LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dad Was a Fisherman

Montauk
September 2, 2004

Dear Editor:

On behalf of our family, I am writing this letter of praise and thanks to the staff on the emergency response team of the Montauk Fire Department and the local police. We had an emergency situation at our house and they were wonderful!

My elderly father, John Neuer, was in distress and needed medical attention. My mother called our house to say that my dad was not feeling well and it looked serious and that she was going to call 911. After hanging up, I got dressed and raced over and found two police officers, Dave and Cecil, already there. They were there extremely fast and the ambulance was not far behind them. Dad was weak and semi-alert at this point. Officer Dave asked me for some information about my father and took down notes. He was efficient, courteous, and polite, which is necessary and truly appreciated in a stressful situation.

When the ambulance arrived everyone worked together to have my father taken from the bedroom, down a narrow hallway onto a stretcher waiting in the living room. All the men had to carry him in his bed blanket to the waiting stretcher. From there my father was taken to Southampton Hospital. Quite possibly due to the quick response of the police officers and the Fire Department ambulance team he was able to make it to the hospital during this critical time.

I do not know all the names of the staff who came that day, but want to thank them for what they did to help. We did recognize a few of them who were local workers and business owners. This is what they do in some of their spare time, assisting others in time of need. We become so absorbed in our own recreational activities that we seldom give thought to the many men and women volunteers and others paid to take care of us in our times of need - until we need their services and expertise. While we are having fun at the beach, golfing, or entertaining, they are waiting to be of service in times of crisis. God bless them and their efforts to be ready to help when they are needed.

Remember them the next time you receive something in the mail from either of these organizations to raise money or an invitation to one of their fund-raising events. Be assured it is going to a worthy cause. You may never need them, but if you do, the Montauk Fire Department volunteers will be ready to come help.

I also wanted to mention a word about the ambulance ride on the way to the hospital. It was unbelievable how many cars did not pull over when they heard the wail of the ambulance siren. Some cars even attempted to drive across Route 27 as the ambulance approached! To all those out there driving when an ambulance is approaching, please pull over and let it pass. Even if you are on the opposite side of the road, pull over in case the ambulance needs to ride down the center lane. Do this out of respect for the person inside, who needs medical attention, and for the driver, who is responsible for getting to the hospital on time. You just never know when you may be inside the ambulance and will need this same speedy transportation to save your life or that of a loved one.

Unfortunately my father passed away a week later, after being transferred to another hospital for his heart condition. Our family would like to thank everyone in our Montauk community for their kind expressions of sympathy, for their calls, cards, and attendance at my father's memorial service.

Dad was a fisherman and for many years could be seen either at Montauk Point or at Shadmoor in Ditch Plains. He was such a fixture most mornings that The East Hampton Star's fishing columnist, Russell Drumm, knew him and wrote about his catch several times.

I want to extend a special mention and thank you to Mr. Drumm for his touching tribute to my father, which appeared soon after Dad's passing. My mother and I were deeply moved by this addition to his column. Mr. Drumm once wrote about my dad and a huge striped bass he caught on the beach and referred to him as "Senior Caster, John Neuer." When Mr. Drumm heard about dad's passing, he wrote about it at the end of his fishing column, noting the loss. It brought tears to our eyes and we know Dad would have been honored about this public mention of his passing.

Thank you, Mr. Drumm, for giving Dad's fishing friends who had not heard about our loss a chance to read about it in your column.

Sincerely,
EVELYN NEUER
MOCHBEICHEL and FAMILY

Denouncing Science

Newark
September 3, 2004

Dear Editor,

In your editorial of Sept. 2, you express approval of the East Hampton Town Board's plan to set up an advisory committee on fishing to be made up of individuals representing both commercial and sportfishing interests ("both camps").

It has become clear over the years that each group will denounce the science when it suggests that they may have contributed to depletion of the resource. An advisory committee made up of only these two groups is like having two foxes guarding the chicken coop. It would be important to include on the committee some unbiased people who had knowledge of fisheries science and management and did not have an economic stake in the recommendations.

DR. JUDITH S. WEIS
Department of Biological Sciences
Rutgers University

Never Sought Glory

Southampton
August 30, 2004

To the Editor,

Jennifer Landes's two unbiased articles on the Southampton Animal Shelter were a breath of fresh air. As Ms. Kraft noted, we never sought glory. We only tried to make a difference by spaying, neutering, training, and grooming, and worked in conjunction with the town employees. We felt it our privilege to have helped so many animals.

SUSAN ALLEN
Best Friends Foundation

Suddenly, a Huge Hole

Springs
August 30, 2004

To the Editor:

Finally and sadly our last walking trail has been cut and blocked by new building construction - I suppose nothing lasts forever. However, what galled us and has bothered us for some time is the fact that this process of disturbing nature is labeled and considered developing and development.

It took the Almighty and nature thousands of millions of years to create and grow and develop the pristine fields of trees and bushes and flowers. But yes, it's nothing but development, then suddenly you find a huge ugly hole in the ground to be filled in with concrete and very soon after to be topped by a gaudy, gruesome structure called a house, which is covered by polyvinyl chloride siding. Can you imagine a plastic house? Ugh, ugh, ugh, this is development? My foot it is.

So, ladies and gentlemen, let's call a spade a spade. From now on God and nature are the true developers, always were and always will be, and builders and constructors are the destroyers and destructors, always were and always will be. Get it?

EDWARD WAGSCHAL

To All Veterans

Springs
September 5, 2004

Dear David,

I'm an ex-marine who served in Vietnam. Early in my tour, I realized we were involved in a misguided crusade. When I came home, I put the war behind me. Now you can't get away from it. I've watched as Bush led us into another unnecessary war, in Iraq. Americans and Iraqis are being killed and maimed for Bush's catastrophic mistake.

I've decided with Dr. Milton Berger of Montauk, a World War II veteran, to form a group of veterans for Kerry on the East End. Those interested should come on Sept. 12 at 4 p.m. to the East Hampton Democratic Committee barbecue at the American Legion Post in Amagansett. Looking forward to meeting with you.

Semper fi,
JOSEPH GIANNINI