Many Thanks Montauk April 13, 2015 Dear Editor, It is a great honor to have been selected the grand marshal of the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Montauk. I wish to thank all who made that weekend a warm and wonderful occasion. Marc Remmes and the Friends of Erin, Kathy Keller and the Ladies Auxiliary, Joan Lycke and the luncheon committee deserve special recognition and appreciation. Many thanks also to Gurney’s Inn for its generosity and gracious hospitality. As spring arrives, I am reminded that “gratitude is a flower that grows from the heart.” Gratefully yours, TERRY WATSON Performance Gives Life East Hampton April 13, 2015 Dear David, Last year, at a Thanksgiving dinner given by the East Hampton Presbyterian Church, I proposed marriage to Connie Anderson. “I accept,” she responded immediately. “Let’s set the date.” “October 1, 2025,” I said, “on my 100th birthday.” “That’s wonderful, dear,” she said, “but I should have the diamond now.” “I’ll go to South Africa and get it,” I promised and began to sing: “A kiss on the hand may be quite continental, but diamonds are a girl’s best friend —” but then had to stop and ask her to take it from there, I’d forgotten the rest. “I don’t remember the lyrics either,” she said, but she bowed her head, went into herself for what might have been a full minute, and then, slowly slicing the air in beat, out they came: “A kiss may be grand, but it won’t pay the rental / on your humble flat / Or help you at the Automat / Men grow cold as girls grow old / And we all lose our charms in the end / but square cut or pear shape, those rocks don’t lose their shape / Diamonds are a girl’s best friend!” Applause exploded from our table and those nearby. Connie graciously beamed acknowledgment. A mutual friend donated a ring, with two white stones, that would fit Connie’s ring finger. Announcing that I’d flown to Africa just to get it, I presented the engagement ring to her at a birthday party at Cafe Max and announced the stones were white sapphires I’d bought in South Africa from the owner of a mine. I expected her to call my bluff. But no. She put it on her ring finger, held it out for all to appreciate, and told me warmly how beautiful it was, what wonderful taste I had, that she would wear it and cherish it always. Just as I was beginning to feel guilty that she’d actually believed my yarn, she moved the ring to her middle finger and said lovingly, “But it doesn’t fit my ring finger, dear, so I’m going to wear it as a friendship ring, and you’ll have to go back to Africa and get the diamond.” Connie understood two things perfectly — life is performance, and performance gives life. She mastered this so thoroughly that I never knew whether she was performing or just being herself, or whether even she knew or cared. But it always gave pleasure, always seemed whimsical and serious at the same time. No wonder so many of our great 20th-century comics wanted her in their shows and acts — Jackie Gleason, Art Carney, Jimmy Durante, Berle and Hope and Perry Como (she’d have been his Chesterfield girl if she’d known how to light a cigarette without coughing). Much of that crowd had contempt for scripts. You had to be able to wing it, and Connie did that effortlessly, and I with my ring schtick was mincemeat. Oh, God, how I miss her. RICHARD ROSENTHAL New Management Springs April 7, 2015 To the Editor, I'm writing to share my experience at Barnes Country Store. It opened a couple of weeks ago, under new management. For such an old building the place looks great. The workers are friendly. The hot meals are tasty. They're doing a good job. Try them. ANN COLLINS For Cliff Follenius Cliff’s time has come for parting, His time has come to an end. There is no laughter-making, He has no time left to spend. We all knew one day he would go, Thought he had one cat-life yet to make. Reversing time is a backwards flow, Friendship lost is more difficult to take. His life had many a shining moment. Tales of humor and laughter put him onstage. Over and over and over to our wonderment, He made it seem like turning a new page. He changed my outlook like a wise sage. I was proud to call him friend. We’ll meet again and make a celestial wage; Faithful friendship lives beyond the end. LEE DION Family Day East Hampton April 9, 2015 Dear David, It’s great to live on the East End, where there are so many outdoor recreational activities steeped in local tradition available to the public. Here’s a reminder that the East Hampton Sportsmen’s Alliance expo will be held on Saturday at the Amagansett Firehouse, rain or shine, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free. It’s a great way to educate our children about the beautiful outdoor lifestyles available to them, if they only take notice and decide to participate. What a terrific way to push kids in the direction of healthy exercise and breathing the good outdoor air. And it’s the perfect way to teach our kids about conservationism and the challenges of different pursuits, including fishing, hunting, shooting sports, and boating. There will be local government authorities, guides, and skilled amateur experts available to answer questions about the proper way to pursue fishing or hunting safely and with conservation in mind. I’ll be there representing the Montauk Surfcasters Association. We are looking for a few good men and women who believe in conservationism and beach access. Please stop by my table; I’ll be signing up new members and will have all kinds of tackle for sale to help set up beginners and experts alike. A portion of the sales will be donated to organizations fighting to preserve our fisheries and to keep our beaches accessible to sportspeople. There will be great food. A few fishing charters, hunting trips, and shooting and fishing sports items will be raffled, too. This is the perfect family day to educate everyone about sporting traditions here on the East End. Thanks, Sportsmen’s Alliance, for providing us with what promises to be a very enlightening and fun event. Hope to see you all there. Sincerely, JAY BLATT The Perfect Place East Hampton April 12, 2015 To the Editor: I was speaking with Mike Bottini on Saturday, outside the Y.M.C.A. East Hampton RECenter. We were looking at the long-term parking lot, and he pointed out that this would be the perfect place for solar collectors. They would be pretty much above eye level, they would help protect the cars parked under them, and being close to a population that would see them would go a long way in educating the community about renewable energy. It sure beats putting the solar protectors on Bull Path, where all manner of other problems will occur. TOM FRIEDMAN Retreat and Return Montauk April 13, 2015 Dear David, First, let me commend your editorial in opposition to the Army Corps plan to fortify the Montauk beaches. I would feel remiss if I didn’t add my support to those who oppose this ill-advised plan, which will put thousands of sandbags containing foreign sand on our beaches. I cannot understand the acquiescence and support that is given to this plan by the East Hampton Town Board and the Concerned Citizens of Montauk. I applaud those who are brave enough to support the Defend H2O position and litigation in their effort to stop this futile and potentially negative impact to our beaches. In speaking with a prominent engineer who formerly worked with the Army Corps of Engineers, I learned that this present course of action will not accomplish its purpose of saving our beaches. In addition to its not working long or even short-term, we the taxpayer will be responsible for maintenance and replacement of this hard structure and sand, which will erode after each storm. Since the motels were built on the dunes and in harm’s way, erosion has taken over the natural dunes that might have protected the downtown area. That battle has been lost and we must now consider retreat as a more viable solution. Retreat and return to the natural flow of our environment, while we still can. BETTE E. SMITH The Eyes and Ears Springs April 13, 2015 Dear Editor, As chairman of the Springs Citizens Advisory Committee, I read with interest your recent editorial about advisory committees in general and the Springs C.A.C. in particular. Until the middle of the Wilkinson administration, there was an accepted protocol for an interested Springs citizen to become a member of the committee. The interested party would attend monthly meetings until the following December, when he or she would ask the chairman to be included in the names submitted to the town board for consideration the following year. I don’t recall any candidate having been denied appointment. The process was orderly and allowed the committee to function as a defined group for the next 12 months. I, like you, would like to see that policy reinstated by the town board. I cannot speak for the other hamlets, but until recently the Springs C.A.C. has never been politically driven. Partisan talk of “Republican high jinks” and the Democratic Party “strategy” for the Springs C.A.C. undermines what has always been a cooperative, nonpartisan committee. I hope that committee members engaging in such talk will see how this rhetoric diverts attention from our prime purpose of being the eyes and ears of our hamlet. Personally, I would like to see a wider demographic on our committee, and for years committee members have tried to attain that, but I also understand that people who work long hours and/or have small children to care for literally do not have the time to participate on a regular basis. I have encouraged every Springs citizen I come across to come to meetings when they can and to email me their concerns and recommendations for inclusion on one of our agendas. I have also asked all committee members to take on a particular issue relevant to Springs and report on same at our meetings. This month, a group of committee members has arranged for Pio Lombardi to speak with us on wastewater management. The informational component of our meetings is just as important as any recommendations we may give to the town board. We need committed committee members to bring this information to the community. Lastly, I do not believe that the chairmanship of an advisory committee should be a town-appointed position, thereby opening it up to the possibility of a political appointment, but should continue to be elected annually by committee members. I also would like to emphasize that the opinions expressed above are my personal opinions and not necessarily the opinions of the Springs C.A.C. LORING BOLGER Twelve More Members Springs April 11, 2015 To the Editor: Contrary to the headline of last week’s editorial, the Springs Citizens Advisory Committee has been working just fine. It’s the current town supervisor who has seen fit to muck up the works. First, a bit of history. I have served on the committee for 16 or 17 years. Until recently, there has been almost none of the “petty factionalism” and rancor that The Star alleges. Of course, there have been heated discussions at times. But The Star should have done its homework and found that over the years nearly all of the committee’s recommendations to the board were the result of unanimous or nearly unanimous votes, a consensus achieved by open debate and discussion. We have had committee chairs of various party affiliations and some with no party affiliation, and they were elected by the committee members themselves, not forced on the committee by the town board as The Star recommends. We have been blessed with members possessed of diverse skills and fields of expertise. And we have worked on all kinds of issues relative to the Springs community, and done so amicably and in a cooperative spirit. Probably the major accomplishment during my time on this committee was that, largely at the urging of the S.C.A.C., the percent of open space in Springs went from only 9 percent to about 28 percent. One thing The Star got right was its proposal for getting new members on board. Again, with a little research The Star would have found that, until the current administration, this was exactly how it was done. Anyone who attended meetings could ask the committee to become a member; the committee then submitted the names to the town board. To my knowledge, no request to join the committee was ever rejected, and no town board of either party ever rejected the names submitted by the committee. The Star fails to mention that the current brouhaha started when Supervisor Cantwell jammed five new members (all Democrats) onto the committee, not bothering to follow the normal procedure and claiming he desired more “balance.” At the time, there were 12 members of the committee. We had no idea what the party affiliation breakdown was, so we looked it up. We had four Democrats, four Republicans, and four blanks. So now it was nine Ds, four Rs, four blanks. Not satisfied, Mr. Cantwell, amid a flurry of false accusations and innuendo from Phyllis Italiano, has now added 12 more members, again without following the normal procedure. We can only hope that the new members will serve in the fair and open-minded spirit that has characterized the S.C.A.C. in the past, not in the fractious spirit surrounding their appointment. It’s a shame that these shenanigans are occurring, because this has been a good and productive advisory committee. The Star should be questioning the supervisor’s motives and tactics, not distorting and besmirching the excellent record of a committee of sincere and dedicated volunteers. Sincerely, REG CORNELIA P.S. These statements are my own. They are not meant to represent the full committee. Risk of Ruination East Hampton April 8, 2015 To the Editor: I was appalled to read that the Town of East Hampton is considering Jet Skis in various harbors of East Hampton. The environmental impact to East Hampton has not been determined, but one could guess it would be severe to the wildlife inhabitants. The environmental impact alone is sufficient reason to abandon this practice, but the effect on those of us who seek out Louse Point, Clearwater Beach, etc., would also be severe. Children, adults, and the elderly swim, kayak, and paddleboard in harbors. As for myself and my friends, we seek out harbors for contemplation and serenity as well as a calm, safe place to swim. It was stated that the Jet Skis drive out slowly. Who’s going to monitor this to ensure compliance? While I have nothing against Jet Skis, if that is someone’s choice of entertainment, I find it hard to believe that the constant noise and speed would or could be tempered. Will there be a guard or police presence, sunup to sundown, to ensure the law of slow start-up is followed? If so, has the expense of stationing an official representative been considered? One of the primary reasons we are in East Hampton rather than Coney Island or some other place with sand, sun, and water is because of the beautiful environment, which would run the risk of ruination should Jet Skis come to our serene and peaceful harbors. JANET A. GELLER Calm and Safe Waters East Hampton April 9, 2015 To the Editor: It is a dangerous idea to have Jet Skis launched from Accabonac Harbor. Senior citizens swim in the calm and safe waters of the harbor. Youngsters in day camp take advantage of the safety of the harbor. People on stand-up paddleboards enjoy the calm water. Kayaks and canoes can enjoy the safety of the harbor. Swimmers have the pleasure of a safe swim. Future home buyers come to Accabonac Harbor to enjoy the safety of the water, as there are no Jet Skis allowed there. Those fishing boats that do ply the water are old-timers and know how to safely return to their moorings. Jet Skis have the breadth of Gardiner’s Bay, using the bay beaches to launch their skis. To satisfy a few Jet Skiers, your proposal will endanger many people. Thank you. STANLEY BITTERMAN Barking and Blasting Amagansett April 13, 2015 To the Editor: Ah, spring at last. When the sounds of breezes, birds — and barking dogs and blasting leaf blowers fill the air. Yes, it’s that time of year again. Warm enough to go outside, but too noisy to stay out there. Time for my annual plea to dog owners to please, please be aware that your dog misses you when you leave the house. And barks until you come home. And time for my annual moaning and whining about those darned leaf blowers. I can understand that folks want to keep their lawns neat. But honestly. Where is common sense? My husband and I were taking a drive last weekend and saw three workers saddled with huge noisy blowers chasing one errant leaf across a driveway — in the rain. Even the most annoying “Apocalypse Now”-type chopper-whapping has the distinct advantage of passing quickly, whereas this barking and blower-blasting goes on and on and on and on and on. Okay, I’m done. Time to close the windows. It’s just too noisy out there. ALICE HENRY WHITMORE Dismayed East Hampton April 11, 2015 Dear David, Last week, at the town board meeting, we were informed by Councilwoman Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, liaison to our airport, that the board had elected not to act now on the proposal that would have banned all helicopters from Thursday to Monday during the summer. The reason? Southampton Town Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst and Councilwomen Christine Scalera and Bridget Fleming made a surprise announcement at the public hearing on March 12 at LTV Studios that if passed, the legislation could, not would, result in “unintended consequences,” more helicopter traffic at the Southampton Village heliport and Gabreski Airport. Wasn’t it these same three who publicly begged the East Hampton Town Board to act boldly to rid their residents of the scourge of helicopter noise? Second, Montauk citizens objected to any of the possible overflow into the airport, which is privately owned and has grant assurances with the Federal Aviation Administration. The helipad on Meadow Lane, Southampton, is village-owned and operated with no F.A.A. funding. The village can close it at its whim or limit its traffic if it chooses. Any traffic there is because Southampton Village permits it. At least half of the helicopter traffic to East Hampton Airport is destined not for East Hampton but for Southampton. Why shouldn’t Southampton passengers fly into Gabreski Airport via the Pine Barrens, where there are no homes at all to be disturbed? Certainly, we don’t want just to transfer the helicopter problem from the west end of East Hampton Town to the east end. But it is hard to believe that many helicopter passengers are going to travel all the way to Montauk and then backtrack. And if ridding thousands of the current burden of helicopter noise should produce a problem in Montauk, the board should then be ready to respond. But why continue to burden those thousands in the present for a problem that does not exist and may never exist? Ms. Burke-Gonzalez also stated that the town will form a partnership with the F.A.A. and Eastern Regional Helicopter Council. This is an insult to those residents and airport committee members who have worked tirelessly to achieve a common ground and real noise abatement. The F.A.A. and E.R.H.C. are in the business of promoting aircraft operations, not noise abatement. If the F.A.A. and/or the E.R.H.C. had a solution to helicopter noise other than getting rid of helicopters, the problem would have been solved years ago. Their mission is to string us along with empty promises. The board has no business joining with them to do so. It would be an understatement to say we are extremely dismayed and disappointed by this turn of events. Promised relief for this coming summer and armed with the legal right to implement new rules and a curfew, the town board members have wavered at the last moment. We have to ask, why? The town board should proceed with its original four proposals, see how the summer fares as a result, and review after the season the overall results as it had said it would do. Supervisor Throne-Holst, now in her last term, made a pivotal move that will become her political legacy and stick to her if she tries to run for another office on the East End. With every helicopter that burdens her community, people will not forget this last devastating act. As she correctly stated at the meeting on March 12, there are indeed consequences with every decision. Sincerely, SUSAN McGRAW KEBER Disappointing East Hampton April 13, 2015 Dear David, It was disappointing to read in last week’s Star that the town has decided not to ban helicopters on weekends, except at night. For many years, my wife and I traveled to our house in East Hampton on Saturdays, going back to the city by Jitney on Sundays, only having a short time to enjoy the Hamptons. We spend much more time now, but many people are still weekenders, weekenders who will have to endure the noise from the helicopters for their entire time in the Hamptons. That’s because the reduction in helicopter flights, as I understand it, will only be in force from Monday to Friday, not on weekends. And the reduction during the week will be only at night. But the weekends are the only time many people have to enjoy their homes in the Hamptons. Now I know many weekenders don’t vote out here, but they pay property taxes, maintain their homes, use services out here, and support the economy, so it’s disconcerting to learn they are seemingly not being better supported by the proposed rules. And the reason? As I understand it, the thinking goes that if the town reduces flights into East Hampton Airport, the helicopter owners will use other airports, in Southampton and Montauk, where other people will have to suffer from the noise. But that doesn’t seem to me to be a valid reason to maintain the helicopter noise in East Hampton on Saturdays and Sundays during daylight hours. If the concern is helicopters flying to other airports and creating problems, then why is the town only suggesting reducing helicopter traffic during the week? Won’t those flights land in other municipalities also? The ideal situation to me is to eliminate noisy air traffic, every day, and to encourage other municipalities to do the same — and they will if East Hampton is able to successfully curtail helicopter noise. One last thought: Helicopters categorized as “noisy” will be the most restricted by the new rules. But I have never heard a helicopter that wasn’t noisy. Possibly the quieter ones are so quiet I don’t notice them. But I would like to hear the difference between a “quiet” helicopter and a regular helicopter. I suspect even the quiet ones aren’t so quiet. LARRY SPECTOR Give It a Chance Amagansett April 12, 2015 Dear David, I was at the Tuesday town board work session when Councilwoman Kathee Burke-Gonzalez addressed the airport problem. Her recommendations are not going to please all, but I was impressed with her knowledge and her efforts working toward finding a quality-of-life solution and keeping the airport vital. The airport problem has been tossed around for years without any satisfactory outcomes. In fact, during the four years that Dominick Stanzione was its liaison to the board, he took it upon himself to make changes without any significant research or input by the public. Councilwoman Burke-Gonzalez and the current board have taken action to improve equipment and authorized studies. Rather than rushing to make unsubstantiated changes, without involving the full board and the public, Councilwoman Burke-Gonzalez has created many subcommittees to study improvements regarding safety for pilots and passengers, as well as noise. East Hampton is all one community, and therefore Montauk’s concern about its airport being used by helicopters was a valid concern. Banning helicopters on summer weekends needs further study. In the meantime this is a good start. This will be a year of data-gathering and airport-watching. By imposing the two curfews and one trip per week, it might work to eliminate noise. Give it a chance to work! Sincerely, RONA KLOPMAN A Peaceful Summer East Hampton April 12, 2015 Dear David: Finally! We have reason to anticipate relief from exposure to deafening aircraft noise. The East Hampton Town Board will be voting on legislation to impose limits on noisy aircraft and their hours of operation. I was disappointed when the helicopter ban was excluded from the proposed legislation, but I now understand that the unintended consequences of such a ban (subjecting neighboring communities to noxious helicopter noise) would create a new set of problems. As proposed, the specific limits on all aircraft are expected to eliminate 75 percent of the most offensive noise. Councilwoman Kathee Burke-Gonzales deserves recognition and credit for her tireless work in bringing together the various factions of the community, enabling consensus on noise control and airport financing. The summer of 2015 will provide a baseline from which to determine what if any changes will be needed to ensure the greatest degree of effectiveness. I for one look forward to a peaceful and quieter summer. SUE AVEDON Continued Discrimination Springs April 13, 2015 Dear David, Score another victory for discrimination! The recent announcement that the personal watercraft topic will be dropped — will not be allowed to use Town of East Hampton public launch ramps for fear of 12 complaints — is typical of our town politics. Good to know 12 people can derail public benefit and public safety. No overwhelming support? I guess the Springs Citizens Advisory Committee (28 members) is to be disregarded (only on this topic; all others the railroad express is on track). The elected East Hampton Town Trustees (nine) — they don’t matter anyway, right, Mr. Supervisor? The harbormaster (pipe down, you’re on the payroll — a big shoutout to Ed Michels — we love you, man)! The supporters of the Long Island Sports Committee, who, last we counted, had 400-plus supporters (14 and 15 at the time, not voting age then, but now legal-age voters) and the public at large who use these personal watercraft, who pay taxes and are citizens of the community, will not find the respect, tolerance, acceptance, or assimilation often preached by the politicos in the fabric of community planning, or so they say. This is the result of status quo leadership and continued discrimination in our town. Deb Foster must have rallied her insider crowd to produce the “overwhelming” (12) emails that derailed our good work for the people of our community, who know of the continued discrimination by this administration to be real in their “lifestyle choices” in this real-life circumstance. Guess it’s not flowers after a cold winter. I would not change status quo, is what Councilman Van Scoyoc called it in his interview with The Star, to drop the topic so abruptly. Political retribution is my take. Where was Mr. Status Quo’s ideology when he just added $40K to the LTV budget in last week’s board meeting because they needed more equipment? Okay, Mr. $upervisor? (Quiet whispers.) For what? An overwhelming need of Robert Strada for his private LTV Inc. to fatten his bottom line next year? Laughing out loud! How the colluded make me laugh so. When will the voters of this community wake up to the continued abuse by these colluded officials who play with your lives as if they don’t matter, giving away money like it is Monopoly money to fatten the budgets of the colluded, while you are denied your basic liberties? Where was Mr. Status Quo when it comes to your money? Robbing the piggy bank. It’s only the franchise fee money, he said. Is status quo Van Scoyoc being so by allowing the continued discrimination at LTV to continue in its obvious bias actions, adverse to a written contract against a known producer, considered true leadership or political pandering? Or just another status quo example why you have to vote these obtuse politicians out of office. Don’t be fooled again. Status quo is sitting on the couch and letting them decide your future. Can you remain status quo and allow that to happen again? I won’t! Be the change. Register to vote. Vote and the choice is yours. Don’t and the choice is theirs. Can you live with that? Lawsuit pending. The fight continues for respect, acceptance, tolerance, and assimilation. Others get it while we remain outlaws in our own community. Your “lifestyle choices” matter while ours keep us the discriminated? Truly disgusted in our present leadership, I remain, MARTIN WILLIAM DREW JR. Chairman Long Island Sports Committee Rule After Rule East Hampton April 6, 2015 Dear Editor, It seems that Tea Party and conservative Republicans just despise anyone who doesn’t live on their block. They believe that anything the Democrats and President Obama do is something they won’t touch. So they plod along, being the antithesis of clear thinking, and keep doing what they have always done, cut taxes and penalize those without power. Huge state budget deficits exist, resulting from tax cut after tax cut passed by those who seek only the approval of the far-right base that supports and nurtures them. Repetitive cuts in school funding, reduced help for the sick and needy, cuts in food assistance for impoverished children, and nonsensical regulations compelling recipients to bow low and say, “Thank you, thank you!” Cutting payments to the poor and middle class does nothing to reduce the deficits designed and implemented by right-wing ultraconservative legislators and go-along governors. They dream of all those recipients spending taxpayer money on tattoos, alcohol, and drugs: We’ll teach them to take personal responsibility and work ethics — they can overcome physical disabilities, sickness, childhood, and the families and children receiving welfare assistance to help them survive will make us feel better. Besides, we have passed voter ID laws and redistricting so they can’t vote us out. No more happy-go-lucky dole recipients dancing in the streets on Caribbean islands or vacation resorts. Of course, and all the while demeaning of those on the lowest rung of the economic structure, these self-righteous prigs haven’t forgotten to further injure, demean, disrupt, and prevent women from obtaining safe abortions so they can bring unwanted babies into the world who need care. Law after law, rule after rule, and obstruction after obstruction, abortion availability is narrowed, even after some have been ruled invalid by the courts. You want to end all this and return the country to sanity? Do what was done when Indiana and Arkansas passed “religious freedom” bills (get corporate America involved). Whoops, change the laws, boys, we need the campaign cash. I could go on and talk about our obscene legal justice system putting 700,000 people in jail and paying the bill for recidivism, but that will be for another letter. RICHARD P. HIGER Too Far to Get Back Southold April 10, 2015 To the Editor, When Bogart was in his later teens, like a lot of guys he liked to go out drinking. He would get down to about the top of Park Avenue and find out he couldn’t get back to the upper part of the city! He would call one of his favorite older cousins to get him and try the same thing the next time he went out, get too far to get back. After a few times his cousin wouldn’t get him. He lived far out of the city and it was early in the morning. When his father came, a prominent doctor, he was so furious, he induced sleep on him, and told everybody it was a breakdown. He slept for two weeks, waking at times with terrible headaches. And his father then yelled at him hard in a big bedroom they made out of their large living room, until his father said it was okay to get up. Ten years later he had a black, fancy, expensive car, and often would drive out of the city. On Queens Boulevard there were nightclubs where young talents like Milton Berle and his handsome brother would perform, and greats like Bob Hope would frequent. Farms were then along the boulevard on both sides, with milk and egg signs dotting a long way down the roadway by areas of Sunnyside, Elmhurst, etc. All my Bogart stories are true. ANITA FAGAN
Published 4 years ago
Last updated 4 years ago
Letters to the Editor: 04.16.15
April 15, 2015