Candidacy a Success Amagansett May 26, 2015 To the Editor: I would like to thank all of my supporters who came out to vote for me on Tuesday, May 17, to make my Amagansett School Board candidacy a success. I am very excited that you have given me this opportunity to further serve the Amagansett community of which I am so proud. This is a great honor and responsibility that I will not take lightly. I would also like to thank my opponent, Mary Lownes, for her 13 years of dedicated service on the Amagansett School Board. I believe our future lies in the children of today to become the successful leaders of tomorrow. Sincerely, STEVE GRABOSKI To Stuart, for One Cent Amagansett May 23, 2015 Dear David, This morning, I attended the memorial service for Bill King at Guild Hall. I should have realized that it was a “pre-programmed event,” thus I could not speak even though I asked permission to do so. Prior to mid-August 1978, I had no knowledge of a person named Bill King, nor what he did. That afternoon, I was coming home from fishing. As I drove down the driveway toward our fish-packing building and fish market on Oak Lane, I noticed a tall wooden sculpture leaning against the northeast corner of the freezer building. It was about seven feet tall and painted a pale green color. A note with his phone number attached to it read: “To Stuart, for one cent and other considerations.” I called to thank him and ask what this wooden sculpture represented. His answer was a real surprise, as unbeknownst to me, Bill King, over the years since I began public speaking and writing letters in 1963, had been following my activities, and thus the sculpture represented “The Thinking Man.” Bill allowed that I always did my homework and publicly presented carefully thought-out statements and writings. Thus began a long friendship between us. Bill will be sorely missed by me and many other people as well. Sometime after, I won a town trustee position for the Democratic Party in 1979. (The Republican Party would not renominate me, because they were angry that I was reading all the printed trustee and town records.) Bill came over to the house on Oak Lane with a 3-by-4-foot green nylon banner with a red border and a large red V on both sides. Bill said he made this banner for me to represent one V for Vorpahl and the other V for victory. A couple of years later, Bill, Barbara Hale, and myself made one of the first onsite videos by LTV, about the dunes at Napeague. The weather and carpenter ants, over the years, have taken their toll on my “Thinking Man” sculpture. About 10 years ago, I took it to his studio to replace the arm, and now its feet are in poor shape so I have it lying down on planks. I am betwixt and between as to, should I make new feet or leave it alone, as I do not want to impair the originality of the sculpture. Perhaps someone could give me some advice on this matter. Cheers, STUART B. VORPAHL The Tick Total East Hampton June 2, 2015 To the Editor: Being a gardener who has to taken to hiding in my backyard from the horrors of a 1-percent tourist resort, I’ve had somewhat of a leg up on the tick dilemma. Weekly dragging a queen-size cotton sheet on a long stick, carrying clear tape to collect them in, beginning last year’s spring, the total for 2014 was over 400 ticks. This year so far, 265, with about 25 percent Lone Star, no dog ticks, mostly deer ticks. The early spring started with the overwintered mature, then the nymphs bloomed and are now accounting for 25 percent. These are tiny! Poppy-seed sized, light-orange colored, and slow. Speed increases with size. My record thus far is 54 ticks in one pull, just last week. My yard of about half an acre is deer-fenced, but cats, mice, coons, birds, and particularly rabbits are the main hosts. The yard’s hot zones are always by the rabbits. The day after a rain is always the most fruitful gathering. Recipes to follow. Ticks can also be found in gravel driveways. Wear shorts and have fun. R.T. RUSTMANN Religious Symbols East Hampton May 31, 2015 Dear David, I’d like to briefly respond to a couple of points raised by Linda Kaye in last week’s letters to the editor. Ms. Kaye had written in regard to my previous letter concerning the large menorah located in front of the Chabad Lubavitch, at the entrance to East Hampton Village. In her letter, Ms. Kaye expressed her “sadness” at a statement I had made concerning “religious symbols, be they crucifixes or Stars of David or Islamic stars and crescents or whatever.” I had expressed the opinion that such symbols, particularly large, conspicuous ones when displayed in an inclusive village are “disquieting and frankly, kind of creepy.” In expressing this opinion, I certainly did not intend to offend or sadden Ms. Kaye or anyone else. I was simply trying to point out that there is a reason why all of the other houses of worship in East Hampton Village do not impose religious symbols on people in intrusive ways. Such symbols really are disquieting. The Episcopal Church, the East Hampton Jewish Center, the Catholic Church, the Presbyterian Church, and the Methodist Church all demonstrate great restraint and respect for the entire East Hampton community by never, ever conspicuously displaying such symbols. Ms. Kaye, in her letter, raises the question as to why the Chabad menorah is being singled out for criticism when many homes in the Hamptons display decorative sculptures on their front lawns. Her conclusion seems to be that all images are pretty much the same. Religious symbols are obviously unlike anything else. They have conscious and unconscious associations that make them very different from a pink flamingo on someone’s lawn. That’s the reason believers are drawn to them. That’s why they have the power to divide. In her letter, Ms. Kaye proposes that the word “inappropriate” may be a more suitable description of the Chabad menorah than my choice of words. I do not disagree. Given the long history of sensitivity and mutual respect demonstrated by all of the other houses of worship in East Hampton Village, “inappropriate” does seem to accurately describe the menorah’s place in our community. Respectfully, TIM HEALY Volunteers as Tutors East Hampton June 1, 2015 Hello David, At the last Springs School Board meeting, I listened to a teacher with many years seniority emotionally plead for help in that she is overwhelmed with the amount of students that she has and her inability to maintain the level of teaching she has offered over the years. I feel that I owe this teacher because she taught my daughter in fourth grade, and I would love to be able to give back and volunteer to help her. The only problem is that the Springs School does not allow for volunteer tutors or mentors. Let me create a scenario. We have a Spanish-speaking student new to the school who does not speak English. Although a very bright child, as he attempts to learn the language he’s bound to struggle and suffer in his efforts. Unable to keep up with other classmates, his self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth suffer. Next, we have a Latino college student who would like to give back to the community. She asks the school for an opportunity to help a student who is new and who is struggling with English. The school responds no thank you, because it does not allow for volunteers as tutors or mentors. Up until this point in time, the school has shown no transparency or explanation why it doesn’t allow volunteers. Just think about it! Ten volunteers doing three hours of volunteer work a week would add up to 1,200 hours a year of individual one-on-one help. Thirty volunteers, 3,600 hours. Zero volunteers, sadly, no hours of volunteer work. It’s rumored that the school board does not interfere with administrative policy. I hope they make an exception in this situation. I hope they would be pro-active and work with the administration to find a viable means to make this work. I would hope that the school administration would breathe in and breathe out and feel the suffering and struggle and create a situation where volunteers could reduce the pain and bring more happiness into the lives of our children. I hope this goes East Hampton Star viral and other families send letters to the editor and give this addition life. Sincerely, KEVIN REYNOLDS On the Beach East Hampton June 1, 2015 Editor: Your front-page article “Move Your Cans, Trustees to Tell Village” struck a strong chord with me. Back in 2008, I wrote a letter to then-Village Administrator Larry Cantwell regarding trash cans, specifically on Wiborg’s Beach. Prior to my conversation with Mr. Cantwell, a half-dozen trash cans were placed midway to the water along Wiborg’s Beach, just as they are on Main Beach today. Thanks to Mr. Cantwell, within a short time all but two were removed, and those two were placed a few dozen yards from the beach entrance, where they can be found today. Seven years later to the day, the issue is being raised for all East Hampton Village beaches. I agree with trustee Deborah Klughers and with Dell Cullum that trash cans should not be placed on village beaches, just as strongly as I suggested to Mr. Cantwell in 2008 there was no place for them on Wiborg’s Beach. Now, Ms. Klughers and Mr. Cullum might think two trash cans a few dozen yards from the beach entrance on Wiborg’s, Egypt, Two Mile Hollow, and Georgica beaches are still on the sand and should be moved up by the parking area with the other two, and I would agree. What is done on Main Beach is another matter, in my opinion. It is the only village beach with a food concession; perhaps trash cans on the beach make sense there. MICHAEL MELLA Behavior Is Disgusting Southampton May 28, 2015 Dear Sir, High-tension wires run west to east across Wainscott Northwest Road by Daniel’s Hole along sand tracks. Alongside of these tracks are nature trails, property of East Hampton Town, later leading to property owned by the Ross School. The sand tracks have been sadly used as a dumping ground for household garbage for years. There’s enough to furnish an apartment. Now, on the preserve trails themselves, on both sides of the road, there’s human feces, with the soiled paper. This behavior is disgusting and leaves a really negative feeling when walking these trails. The creed “Take it in, bring it out” can’t apply only for those of us who pick up after our dogs. This behavior is an insult to us all who choose to walk those trails and a total disregard for nature and other beings. To report violations against the preserve codes please call the East Hampton Town Department of Natural Resources, 324-0496. Respectfully yours, JULIA ROOME Out of Control Montauk May 27, 2015 To the Editor: If you haven’t noticed, there were approximately 50 cars in the Kirk Park parking area over the last few days. Apparently this is now the Gurney’s staff parking area since they forbid their employees from parking at the resort. Shuttle included. As you know, most business owners pay a hefty sum for the required number of parking spaces. Why is Gurney’s permitted to use town parking for this purpose? In addition, the Lido and other properties were purchased for seasonal housing. Motels are permitted and licensed for temporary residence, meaning two weeks or less. How is it possible that these units are being utilized for something other than what they were permitted for? Any side deals we don’t know about? If anyone has any inside information, please let me know. And if parking was an issue this weekend, then perhaps it’s finally time to move the large events off the village green and place them in a location that is more suited for their venue. No parking in town for the local businesses and their customers, however there was still approximately a 20-percent capacity available at Kirk Park. The larger venues should go to Lions Field, Second House, or the harbor area. This past weekend you may have witnessed a town out of control. The sheer volume of people converging on our hamlet is destructive to say the least. Town officials need to be strictly held accountable and should not allow the continued misuse of our cherished resource. Montauk. Stop catering to the needs of these growing and expanding businesses, for there will be no end. All businesses have parameters to work within and they should be adhered to. Soon we will end up with no greenery, vegetation, wildlife, or fresh air. If you wish to become the concrete jungle, then just pave it all and give free passes at the stretch to come in and do whatever you wish. Please, take control. A resident and business owner who cares, KEN WALLES Beach Access Rights May 31, 2015 East Hampton To the Editor, On behalf of the board of Citizens for Access Rights, I would like to thank all of our members and supporters who came to the annual CfAR fund-raiser this spring. I would also like to give a special thanks to all who donated items for our auction. The night was a great success and we were able to raise money and awareness for public access and ownership of the beaches in East Hampton as well as send some of our supporters home with great auction items. Whether it is some government agency or other entity putting up no-parking signs, or beachfront homeowners who want to privatize and limit the use of the beach, the public’s ability to safely and responsibly access and use the beaches in East Hampton is constantly being challenged. One needs to look no farther than to our neighbors to the west in Southampton to realize that these challenges are ongoing and not likely to end anytime soon. If you are interested in supporting public ownership of, and access to East Hampton’s beaches, please visit our website, citizensforaccessrights.com, and become a CfAR member. You can also sign up for our quarterly newsletter to keep current with issues related to public ownership and access rights to the beaches in East Hampton. The board of CfAR wishes everyone a fun and safe summer on the beaches of East Hampton. We would also like to remind everyone to please take all your trash with you at the end of the day. Help to keep East Hampton’s beaches clean, beautiful, and accessible to all. Thanks again for the support. TIM TAYLOR President Citizens for Access Rights Totally Predictable East Hampton May 27, 2015 Dear David, Deniers scoffed at predictions years ago from climate scientists that there would be both droughts and floods of unusual proportions. “How can they predict the weather in future years, when they can’t get the next weekend right?” Seventy-two percent of Texas was in a drought a year ago. This year they have had three weeks of torrential rains, followed by 10 inches of rain in 24 hours, and they are using paddleboards on the interstate in Houston. Brian Fuchs, a climate scientist at the University of Nebraska, commented, “To see anything like this outside of the tropics is just amazing.” Well, amazing to some, sad, alarming, and totally predictable to those who have been paying heed to the science. Hundreds of other obvious manifestations have made it too ridiculous even for deniers to claim climate change is not happening. Their last refuge is to claim that 97 percent of scientists, who, based on the evidence, state that it is man-made and attributed to the burning of fossil fuels, are wrong. If you can look out your window and see the ocean, you might want to check out citizensclimatelobby.org, where there is a proposal supported by Democrats and Republicans that can slow down this process before you are paddling to your house. Grassroots efforts are the only antidote to the Koch brothers’ billions — or are you unaware that even your congressman received $15,000 from the Kochs in the last campaign? I don’t believe Congressman Zeldin’s vote can be bought. I think he’s smart, and he knows his district is surrounded by a rising ocean. But why should he buck the easy political path if he does not hear from us? DON MATHESON Drilling in the Arctic Montauk June 1, 2015 To the Editor: “The future is not a hope, it is an achievement.” — Robert Kennedy Sadly, the president has recently given a go-ahead to Shell Oil to drill in the Arctic. The reality is that drilling is possible only because global climate change has melted so much of the ice cap. Burning the extracted fossil fuel will hasten the warming, and so a feedback loop will be reinforced — the more oil we burn, the faster the ice will melt. We hope that our children and grandchildren have a wonderful future ahead of them. But unless we push back against the folly and whatever else is at work in these incomprehensible decisions, the hope of a fortunate future will remain only a hope. The best slogan I have heard lately is “Keep It in the Ground.” Economics is no longer an argument against switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy. The projected increase in jobs in the new industries promises well-paid positions that will more than compensate for losses in fossil fuel-related jobs. And who wouldn’t rather know they were helping to ensure the future of their kids and grandkids, instead of despoiling the earth and triggering catastrophic climate change? Renewable energy is practicable, economically feasible, and will employ Americans in jobs with a future. Let’s say, “Shell No” to Arctic exploitation. Every voice counts. Sincerely, JANET Van SICKLE Chaos in the Skies East Hampton May 25, 2015 Dear David, Forty-two reported aircraft noise complaints to PlaneNoise for Friday, May 22, alone. Each approximately three minutes apart on average. Two aircraft nearly simultaneous. The remaining days of the holiday weekend are being reported this evening to planenoise.com. I have so many videos it is impossible to share here. Helicopters were incessant and continue even now, as I write on Monday evening, as though they are on a conveyor belt. I drove to the airport and what I witnessed was nothing short of drop-off and pickup helicopter taxi service. In 10 minutes, there were approximately 12 landings and takeoffs of helicopters alone. Other aircraft departed at the same time as the helicopters, so the noise was extreme. All of the aircraft headed over in the flight pattern of our home. As I saw them: One coming in. One came in. One just landed. One going out. Prop and seaplane departing same time. This is complete chaos in the skies! I could not video fast enough. As I type it has been nonstop helicopter rotors at the airport. This has been going on for hours. As they do not turn them off, it is all one hears all day long. Sitting in our backyard by the pool, the drone is of unbearable helicopter noise, and it is nearly 8 p.m. We have hours to go before the weekend visitors leave for the week. In the meantime, we are under siege with helicopters, jets, turboprops, and seaplanes. There is no moment of quiet. This is a madhouse! We can’t continue to live as prisoners of our own homes. The airport is overrun by rogue profiteers at the expense of the citizens of the East End. We all know the problem goes well beyond our town and impacts the North Fork, Shelter Island, and Southampton Town. I will not waste time addressing the Southampton supervisor’s betrayal of her constituents in this letter, but suffice it to say she is unworthy to serve in any office given her penchant for selling out with this issue and to developers. No curfew for East Hampton Airport means that our family was subject to helicopter arrivals well past midnight on Wednesday evening. The last recorded helicopter was at 3 a.m.! It is impossible to sleep, let alone work the next day with clarity of mind. As I work from home, the task is made nearly impossible as it is punctuated by aircraft noise pollution. The time for representatives of New York State to act on behalf of their East End constituents has long been necessary. Our town leaders need their help. The F.A.A. and aviation lobbyists are destroying our right to enjoy our homes in peace and quiet. Noise pollution is adversely impacting our real estate values, our indigenous wildlife, and, frankly, our health. Having no respite from aircraft noise pollution and lack of sleep poses serious health issues. Our greatest asset, our home, has been severely compromised despite my selecting a property that once offered the luxury of peace and quiet, in the Northwest Woods. Now we are robbed of that joy, yet our taxes increase annually. State leaders must take action. Now. Our summer season has begun and it is agonizing to be pummeled with the constant drone of 24/7 aircraft noise pollution. Other than this mayhem, it was a pleasure to spend time with family, even if we did have to yell to hear one another over the din of aircraft. Sincerely, SUSAN McGRAW KEBER Anything That Flies Wainscott May 30, 2015 Dear David: Let’s hear it for the month of June, when government pulls out all the stops in misguided efforts to protect anything that flies. For starters, miles of beach are fenced off, littered with signs, and patrolled by tax-dollar-funded plover police in hopes that a piping plover egg or two might hatch. Red foxes everywhere are laughing. Meanwhile, thousands of helicopters spew ear-splitting noise and pollution 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, over our beaches and nature preserves while ferrying their precious cargo. And our government? It joins in a lawsuit filed by the aviation industry to preserve and protect this “right.” Lawyers everywhere are laughing. Has anyone considered for just one minute that fewer helicopters might equal more piping plovers? Nah. Too easy. Regards, TOM MacNIVEN Low-Flying in Montauk Montauk May 25, 2015 Dear Editor: Low-flying helicopters aren’t just a nuisance in East Hampton. They are getting more invasive in Montauk. I took a picture from my chaise on my deck (I was trying to relax) on Wills Point Road in the Culloden section of Montauk. There was a giant body of water it could have flown over as it flew (west to east), known as Gardiner’s Bay. Instead the pilot took the shortest route to the airport, which was maybe 1,000 feet overhead on an otherwise tranquil Sunday morning. Then minutes later a seaplane flew low over my deck after having left the Montauk Airport or Lake Montauk. This pilot should have turned out over the Sound. I suspect it will only get worse if East Hampton succeeds in limiting these pests in the litigation brought by the East Hampton Airport business interests. ANTHONY HALLINGER The Designating Process Montauk May 31, 2015 Dear Editor: In early winter, the East Hampton Republican Committee informed the public via press releases of how and when Republican town candidates would be screened and selected. Those interested parties had the opportunity to watch, question, and inform themselves of how the designating process worked. Has the Democratic Party done the same, or is it the same way the East Hampton Town Board conducts business, with their knowing what is best for us and then imposing it on the public. Is it time for a change from one-party rule? Sincerely, PAT FLYNN Born to Be a Judge East Hampton May 31, 2015 To the Editor: I write to support the candidacy of Michael Bromberg and to encourage one and all to vote for him as the Sag Harbor Village justice. Michael’s compassion and wisdom gained from his varied and lengthy legal career is unmatched by any candidate. Supporters of Justice Rana point to her years of experience but fail to note that she too once started fresh and required on-the-job training. Michael’s life has trained him to confront life’s problems and travails with insight and reason. I have never known him to bear a grudge or fail to appreciate an individual’s perspective. He is patient and without a preconceived mind-set. He was born to be a judge. Vote Bromberg. PAUL ERIC RUDDER Deer-Related Topics Montauk May 31, 2015 To the Editor, On June 18 at 7 p.m., the East Hampton Group for Wildlife will host a forum titled “The Deer Controversy: Updates and Solutions.” The goal is to present the latest information on deer-related topics that are currently under discussion in our community. To what extent are deer affecting vegetation? What is the latest information on the 4-poster method of tick control, deer sterilization, and deer contraception? How can we better appreciate deer? Scheduled speakers include Larry Penny, Randy Parsons, Ilissa Meyer, Paul Hollander, a veterinarian; Ellen Crain, a medical doctor; and Dell Cullum. There will be time for questions and discussion. The forum will be held in Hoie Hall of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 18 James Lane, across from the East Hampton Village pond. Light refreshments will be served. BILL CRAIN President East Hampton Group for Wildlife Absolute Horror East Hampton May 26, 2015 Dear David, For anyone who is still struggling with the deer sterilization issue, I’m about to tell you a story that is either going to make you cry, scream, or puke. I know this because I did all three. I think everyone should be aware of this story, read it, and share it, regardless of how horrible it is. I specifically hope that everyone who was and still is in favor of the sterilization process reads this, whether it makes a difference in their opinion or not. I’d just like to know you read it. Most important, I want the East Hampton Village Board members to all get a good taste of what I went through while they were all more than likely enjoying a beautiful holiday weekend in their deer-sterile environment. I’m leaving a raccoon job at 10:10 a.m. on Sunday, May 24, when my phone rings. I answer to a woman, frantic and concerned about a struggling deer in her yard. She explains that the doe is in distress, trying to give birth as the head of a fawn is protruding from her vagina, yet it’s possibly stuck. Needless to say, I dropped everything and headed straight to the scene, which happened to be a residence right on Newtown Lane. I called my wife and asked her to meet me there with towels and a blanket, which she did minutes after I arrived. Every scenario went through my mind before I arrived, but I was about to be blindsided by the absolute unexpected. I arrived to find a doe on the ground on her side, shaking uncontrollably while alternate limb muscles locked up, and in the process of giving birth. A fawn’s head was outside the vagina, clearly dead, and even worse, covered with flies. But wait — what the hell? This doe was tagged. A sterilized doe. Number 57, and she was trying to abort her stillborn twins. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I knew what had to be done. Just as I knelt down to put a towel over the poor girl’s head, we were fortunate to be joined by a wonderful wildlife rescue and rehabilitation expert who immediately put the doe’s head in her lap and arms and began to calm and comfort her. My wife, Dee, gently caressed the doe’s belly and held her steady as I prepared to do what I knew was necessary. The homeowners and their guests were making calls to all the various vet clinics and animal hospitals and rescue facilities, but no one was open or available to assist (an issue that needs to be addressed). At that point I made a call to a special (retired) veterinarian friend of mine, who helped me through the process. With phone tucked between ear and shoulder, I covered my hand in Vaseline and attempted to remove the stillborn fawn. When I got my hand in I felt there was another fawn tangled up with the one that couldn’t pass. I soon realized it too was deceased, and both fawns had been dead for some time. It took me 20 or 30 minutes of failed attempts of removing the fawns from their dying mother. In a last-ditch effort I was instructed with one final method. I hung up the phone, put my arm inside the doe, and pushed hard the one fawn back into the uterus, in hopes of the pair untangling. While the team held the girl down strong, I went in to my elbow and the fawn finally separated from its twin. I grabbed the already decomposing neck of the jammed fawn and pulled it out, followed by a rush of blood, gas, and fluids. Then I went in for the twin, which I was able to remove with much less resistance. Again a river of blood and fluids rushed out while the flies swarmed both doe, the dead fawns, and the after-birth debris. I will spare you the description of the fawn’s appearance, although let me be clear that it was nothing short of absolute horror. Strict attention to the doe’s comfort was never compromised as both Jane and Dee never stopped caressing and softly speaking to her. The doe knew we were trying to help her. For the next 10 minutes we all sat by the doe and hoped she would snap back. At one point we tried to get her to stand, but the strength needed was not in her, so we allowed her to lie back down. Soon after, her breathing became more shallow and faint. Then, with a slow 15 minutes of seizure, the poor doe, #57, expired. I cleaned up the mess and we put the deceased in the back of my pickup, to be transported to the dump. The homeowners were quite shaken up but relieved. After all they witnessed they were eager to compensate, however I simply told them to make a donation to the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center, which I’m certain they will be doing. There was one more person involved who came on scene literally moments before the doe passed. Even after being told the doe was dead, she unnecessarily sedated the animal. I won’t elaborate other than saying I had once respected this person to some level, but she is pro-interference, pro-chemicals, considers White Buffalo a first step, and she doesn’t even live in East Hampton to know the status of our deer population over the years. That’s where my respect ended as I don’t agree with a single aspect of what has been done to the deer in East Hampton Village and beyond village limits. She can be for this wildlife intrusion, that’s her right. I don’t have to, and that’s my right. So, what happened? Are these deer-killing creeps not even doing what they say they are doing and getting paid not to do it? Who’s getting buffaloed now, people? Bet they’ll have a good excuse for this one. They always do, and more than likely you’ll buy it, hook, line, and sinker. And let me ask everyone this. Was anyone told that this would be expected? Post-sterilization pregnancies with stillborn abortions in the field? I’m asking all those who were and are in favor — specifically the village board, the Preservation Society, and all those who backed this barbaric, insane, gruesome, and vile program — were you told this would be a common side effect? Did you then still agree to move forward, knowing about it? Stand up and back your decision by answering this question. I want to know who knew this could happen and still thought it was the right thing to do. I need to know, because I didn’t sleep a wink the entire night and today I can’t stop thinking about how horrible that experience was. I won’t speak for the others or post their names without their permission, but I’m sure no one was feeling good about what they experienced as well. I do however want to thank Dee, Jane, and my phone angel Terri. Also the homeowners who cared enough not to give up looking for help and ultimately contacted me. That’s the story. It sets the tone for my brand-new opinion on this entire deer sterilization program and the ones who ordered it and those who operate it. My thoughts and wishes for those of you I cannot print. I only hope God has mercy on your souls for what you have done to his children. I will remain unworthy and weak in his eyes because I cannot forgive any of you. In fact, I curse you. Don’t ever try to convince me that what you’ve done holds a speck of morality, until you have your arm inside a dying doe pulling out her dead babies. Heartbroken and horrified, DELL CULLUM Less Than Gracious Wainscott May 27, 2015 Dear Editor, I have lived in Wainscott for 30 years. In recent years many of the restaurant proprietors have adopted a less-than-gracious attitude. It appears they are glad to take your money but do not feel they need to provide a level of reasonable service. The attitude is such that they will gladly tell you that they have three more customers waiting for your seat that are willing to accept the poor level of service just to be in their restaurant. Visitors are shocked by the “you don’t like it, go somewhere else” attitude. This weekend was the icing on the cake at the newly opened Osteria Salina. You can see my posting on Yelp and below mine the response from Tim G., the proprietor. There are additional comments on Facebook from people I do not know expressing a like experience. This is bad for the Hamptons. People visiting our beautiful area go back saying, “I’ve been to the Hamptons, once was enough.” Tim G. represents just one of many restaurant proprietors who feel they can throw the food at you, take your money, and kick you in the backside as you are departing. TERRI KAUFMAN Unnecessary Publicity East Hampton May 27, 2015 Dear Editor: I guess the surge in the value of the homes in Sagaponack has brought an accompanying sense of machismo and entitlement to its residents. I live in East Hampton, and when I received a ticket just the other day for an expired car inspection, I expressed my personal frustration and anger at myself for the $75 fine it brought with it, but I kept my emotions under wraps, within myself. However, a certain New York City attorney named Meisel acted differently when he received a justified ticket for parking in a handicapped space. Mr. Meisel unleashed his fury, venom, and outrage publicly and openly in the parking lot of the restaurant, berating and embarrassing the policeman who had issued the summons in the regular course of his duties. I guess the lack of restraint and discipline exhibited by Mr. Meisel goes with his mistaken belief that being on the Sagaponack Zoning Board of Appeals, being the owner of a very high-value home, and being an alleged successful attorney in New York City gives him the leeway to make a scene, and embarrass and put down a police officer while succeeding in getting the incident reported in the newspapers and netting himself some unnecessary negative publicity. I like my way better and I’m sure the police officer does too. RICHARD P. HIGER A Falling Empire Sag Harbor June 1, 2015 Dear David, I’d like to begin with a prayer I observed while at the United States Mission to the United Nations. “The greatest prayer for humankind is not victory but peace.” So it’s no wonder we have not won a war since World War II. The wrong path. Those in power, whoever, are in denial right up to the present moment. Only now they again admit they are in the midst of the fallen empire. The former head of our antiterrorist policy, Richard Clarke, recently said we made a lot of mistakes. Some problems we created and at times we are our worst enemy. After many years we trained Shiites and Sunnis now so entangled fighting each other, pilots can’t tell who to bomb. A falling empire. Karzai points to trouble for his successor in Afghanistan. Another round of instability? Both Karzai and members of his family are graduates of American universities. There was a period when Americans thought Karzai was running our foreign policy. A vacuum of leadership on our part. One thing remained constant — killing. No strategy, only tactics gone bad. In The New York Times a headline appeared: “New Rules Set on Armed Drone Exports.” A move to keep the American lead in a fast-growing market. Profit before people’s lives. A sick nation. A falling empire. A caption in The New York Times: “A Debate Over How Long Democracy Can Wage Battles in Shadows.” This relates to the National Security Agency and secrecy from the victims. An aside might ask a wider question, are we spreading democracy or capitalism around the world helping or exploiting other countries and ourselves? Although my voice and other voices have been drowning in a sea of lies, corruption, complexity, and bribery, not true of one voice, Senator Elizabeth Warren, who has confronted President Obama and the Pacific Rim fast-track trade bill and captured the attention of the American people and many members of Congress. Warren stuck to her guns but didn’t have any, only a brilliant mind — an advocate for workers who will lose their jobs and money we lose in the falling economy. Remember Nafta? It happened before. The rich get richer, the poor poorer. I’ll end with a current event to give an example of how The New York Times controls the press. On the front page of The New York Times of May 29 a headline read “Sanders Lures a Certain Age of Voters: His.” “Fit and quick-witted at age 73, Senator Bernie Sanders was still going strong after speaking for an hour in 90-degree heat on Wednesday.” Never mentioned the crowd of 35,000 people. Or never mentioned the large presence of youth and older people and both parties, Democrats and Republicans. A reminder of the N.Y. Times motto, “All the news that’s fit to print.” Truth telling, LARRY DARCEY The Whole Picture Springs May 26, 2015 Dear David, When I worked in a high school as a school safety officer in Staten Island I met a young black girl who was pregnant in her second and third year. She sometimes stopped to talk to me. I asked, why are you always pregnant? She replied, because my mother said to me the more children in the house the more money we receive from the government. I advised her to finish her education, get a job away from the fake reality of her past ways of living. I don’t know what became of her; I didn’t see her at graduation. So for those left-wing liberal progressives, or whatever they want to call themselves, there is fraud, there is cheating, always a way of getting around the system. Then there are those who truly need help; however, entitlements were supposed to be a short period to help the person or persons get on their feet. Today it is a way of life — gimme, gimme. Look at all the inner cities under Democratic rule for years and the citizens live below the poverty line. How can you blame the Republicans for this? I am not a Republican, repeat, I am not a Republican; I look at the whole picture and conclude my decisions. This president and his sidekick Holder have divided this country in a way that perhaps we cannot fix it. Along comes the racist Al Sharpton, the president’s new adviser. The media doesn’t report when a white man or cop is murdered by a black, or blacks killing blacks. All lives matter regardless of color or creed. In God and country, BEA DERRICO Part of the Family Southold May 6, 2015 Dear Editor, I was just a part of the family to Betty Bacall. I remember her clear, pushing her stroller slowly with two of the children to watch a movie at the great Valencia Theatre in Jamaica, Queens. I walked behind her, about 9 years old. I was a close friend to Bogart, that’s why I know so much in my stories to The Star. It’s funny how the words just roll out of my mind to stories I loved to write. Steven was just a gorgeous blond kid. Leslie was a beautiful, shiny brown-haired baby. I must be like Truman Capote — love the stars. I must have his memory, huh? ANITA FAGAN
Published 4 years ago
Last updated 4 years ago
Letters to the Editor: 06.04.15
June 4, 2015