Problem of Housing East Hampton June 7, 2015 To the Editor: Affordable housing has always been a dirty word in East Hampton, so much so that when a town board member lived in one affordable project and his mother in another he still voted against it. There are three elements that transcend everyone’s existence: shelter, food, and work. The essence of every country, city, or village functions around providing these three things. From slave to C.E.O., the same basic needs. From them, everything else about our existence is defined. The most simple, simplistic even, test of a government’s efficacy is how well it meets these needs. The term “affordable,” with all its nasty connotations for wealthy communities, is grossly misinterpreted. Affordable means what people can afford to pay. If the average income were $300,000, a million-dollar house would be considered affordable. If it’s $100,000, the math is pretty simple. In East Hampton, if you make under $100,000 and you pay one third of your income in rent, the option is Riverhead. Alternatively, it means overcrowded basement apartments or illegal grouping. Springs has always been the center of affordable housing in our town. But when the real estate market, upzoning, and community preservation made the rest of East Hampton unaffordable, Springs was left on its own. The burden of being the only affordable housing area was borne entirely by Springs (except for the trade parade that inconveniences all of us). Taxes, crowded classrooms, noise, and overcrowding. Our idiotic school system was a product of political elitism that always favored the richer districts. Springs had no political weight and always got the raw end of the stick (in the eye). The role of government in providing housing for the population has always been substantial. When the market doesn’t work, the government provides tax credits, loans, subsidies, etc. Nothing special for the U.S., where every major business in the country is subsidized in one form or another. The problem of housing in East Hampton, as expressed in last week’s Newsday, is the most important problem we face. When our children can’t afford to live here and no one is left for the fire departments and ambulance squads, the nature of the town changes. We change from a small town with culture and history to a vacation resort providing service to wealthy people. When government is mediocre to pathetic, it tries to make the trains run on time. When it is alive and vibrant, it looks at the community’s problems and tries to solve them. It doesn’t cave to every mindless foible and pander to every elitist group that doesn’t want its special status interrupted. It doesn’t worry about who might be disturbed if it supports one thing or another when an election is coming up. It stands on principles and on the promises it made when it got elected. It solves problems. The average age in Suffolk County is 39. In East Hampton, it’s 55. Our population is aging and not being replenished. In reality, the idea of affordable housing in East Hampton is a bad joke. Unfortunately, the joke is on us. NEIL HAUSIG Lacks the Power Springs June 8, 2015 Dear Editor: It was recently brought to my attention that a house being built at 49 Manor Lane South in Springs is being built to house Ross School students. There is a second house being built at 50 Cedar Ridge Drive supposedly for the same reason: housing Ross School students. We have enough problems with overcrowded single-family residences without having houses being built to house students at the Ross School — or any school. Ordinance enforcement lacks the power to ask the right questions, and private investors are rapidly building two eight-bedroom “dormitory style homes” each on half-acre lots. Why does the town fail to enforce the current zoning prohibition against bedrooms being located in cellars and basements? Why does ordinance enforcement not do its job? We have laws that designate what “family” means. We need to take a long hard look at what we are allowing investors to do. We need to stop overcrowding of single-family dwellings. We need to do it now. Our future depends on minimizing the waste caused by overcrowding in private single-family homes. This has to stop. MAYDA IDONE Find the Shut-Off Valve New York City June 5, 2015 Dear Editor, Would you buy a car that did not have brakes? Not likely. But you might buy a house and not know where the shut-off valve was for the water supply. The shut-off valve might not even be near your house, as was the case with my own house. It would be logical to assume that if a pipe bursts in your basement, you would be able to turn off the water and stop the gushing fairly quickly. This is what would make sense. However, if the burst pipe is from the water main, finding the shut-off valve outside of the house can be nearly a futile search. The pipe from the water main was only leaking slowly in my basement, but when the plumber arrived and simply touched it, the pipe gave way and water gushed into the basement with the force of a curbside fire hydrant. He could not stop the gushing with rags, towels, anything in sight, and was overwhelmed with the task of attempting to stem the tide of the flooding, which quickly reached his ankles. He phoned his boss, who was on a job in Southampton, at least 20 minutes away. Miraculously, John Stankey made it to my house in East Hampton in 15 minutes while the water level in my basement was rising to knee height. John had already called the Suffolk County Water emergency line, but only reached a busy signal. My urgent call to Griffith’s Carpet Cleaning immediately brought a truck with two men. They hooked up three pumps, and, seeing this would not reduce the level, called for backup of another truck bringing three more pumps. At this point they were only hoping to keep up with the water level, without being able to lower it. When the water was at ankle height the boxes stored on a platform were still safe, but with the level up to knee height nothing in the basement was safe. It remained knee-high until the valve was located. I was lucky with my own call to the Suffolk County Water Authority; someone answered. The clerk told me that the shut-off valve was located outside of the fence on the left. “Which fence?” I asked. There are four houses on my same driveway leading from Main Street, each of which has a fence around the property, and three of them have swimming pools, adding three more fences. There were a total of seven fences on about six acres. “Can you describe which fence and which house it is near?” “No‚” she answered, “that is all that is written on the paper.” It took about one hour more, a total of two hours, to locate the shut-off valve, which was indeed two houses up the driveway, on Main Street, under the bench at the Jitney stop! It was essentially hidden from view. This flooding did not take place 50 or 100 years ago but recently. Why doesn’t S.C.W.A. have a diagram of each property showing the location of the shut-off valve? There should be a diagram, which could be sent directly to the cellphone of the plumber or anyone else attempting to do repairs needing to shut off the water. And why not have a microchip inside the cap of the shut-off valve? Even my little dog has a microchip so that he can be identified if lost. It is time for S.C.W.A. to give its customers the benefit of present-day technology and help prevent the worst possible damage to one’s home. Sincerely, JANET A. DAVIS Keep Me Healthy East Hampton June 5, 2015 Dear David, I was pleased to read Jack Graves’s article about the opening of MUV Strong, the new gym opened recently by Gordon Trotter and Mike Delalio. I met Gordon and Mike three years ago when they were trainers at another gym. Indeed I trained with Gordon for two years, and found him to be a gifted and motivating trainer. However, circumstances unrelated to Gordon or his abilities caused me to reluctantly leave the gym where Gordon trained me. For the past year and a half, I have been training at PhilosoFit in East Hampton with Ari Weller. Ari and his team of trainers have literally changed my life and my health trajectory. I suffered a severe back injury prior to joining PhilosoFit. Ari and his team not only helped diagnose my condition, but applied their superior expertise and knowledge to prepare me for serious back surgery last July. With guidance and oversight of Sinead FitzGibbon, the most amazing physical therapist, Ari facilitated my complete recovery. Even my orthopedic surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery was amazed at how fast and how completely I recovered. Gordon and Mike are great trainers and friends, and deserve phenomenal success. I just need to clarify the timeline and give due credit to Ari Weller, PhilosoFit, and Sinead FitzGibbon. These very special professionals are the people who keep me healthy. RALPH GIBSON Why She Was Smoking East Hampton June 8, 2015 Dear Editor, When asked why she was smoking despite the sign clearly visible at the East Hampton train station, this visitor responded, “Because I want to.” Sums up the summer attitude neatly, no? SUSAN SMITMAN Revitalized Winston’s East Hampton May 31, 2015 Dear Editor, Please allow me this opportunity to thank Ms. Laura Donnelly for the review of the newly established Winston’s restaurant in the May 21 edition of The East Hampton Star. I am certain that the entire Hamptons community joins the Fischer family in welcoming Mr. Lyons to what is hoped to be a long, prosperous, and overall spectacular culinary endeavor in what was the Quiet Clam restaurant for decades. In the final paragraph of Ms. Donnelly’s review, reference was made to “rumors that the rickety old Quiet Clam-Nichols-Winston’s building may be torn down at some point.” Well, there is certainly some truth to this rumor. As many of your readers well know, the building has been around for many years. During a recent visit to East Hampton I talked with many local friends who shared with me their memories of that particular location. Although best known as the home of the Quiet Clam restaurant, I learned that the location served as a newspaper and convenience store and a gas station in the past. Nonetheless, with history comes wear and tear on a physical structure, and my siblings and I have put in motion a plan to rehabilitate the current premises. Pending approval by various governmental regulatory agencies, it is our hope to present the community with a fresh and revitalized face of Winston’s in the very near future. My brother Jim, spokesman and general counsel for the Fischer family regarding these matters, has worked tirelessly with Mr. Lyons to formulate a plan that is allowing for an uninterrupted 2015 season, minimal downtime thereafter, and resumption of full operation in time for the 2016 season. While sitting at the bar with brother Jim battling for the last morsel of a delicious plate of Winston’s take on chicken wings, I could not help but be a little excited about the future of this place I once called home. Nostalgia filled my head as I watched Mr. Lyons emerge from the kitchen on numerous occasions to check on the customers, shake a hand, support his staff, and offer up a sample of a new dish he planned on introducing. The place was busy, filling up before my eyes with visitors and locals alike. The future is bright. Welcome and congratulations, Mr. Lyons! Sincerely, PETE FISCHER Safety and Security Amagansett June 5, 2015 Dear David, In The East Hampton Star article by Christine Sampson headed “RECenter Programming Is Criticized” she described a group of young people meeting “in an area crammed with gym-exercise equipment.” Ms. Sampson asked the RECenter management if she could ask what the kids themselves would like for youth programming. The request was declined, arguing “safety and security concerns.” The following was made available. Reporter: “May I ask you a question?” Kid: “Oh wow, you’re that reporter who might compromise my safety and security! Of course you may!” Reporter: “What would you like to see here?” Kid: “Snacks, more computers. There are four here, jammed up in this joke of a lounge space. More places to sit.” Reporter: “How do you feel about the exercise equipment?” Kid: “Too many treadmills. They are really ugly, mean-looking things.” Reporter: “Do kids use them?” Kid: “Not much. They’re dangerous. You can fall off the back!” Reporter: “Where do kids go after school?” Kid: “They used to come here. Now, it’s the park. We need a safe place to socialize.” Reporter: “I hear you.” Kid: “Thanks.” All good things, DIANA WALKER Local Scholarships East Hampton June 5, 2015 Dear Editor, On behalf of the East Hampton High School Guidance and Counseling Department, I would like to congratulate the Class of 2015 scholarship award winners on their spectacular achievements over the past four years at the high school. I would also like to send our appreciation to the local scholarship organizations and families who highlighted our students’ talents and made this outstanding award program possible. Last evening, 58 graduating seniors were honored at the annual East Hampton Local Scholarship Awards. One hundred eighty-six scholarships, valued at approximately $340,000, were bestowed on our students by more than 66 community organizations and families. With attendance at a four-year college averaging anywhere between $24,000 (SUNY, state-supported) and $67,000 (private colleges and universities), many students are forced to make difficult decisions regarding their undergraduate college selection. And for those whose career plans require earning an advanced degree as well, students may find it necessary to take out excessive loans or to interrupt their education to work. Our local scholarships help to ease the burden. Through benefits, fund-raisers, and athletic competitions, East Hampton local organizations and families earn money to finance varying amounts of college scholarships for our students. Thanks to the involvement of many, the talented graduates of East Hampton High School may find it a bit easier to attain their goals as they make their way out into the world. Thanks to you all, CANDACE STAFFORD Guidance and Counseling Department Coordinator East Hampton High School It’s Going Somewhere Springs June 8, 2015 Dear Mr. Rattray: Last week’s paper provided plenty to think about concerning our quality of life, but several of the articles percolated into an idea that I would like to propose to the Springs School District: Include a wastewater treatment facility in any school upgrade or expansion. Doing so would be the single most effective favor we could do for the health of Pussy’s Pond and Accabonac Harbor, a favor that would resonate through our community now and into the future. In fact, do it as soon as possible. The front-page piece on the space issues at the school started the thinking. I was struck first by the list of projects, then the price tag, but dismayed to note that there was no mention of the critical upgrade to the existing septic system, cobbled together over time in conformance to rules from many years past. Then there was the article on the proposed Montauk sewer district, and the editorial on protecting watersheds, and the bubbling really began — so much so that I went to speak with Kim Shaw, the director of the Natural Resources Department. When I floated the possibility to Kim, she said, “great idea,” but, even better, pulled out a Suffolk County demonstration grant application, which may help the school district defray some of the cost of putting in a wastewater treatment facility. A treatment facility at Springs School would ameliorate the effects of its unavoidable effluent, more or less 1,000 flushes a day, keeping it out of our surface waters. However leached through the existing system, nitrogen-laden waste could be as much as 99 percent less with a treatment facility. As the school has grown and our density increased for whatever reason, it’s absurd to think its septic system, however compliant, remains an adequate approach to wastewater. Notwithstanding the Springs voters’ rejection of the $2 million parking lot and student pickup and drop-off proposal, and the 2-percent tax cap debate, seriously addressing the septic issue at the school should be among our first priorities. Realize that it is certainly not that Springs School is doing anything deliberately wrong at this point. It just can’t be helped. Teachers, staff, visitors, and kids use the toilets. What would be wrong would be to continue to ignore the effects to our environment, especially so given modern technology and such a robust capital improvement program. Shellfish closures, algal blooms, and water quality degradation have myriad sources, obviously, but data gathered on the pond and parts of Accabonac are strongly effluent-related. When it all swirls down, it’s going somewhere. If it weren’t going anywhere near our water, our fisheries and recreational water bodies, let alone groundwater, that has to be better. Discussing the idea with Loring Bolger, Citizens Advisory Committee chairwoman, she wondered if it might be possible to hook Ashawagh Hall, the Springs Library, the Springs Presbyterian Church, maybe the General Store, even some local homes in and around the Springs Historic District, into the system. That then started to become complicated, but does seem sound, not insoluble. Frankly, no matter if the facility only serves the school, and in my opinion, even if grant money is not forthcoming, protecting the pond and harbor, and by extension, contiguous waters as well, is a worthwhile, necessary goal in itself. So, while the school’s facilities committee is coming up with a plan, I’m sure they can see the wisdom in providing those of us who pay the bills with the enduring gift of keeping the most concentrated waste stream in our community out of our surface waters. Doing so now would place our school district in the forefront of protecting our environment, setting a great example for the leaders of the future Springs School and its staff. IRA BAROCAS Project Is Essential Montauk June 3, 2015 To the Editor: I have personally canvassed most of the property owners in the downtown Montauk business district, and there is a vast majority who support immediate progress on the creation of a sewage district and the completion of Lombardo Associates’ plans for wastewater management. The project is essential to the healthy future of Montauk’s downtown and the local environment, which is being contaminated by toxic discharge. As so expertly detailed by Mr. Lombardo at the Montauk Citizens Advisory Committee meeting last night, the project is very doable and inexpensive for the business district, compared to similar projects in Suffolk County. Any property owner can opt out of the project without cost. There is New York State and local grant money available if we move quickly, but many in the audience felt that the town board’s representative for Montauk, Mr. Van Scoyoc, was not supportive of the project, offering no timetable for proceeding. If that is truly his opinion, he is a poor representative for Montauk, and only fosters the inclinations of those parties that favor succession by Montauk from the town union. As a resident, business, and property owner in the district, I immediately request that the East Hampton Town Board proceed with the Lombardo plan and offer my services if need be, to get this important job finally completed. LEWIS GROSS Win-Win Resolution East Hampton June 8, 2015 Dear David, Supervisor Cantwell introduced a resolution at last Thursday’s town board meeting regarding the town’s credit card use policy. He proposed that future purchases be made using a town procurement card and that residents be permitted to pay taxes and other town fees online by credit card. These changes will streamline payment processes, saving the town money, and residents will no longer have to endure the inconvenience of waiting on long lines to pay fees. I was glad to see that this win-win resolution passed unanimously. SUE AVEDON The writer is a member of the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee. Ed. An Enormous Plus East Hampton June 8, 2015 Dear Mr. Rattray: Having Uber service in East Hampton is an enormous plus to parents, grandparents, teenagers. How can the town ban it? Please reconsider. ELLIN JANE SALTZMAN Must Be Checked East Hampton June 6. 2015 Dear David, I could not be happier that the town board stood up to Uber for operating illegally as the current law stands. Uber is yet another company trying to financially exploit our town by not obeying local laws. What is really infuriating is the campaign they have launched in retaliation for the town board’s actions. They’re saying that without Uber, there is no safe way to get from point A to point B in the Hamptons — besides all those local taxi companies that do obey the laws and whose drivers, unlike Uber’s, have no history of sexually assaulting women around the world, and no history of their C.E.O. denying both those assault claims and responsibility. In fact, Uber’s record of sexual assault is so bad that New Delhi recently denied them a permit to operate. But sexual assault risk aside, closer to home, an Uber driver was just arrested for drunken driving. Amidst this campaign, some people are claiming that without Uber there will be more drunken driving, as if having to wait a little longer for a cab is somehow justification for driving drunk. I find this argument to be more ridiculous than Uber’s. According to ProPublica, the data the company is relying on to make such claims comes from a study that shows a correlation: Cities with Uber have lower rates of drunken-driving crashes among the under-30 population. What the study doesn’t show, however, is that the under-30 population are in fact Uber users. There is absolutely zero causal evidence that Uber reduces drunken driving. Uber is a part of the commercialization of our town that is forcing locals out of their homes. Like the expansion of helicopter service, it must be checked if our community is to survive. I am glad Supervisor Cantwell and the East Hampton Town Board have once again taken a firm stand for local control and our community. Sincerely, WALKER BRAGMAN The writer is a member of the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee. Ed. Democrats’ Nominating Amagansett June 8, 2015 Dear David, It is heartening to learn from Pat Flynn’s letter to The Star (“The Designating Process”) that the East Hampton Republican Committee has democratized its process for selecting candidates to run for office. But Ms. Flynn is way off base in suggesting that the Democrats in town may not be as democratic in their procedure. In fact, the East Hampton Democratic Committee has a long-established tradition of including its members in this important function and ensuring would-be candidates a full and fair hearing if they want to run on our slate. First, members of our committee volunteer to serve on a screening committee, pledging to meet all Sunday afternoons, winter through spring. Then, several advertisements are placed in local newspapers announcing that the Democratic Party is seeking qualified East Hampton residents to stand for those offices that will be voted on in November. Perhaps Pat missed those ads? They were nicely illustrated by a Paul Revere-type figure on horseback, calling for “all good men and women to come to the aid of their party.” Then, in response to calls and inquiries, individual interviews are scheduled with the committee. This process continues until the screening committee reaches agreement for its recommendations. And then, the Democratic Party holds a convention of its members, to which the public is invited. There, the recommended slate is presented for nomination, and nominations are also taken from the floor. Votes are taken, and the winners become the party’s nominated candidates to be placed on the ballot. Final step in the nominating, or designating, process is the carrying of petitions by the party’s committee people in order to gather sufficient number of signatures from East Hampton’s registered Democratic voters to be sent to the Suffolk Board of Elections. Misinformed about the town Democrats’ nominating procedure, Pat Flynn added another piece of misinformation, asking, “Is it time for a change from one-party rule?” Hmm. The last time I looked, there were two parties serving on the East Hampton Town Board: Fred Overton is a Republican. Sincerely, BETTY MAZUR Chairwoman East Hampton Democratic Screening Committee Our Own Demise Wainscott June 5, 2015 Dear David, In the past week we have learned that the United States government is calling for greater attention to the disastrous effects of climate change (undisputed by every reputable scientific body on the planet), and focusing on stricter regulations for aircraft emissions, as an egregious purveyor of poisonous carbon, known to be a major contributor to climate change. Yet in East Hampton, once in the forefront of environmental awareness, we are compelled to subsidize our own demise by paying taxes to support an airport that most of us see as entirely negative. How is this possible? Ask our elected officials if they support our environment, the people who pay their salaries (us), or aircraft users who care more about money and personal convenience than they do about air and noise pollution impacting thousands of their “neighbors.” Piping plovers? Salamanders? Trash on the beach? Madonna choppering out for a cocktail party? Goldman Sachs boys commuting to work by chopper? The East End hangs by a thread — and some of us are intent on preserving what remains. BARRY RAEBECK P.S. When is the Long Island Rail Road going to move into the 20th century and offer rail service from New York City that travels the 90 miles in less than two and a half hours? High-speed rail, what a concept. The Deafening Barrage Sag Harbor June 8, 2015 Dear Editor, The latest failed attempt to diminish the deafening barrage of aviation noise above us appears to be: Spread the pollution far and wide. As predicted by those who have, for years, battled aerial assaults from East Hampton Airport operations, residents not previously impacted have in recent weeks experienced the impacts of noxious aircraft noise and fuel emissions over their homes. It is widely believed by those hoping for action soon on this quality-of-life issue that if air space in your area has not yet been designated for aviation activity, a good guess is that it soon will be. Such an end is inescapable, due to the rapidly increasing numbers of aircraft operations and the reality that other towns that derive no economic benefit from East Hampton Airport are, following decades of aerial assault, now vociferously demanding local, state, and federal intervention to protect their towns. There is no longer a safe haven on the East End. And, shockingly, there are millions of residents far west of East Hampton Airport who are similarly barraged, because the commuter aviation scourge of “the Hamptons Routes” impacts the entire length of Long Island. Those proudly bearing “I Love Airport Noise” stickers on their automobiles are insensitive to impassioned pleas for relief from thousands, and are either ignorant of or in total denial of internationally acknowledged studies that have concluded that aircraft noise and fuel emissions pose very serious threats to health (especially to young children) and to our environment. The usually media-accessible pseudo-environmentalists have remained irresponsibly silent on this, the most important of issues impacting our East End environment. To those people, use of another label to describe your concerns would be appropriate; identifying yourselves as environmentalists is an insult to devoted activists, those people who are dedicated to protecting the environment. Or you might consider placing your professed defense of the environment above your personal travel comfort and cease abetting out-of-state companies whose profit-making activities increasingly degrade our environment and endanger our health. You can’t have it both ways. PATRICIA CURRIE The Death of Doe #57 East Hampton June 6, 2015 Dear David, The scene that Dell Cullum was called to on May 24, a sterilized doe aborting decayed twin fawns, is in my humble opinion one of the most inhumane results that could occur from the deer sterilization program. If a doe is already pregnant, and her ovaries are then removed for sterilization, the hormone that would have sustained that pregnancy (progesterone) is also removed. Without progesterone, the pregnancy will fail. There were three dead deer at the end of a horrifying day, despite the respectful and compassionate efforts of Dell and others. The death of the sterilized doe #57 was not sharply controlled and fast. Her death was toxic and slow, as were the in utero deaths of her twin fawns. THERESA DiSUNNO, D.V.M. Tragic Magic To Anna Mirabai Lytton April 30, 1999-June 15, 2013 How is it I am still here in a body and you are not? You were so enjoying seeing, photographing, tasting, touching, knowing the beauty around you. How could we know the alarm was set before you were born? When you were run over, I said you didn’t get to finish your life. But you did. Your 14-year-old body was budding into woman, but you were still preoccupied with vampire romances, canoe trips, poems about flowers, sleepovers with friends. Tragic magic, one moment here, the next a no-body, unseen and yet you are shining in my heart, a sun of love. When the light rises over the bay, there you are, sparkling on the water. The mystery of this existence is that you are still here. Separation is the illusion, not the disappearance of the body. We put your ashes in the ocean; now you are ocean surrounding us. RAMESHWAR DAS
Published 4 years ago
Last updated 4 years ago
Letters to the Editor: 06.11.15
June 11, 2015