming motto!
I’ve been reluctant to complain, as a dog owner, but this terrible disrespect shown by fellow owners has reached its peak this season. Too many times the dog owners neglect to observe the rules that are clearly posted for all to see.
Please, let’s respect what we have, and take the poop with you and leave it in the rubbish bins.
Cheers,
ROBERT NAGLE
Need to Turn
Springs
August 4, 2023
To the Editor,
More on the importance of crosswalks: As a resident of Springs, I am always grateful when I head north of Route 27 and/or am going down Springs-Fireplace Road away from the maddening crowds of East Hampton or the once-sleepy hamlet of Amagansett. Supposing we are actually “safe” in the crosswalks that are in place, it becomes quite obvious how beneficial crosswalks are for when, Heaven help us, we need to make a turn somewhere. Crosswalks help slow the whole show down! And we need all the help we can get in this, the summer of our greatest invasion to date.
THOMAS LAGRASSA
Perfect Location
Wainscott
August 6, 2023
Dear Editor:
Recent events and lawsuits have shown that residents of the hamlet of Montauk seem to have taken an interest in the future of the hamlet of Wainscott. They seem to know what’s best for those of us who actually live in Wainscott and have aligned themselves with moneyed interests from away rather than their neighbors.
As a Wainscott resident, I’ll humbly return the favor. The Concerned Citizens of Montauk website proudly points out that more than 70 percent of Montauk has been preserved from development.
It would seem that a place like that would be the perfect location for a new, improved Maidstone Gun Club. Who the heck would a stray bullet or two bother? Pretty much nobody.
Warm regards,
TOM MACNIVEN
Mere Honor System
Amagansett
August 4, 2023
To the Editor:
Most of the letters relating to the gun club ignore the elephant in the room: The club apparently has no on-site staff. It is simply a piece of real property customized for shooting whose members let themselves in. Under the circumstances, with no one in authority watching, the club rules are a mere honor system.
Contrast the highly professional and traditional range at Calverton, which, for example, prohibits the use of pistol-stock shotguns, and would presumably eject anyone breaking that rule; the Maidstone Gun Club would not know.
In today’s world of ubiquitous, extremely powerful weapons, a shooting range without staff should be deemed not just negligent, but to manifest a reckless disregard of neighbors’ safety. Under these circumstances, bullets hitting houses is unsurprising.
A conversation could be had about reopening the club as a staffed facility — which it is likely no one is suggesting either because it would have to be open to the public to sustain itself (eliminating the elitism, think about that), or because annual membership fees would go up radically.
A paraphrased business joke from the 1990s: Question: What is the difference between the Maidstone Gun Club and a Boy Scout troop? Answer: A Boy Scout troop has adult supervision.
For democracy in East Hampton,
JONATHAN WALLACE
A Safe Ride Home
St. Petersburg, Fla.
August 4, 2023
Dear Editor:
I moved from the glorious country in 2021 to escape for my life. However, I keep up with the news back there by reading the ever-entertaining East Hampton Star and from a few close friends who self-medicate to control their ever-increasing state of anxiety navigating life on a sinking sliver of Paradise, overrun by self-absorbed, entitled cretins.
There is a common thread of complaints in the letters to the editor, besides the state of our democracy and the big, bad, orange bogeyman, a man who, before he came out of the closet as a Republican, was a much-welcomed, privileged visitor of Paradise, throwing his dough around like every other big shot celebrity, and receiving A-list priority everywhere he went, partying beside connected, stuffed-shirt political party donors on both sides. But now the same crowd is throwing him in jail because it’s a crime to run for president with a fair chance of beating your opponent with a political career of peddling influence for personal profit at the expense of American taxpayers and without the convenience of Covid voting loopholes. The other crux in the hedges is the grid-lock traffic on the rural lanes, the dangerously aggressive, rude drivers, and lack of police enforcement to punish violators.
The City of Saint Pete Beach is similar in some ways to the East End of Long Island, or the Hamptons, as some influencers prefer to call it, in that it is a strip of small towns along a body of much-desired coastline that suffers from a seasonal influx of visitors who don’t give an itch about the permanent residents or what they leave behind on the beaches or stopping for people in crosswalks.
Admittedly, the St. Pete Beach tourists and snowbirds aren’t in the same league in terms of spending power, couture, or panache as their northern counterparts, but, like the proverbial spring breaker, they don’t come to follow the rules. They come to break the rules. You won’t find Gigi Hadid and her gang twerking at PCI, but who needs the Surf Club, when you have the Under Tow to watch beautiful women serve $10 cocktails, hanging upside down from chandeliers in micro bikinis? What, you say? It’s Florida.
Out of concern for the safety of everyone, and to relieve the burden on law enforcement and emergency services, the City of St. Pete Beach came up with a clever idea on a small scale and escalated it with a full fleet of different size, electric, free cars and shuttles to accommodate both small and large groups, children and even pets (because God forbid, you leave your house without your pet) to relieve the congestion and the dangerous conditions on its small local roads as people go from one small beach strip to another. It’s called the Freebee and completely subsidized by the city. Because what better way to spend tax dollars than providing a true cost-effective solution to moving people place to place and infrastructure? Anyone can download the app and use it. It’s as quick and easy as ordering an Uber or a Lyft, but there is no charge. You can be picked up at your home or hotel, delivered to your destination, and returned home in the same manner. Or you can flag a Freebee down and jump in if there’s room, in case your friends abandoned you, you maxed out your credit card, or the bogeyman is chasing you.
I’m familiar with the Hampton Hopper and the Circuit beach shuttles of the East End. However, the Freebee is a free door-to-door taxi service. Although there is a terrifying chance during your ride the driver might pick up a vacationing redneck or two, wobbling around in a MAGA hat whose wife left him at the tiki bar. But it only keeps the good times going, minimizes vehicle traffic on overcrowded, ancient roads, and provides a safe space to discuss with complete strangers why Ghislaine Maxwell is in jail, but none of Epstein’s clients, or why the F.B.I. lied about the existence of Hunter’s laptop. And isn’t that the point of it all? In this post-era of Covid 19, isn’t it more important than ever to reach across the aisle and give a fellow American a safe ride home, no matter whose lies they believe?
Besides, where does all that revenue go to from New York real estate transfer taxes and the Peconic Preservation Fund tax besides scooping up the most-expensive real estate on the East Coast for “preservation’s” sake that doesn’t provide remedies or relief to the aging infrastructure and overuse of natural resources? Why not use some of it to preserve the rural quality of life and safety of the East Enders who can remember driving the stretch between Water Mill to Montauk was possible in under one hour? Or when you could leave home in Bridgehampton at 6:30 p.m. for a dinner reservation in East Hampton at 7 p.m. and park, too? You can’t stop the people from coming, but you can put a brake on the misuse and overuse.
Maybe those good old days are gone forever, but rest assured, the residents of St. Pete Beach aren’t flipping off each other as much as they used to and traveling north from Pass-A-Grill to Treasure Island and back is a breeze even on the weekends during spring break. It’s true. Nothing in life is free. But if a “free” ride keeps some of the idiots off the road, it’s the best bang for your tax dollar.
Your high taxes can make a difference in the quality of your life. It’s just a matter of electing leaders with the right priorities. Not the ones out for their own self-interest.
CAROL DRAY
Leers
Wainscott
August 6, 2023
To the Editor,
Oops. East End driving.
ARTHUR J. FRENCH
A Duty to Perform
Amagansett
August 6, 2023
To the Editor,
Day 1,854: A road with an obstruction and hazard remains, one that is to be accessible by each and every one of us. No permits from the Town of East Hampton or the Department of Environmental Conservation. Law and code seemingly a suggestion, though at this point, an obligation to enforce has lost no significance in any sense of the word, though none has arrived.
At this point, enforcement could be from the police department, Marine Patrol, ordinance enforcement, fire marshal, and a vast majority of town departments. All have a duty to perform at this point. It’s not from any lack of asking.
New applications allegedly have been sent in, and you would think the town and D.E.C. would remind the owners they’ve built past their property lines. In fact, the town should have denied them outright.
So much for the meeting on geotextiles this past Thursday. Many of the authoritative actions didn’t change. With all the potential good comes the lack or sheer unwillingness of enforcement.
Still here,
JOE KARPINSKI
Two Hours?
East Hampton
August 5, 2023
Dear David,
A former president swears he’ll end the Ukraine-Russia war in 24 hours. So why not have him negotiate the W.G.A. and SAG strikes, which should be a piece of cake for him settling in two hours?
Certainly, he crossed paths and hit on Fran Drescher in one of a thousand bars on Queens Boulevard.
I would’ve.
FRANK VESPE
Hiding Something
Montauk
August 6, 2023
Dear David,
Do you know the name Steven Sund? Sund is the former Capitol Hill police chief. In an interview with Tucker Carlson that never aired but was resurrected by the National Pulse, Sund made comments on Carlson’s show, but according to the Pulse, it was buried by Fox. In the interview leaked by the Pulse, Sund states he believes that Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley and then House Speaker Pelosi, a Democrat from California, had intelligence of what was coming on Jan. 6 but failed to communicate it and eventually covered it up in the aftermath.
When you look at the info and intelligence they had, it’s all watered down, not getting support from the National Guard in advance also denied the Guard while we’re under attack for 71 minutes.
Sund resigned his post right after the riots. In his interview, Sund felt they wanted something to happen. It sure sounds like they were hiding something, perhaps the intelligence.
In a bipartisan Senate report released in June 2021, the panel concluded that federal agencies did not raise a sufficient alarm concerning the threat of violence, and the Capitol Police’s intelligence division did not adequately communicate info they had from the department’s leaders and rank-and-file officers.
If Sund was allowed to do his job as chief, we wouldn’t be here; this didn’t have to happen.
If Liz Cheney wasn’t so one-sided, and truly investigated all the information, who really knows the outcome?
As I watched the tapes over and over, I observed the police opening the doors for the mob to enter the halls.
In God and country,
BEA DERRICO
Little Red Pills
East Hampton
August 6, 2023
David,
In 2003, President Bush took a break from his war duties and decided to tackle the AIDS problem. While we seem to have AIDS under control here in the United States, it was still ravaging much of the world. Bush created a program: Presidents Emergency Plan for Aids Relief, PEPFAR, perhaps the last program that Republicans created to help anyone. PEPFAR was enormously successful, saving an estimated 25 million lives, providing ongoing treatment for 29 million people, and raising almost $200 billion worldwide. Yet, it is on the endangered species list,
Republicans voted to renew the program since 2003 — until this year, when they discovered that some of the money was going for abortions. Except that no one associated with the program has any knowledge of this claim, and the Republicans have not produced any evidence to support the claim.
Understanding this sudden shift, by a political party, with no basis in reality is tricky. If we go back to the early 1990s, we find the leading Republican (Newt Gingrich) shacked up in a motel with his girlfriend, next to the hospital where his wife is dying of cancer. The essence of the movement. The moral majority. Or something like that.
Today, the issue is around mental acuity. Brainwashing. It appears that under what is called the “sickness” PEPFAR is the perfect melding of all the current issues: race, sexuality, and Christian-theological inappropriate behavior. PEPFAR requires no thought, no intrinsic understanding of its good or bad parts. It has a triple stigma that obligates Republican pols to vote against it.
Called the “sickness,” this mind-numbing disease both deadens and excites the cerebral cortex. Every morning, a 15 minute cold shower is followed by self-flagellation with a knotted whip, a diuretic to cleanse the body, and 20 minutes of meditation; finally, two red pills that last for 12 hours. All emotions relating to empathy and sympathy are voided, and political memory in unacceptable areas is erased. The new politicians are perfectly programmed robots.
So, we recognize the anniversary of killing 250,000 people in two days in 1945 in Hiroshima and Nagasaki with no remorse or regret. We have recently been made aware of a U.S. program to study the survivors to better understand the consequences of a nuclear war with the U.S.S.R. with no concern for the victims.
We are left to wonder what our new pols, fortified with little red pills, might be capable of doing?
NEIL HAUSIG