Hats Off, Drop Dead
East Hampton
November 30, 2024
To the Editor:
For many years, many of us dedicated Easthamptoners have bemoaned the fact that so many of the stores owned by major chains are open for the summer months, when they can get full exposure to the crowds, and then in the colder months, they disappear into their cocoons and close off their front windows and act like snowbirds and leave for points south. In their place they leave shaded windows and contribute to the fact that East Hampton virtually shuts down for the winter, except for the few like Prada and L.V.M.H. who are still open, at least until Christmas, and whatever stalwart locals press on through the winter months. Whatever the cause, the effect is a village where the streets are virtually dead after the sun goes down and during the day it is a catch-as-catch-can to see who is open.
All of this is background to what a new organization, the Anchor Society, stepped in with as an original concept of trying to identify at least one location initially that could recreate the general store environment that’s prevailed in East Hampton, where people could buy various items as well as the newspaper and congregate to create a village “alive.” The first step in the ultimate objective was to ask all of the stores in East Hampton, and their landlords, to at least give an opportunity to some stores who were willing, to in effect sublease their space for the months of November through April for a pop-up from a local vendor of a product or service. The idea had been very well received and hats off to the first store to accept the challenge, Alice and Olivia, who have turned their store over and subleased to a vintage antique shop, B Vintage, which is now open; hopefully there will be a few more next winter when the results are in, but so far it seems to be a success. It’s a great way to keep activity on Main Street and Newtown Lane, and, by the way, create, create some sublease income to offset the otherwise big rents which are year round but mainly for the summer-season benefit.
Now that you have the background, I want to point out one store in particular which has shown no interest in the town’s rebirth and should be singled out for how they have handled the winter doldrums: Valentino, located on Main Street. Rather than help our cause they have shut down for the winter, but its windows — which are totally dark — are open to see their entire space without a thing in it; no fixtures or merchandise, no lights, and a huge message in the window which says, “See You Next Spring”!
So much for Valentino’s concern for what happens to East Hampton. While they focus on their Madison Avenue and Palm Beach stores, East Hampton goes dark.
The reason for this letter is to bring to residents’ attention how some retailers strive to make our village better and others in effect say “East Hampton, drop dead!” (At least during the winter.) Only pressure by consumers can alter this behavior. And let’s reward those stores which stay open summer and winter to show a desire to bring more life back to our village!
ALAN PATRICOF
No Place Warm
East Hampton
December 1, 2024
Editor,
On top of many stores closing in East Hampton for the winter, I discovered that the Long Island Rail Road waiting room is also closed for the winter. Although considerable funds were spent to renovate the station house, the waiting room is open only on weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day and is not available to East Hampton residents or visitors during the winter months. So, now that the weather has turned cold, there is no place warm to wait for the train and there is only limited seating outdoors (16 seats if folks don’t put their bags on the benches). Why is the station house only open in the summer months? This seems backwards to me.
RICHARD ANDERMAN
Highly Spirited
East Hampton
November 26, 2024
Sir,
While I applaud the variety of highly spirited views from your readers, I hope the joy of the holiday season, and the resolve of the new year ahead, will bring some levity back to our neighborhood discourse.
Yours sincerely,
SAM LUSH
Market Hardening
Springs
November 30, 2024
To the Editor,
“The South Fork’s Rising Property Insurance Rates, Explained,” by Christine Sampson (Nov. 30) provided clarity. “Market hardening” is an appropriate phrase to describe the steps taken by insurance companies to preserve profitability.
I experienced a shock when I paid thousands of dollars for home improvements imposed by a new home insurer in order to get coverage. I was told I needed the new policy by Suffolk County in order to qualify for the septic improvement program.
I had received a postcard that instructed me that the program would involve little to no cost. I could receive grants from the state and county and reimbursements from the Town of East Hampton. I discovered in the days right before the installation that the installer already had $5 million in insurance coverage, workers’ compensation, and he could have added me to his policy for coverage during the installation. Essentially, I didn’t need the new coverage after all.
I think the government should step in to alleviate the problem of “market hardening.” The recent passage of Proposition 2 to provide $2 billion for septic improvement should be an opportunity to examine the program to provide transparence, accountability, and incentives for homeowners to know what they might encounter. Ironically, the pond across the street from me is contaminated and my community advised homeowners to avoid taking their pets to that area to avoid harm. What about my pet duck?
STEVEN A. LUDSIN
Profound Concerns
Amagansett
December 1, 2024
Dear Editor,
I am writing in response to the editorial “On Senior Center, Rules Do Not Apply,” published last week. I share the profound concerns surrounding the town board’s decision to advance the $28-million senior center project, in particular, the worrying absence of proper oversight and a detailed staffing plan.
This initiative seemingly prioritizes architectural ambition over the real needs of our community — needs that the town board has yet to thoroughly assess. The project’s architects, who might financially benefit, appear to have an undue influence on its scope, with minimal expert oversight. Despite the supervisor’s relentless advocacy, there exists no concrete strategy for staffing this new center, a critical oversight given current staffing challenges faced by the town and the forthcoming Stony Brook Southampton urgent care center.
Remarkably, the board has failed to acknowledge the daily attendance in the current facility, which users describe as ranging from 15 seniors per day to about 35 for special events. This oversight further calls into question the necessity and scale of the proposed development.
I am also alarmed by the decision to sidestep local zoning regulations by invoking the 1988 New York Court of Appeals decision in “County of Monroe v. City of Rochester.” This approach undercuts ongoing community efforts to develop new zoning laws, disenfranchising residents and eroding trust in local governance. It reflects a troubling disregard by the town board for transparence and accountability.
Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez’s failure to provide a comprehensive project analysis or to adequately engage with informed community members during public meetings highlights a significant governing shortfall. Her apparent disregard for vital community feedback illustrates the board’s current leadership style. I urge board members to deliberate on the repercussions of their decisions and to interact with residents more transparently and thoughtfully.
To safeguard our fiscal resources, board members must rigorously scrutinize such projects and demand detailed justifications before committing funds. Demonstrating responsible and considerate decision-making is vital should they wish to earn public trust and favor in the upcoming November elections.
Residents of East Hampton deserve leaders who are proactive stewards of our financial resources, not passive endorsers of expensive ventures. I hope my expressed concerns lead to reflective consideration and action concerning this significant project.
Sincerely,
RONA KLOPMAN
Not There
Springs
December 2, 2024
Dear David,
I went to the East Hampton Planning Department to look at the plans for the senior center. They are not there. How are we supposed to provide input to plans unless we can see them?
Some time ago, I listed best practices for outdoor lighting to the town so that the lighting at the center would be energy efficient, provide safe light levels, and protect flora, fauna, and the night sky. I just wanted to see if the plan met those goals.
Plans for municipal (with our tax dollars) projects should be available, same as commercial plans, in the Planning Department.
SUSAN HARDER
Dark Sky International, New York
Too Cheap to Buy
Amagansett
December 2, 2024
To the Editor,
The East Hampton Town Board is violating our Town Comprehensive Plan, destroying Amagansett, and poisoning our water. The town board failed to buy four incredibly important parcels of land all on the high moraine of the Stony Hill aquifer: the 20-acre Mary Stone piece, the five-acre Saskas (formerly Barnes) piece, the Bobby Flay piece, and the Richard Smolian piece. The town board was too cheap on all counts. They didn’t think spending some serious money from the town’s Community Preservation Fund was worth it to protect the water source for two-thirds of the town. Incredibly, both David Lys and Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez live in Springs, where almost everybody has a well. Protecting our groundwater used to be a big Democratic priority, but no longer with these Democrats, who have destroyed fabulous parts of Amagansett, such as the “signature tree” and the giant Baker kettle hole in the Stony Hill Woods. Since they didn’t buy the beautiful piece at the end of Timber Trail, now Larry Kane’s latest spec house hangs over the whole kettle hole and has destroyed the wonderful feeling of wildness one used to get hiking there. That is 30 acres of vital aquifer protection land that the town was too cheap to buy. Those 30 acres of high moraine are a vital piece of the natural filter that is the only protection and filtration for the Stony Hill aquifer, which provides the well water to Springs, Amagansett, northern East Hampton, and Napeague and the public water through the Suffolk County Water Authority for all of Montauk.
Our town comprehensive plan mandates the town board to “take forceful measures to protect and reduce human impacts to high-quality grounded drinking water resources, which exist beneath the land east of Accabonac Road, south of Red Dirt Road, north of the railroad tracks, and inland from Gardiner’s Bay.”
The comprehensive plan mandates “protecting the old-growth American beech forest, rare on Long Island, corresponding to high-quality drinking-water resources, close to the most populated areas of East Hampton Town.”
The comprehensive plan mandates the town to “establish a Multi-Hamlet Priority Drinking Water Protection Area in Stony Hill, generally west of Accabonac Road, south of Red Dirt Road, east of Old Stone Highway, and adjacent to Stony Hill Road, and recommend all the land within this area be included for acquisition on the Community Preservation Fund list. This land meets all five criteria for protecting groundwater resources described in the Specific Criteria for the Acquisition and Rezoning Recommendations section of this plan: The land is within the New York State Special Groundwater Protection Area, is within the East Hampton Water Recharge Overlay District, is within the five-foot groundwater contour boundary, contains and contributes recharge to the Red Dirt Road S.C.W.A. well field, and is covering high-quality groundwater within an area containing a large block of protected open space. The Stony Hill Region is of critical importance due to its central location to the town’s large population areas, including the hamlet of Springs. Establishing the Stony Hill Region as a Multi-Hamlet Priority Drinking Water Protection Area will help to protect high-quality drinking water supplies for a large number of people in East Hampton. The highest level of protection, acquisition, is recommended for all the parcels within this area.”
And now to top it all off, the town board is violating all of our town’s environmental protections, ramming ahead with a close to $30-million project that virtually nobody wants: building a new senior center. We already have a senior center right next to Windmill Village, which is an absolutely appropriate place for a senior center. Why not either rebuild or adapt the senior center we already have? Even spend $5 million doing that. But no. Kathee Burke-Gonzalez wants to blow $30 million of our tax dollars (your tax bill is about to go way up!) for a building virtually nobody wants. I canvassed 40 of my over-65-year-old local friends, and only one was in favor of a brand-new senior center. Nobody wants this building. Nobody uses the present senior center and nobody wants the tax burden of a new $30-million building. At a recent Amagansett Citizens Advisory Committee meeting, 14 folks who were over 65 were asked about the building and everybody was against it, didn’t want the tax burden, and were horrified by the environmental costs. In this day of global climate crisis, we need the seven acres of trees this town board wants to demolish to absorb carbon. This beautiful forest is also home to an endangered bat that is almost extinct everywhere else, but thrives in the woods next to the railroad tracks off Abraham’s Path. The town board is violating every environmental law applicable to this piece of land. How? The town is not following its own zoning or planning laws to force this project down our throats. No developer could ever get away with this, but this town board doesn’t care. Just after the town board decided that no houses above 10,000 square feet will be allowed, the town wants to ram a 22,000-square-foot building, demolishing most of a seven-acre unique forest, down our throats and increase our taxes to pay for it.
So let’s check on what the town Comprehensive Plan had to say about this. It recommended the land between Abraham’s Path, the railroad tracks, and Windmill Lane be up zoned from A-2 to A-3 because “this land, occupied by ‘Artists Woods,’ a riding academy, and a cemetery, is within the New York State Special Groundwater Protection Area, and the five-foot groundwater contour boundary, both criteria identified as critical for protecting East Hampton’s ground and drinking water resources.” So the town board is usurping and making a laughingstock of all its own environmental laws by using the Monroe Doctrine to allow itself to raze a beautiful forest where an endangered species lives for a building that nobody wants. And your town board is further polluting the Stony Hill aquifer by violating its own laws. It’s time for a lawsuit and a recall. We need a town board that follows its own environmental laws and listens to its citizens. We don’t want or need this building. We the people of the Town of East Hampton want a town board that protects our water and protects endangered species that exist almost nowhere else. Judy Hope, Tony Bullock, Cathy Lester, and all past Democrats would be horrified by this bunch of destroyers.
Sincerely,
ALEXANDER PETERS
President
Amagansett Springs Aquifer Protection
Montauk Ambulance
Montauk
November 29, 2024
Dear David,
A few weeks ago I took a nasty fall due to an outdoor rug going out from under me. Trying to guide myself down the hallway, I cracked a rib.
Off to the hospital, via Montauk Fire Department ambulance. I received excellent care the entire ride to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital.
I was released three days later from hospital, sent to a rehabilitation care center.
Many thanks to the Fire Department for having such remarkable skilled personnel. They made my ride carefree. Thank you.
BEA DERRICO
Slap in the Face
East Hampton
December 2, 2024
Dear Mr. Editor,
Hope all is well at The Star. So that poor little sloop left over in the mooring area all season must have been yours. My mooring is fairly close by. I did not see that boat get much use, if any, this summer. I hope you aren’t turning into an armchair sailor. I see Michael Bouker’s letter to you and the editorial staff kinda summed it up nicely. You may want to pat yourself on the back for the Trump victory. With all the negative banter and the obvious hate from your newspaper, you just may have pushed people his way. You know how people favor an underdog!
So I see Proposition 3 passed. Not sure of the tally, but I am sure you remember the proposition to condemn donated open space to build a traffic circle? I voted no for two reasons. First and foremost is the concept of conservation. The folks who voted yes have no idea. I would also venture to say they come from afar. Just because you live here doesn’t mean you are local. I have been driving past that preserved area since before it was preserved. it’s a local landmark and the gateway to Springs and Three Mile Harbor. I would have to call that area an outstanding example of land use. Turning that land into a traffic circle is the likes of paving over Town Pond to widen Montauk Highway. My satisfaction will be the excessive traffic buildup diverted to the roads the “yes” voters live on. Do you get my point? Second is the known fact it was donated by a local family as land to be preserved. What a slap in the face.
Along those lines I have a pet peeve: Marina Lane off Three Mile Harbor Road, land donated to the town as an access road to Three Mile Harbor, allowed to grow over as a favor to someone. But I will save that for another letter. As you may know, the traffic experts on the County Road 39 study say there is nothing we can do. As I have said in the past, the only way would be to curb development, which no one will attempt. So how about this: congestion pricing! How about a $50 toll coming over the canal for nonresidents. Government could use that money to buy land for open space! That would certainly curb development.
I would sign off with “America and Americans first” but I can see that coming.
Best regards,
JEFFREY PLITT
They Will Crash
Sag Harbor
December 1, 2024
Hello,
I have been suffering the PSEG tree-trimming for some time — I finally had to reach out to see if I am alone with my concerns.
I have understood that the argument for not burying the electric lines has been, “It’s too expensive.” My feeling now is I was sold a lie. The issue is not only aesthetics, but a real concern for when we have another (long overdue) big storm. So many trees are so imbalanced — they will crash, bringing down power lines and cutting off power for days if not weeks. What will that cost us? Guessing it will be far more expensive than burying the lines.
I feel like I should prepare for a class-action suit against PSEG for their unsupervised behavior around these practices — when it comes to light over storm damage.
I am including a couple of photos. Take a ride. There is not one block undamaged.
Thank you,
LYNDA SYLVESTER
—
Ms. Sylvester enclosed photographs showing power lines cutting through tree branches. Ed.
Those Who Chatter
Amagansett
November 28, 2024
To the Editor,
There are two kinds of nonprofit organizations, those who do and those who chatter. One kind shows up at the scene of a natural disaster to dig for survivors, provide medical care, feed the victims, and provide shelter. The other talks about it.
Which kind is our local Organizacion Latino Americana (OLA)? I don’t really know. I have noticed for years that when The Star covers OLA, it seems to be soft news. OLA always is announcing or talking about something. This week, The Star has two articles mentioning OLA: “Advocates Are on Alert” is on the first page. Various immigration attorneys and OLA are quoted. When Trump’s mass deportations commence, the attorneys will be in court and at the immigration prisons, trying to save their clients. OLA is running a workshop.
The second article, “Grants for Windmill, Whalebone, and OLA,” on page A-14, reveals that our erstwhile town board has given OLA $15,000 of our money for advocacy and support. Whalebone and Windmill and Maureen’s Haven, which also received grants, put roofs over heads. What does OLA do that entitles it to my money?
I look forward to OLA’s letter detailing its actions that directly affect the lives of its constituents, the Latinx working class omnipresent in (and crucial to) East Hampton.
For democracy and accountability in East Hampton,
JONATHAN WALLACE
A New Insight
East Hampton
December 2, 2024
To the Editor,
Like turning a color photo on your iPhone to black and white to get a new insight, I suggest that only the official acts of the president-elect be reported on. For example, report who he proposes for ambassador to France — but not what he says about that person.
Don’t report on the choreographed hullabaloo. In black and white, report on the qualifications of the candidate, past nondisclosure agreements with women, and the candidate’s criminal record, if any. That should do it.
TOM MACKEY
Motor City
Amagansett
December 1, 2024
To the Editor,
What an expedition to Motor City by old-fashioned automobile. What a picturesque display of the enchantress the open road can be. Passing many memories — the Delaware Water Gap and many more from my days in college and early years of married life throughout Pennsylvania. I almost stopped in Meadville to see the old oil pump my father was a part owner of. Entering Ohio I slowed down to see the now-closed and rundown plant my beat-up Chevy S-10 was made in. I remember years ago it was vibrant and the assembly line was in full operation.
Refineries and truck drivers working like they do. Round the clock. One of the most unique bridges in Toledo. Only to get to the hotel I was staying in to be greeted with “victory” beers in downtown Detroit since the Red Wings had won just an hour or so before. It was midnight in overtime. People are always more festive around Thanksgiving there, no matter who they are. Smiles from ear to ear. One five-minute excursion in the morning at the Turkey Trot to cross the street, oversize balloons in the parade, and a Lions victory later.
The trek back. Snow from Michigan to Pennsylvania culminating with a snow squall at the “Highest Point East of the Mississippi.” Home again only to pack up for the future and another travel. My favorite drive, 1,448 miles.
Still here,
JOE KARPINSKI
On the Throne
Plainview
November 26, 2024
To the Editor,
Jack Smith is closing his criminal-prosecution case against President-elect Trump for having taken classified documents out of the White House and stored some of them in boxes right next to a toilet bowl in one of his Mar-a-Lago bathrooms (photographically proven!), because the Supreme Court has ruled that “sitting” presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. But considering the unfortunate location of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago bathroom boxes of classified documents, what would the Court have ruled about a “s*tting” president?
Not to mention that neither Jack Smith nor the Supreme Court ever considered how those classified documents might have been (mis)used if someone sitting on that bathroom throne had run out of toilet paper!
RICHARD SIEGELMAN
An Open Letter
Westhampton
December 2, 2024
Dear Mr. President,
I want to thank you for your life of selfless service to our country. History will treat you most honorably for your contributions to the well-being of our people and nation. Stepping aside for Vice President Harris to run against Donald Trump was one of the most selfless acts to add to your legacy. However, there is one more duty that must be met: You must invoke the 25th Amendment to preserve our democracy, our Constitution, and our world.
The result of the recent election offers proof that a vast number of Americans live in a propaganda bubble that has been created by our adversaries and compounded daily by a number of media outlets posing as news sources while shielding their lies behind the protection offered by the First Amendment. Namely they are Fox, One America News, Newsmax, Sinclair, Breitbart, and X.
There are reports coming from different parts of the country now stating that people who supported Harris’s policies but voted for Trump are realizing how they were manipulated and misled by those they trusted.
Meanwhile, Trump and MAGA, et al., are showing their hand every day as to their intentions. They want to dismantle all our institutions in government and media to be remade in their image. How can we possibly administer the presidential oath of office to a man who has promised to undo the very Constitution he is swearing to protect from all enemies, foreign and domestic? The inauguration will be a farce if this goes forward.
Are we really going to allow Trump to politicize the Justice Department, the Pentagon, national intelligence, and the entire government as he is already setting out to do? Are we going to witness the complete evisceration of our government agencies to demolish the administrative state as promised by Trump’s adviser Steve Bannon and Project 2025?
Are we really going to permit him to destroy our public-health system, given the inadequacy of his Covid-19 response? Are we going to sit by and witness the national criminalization of abortion and women’s health? And what of birth control, gay and biracial marriage? Will these become recriminalized by our holier-than-thou evangelicals?
Are we going to watch Trump betray Ukraine and dismember NATO, thus jeopardizing peace in Europe? Will Trump thus embolden Xi to decide now is the time to force Taiwan to join the People’s Republic of China against their will and desires? And an adventurous Kim — what will he attempt? Should we expect Trump to give Netanyahu free rein over Gaza and the West Bank, and court catastrophe with Iran?
Will Trump be able to balance all the nuances that will be required to prevent Putin’s use of nuclear-theater weapons that will likely spiral out of control? Do we really believe he has the emotional maturity to weather such a crisis to avoid complete catastrophe? Evidence of his mind becoming increasingly feeble is obvious to all.
Are we going to wait for a Reichstag moment that will provide Trump with the “enabling legislation” to arrest his perceived enemies — and then sit by in fear that we might be next? We know concentration camps are being prepared for the barbarous separation of migrant families being forcibly encouraged to leave.
Are we going to allow Trump to sell off our nation’s natural wealth and offer our military secrets to the highest bidder? We have yet to learn how compromised we are by the contents in the Mar-A-Lago documents betrayal. Will we ever uncover the depths of his betrayal?
We’re promising a peaceful transfer of power to someone who tried to overthrow our government and will never relinquish that power. Are we insane? Are we thinking through what we are about to do? He has promised on Day One to be a dictator who will pardon neo-Nazis who are responsible for the deaths associated with the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection! We’re nuts if we hold to protocol and tradition and don’t respond to this existential threat to our democracy and the well-being of the world. These extraordinary times we find ourselves in require a bold response that will rock our nation to its core, but nothing less will save us.
President Biden has been handed the extraordinary opportunity to act officially in the best interests of our nation and democracy by the very Supreme Court Mr. Trump appointed and hoped would shield him from prosecution. We cannot and must not let him obtain power with the immunity this court has provided the executive branch. If we allow our democracy to be replaced by a fascist government, democracy will never reappear on this planet again.
President Biden should invoke the 25th Amendment. Vice President Harris becomes commander in chief, Liz Cheney is appointed attorney general, prosecuting the former president goes forward, and a new election is scheduled for late spring or early fall giving the G.O.P. the opportunity and time to put forward a new slate of candidates.
I fear we might prove weaker than the Weimar Republic in its handling of Hitler. One hundred years ago he was just being released from Landsberg Prison. At least he was imprisoned for a brief period. No such case here. It appears my fears are going to come true in two months unless we rescue our democracy from the clutches of Trump and MAGA.
The sacrifices of the revolution 248 years ago, those at Gettysburg, in Flanders, at Iwo Jima, Normandy, Chosin Reservoir, Ia Drang, Fallujah, and so many other places cannot have been in vain for the vanity of “Bone-Spur Donald Trump.
Be certain we will be entering uncharted territory fraught with dangers from overseas and from within. Better to weather the storm on our terms than those of a dictator. The critical question is, are we going to commit national suicide? The threat posed by Trump and his minions is so great that we must be bold and courageous to meet their challenge. Some will call this a coup; I say it is our last chance to save humanity. If we fail to do so, history will record our blunder if anyone remains to record it.
I am reminded of what a wise man once said: “If we do everything by the book, all we’ll ever do is sit and read.”
Truly,
LANCE COREY