To Show Respect Sag Harbor May 18, 2015 Dear Editor, In the years following the First World War, veterans returning to their homes in this country remembered the wild poppies that lined the devastated battlefields of France and Flanders. The soldiers of all nations came to look upon this flower as a living symbol of their dead comrades’ sacrifice. Since 1919, the poppy, a small symbol of great sacrifice, has been worn over the hearts of Americans who make a personal statement, “America We Remember.” We remember and honor the sacrifices of men and women who died in defense of our nation. We remember our commitment to assist all veterans and their families. The Memorial Poppy is handmade by hospitalized and disabled veterans in hospitals and workshops. The veteran is paid for each poppy he or she makes and many veteran patients derive considerable therapeutic and psychological benefits making poppies. Each nine-piece poppy is painstakingly made, and never sold but given in exchange for a contribution. The poppy program has been part of Auxiliary programming for more than 69 years. It has been estimated that approximately 25 million Americans wear the poppy to honor America’s war dead and all veterans, contributing nearly $2 million for rehabilitation and welfare programs. The Chelberg and Battle American Legion Auxiliary of Sag Harbor will be distributing poppies at the Legion Hall on Bay Street. The Auxiliary volunteers will also be distributing them along the parade route on Memorial Day. Please support our veterans, and let us never forget our obligation to those who have given so much and served so gallantly to protect this great land of ours and those of us who live here. It’s a small way to show our respect. Remember, and wear a poppy. Respectfully, DEBORAH GUERIN Past President, Poppy Chairman American Legion Auxiliary Chelberg and Battle Post #388 Did Not Disappoint Springs May 14, 2015 Dear Editor, The Springs Improvement Society would, once again, like to thank the Springs School for its generous donation of $1,000 following the second highly successful Mystery Art Sale at Ashawagh Hall. This highly anticipated event did not disappoint. The board of S.I.S. is delighted to make Ashawagh Hall available to the school for an event that brings out such an extraordinary number of Springs residents. People affiliated with the school, those looking to score a great piece of art, along with those who just came to get caught up in all the excitement — everyone contributed to making this event one of the most successful held at the hall. The Springs Improvement Society is a not-for-profit 501c3 corporation that relies heavily on community donations. Sincerest thanks to all the people who worked on the Mystery Art Show for this gift. LORING BOLGER Secretary, S.I.S. The Price of Dog Food Amagansett May 17, 2015 Dear David, I think most of us know about the studies that not only keep elderly and loyal dogs from kill shelters, but also add years and comfort to senior citizens’ lives when they lose their spouses and are living alone. Many seniors I know would love to have such a loyal companion, but do not because of the price of feeding them. Dog food is expensive, particularly when you are living alone on a fixed income. So why not have a drive for those seniors in that situation who would save the dog and improve their own quality of life, a drive in town where those who had some discretionary cash would sponsor the dog food for those in that situation. They could do it through ARF, perhaps, or someone might think of another way to do the program. We won’t eat the dog food, I promise. May I add that to its credit, St. Michael’s Senior Housing in Amagansett allows two pets per unit. Sincerely, LONA RUBINSTEIN Larger Than Life East Hampton May 14, 2015 Dear David, Houses of worship, be they churches, synagogues, or mosques, traditionally demonstrate great sensitivity and respect for people of other faiths and non-believers. One of the ways they do this is by not imposing religious symbols in unaesthetic and intrusive ways. East Hampton has always been a fine example of this tradition. The Episcopal Church, the East Hampton Jewish Center, the Catholic Church, the Presbyterian Church, and the Methodist Church all come to mind as models in this regard. I am writing today to express my concern about the larger-than-life menorah located in front of the Chabad Lubavitch in East Hampton Village. This enormous religious symbol is conspicuously located next to Montauk Highway, right before the pond, as one enters the village. It is, as they say, very much “in your face.” While symbols like menorahs, or Christmas trees for that matter, usually appear briefly during the holiday season, this menorah appears to have become a permanent structure. Why? Is it even legal? Most people would agree, I believe, that enormous crucifixes or Stars of David or Islamic stars and crescents or whatever would not be a welcome addition to any small, inclusive village. Such symbols are disquieting and, quite frankly, kind of creepy. I would hope that members of the Chabad community would reconsider their decision regarding the menorah out of respect for others. While the symbol, no doubt, has meaning and significance to the community, it is totally inconsistent with the mutual respect demonstrated by all other houses of worship. Respectfully, TIM HEALY Common Core Tests East Hampton May 17, 2015 To the Editor, In your editorial of May 14, you state that “the current group appears in lockstep with the district administration too frequently, reflexively defending its missteps, as in a recent spate of criticism from some Latino students’ parents over pressure they thought had been put on them to get their children to take the disputed Common Core tests.” By “appears in lockstep,” do you mean that the current East Hampton School Board does not argue in public and waste time, as boards in the past have done, as in arguing over and over for hours on end about what kind of fence to put around the elementary school playing fields? This current group (school board) does not agree on everything, both among themselves or with the administration. Our discussions, however, are done with respect for each others’ opinions, thereby leaving more time for the important matter of providing the best possible, affordable, educational experience for our students, such as adding to these valuable programs: coding, science olympiad, robotics, and funding all-day pre-K. Not everything is as it appears. I think as a journalist, you should get the facts before you offer your opinion. If you had checked, you would have found that the Common Core tests are mandated by the State Legislature. Are you insinuating that our school administrators pressured Latino parents not to break the law? Did you check to find out if these Latino parents had been given misleading information about the tests by some group protesting the tests? Whatever happened to honest journalism? RICHARD C. WILSON East Hampton School Board School Consolidation Southampton May 9, 2015 Dear Editor, The League of Women Voters held a public meeting titled “Mergers: What You Need to Know” on April 13. This perfectly selected date was on the eve of the start of the state exams and after the state budget vote. Southampton School District sent three of its top administrators there, along with one school board member. Sounds pretty important, doesn’t it? Except somehow, the school district never alerted the parents or community members about this important meeting with one of their many forms of media. Unlike Southampton, Tuckahoe Common School District did inform its community in multiple ways. Ms. Roth from the League of Women Voters said on their event invite, “We don’t want this to be a pro versus con type of event. We want this to be an information meeting where anyone who has anything to say would be welcome.” However, the organizers ensured that this did not happen. In fact, the meeting was so well scripted that there was only time for one question from the general public. This lone question was asked by a member of the Tuckahoe merger advisory committee who is an outspoken supporter of the Tuckahoe school merger and the only candidate running for the school board. Coincidence? I think not. The Delphi Technique was being perfectly executed right before our eyes. Not a negative spoken word in opposition to school consolidation was allowed. Video coverage of this event can be seen on YouTube under the title School Mergers, Regional Schools, and the Death of Local Control of Public Education. Here is an intro to that video: “New York was once a vibrant example of local control of public education, with some 11,000 school districts statewide. But overbearing and expansive government rules and regulations, coupled with onerous tax burdens, transformed a system of local control to one of mergers, consolidation, and top-down takeover of public education. This video shows plans of another merger in the Hamptons. It is worth noting that the organizers of this well-orchestrated meeting did not provide for an opposing view on the panel, nor any appreciable time for questions opposing the merger.” LORI TUTT A False Promise Sagaponack May 18, 2015 To the Editor: The East Hampton Star has been a supporter of efforts to limit aircraft noise pollution for as long as I can remember. Last week’s editorial broached a subject that seems to offer some solution. I would beg to differ. Investment in quieter equipment is a false promise of relief. What benefit is a (maybe) 50-percent reduction of the noise generated by a helicopter when helicopter traffic doubles? The sole, real solution to aircraft noise is limiting aircraft, which the town board is proposing and is legitimately entitled to do with the F.A.A.-sanctioned expiration of critical grant assurances. The aviation community (with connivance of the F.A.A.) has sued to frustrate the board’s initiatives. The aviation community has consistently admitted the problem of aircraft noise and claims that voluntary controls would suffice. The new airport manager proposed 2015 “voluntary noise abatement procedures” to the town board a little while ago. I have been complaining about the intrusion of aircraft noise for more than a quarter of a century (!), and not once have I, my neighbors, or the rest of the East End community enjoyed the consequences of voluntary (or any other) aircraft noise control — not once. This is a fiction of the aviation community. This, and the legal efforts of that same community to deny us the right of local control, will end up in an anger that has yet to be imagined. A hard fact that is undeniable is that under “their” plan there is no possible restraint to any increased air traffic or any aircraft type, ever. So I wonder how the East Hampton Town Board and residents of the East End contemplate this problem in light of the outrage already created by activity at the airport? I think veryone has to grasp that a confrontation is imminent and unavoidable, and that conceding anything to the aviation community and/or the F.A.A. is ultimately a defeat for the East End residents. Return local control of the airport, and the hell with the F.A.A. and the aviation community! And, somewhat quieter aircraft is not the answer. The present situation is untenable. STEPHEN LEVINE The Helicopter Forces East Hampton May 17, 2015 Dear David, The Town of East Hampton is now feeling the full assault of the helicopter forces. They’re suing the Town of East Hampton and asking for a restraining order halting the new regulations that limit the number of helicopter flights. But it is really an assault on the people who live and visit in East Hampton. People have a right to live here without being aggravated in their own homes by any excessive noise. It seems to me that the helicopter owners must know their machines are extremely noisy and bothering people who are living in an increasingly dense area. But somehow that’s not as important as their “right” to make a truckload of money ferrying the wealthy. (Single-engine planes and private jets seem to be much quieter.) The people of East Hampton own the airport and we should have a right to regulate the aircraft that use the airport. Right now, helicopters are diminishing our enjoyment of this area, yet we, the taxpayers, are being asked to contribute to the upkeep of the airport where helicopters land. If you think about the few, if any, benefits of the airport for the vast majority in East Hampton, plus the lowering of quality of life from the noise, having an airport doesn’t make too much sense. Developers would love to buy the land and put up mansions. And unless the helicopter owners become better citizens of the community, it may make sense for the town to look to other solutions to the noise problem. More and more people seem to want to come to the Hamptons. And I don’t think the attraction is low-flying helicopters. LARRY SPECTER New Trustee Blood Amagansett May 15, 2015 Dear David, Only the terminally masochistic East Hampton Town voter would consider changing the cast at Town Hall. The idea of not re-electing Supervisor Larry Cantwell, Councilman Peter Van Scoyoc, and Councilwoman Sylvia Overby rests with the lobotomized. What is due for a major tuneup is the trustees. This ancient local body’s democratic mission — public beaches, bottomlands, and waterways belonging to the public — has been muddied by defensive entrenchment. It is high time for new trustee blood with a progressive mission: public beaches, public waterways. Last night, I met some of the trustee candidates — some are young! I think it blissfully wonderful that the young, new leaders of East Hampton Town who went to school here, work here, live here, care enough to want to actively shape our town’s future. Bravo! All good things, DIANA WALKER A Geological Event East Quogue May 12, 2015 Dear David, People think the current climate forecasts are bad? The scientists are just catching up with what I’ve been telling people for 40 years: Global warming is taking on the dynamics of a snowball rolling downhill, and events are and will be happening at a faster pace than scientists are suggesting. And now here’s another wrinkle for people to contemplate: The redistribution of land-based ice as water to the oceans is stressing our tectonic plates in ways we’ve not imagined. The result is going to be more earthquakes in more places. An earthquake nearly sheared off a mountain on one of the Canary Islands back in 1949, but it didn’t slide into the ocean. Nothing is currently holding that mountain in place. If seismic activity should cause that mountain to slide off, you can expect a rise in ocean levels of more than one or two feet. People can expect to see a 300-to-500-foot tsunami washing over the entire Atlantic Basin, moving at the speed of a 747 wiping out the entire North Atlantic and South Atlantic shores. The wave will not stop till it reaches mid-Connecticut. Florida will disappear, along with everyone living along the coasts from Greenland to Tierra del Fuego on the tip of South America, along with Europe and Africa, all the way to South Africa. The repercussions for people along the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian and Pacific Oceans can only be guessed at. It would not be unreasonable for the dead to number in the several billions. This is a geological event that will happen. The question is, will it happen in our (human) lifetime. I’m expecting it. Good luck. LANCE COREY Driven By the Sun East Hampton May 16, 2015 Dear David, I read Mr. Anthony Minardi’s letter with interest concerning the condition of the water. The conclusion to do nothing might be in error. Given the drainage basin includes from North Main Street to the drain at the gut, and that the pond supports extensive animal life, I would suggest reshaping the bottom into a deeper lens shape end to end and removing nonnative vegetation. We all win then. A well-meaning writer accused Dr. Don Easterbrook of making remarks about tobacco. This never happened. The writer mentions payment from oil interests. This, too, never happened. His source likely is ThinkProgress, The Huffington Post, or another smear site. The man accused of these things was, in actuality, Dr. S. Fred Singer, a man who worked for the U.S. Government during World War II. He is now over 90 years of age and a retired professor from the University of Virginia. What Dr. Singer stated over 30 years ago is that cancer from secondhand smoke is not proved. As far as I know, there is still no proved causal connection. However I am overjoyed that smoking has been banned in public places, being a lifetime nonsmoker. The writer failed to give us the science for the mistaken belief that CO2 drives climate change. Climate change is driven by the sun. Always has been, always will. Secondarily, it will be affected by the orbits of Saturn and Jupiter as their gravity bends Earth’s orbit closer and farther from the sun. The climate is further modified by the location of the continents, ocean currents, Earth’s precession, cosmic rays, cloud cover, water vapor, and a very tiny amount by CO2. I have learned these things by studying the writings of Dr. Don Easterbrook, Dr. S. Fred Singer, Dr. Judith Curry, Dr. Willie Soon, Dr. Roy Spencer, Dr. John R. Christie, Dr. Sallie Balunis, Dr. Bob Carter, and others. They all have home pages and most appear on YouTube. If you are too busy to search and read all these, YouTube has “Global Warming Hoax Explained for Dummies,” which some readers might find interesting. Yours truly, PETER C. OSBORNE Religious Obsessions East Hampton May 14, 2015 To the Editor: In Europe for a few weeks. The perspective of time and history is a blessing. For Americans, living with no sense of history guarantees that mistakes are logically not rectifiable. But even living with history doesn’t mean that we are certain to learn from our mistakes. Just increases the odds. So the issue of radical Islam and Christianity rears its troubled head and a world view of religion, which history and technology easily permit us to understand, often remains unilluminated in the depths and the confusion that is inherent in religious thinking. Given the extraordinary amount of information available, the term humility takes precedence above everything else. To fully understand the folly of our religious obsessions it is necessary to know that in the religions of the book — Judaism, Islam, and Christianity — virtually every thought and idea that they expound predated them. No brilliant revelations or life-changing theories that enlightened and expanded people’s visions of the world. No plastic, no penicillin, no nuclear fission. Just a recycling and reordering of ideas and concepts that got pasted together as a means of seducing, drugging, and controlling masses of people. The concepts of being chosen, holy wars, blasphemy, inquisitions are all understandable in a world that was essentially illiterate and without information. In 2000 B.C. or 600 A.D. no one knew that the world was one hundred times bigger than they could ever imagine, and that cultures thousands of years before had lived and codified everything they thought to be original and special. How could they know that the skill of the preachers, not the words they were preaching, was the hook that seduced them into the fold? Ignorance and stupidity are the roots of religious fascism, but blaming people for what they couldn’t possibly know makes little sense. In today’s world of 7 billion people, no single religion could realistically call itself chosen. If there is a god, it is obvious that he or she has created a world with a multitude of faiths. Calling nonbelievers infidels or accusing them of blasphemy simply denies the existence of God, which, for anyone who actually believes, is a negation of their own existence. So, use of these terms borders on the imbecilic at best, and deeply deranged at worst. Holy wars and martyrdom are simply a function of conceit, disrespect, and a lack of humility. Killing for Jesus or Mohammed is really about greed and territory. Pretending that God or one of his deranged messengers said it was okay to kill in his name is cheap pornography. Real believers would put their guns in their mouths and fulfill all their needs at one time. In our maddened world of political and economic dysfunction, religious institutions should serve as a support system for social integrity. Put out the fires, not ignite them. Create a world vision that our similarities far outweigh our differences, and that when we kill each other we are really committing fratricide. NEIL HAUSIG The Dictionary Helped Southold May 11, 2015 Dear Editor, Back in Catholic school the Mother Superior got a call from The News. Norman Cousins asked if there was any student who was good with words. They told him I was one! And I was sent down to his office, to my excitement. He handed me a dictionary and would throw me a word to look it up. I had to laugh often. It didn’t help my big first job, where I had the calling to write. The dictionary really helped. Once I was in the office late and wrote a poem of my happy feeling later, the eighth grade. Heaven is when moonlight shines bright at night on the editor’s desk. (Newspaper people relate. I like to thank Norman Cousins.) ANITA FAGAN (Nee Perrella before Fagan)
Published 4 years ago
Last updated 4 years ago
Letters to the Editor: 05.21.15
May 21, 2015