Holiday Deadlines
The Star will publish a combined Dec. 19 and 26 issue for the holidays. Timely letters that writers hope to see in the paper before the end of the year must be received by 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 16, in order to be included in next week’s year-end issue. The letters deadline for the Jan. 2 issue will be Friday, Dec. 27, at 5 p.m.
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Farewell, Sheridan
Sag Harbor
December 5, 2024
Dear Mr. Rattray,
I was surprised to read in today’s edition that Sheridan Sansegundo’s puzzles will no longer be appearing The Star. The Star’s weekly crossword puzzles are a valuable part of my routine. The puzzles were just the right amount of challenge for the casual cruciverbalist, like me, striking the right balance of thought-provoking, whimsy, and reliable. And when stumped, I found many a great conversation in my hunts for answers. I often asked my mom (who deserves a lifetime-achievement award in word games) for help over the years and, nowadays, if there is an appropriate topic, I can ask one of my kids.
Can you please pass along the following sentiments to Sheridan Sansegundo in an attempt to return the favor for the years of wonderful puzzles?
Across
1. Courteous (syn.)
Down
1. Expression of gratitude
Hopefully, the above can help the crossword enthusiasts in our community get by for a bit. Farewell, Sheridan, your puzzles will be missed.
Yours truly,
CARL IRACE
The Fin
Sedona, Ariz.
December 9, 2024
To the Editor,
I am writing in response to Kirby Marcantonio’s version of the fin in Town Pond. Kirby had absolutely nothing to do with it. No thoughts or participation. He wasn’t there and his story exists only in his own head. He is just another in a long list of people trying to take credit for the fin over the years.
“Jaws” was a hit and as a kid I must have seen it a dozen times before creating the fin. I began building it in my garage with my sister Dicky’s boyfriend Pete Fein helping with cutting the wood. I was 10. Pete and Dicky were managing the 1770 House at the time.
My other sister Ann’s boyfriend Tommy Verderosa, along with Pete, drove me late at night to the pond and I made my way through the muck to place the fin. It was attached to a rock with a rope and to my amazement actually began to circle around.
I’m glad the fin gave people a smile over the years and I hope this sets the record straight. I hope all my family and friends back in Bonac are well and have happy holidays.
BILLY STRONG
To Buy Milk
Amagansett
December 6, 2024
To the Editor:
I live In Amagansett, and I doubt it needs the “pocket park” described in Christopher Gangemi’s article on Page 7 of last week’s issue. Yes, the field behind the town parking lot is overgrown and not much used, though I do remember the town blazing a walking trail through it some years ago.
I recommend that our erstwhile town board members read Jane Jacobs’s “The Death and Life of Great American Cities,” one of the “books that wrote me” — especially her analysis of dead downtowns. Amagansett’s Main Street is one in miniature. Translating Jacobs into weekly-short-letter-to-The-Star language, if there were a place to buy a quart of milk on Main Street, people might then sit in a park for a while. No one is going to go into Amagansett to frequent a pocket park if there is no place to buy milk. The stores on Main Street are a combination of billionaire vanity projects which don’t need to make money and upscale clothing, furnishing, and tchotchke shops which are very poorly trafficked (and also don’t seem to need money). In the almost 30 years I have been here, the only surviving old-timer which offers vibrant community culture and life is the Stephen Talkhouse, and the only newcomer with apparent mass appeal is Rowdy Hall. Over the years, so many good places have packed up and left, including Estia, Mary’s Marvelous, Hampton Chutney, the Indian Wells bar-restaurant, Ted’s diner, and the Mexican restaurant. An outpost of BookHampton I recall lasting about a year.
The desire to put a park on a cornfield seems to be a manifestation of “politics abhorring a vacuum,” which itself is a byproduct of capitalism abhorring one. I flash on two inane and insane ideas from the past — that of converting Napeague Harbor into a ferry terminal, and of putting a 200-car parking lot on 34 acres of pristine, original, and rare duneland (which shall remain nameless). None of these, the park, the harbor, or the dune, are actually vacuums — certainly not to the marine life, ospreys, deer, and box turtles which live there. The sad thing is not only that politics driven by capitalist mores eliminates green spaces, but that it replaces them with solutions that solve no problems or projects for which there is no demand (like the senior center). It is hard to understand why anyone would invest the money in an unnecessary project that will have no financial, community, or psychic return — unless the project itself, the letting of contracts, earning of commissions and legal fees, the generation of campaign contributions, and, for all I know, the pocketing of bribes, is the point.
Apropos of Robert Frost’s adage that nothing gold can stay, our community preservation fund dollars were explicitly set aside to save, and in some instances, to re-create a substantial buffer of woodlands and dunelands in East Hampton. Today the money is increasingly being used, or proposed to be used, to buy structures and, in the First Citizen’s rogue concept in the village, to purchase inns which can be operated for profit.
To use or misuse an adage most often attributed to Count Talleyrand, turning the field behind the Amagansett parking lot into an underused or unused “pocket park” would be “not just a crime, but a mistake.”
For democracy and planning in East Hampton,
JONATHAN WALLACE
Horseshoe Crabs
Springs
December 4, 2024
Dear David,
In the King James Bible, God tells Noah, “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you.” Even though horseshoe crabs are not remotely kosher, at that point in the story, they were a God-given food source. But nowhere does Genesis, or our current reality, suggest that God would approve of chopping up endangered horseshoe crabs for fishing bait, rather than the abundant invasive green ones, nor using them for medical purposes, killing 80 percent of each catch, when synthetic alternatives are available.
Horseshoe crabs have been on Earth for 450 million years, long pre-dating dinosaurs. We must respect them for their longevity, as well as their key place in maintaining a wide variety of life. Instead, we’re killing them off with our own actions. Without protection, like so many other living species, horseshoe crabs may not liveth much longer, taking an entire ecosystem down with them.
It’s a mystery to me that Gov. Kathy Hochul has not already signed the bill to protect horseshoe crabs. It’s been passed by both the Assembly and the State Senate. There are viable alternatives to their commercial use. We can’t allow these living fossils to disappear.
FRANCESCA RHEANNON
Complex Realities
East Hampton
December 9, 2024
To the Editor,
The greatest disservice social media and journalists can offer is to reduce complex situations to simplistic narratives, framing them as tales of heroes and villains, good and evil, without acknowledging the profound depth and nuance they deserve. This approach misleads readers, reducing profound issues to surface-level impressions and projecting individual interactions onto entire populations. The opinion piece by Jeff Gewert, published in The Star last week, exemplifies this issue and is an insult to the intelligence of its readers. In his piece, the author’s brief interaction with a group of Palestinians in the West Bank led him to a sweeping characterization of the entire Palestinian people as “beautiful people,” claiming, “It’s hard to imagine these people as the violent ones.”
What Gewert failed to mention, or even acknowledge, is the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, in which over 1,200 innocent civilians were not only murdered but subjected to horrifying acts of mutilation, sexual assault, and immolation. An additional 250 individuals were taken hostage to Gaza, many of whom remain captive, including Americans, women, and children. A single tragic day like this does not define the entirety of the Palestinian people, just as a weeklong trip and brief encounters with some individuals cannot provide a holistic understanding of a complex and deeply divided society.
What is perhaps even more troubling than the oversimplification of one of the world’s most intricate conflicts is the attempt to justify heinous acts of terrorism. Gewert claims that such acts, including the crimes against humanity committed on Oct. 7 and even the attacks of 9/11, are “born from decades, even centuries, of severe, unrelenting oppression and exploitation by Western nations dating back to the Crusades.” While acts of terrorism may sometimes be driven by factors beyond radical Islamic doctrine, under no circumstances can the deliberate targeting of innocent civilians — through murder, rape, and kidnapping — ever be justified. Not in Israel, not in America, not anywhere.
I won’t delve into a history lesson here, though my academic background and personal experience in the region more than qualify me to do so. Instead, I urge readers to seek out resources that present a nuanced and factual understanding of the region’s history. I personally recommend Yossi Klein Halevi’s “Letters to My Palestinian Neighbors,” Einat Wilf’s “The War of Return,” and Noa Tishby’s “Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth.” Before writing or publishing opinion pieces on such sensitive topics, a thorough understanding of history and facts is essential.
I take no issue with The Star’s publishing opinions that challenge my perspective or push readers to think critically. That’s the hallmark of great journalism. However, when a piece distorts facts, promotes inaccuracies — such as the claim that “Hamas revised its charter in 2017 to embrace a two-state solution and removed any reference of aggression toward Israel” — it ceases to be journalism and becomes irresponsible. For the record, Hamas’s 2017 policy document did acknowledge the possibility of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, but it did not endorse a two-state solution. The group explicitly refused to recognize the legitimacy of Israel as a state. As for softening its stance on aggression, the events of Oct. 7 demonstrated the reality in stark and tragic terms.
The Jewish Center of the Hamptons, along with other local synagogues, will continue to host world-class experts who can provide insight into these complex topics throughout the year. I encourage readers genuinely interested in meaningful dialogue and a deeper understanding of Israel to attend these events. Engaging with informed, scholarly perspectives is far more valuable than basing conclusions on the reflections of a weeklong trip to the West Bank.
Don’t let my typos or curt language put you off. I much prefer to break free from the confines of email and enjoy the richness of a conversation over coffee or a call.
RABBI JOSH FRANKLIN
The Jewish Center of the Hamptons
Very Disturbed
Amagansett
December 9, 2024
Dear David,
I was very disturbed by the “Guestwords” by Jeff Gewert. There is no excuse for the terrorist acts of 9/11 or Oct. 7. I found Mr. Gewert’s comments appalling . . . shameful!
DAVID HILLMAN
Self-Righteous Tone
East Hampton
December 9, 2024
Dear David,
Jeff Gewert’s “Guestwords” piece in last week’s Star (“Beautiful People in an Ugly World”) raises and leaves unanswered many important questions. I hope he’ll address these to readers in The Star.
He said in the article that he traveled alone recently to Hebron in the West Bank for three weeks in August. It’s surprising to hear that the Palestinian population was so peaceful, given the atrocities and fury unleashed by Oct. 7. I wonder how he explains that?
No mention in the article is made of the literally hundreds and hundreds of violent attacks that have been committed by both sides in Hebron for the last 100 years or so. A 1929 massacre of 67 Orthodox Jews and many more beaten and raped stands out as a particularly egregious one, but there have been numerous other atrocities — on both sides.
How does Hebron’s history and reputation as such a dangerous city to visit connect with your own peaceful experience in August, Jeff?
Hebron is an Arab city of over 200,000 with a small Jewish population of 500 to 800 mainly pious Orthodox residents living in the center of town next to the sacred tombs of the patriarchs and matriarchs of Judaism. It’s a town sacred to Arabs, as well — a place where Muhammad supposedly stayed on his miraculous night journey to Jerusalem.
I wonder what you think of this unique religious history, Jeff, and the impact, if any, it might have had on the reception you got?
An uneasy peace is maintained in Hebron by a brigade of Israeli troops — 4,000 to 6,000 soldiers who operate in H-2, a closed military zone that includes 30,000 Palestinians. The other 170,000 or so Palestinians live in H-1, a sector governed by the Palestinian Authority.
I’m assuming you lived in the H-1 sector where Americans would have free rein to walk and live wherever they wanted.
Is that true, Jeff?
I wonder what impact those security arrangements and sectors played in the reception you received from Palestinians?
Was there some governmental approval needed (Palestinian or Israeli or both) to conduct the classes you taught on documentary filmmaking? Was the program privately funded — if so, by whom? If not, how were they funded?
Were you paid for these classes, Jeff? If so, by whom?
Were there any religious organizations in the United States or elsewhere that funded or were behind this program?
Were there attempts by you or anyone else to bring in some young Israeli filmmakers to join with their Palestinian counterparts in these classes?
If not, why not? The recent Other Israeli Film Festival at the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan does just that. There are other groups, like Combatants for Peace and Standing Together, Women Wage Peace, etc., that do this as well.
I wonder if you would be interested in such a collaboration, Jeff?
I’m glad you had the peaceful experience you say you had.
However, I think your article would have been more effective if it had stuck to that narrative and further explained why your experience seems to be an exception to the rule that so many others — Palestinians, Israeli Jews, and Americans — experience and have experienced.
By taking a self-righteous, one-sided position, as you do, in which you condemn egocentric American and Israeli [politicians] but not Hamas politicians, you miss the fact that the conflict is a complicated one with enough blame to go around on both sides.
For full transparency, I strongly support an immediate cease-fire that would include provisions for full protection, security, and rights for both peoples. This must include a return of hostages still alive and the remains of those who are dead. This cease-fire should ensure a protected, free flow of humanitarian aid to the Gazans that is not siphoned off by Hamas-led, roving criminal gangs.
I share Jeff’s disgust with the present Netanyahu-led Israeli government. I would hope that he could also share my disgust with Hamas’s leadership (as distinct from the majority of Palestinians) and consider it a criminal organization that has said it’s willing to sacrifice 100,000 Palestinian lives for the sake of the war.
Can we agree on that, Jeff?
To continuously bash one side as he does in the article only perpetuates the self-destructive cycle and traumatic dance both Palestinians and Israelis are engaged in and diverts our attention away from ways of bringing about a lasting, just peace.
Many of us would like to learn more about the healing (tikkun) aspect of his trip.
Perhaps on his next visit to Hebron, he could bring together both sides into his class? Make it a true learning experience for both peoples that can help build that peace.
Sincerely,
JIM VRETTOS
From The Onion
Shelter Island
December 9, 2024
To the Editor,
When first I read Mr. Gewert’s opinion piece, I was convinced I was reading satire straight from The Onion. Rather than rebut every nonsensical point in Gewert’s review of the situation on the ground in the Middle East I will make several points.
First, Israel wants nothing but peace with its Palestinian neighbors and has time and time again shown this. Perhaps Mr. Gewert is unable to recall, due to his own admission of ignorance, but in 2000 the Clinton administration brokered a deal at Camp David — which Israel agreed to — which would have given Palestinians 97 percent of the West Bank (either 96 percent of the West Bank and 1 percent from Israel proper or 94 percent from the West Bank and 3 percent from Israel proper), with no cantons, and full control of the Gaza Strip, with a land-link between the two; Israel would have withdrawn from 63 settlements as a result. In exchange for the 3 percent of the West Bank, Israel would increase the size of the Gaza territory by roughly a third. Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem would become the capital of the new state, and refugees would have the right of return to the Palestinian state and would receive reparations of $30 billion. The Palestinians would maintain control over their holy places and would be given desalinization plants by Israel to ensure them adequate water. The only concessions Arafat had to make were Israeli sovereignty over the parts of the Western Wall religiously significant to Jews and three early warning stations in the Jordan Valley, which Israel would withdraw from after six years. Arafat, with the support of 68 percent of the Palestinian people, rejected this enormous concession and launched the second intifada two months later, which murdered over 1,000 Israelis, including 773 civilians.
Second, Gewert’s statement that “you can look at individual events, most notably 9/11 and Oct. 7, as examples of Arab violence, but these attacks didn’t happen in a vacuum. On the contrary, they were born from decades, even centuries, of severe, unrelenting oppression and exploitation by Western nations dating back to the Crusades” is an excuse for terrorism. Full stop. No need to delve further into the history or to even dispute the fallacies in the second half of his statement.
Third, I am unaware of a nation which constantly provides aid, including cutting-edge lifesaving treatments not available in America, to the people it is supposedly oppressing. Throughout the conflict in Gaza with Hamas, Israel has continued to do more than any other Western nation to ensure that aid reaches civilians. Hamas, which Gewert can’t seem to understand is a terrorist organization, not only attacks aid convoys but steals aid. What would Gewert have Israel do, short of eliminating Hamas?
I could go on, but on his next trip to the Middle East I would encourage Gewert to take a tour of Kibbutz Kfar Aza, which I have seen after the attacks of Oct. 7 and [where] I smelled the blood still in the soil. These were left-wing Israelis, many of whom in their spare time helped Gazans get to medical appointments in Israel or to bring in aid. This gracefulness and love shown was returned with horrors which keep me awake at night.
Sincerely,
SAMUEL M. ASHNER
Tears to My Eye
Montauk
December 8, 2024
To the Editor,
Jeff Gewert’s “Guestwords” (Dec. 5) describing the plight of the Palestinian people brought tears to my eyes.
Money controls politics. The American Israeli Political Action Committee (AIPAC) spent a record amount of over $30 million to defeat two members of Congress who were calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. This sent a clear message to every other member of Congress: Keep your mouth shut when it comes to Israel.
The sad fact is that Oct. 7 would have never happened if the United States had been an honest broker for peace. Israel has the money, the politicians, and the press on their side when it comes to dealing with Gaza. The agony of the hostages and their families gets most of the press in the United States.
Israel is allowed to kill civilians, journalists, and aid workers and bomb hospitals, schools, and refugee centers using U.S. dollars.
We can no longer turn a blind eye to these war crimes. The world cries out.
Sincerely yours,
GEORGE WATSON
Bash The Star
Springs
December 5, 2024
To the Editor,
It’s not just Suffolk cutting back or cutting journalism majors, and big schools downsizing. A friend of the family taught a 3,000-word-magazine-article class at Columbia. In the 1990s, class was packed, students turned away; by 2005, no students signed up. At least you guys still have “Guestwords.”
I love how people out here love to bash The Star and The New York Times, but if they happen to be mentioned in an article or their new restaurant was reviewed, they frame it and put it on a wall for all to see.
Real journalism should be cultivated, but maybe, as in law, there is a license that could be taken away?
JEFF NICHOLS
Complete Umbrage
Amagansett
December 7, 2024
To the Editor,
The Amagansett School’s FOIL officer has now requested I sign a document to obtain information. This is so I won’t use this information for future fund-raising. This is a policy that has the word “may” and requires you to sign. I certainly take complete umbrage at this personal bias against myself as someone who formally ran for office. I suppose the school board is showing its support to one political party over the other. Is it that? Though they should be neutral to such things. Not that we can’t look up previous campaign donations. Don’t worry, we won’t release those denominations and to whom you gave. Public records are readily available. The same type of records you delay releasing or — some have rumored — have even been destroying. Guess we’ll soon find out.
Still here,
JOE KARPINSKI
The Only Coup
North Haven
December 8, 2024
To the Editor,
Mr. Corey’s screed published in The East Hampton Star on Dec. 5 was a typical hysterical response by those suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome” (TDS). Does Mr. Corey really believe that a “vast number of Americans” were beguiled by Fox, etc.? This is an elitist snub insinuating that Trump voters are dupes, too ignorant to make a rational voting decision.
His comments regarding a Trump administration “politicizing” the Justice Department, Pentagon, national intelligence, and the entire government is a perfect example of projecting what the Biden administration has already done, including Obama’s weaponization of the I.R.S.
In another case of projection, he is calling for a “coup” through the 25th Amendment to overturn the November election, denying the majority’s choice. The only coup was the Democrats’ overthrow of the Biden primary victory. So much for democracy from the left.
I could go on, but for the sake of brevity I shall end here.
JOHN HOVKAMP
North of the Highway
East Hampton
December 7, 2024
To the Editor,
After speaking with my family around our kitchen table and, frankly, looking in the mirror, I’ve decided to take my hat out of the ring for a cabinet post.
Even the crooked media would find out that I’m not a billionaire based on my north-of-the-highway address — and have not even a second house in Florida. I’ve spent no time in jail and, further, have no silencing agreements with women.
And the mirror laughed and told me what I suspected: I’m not a bleached blond and I no longer have a full head of hair (alas).
Our new president will be far too busy playing golf and winning to spend any time on my quixotic candidacy. That said, if my humility appeals, then perhaps . . .
TOM MACKEY
Suffering of Animals
Potsdam, N.Y.
December 9, 2024
To the Editor:
It is the time of year when I am reminded of this relevant preface to the book “Old MacDonald’s Factory Farm” by C. David Coats:
“Isn’t man an amazing animal? He kills wildlife –- birds, kangaroos, deer, all kinds of cats, coyotes, beavers, groundhogs, mice, foxes, and dingoes – by the millions in order to protect his domestic animals and their feed. Then he kills domestic animals by the billions and eats them. This in turn kills man by the millions, because eating all those animals leads to degenerative -– and fatal -– health conditions like heart disease, kidney disease, and cancer. So, then man tortures and kills millions more animals to look for cures for these diseases. Elsewhere, millions of other human beings are being killed by hunger and malnutrition because food they could eat is being used to fatten domestic animals. Meanwhile, some people are dying of sad laughter at the absurdity of man, who kills so easily and so violently, and once a year sends out a card praying for ‘Peace on Earth.’ ”
The irony of our actions is stark. While we profess a desire for peace and harmony, we perpetuate an unnecessary and unhealthy animal-sourced food system that breeds suffering, exploitation, and killing. Factory farming, whether it be for dairy, poultry, fish, pork, or beef, epitomizes the dissonance between our ideals and our reality.
As Will Tuttle explains in his book “The World Peace Diet”:
“We owe the animals our most profound apologies. Defenseless and unable to retaliate, they have suffered immense agonies under our domination that most of us have never witnessed or acknowledged. Now, knowing better, we can act better, and by acting better, we can live better and give the animals, our children, and ourselves a true reason for hope and celebration.”
The health implications of consuming animal products are undeniable. From heart disease to cancer, the statistics speak for themselves. Moreover, the environmental externalities of animal agriculture are staggering. The greenhouse-gas emissions, deforestation, and water pollution associated with factory farming contribute to climate change and ecological degradation. By choosing plant-based foods, we significantly reduce our risk of developing chronic illnesses and improve our overall well-being, while making a positive impact on the planet and future generations.
The suffering endured by animals raised for food is immense. Confined to cramped, unsanitary conditions, denied basic necessities, and subjected to brutal practices, these sentient beings deserve our compassion and protection. By choosing plant-based options, we can directly contribute to reducing the demand for animal products and help alleviate the suffering of countless animals. It is time to embrace a more compassionate and sustainable way of living, one that honors the lives of all creatures.
The choice to consume or abstain from animal products is a powerful one. By understanding the implications of our dietary choices, we can make informed decisions that align with our values. Let us strive to create a world where compassion, health, and environmental sustainability are prioritized.
RANDY JOHNSTON
Sick Puppies
Montauk
December 9, 2024
Dear David,
Writers are pushing the percentage of different districts that either voted dem or G.O.P.
It’s over. Kamala Harris lost big time. The American people saw right through her. There are good females that would make over-the-top presidents. She just didn’t connect with the public. We are tired of the woke, socialist agenda jammed down our throats.
In an article I read, her campaign people admitted that they knew she wouldn’t win. They intentionally put out fake stats in her favor.
Bill Clinton saw the problems with Vice President Harris’s campaign and tried to warn her. Kamala was getting pummeled by the Trump campaign with an ad that attacked her for her support for transgender surgeries, illegal aliens, and death-row inmates. Bottom line, she ignored his warning.
For the smart gems that are swearing off men — good. There will be fewer abortions. Those choosing to remove their female parts — what? Sick puppies. Or are you just looking for publicity? Give it a break, celebrities, you have no dog in this fight anymore. We don’t need your opinions. We can think for ourselves.
In God and country,
BEA DERRICO