Spectacular Fireworks East Hampton July 19, 2015 Dear Editor, Once again, thank you! Thank you! The fireworks over Three Mile Harbor were spectacular! Let’s keep the tradition going and support the Clamshell Foundation! PATRICIA HABR Cool and Delightful East Hampton July 20, 2015 To the Editor: As a board member of Whalebone Village Apartments, I’ve had the good fortune of meeting many people and organizations who have given time and money to make life better for the residents of the 46-unit affordable housing complex. This year’s good fortune came in the form of the food pantry farm at East End Community Organic Farm and a relationship we established with Darcy Hutzenlaub, the resident farmer. Having been a member of EECO Farm since its inception, I was aware of the organic farming and the community outreach it performed. Yet I never quite realized the impact it had on the people whose lives it touched. Darcy came to Whalebone and offered to help us build our own garden, offering assistance in construction and guidance in management. We never quite got the garden together, but by next summer it should be operating. A couple of months ago the farm pantry contacted us and said that they had extra vegetables that they could distribute at Whalebone if we wanted them. We didn’t ask why or how they had the extra produce because we were delighted with the offer. Once they began weekly deliveries of fresh organic produce the entire community embraced them. We were impressed with the quality and the amounts of the produce, even more so with the people from the farm, who were courteous and helpful. It was an incredibly cool and delightful experience. There is a part of East Hampton that is self-serving and overwhelmed with itself. The food pantry farm people were quite the opposite. They had something to share and were delighted to do so. The people at Whalebone want to express their gratitude to Darcy and the food pantry community. We hope that the food pantry operates forever, and that our relationship continues along with it. NEIL HAUSIG Construction Activity Montauk July 14, 2015 To The East Hampton Star: I just learned that the Town of East Hampton permits construction activity 365 days a year from 7 a.m. until 8:30 p.m.! Wouldn’t restricting construction work to six days a week between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. generate somewhat less noise to which to subject our residents? Shouldn’t we amend our laws? Sincerely, JOHN WINSTON Small Comfort Stations Boston July 16, 2015 Dear East Hampton Star, We read last month in The Boston Globe about the trials and tribulations concerning the decade-long debate of the construction of a public restroom in the hamlet of Amagansett. In lieu of having one large permanent facility with the associated costs, permitting, aesthetics, and cuing concerns, we suggest the town consider installing a number of small comfort stations during the summer season (or year round). JCDecaux, a long-established company based in Paris, has an attractive design for a self-cleaning, self-contained, handicapped-accessible W.C. They also have a design for a “pissoir.” We have no relationship with the company, but we are familiar with their products, which are used throughout Boston. KEITH MOSKOW and ALISON PRIORE KRIPKE Judge Seybert’s Opinion East Hampton July 20, 2015 Dear David, Since Judge Seybert sided with the helicopter owners several weeks ago, I have heard nothing in The Star about what’s going on with the town’s proposed restrictions on helicopter flights. I wish The Star would supply a link to her entire opinion so we could make sure we are not misinterpreting her. The town’s website concerning the airport (htoplannning.com) has not been updated since June 30 and is not exactly user-friendly. The only town regulations Judge Seybert allowed was a ban on nighttime flights. That’s fine but it’s far from enough. All of those nighttime flights are now taking place during the day, so that the extremely loud flights have multiplied. I truly hope that the nighttime ban will not stop the town from pursuing further restrictions. I haven’t been able to find out if Judge Seybert’s opinion is a deciding factor or whether any litigation will be continuing. There haven’t been any recent stories in the paper concerning this issue. I’ve tried to find Judge Seybert’s full opinion, but from what I read in The Star weeks ago, she upheld the restraining order stating that reducing the flights would cause “irreparable harm” to the helicopter owners’ profits. I don’t agree with her opinion. The helicopter owners could change routes so most of the flights are over water. They could also take their businesses elsewhere, so East Hampton restrictions would not mean “irreparable” losses. I think the town has a right to try to reduce that annoyance. Perhaps in addition to regulations passed by the town, the regulations could be put up for a vote by the town residents. Then it would be undeniable that the people of East Hampton want to reduce noise coming from helicopters. Respectfully, LARRY SPECTOR Seekaplankirsch.com/files/EH_ Court_Decision.pdf. Ed. The Montauk Crisis Montauk July 17, 2015 To the Editor, The present and past East Hampton Town Board administrations have had varied and disparate approaches to the major civic crises confronting the citizens of Montauk. One policy was mean, the other nice. One argumentative, the other polite, one insulting and dismissive, the other courteous and attentive. Unfortunately, neither one has been in any way effective in coming to Montauk’s aid. Both have failed through neglect, insubstantial effort, and what appears to be a general lack of actual productive action in coming to grips with Montauk’s problems. In the final analysis, both approaches have been abject failures and an insult to the faith Montauk citizens have placed in their elective officials. While acknowledging the problems are large, complicated, and not easily solved, Montauk deserves a higher form of political representation and protection then has been offered in the past. As a surprise to absolutely no one, without effective positive action neither mean nor nice works. What will work is courage. Courage and conviction. To have the political courage and sincerity to confront these serious problems and the conviction to do what is necessary to solve them. To have the courage to go beyond the excuse and protective cover of an endless series of why-we-cant’s, and to have the conviction to create and implement effective and innovative strategies. The courage to do the right thing, to place blame where it belongs and to strike to the very heart of the problem, rather than meandering around the ineffective and peripheral. The town board must realize that while Montauk appreciates your good wishes, and believes your expressions of sympathy are sincere, we demand more. Much, much more. We demand courage. The courage to: • Define publicly what the board believes to be the main problems confronting Montauk. • Design, explain, and implement innovative and effective measures, and publicly present these solutions in terms of a planned series of goals, both short- term and long-term. • Appoint individuals and/or committees who will have the authority, responsibility, and motivation for implementation. • Establish objective timelines and periods of and for public appraisal. • Make the information available to the public in a timely and easily accessible manner in terms of the success or failure of the plan. • Have the guts to follow through on all of the above, no matter the political consequences. At the July 14 meeting in Montauk, a remarkable amount of suggestions and requests were met with “can’t dos” by the town board, for various and sundry reasons. This may be an indication of the council’s lack of experience, or general befuddlement in effectively dealing with this type of civil crisis. If this is indeed the case, it is strongly urged and suggested that an outside experienced task force and/or consultant be hired to deal with the problem. It would be of no shame to delegate the issue to a more appropriate, experienced, and effective body — the very same approach that was employed in the strategy concerning recent East Hampton Airport issues, where no more than 3 percent of the general town population was affected, as compared to 20 times that number in regard to the Montauk crisis. No matter what the approach, the responsibility is, of course, the town board’s to effectively confront this crisis. The vast majority, if not all, of Montauk citizenry is prepared and ready to stand by the board in all their efforts. In order to assist the town board, a citizens’ action committee is being formed, the details of which will be made public in the coming weeks. Anyone wishing to participate in this important effort is invited to email [email protected]. Never before has Montauk been faced with such a serious social problem. Never before have Montauk’s citizens stood as one in their outrage of the civil abuse and incredible bad behavior that, if left unabated, has the real potential to destroy the very special fabric of our community. Let us face this problem together as one united, organized force. Together, we have the will, strength, and power to prevail. TOM BOGDAN Urgency, Please! Montauk July 20, 2015 To the Editor; I was impressed last Tuesday at the town board work session as to the number of complainants who had voiced their experiences, opinions, concerns, etc. The number of attendees was also impressive, as they were on hand to observe and listen to the comments and interaction taking place. I was a bit taken by the fact that references were made to the July Fourth weekend. If anyone had read your editorial back in May, they would have realized that this was mounting much earlier than July 4. Most folks get tired of hearing the same old complaint issues with the same old rhetoric of excuses as to why you can’t do what you would like to have done, or the usual response that a study is necessary. When will something be done that is proactive and not reactive? We don’t need complacency, but a reaction to an issue with a good bit of urgency. There was no urgent tone from the board last Tuesday. When elected officials run for office, you would think they would enter office with a game plan with plenty of action steps. It’s so easy to criticize a current administration and to make promises to get elected, but once you’re at the top and under the gun, it’s a different story. When a town official suggests a study, it seems to follow a pattern of the norm when at an impasse, in hopes that the issues will end up on the desk of the next administration. Remember the high-priced comprehensive study under Jay Schneiderman? Any headway with that one? What ever happened to common-sense solutions here and now? Being a town supervisor or town board member isn’t an easy task. It’s thankless to some degree, because you can’t please everyone within a very discriminating town with many agendas. For our town to get under control it will take a concerted effort from all parts to help. The various organizations in Montauk all play an important role, and their voice should be encouraged. As you may or may not be aware, I had acquired up to 200 signatures on a petition that is asking for improved oversight on the various events taking place in Montauk. No more indiscriminate approval of permits unless accompanied by thorough scrutiny or review of each event, with supportive financials that are transparent enough to value a positive outcome for the town. This should be one source of funding for the additional enforcement needed during peak occupancy periods in town as an effort to avert the chaos that may ensue. Don’t allow more events that may clash with conflicting events that the town is not prepared to handle; that may only add to the chaos we wish to avoid. This petition will be presented to the town board in September, since it was stated by the administration that all permits for this year have already been approved and plans have been set in motion to satisfy them. Somewhere over the last five years, the Montauk Chamber of Commerce has lost its way with regards to its mission. Marketing for Montauk no longer makes sense on a generalized basis, since weekends are basically a given. The local clubs seem to have taken care of that. Time to turn the focus back to the families and getting businesses to collectively be more family-friendly for the Sundays through Thursdays of each week. More evenings of Music on the Green is a nice attraction for families, for they also bring their store-bought snacks, chairs, umbrellas, bug spray, etc. — support for local purchases. Unfortunately, the chamber has become more of a competitor to its members as opposed to a supporting instrument. How can a local organization that claims social responsibility allow such a valuable piece of real estate as the Village Green to become a prime-time rental location, thereby becoming a highly competitive retail venue competing with local businesses essentially selling the same products? Not for anything, but some of our local businesses need that extra summer kick to help them survive the winter each year. The chamber, in conjunction with the Town of East Hampton, should have a campaign and get the image out, that Montauk is a zero-tolerance destination. I suggest collateral material distribution on the trains and buses indicating this, to make the potential violators realize the consequences in advance of their arrival. Maybe a poster as you enter town? This action will also display to our incoming families that Montauk is a safe family destination and is serious about public display of nudity, intoxication, destructiveness, trash, and other disrespect for our natural environment. Overcrowding is another issue, especially since many local Montauk lodging facilities are off the grid, such as the East Deck, Lido, Malibu, Daunt’s, and others. Imagine the weekend volume if they also were open to Montauk tourists? The town supervisor announced last Tuesday that they were contacting Suffolk County regarding Edgemere Road by the Surf Lodge, and the parking and traffic issues. Well, why did it take this long when we knew it was a problem for years? Urgency, please! Now, once restrictions of parking go into effect on Edgemere without an alternative plan, did anyone think where these cars will go? Are we going to have another Gurney’s parking debacle? More chaos with center-of-town parking, or lack of? As we once learned in physics, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Also, a more serious look at share-housing and Airbnb and others like them is required. This is a global issue, but with effects far worse in our small hamlet with its limited resources. More pressure on New York State is needed to develop, quickly, legislation. In my opinion, the town board along with the Montauk Chamber of Commerce has dropped the ball in realizing and reacting to the transition that has taken place over the last five years. Time to be proactive and develop some realistic action steps that can be implemented quickly, for our busiest month is on the horizon, August. It was quite apparent that a clear message was sent to the board last Tuesday. Let’s not wait till next July to have a do-over or repeat of the summer of 2015. Or worse, a serious incident such as rape, murder, etc., due to this lack of control, which will undo any positive press or marketing that has been expended for many past years. KEN WALLES Weekend Rentals Amagansett July 18, 2015 To the Editor: This letter is an appeal to the business community and the public to realize there are few painless short-term actions by our town board to halt the present threat both to our quality of life and the long-term fiscal health of our township. The horrendous events of last July 4 in Montauk were, I believe, the result of two major causes: the transformation of downtown Montauk to a series of loud, overcrowded bars in hotels, parking lots, and beaches, and the massive influx of illegal weekend online rentals. Looking at the first of these causes, the start begins with the conversion of the Ronjo Motel to the Montauk Beach House a few years ago. Under a previous administration, whose motto was “If it’s good for business it’s good for Montauk‚” the purchase of property at a low arbitrary price and the granting of all kinds of variances resulted in what the Daily News described this way: “The swank 32-room Montauk Beach House now lures the tanned and toned to a town that doesn’t have a single traffic light by offering $25 burgers, $75 Pimm’s Cup pitchers, and $1,100 annual memberships.” Remember Bill Wilkinson cutting the ribbon? While it may be impossible to go back, we, with the support of the business community, have to pass legislation that will not let this happen again, and, furthermore, increase both the police and the enforcement branches as soon as possible. The second issue, that of illegal rentals, definitely calls for some form of rental registration to make it possible for the authorities to police and prevent this problem. We cannot sit by and witness the invasion of Montauk now, and the rest of the town later, by too many disorderly weekenders with money to burn. Such a plan was brought up a few months ago, and here the public and the business community protested. We all have to realize that participating in such a plan is one key way to attack the serious problem evidenced on every main street of East Hampton and in Montauk on the Fourth. We all have to help, for the sake of our town and, to be blunt, for the sake of our fiscal future. The police and the board have given this problem the highest priority, and so should we. IRVING HIRSCHBERG I Love to Ride My Bike Montauk July 14, 2015 Dear Mr. Editor, I am 10 years old and I spend my summers in Montauk. I love to ride my bike but some days I get very frustrated. There are always cars speeding down the road and I have even seen people getting into their cars with drinks in their hands. The obnoxious taxicab drivers don’t care about driving safely and the loud music coming from places like the Sloppy Tuna and Surf Lodge are disrespecting people who live here. It is dangerous for my family to drive into town because it is hard to see people walking in the streets. What has Montauk become? I don’t understand why someone will not stand up and save us. We are Montauk and we will not take this much longer. Why do we let the clubs disrespect our community? We should not allow people who are drinking and driving to come to our town. We need more police officers to protect us. That is their job. We need to change the law for our beaches, town, and local streets. There are many other kids in my neighborhood like me who ride their bikes and are fearing for their safety. My parents don’t let me ride to many places now because they are afraid I might get hurt. I was cut off by a speeding car the other day while riding home from the beach. My family has been coming to Montauk for well over 50 years. My father and uncles have worked in local restaurants and gas stations. My brothers have worked on the fishing boats as mates and in restaurants too. We love Montauk for all it is and respect our community. All we want is the same in return. JENNA MICHELINE Head Count Montauk July 20, 2015 To the Editor, I would like to thank the personnel at the Montauk Fire Department for accommodating what turned out to be a very large crowd on July 14. Great to see so many Montauk locals take the time to appear at a 10 a.m. meeting to speak to our supervisor, police chief, and town board members. Although I did not feel the need to speak, as many notable names were on a passed list, I left feeling that I should have. I found it interesting that the fire marshal arrived and declared we could not have the meeting upstairs as planned. He did a head count, and there were too many people. We’ve been pleading for this to be done at local bars for the last three years. Ironic, yes? First to speak was the East Hampton Town chief of police. After Chief Michael Sarlo spoke about his experiences, his background, and his efforts, he finished with a long list of what he could not do and why he could not do them. I can only imagine how difficult these days are for his department and his officers. The general disposition of this young, entitled crowd we have acquired is rude and disrespectful before alcohol, so I know what a difficult time he and his officers must face dealing with them every evening. He needs to know that he has our complete support in his efforts to help eliminate the behavior that’s been prevalent the last three or four years. We know he needs more officers, and there must be a way we can hire summer officers without having them as full-time town employees. There just is not enough for them to do in the slow winters. If they can do it in other states there must be a way we can get that done here. I was hoping to hear him say what we can do, what things he and our town board were planning and what we could do. Please help us. We would gladly take his suggestions. We cannot do this without him and the full support of his officers. Next our supervisor spoke and asked the crowd a few hypothetical questions: “Would we be willing to pass laws against drinking on the beach?” A few in the crowd moaned. A few applauded, but not too much negative reaction. “Would we be willing to stop live music?” There was an audible “no,” from many, as if this was too much. I was shocked. Really? What are we doing here? This is a fight! The effected bars and restaurants that are disturbing our nights are not going to change quietly, submissively, without a fight. They are making way too much money in their 100 days here to not challenge. All we are asking is that our police and town board to pursue in order to get our town back. What is the end result we are seeking? We want our town to be family-friendly again. To be able to walk around town without feeling we are in a drunken nightmare. We want the circus with these drunken monkeys to go away, correct? There is nothing we should not be considering. What would be wrong with stopping live music after, say, 9 p.m.? No noise should be heard beyond your property’s border after that hour. No longer heard wherever you are throughout our town. No more having to close our windows and doors so the bars can continue the circus atmosphere that lead us to this point. In a fight there is always some pain. Our town board and our police are going to feel this pain; there is definitely going to be blowback about what we are asking them to help us do here, and so are we for a couple of years. We need an aggressive town attorney, not some kindly country gentleman or lady. We need a pit bull, someone who can find ways to get things accomplished and not show us reasons why we cannot. We need our town justices to make clear statements with their handling of fines and summonses as we move this forward. No more negotiating and lowering the numerous fines these establishments acquire during the season. Repeat offenders get shut down! We have to be willing to do anything for a few years to accomplish this goal. I love this town. The people in it are unique and special. When I start hearing our kids say they no longer wish to live here it hurts me. It’s our turn to start looking after things. The old guard is mostly gone now. We are Montauk, and it’s time we take on this fight. We have let this go on too long without pushing back and demanding our town laws are upheld by all. A reminder: The Facebook page Fight for Montauk started by Juanita and George Shiminski, Pat Kehoe, and myself continues to grow and needs your support. It’s purpose was and is to be a forum for positive solutions and ideas, not for complaining and moaning. For the love of Montauk, B.J. WILSON Control of Montauk Montauk July 17, 2015 To the Editor: 1. So Montauk suffers a horrid weekend, with scores, perhaps hundreds, of drunken young people wandering in the streets, fueled in large measure by Sloppy Tuna’s “Get Sloppy” meme, and The Star writes an editorial about Cyril’s? Huh? Cyril’s bothers few, while Sloppy Tuna is bringing our hamlet to ruin. Interesting, no? And then, in a news article, The Star applauds Sloppy Tuna for contributing $10,000 to the fireworks display. Huh? Would that Sloppy Tuna spent $10,000 to pick up the garbage its customers leave on the streets and the beach, hired security to see to it that nobody departs with a drink in their hands, stopped serving intoxicated customers, stopped advertising the benefits of drunkenness, and closed the bar at a decent hour instead of fueling the conflagration until 4 a.m. 2. If there are 500 advertisements for weekend rentals that violate the town code, where is the town? Who enforces the law? Ya don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to find the culprits when they advertise openly on the web. The open and notorious flouting of the town laws is an insult to the population and tells us something about our town government. Need more money? How about a tax on the bars that are causing the problem? Where is Sloppy Tuna’s generosity now? How could the town let this happen? The influx of these lawbreakers is demonstrably preventable. What is the town board, (which, interestingly, lacks a single Montauk representative) doing about this blatant violation of our housing laws? Did anybody on the town board personally visit the July 4 horror show on our streets? We need enforcement, we need action, we need boots on the ground, not Tuesday morning yada, yada, yada. In part, this is our own fault. A small claque in East Hampton Village made such a ruckus, they moved the town board to impose flight restrictions at the town airport. We in Montauk are asleep at the switch, so the town board gives us lip service but no action. Is it time once again to revisit the economics of Montauk taking control of Montauk and considering the pluses and minuses of an Incorporated Village of Montauk? MARTIN LONDON All of This Insanity Montauk July 18, 2015 Dear Editor, My wife and I are relatively new to town. We bought our property in 1999, built our home in 2006, and moved here full time in June 2012. We have seen the change to Montauk in our short time here. We attended the town meeting at the Montauk Firehouse on July 14. We can only hope that the town has reached the bottom with all of this insanity. First, we would like to thank every member of the Montauk Volunteer Fire Department and all of the E.M.S. workers, volunteer or paid, for the time that you take from your family and give to our community. With each call taking two to three hours or more to handle, plus all of the training that you have to put in for certifications, we are forever grateful to all of you. We also would like to thank the East Hampton Town Police Department for doing the best job under some of the most difficult conditions. How you manage to police this town of 21,000 in the off-season, to four or five times that in summer, is beyond me. Thank you for keeping us as safe as you do, and may you stay safe so you may go home to your loved ones each evening. We believe the town should adopt a summer rental registration with a permit fee. All summer rentals must have garbage pickup; this should reduce the amount of garbage that ends up everywhere but the recycling center. All summer rentals should be posted on the town website so town residents can see if a home in their neighborhood is being used a summer rental. Failure to comply with this law should be met with swift and very expensive consequences. This would not apply to year-round rentals or landlords that rent to seasonal workers. Last week’s police report had two men in two different incidents involved in resisting arrest, and one of the men had to be tasered. One of the men had bail set at $1,000; the other at $500. The man with $1,000 bail had a felony conviction, a number of misdemeanors, and two outstanding warrants. I realize that our Eighth Amendment prevents our government from imposing excessive bail, but two outstanding warrants equals flight risk in my opinion. With all due respect to our town justices, I believe this sends a terrible message to our police and our community — that you can fight with our police and be back in a Montauk bar in a matter of hours?? You would think our criminal justice system would not tolerate someone who was resisting arrest. The vast majority of drunken-driving arrests have bail set at a couple of hundred dollars. A person who sits in Suffolk County jail for a few days trying to make a higher bail may think about having that drink or not, following a lawful order from a police officer. Who are we afraid of offending — the drunken driver? I don’t see the problem with having higher bails for people who don’t respect our community or police. People who live here also need to take a look at themselves. When I go into the post office and the garbage can is full, people continue to throw stuff onto the pile only to have it fall to the ground. I have seen people (a local contractor) throw coffee cups out of his car window up at the harbor overlooking the jetty. There are some people who don’t pick up after their dogs. I have been tailgated, headlights flashing, by another local contractor because I was doing the speed limit in the middle of town. (He pulled up next to me at the stop sign and screamed at me to get out of his way.) During the winter when there are few tourists around, we walk and drive through town and we see cigarette butts all over outside of some bars, and dog poop all over the place. How can we expect visitors to respect our community and our workers when some of us could be better ourselves? How many people in this county get to live in a place as beautiful as Montauk, a place that so many people from all over this county come to visit. How blessed are we all for living here. Let’s take care of it and not trash it. KEVIN MOEN Marauding Millennials Bridgehampton July 15, 2015 To the Editor: We used to say party-party when we were having or about to have a party in the bygone days. We thought it cute and daring, and it seemed to mark us as sophisticated. Now, however, the summer invaders confronting us in the Hamptons are something else. What is it that differentiates them from our younger selves? Well, we got tipsy and silly. And they get drunk and obnoxious. It’s the fashion, folks, and we either have to live within this environment or do our best to make sure they can’t behave like that in our town. And since we can’t cure these despoilers, we have to control them. Down with the marauding millennials! JOAN TRABULSI A Rental Registry Springs July 19, 2015 To the Editor: We, the residents of the Town of East Hampton, live in a wonderful place. However, there are changes going on that, if left unbridled, will leave us living in a place that no longer looks, sounds, or feels like the peaceful hamlets by the ocean that we love. We need to preserve what we have before it is lost forever. One way of doing so is to sign the petition to establish a rental registry for East Hampton at change.org. The time has come for a rental registry. A rental registry will help us deal with the challenges that come from illegal housing, both short-and long-term. [Illegal renting] endangers tenants, causes an overuse of our septic system, threatening our groundwater; raises school taxes, and damages the quality of life of so many of our residents, as we now observe in Montauk with the unruly party crowd. We need to preserve the single-family residential character of our hamlets. I support a rental registry that serves all on the East End and protects the homeowner’s right to rent and the renter’s right to safe living conditions, one that addresses quality-of-life issues for residents, and one that offers the town the ability for better code enforcement. Our town needs an additional tool to enforce standards and to combat violations that currently cannot be addressed properly without a depository of data that a rental registry provides. The majority of towns in Suffolk County have a rental registry, and why is it that East Hampton does not? The town board must show leadership and resolve, and those in the community that support a rental registry must make their voices heard. Send a clear message to the board and sign the petition today. FRANK RIINA Cantwell Administration East Hampton July 20, 2015 Dear David, Supervisor Cantwell openly received the complaints voiced by the huge number of people that gathered in Montauk and correctly explained that action has been taken and will continue to be taken to remedy the unacceptable conditions that have come to a boiling point. It is important for the public to realize that the Cantwell administration, supported by three Democratic town board members, has already demonstrated in significant ways its willingness to challenge special interests and protect the public at large. I would like to enumerate some of these as follows: Passing a law restricting the use of the East Hampton Airport, which was challenged by the helicopter and pilots associations and affirmed by a federal court judge. Obtaining a temporary restraining order, issued by a Justice of the New York State Supreme Court, preventing the Harbor Raw Bar and Lounge in Montauk from allowing more than 68 people on its premises in accordance with its certificate of occupancy. This action on the part of the town board sets an important precedent and will be followed by similar actions against the numerous bars in Montauk whose occupants overflow their premises and violate the law and cause huge crowds and parked cars on the streets outside their premises. Continuing a battle with Cyril’s to stop its overcrowding, which those who travel the Napeague stretch are well aware of. Proposing a law to limit the opening of bars by motels, which in Montauk would be another source of overcrowding and disturbing the peace of local residents. As I have said in past letters to you, and as you yourself, David, have stated in an editorial, Margaret Turner, one of the Republican candidates running for town board, opposes this law on the grounds that it would diminish the value of the property of motel owners. Where is her concern for the diminishment of the value of the homes of residents, as well as their right to live in peace and quiet? Prohibiting drinking on Indian Wells Beach. Implementing an online complaint system which allows citizens to file complaints on the Internet as opposed to have to physically go to Town Hall to do so. In this instance, technology is a help; however, we know that the Internet has greatly expanded the population of people who seek to rent houses for weekends in violation of the two-week minimum rental requirement. There was much objection when the town sought to adopt a rental registry; now such an effort may finally be more well received. Increasing code enforcement, as reported by Joanne Pilgrim on page A10 of the July 16 Star. There has been a huge jump in enforcement cases. I will not iterate all of the statistics. Your readers should read this article. Suffice it to say that in 2015, first half, 1,076 code violation cases were brought, increased from 621 cases in the first six months of 2014. Supervisor Cantwell reported significant increases in other areas as well, including the resolution of 818 cases this year as opposed to 331 during the same period last year. It is clear that the Democratic administration of Supervisor Cantwell and his fellow Democrats on the town board takes seriously the interests and concerns of the residents of the Town of East Hampton and are taking action to protect them. DAVID J. WEINSTEIN No Time to Play Games East Hampton July 20, 2015 Dear David, So glad to see that Montauk is finally getting the help it needs. Too bad this didn’t get more attention when I was crowing and showing the present town board, over and over, the growing trash issue related to the overpopulation of people during the summer months. The infamous photo I repeatedly displayed last year of the four standard town trash cans, severely overflowing with filth at the beachhead of Sloppy Tuna, were dismissed by Supervisor Larry Cantwell as an “isolated incident” that I kept dragging out in an effort to accommodate the increase of people and trash with bigger and proper receptacles. Councilman Peter Van Scoyac was offended at the beginning of the year when I told the board they were doing nothing to keep the trash plague from happening again this summer. I hope Peter can see my point clearer now. This isn’t the time to play games with experimental pilot programs, because the problem is beyond even the town’s control. To make matters even worse, it turns out the laws work in favor of the problem. It’s going to take more than a packed house at one town meeting and porta-potties to wrangle this whirlwind of change. It’s going to take more than misdemeanor arrests to reach a solution. It’s going to take changes in the laws, persistence, and it’s going to take an entire community to demand change. Right now, Montauk’s concerned citizens have the eyes and ears of those who can make a difference. My advice is, stay loud and do not let their senses rest. Beware the illusions of election year. Another topic that shouldn’t rest is the deer sterilization issue. I haven’t heard of any results being returned from the necropsy of Doe #61. Several interested parties have tried to acquire the information but were told the results were not complete; others were just ignored. I’ve seen many fawns out and about with their untagged mothers, yet only one tagged doe have I seen with a fawn. The doe didn’t look to be nursing, so I’m not even certain the doe was the mother. I’ve spent the past several weeks locating and photo-documenting the tagged does and bucks in East Hampton Village and the outskirts of town. I’ve accounted for almost half, although it’s the other half that has me concerned. I keep track using the actual White Buffalo report, and also to document all the age-determination errors. Almost seems like the numbers were made up. I still believe that many does inhumanely suffered and died due to the unsanitary conditions the Frankenstein surgeries were performed under, not to mention the surgery itself. I’m certain two did for sure. The out-of-state, non-state-licensed veterinarians were also reported to the professional disciplinary board, and along with Dr. Death are all being actively investigated. To allow the inhumane treatment or suffering of any animal is criminal both legally and morally. I have no loyalty or respect for those that support this abusive act. I also lack respect for the village and its disrespect to the East Hampton Town Trustees on the garbage cans on the beach issue. Not only did it show a breath of reverse democracy, but it also displayed the trustees in a light never before seen. After being told to “grow up,” and that their directive would be ignored, the trustees put up no resistance. Does this mean that all East Hampton Town Trustee questions and inquiries should now be directed to Becky Molinaro, the village administrator, or directly to his majesty King Rickenbach? Oh, and just for the record. The medical doctor who goes to beaches around the country, claiming to be able to diagnose the “best beaches in America,” didn’t get his Ph.D. in sand or waves. Dr. Beach’s opinion is as valid as my proctologist friend’s, who thinks Dr. Beach and his believers have their heads up their ass. It’s obvious Dr. Beach hasn’t participated in a good old Hampton Beach Clean-Up. Lastly, I wish to apologize to all those who will be buying an L.V.I.S. poster this year. A wonderful photograph of mine taken at the village’s nature trail will be the poster of this 119th-year celebration. Unfortunately, due to the L.V.I.S. support toward the village’s deer sterilization program, I will not be able to celebrate my historical photographic achievement at this weekend’s L.V.I.S. Fair, in good faith. DELL CULLUM A Chinese Lantern Amagansett July 20, 2015 To the Editor, On Saturday night, my neighbors in Beach Hampton were getting ready to launch a Chinese lantern into the air from the beach. If his “expertise” as a lawyer or her “common sense” as a medical doctor would not give them the understanding to know how dangerous their actions were, pleas from me, their neighbor, to kindly not launch this incendiary device into the air were ignored. I went on to explain to the lawyer and the doctor that their actions were also illegal. With flagrant disregard for me and their community, that they boast they have lived in for 35 years, the wife doctor arrogantly instructed her husband, the lawyer, to light it. The irony of this apparent “I don’t care as long as it doesn’t affect me” attitude was that their illegal action could have also caused grave damage to not only homes and dune grass in the area but also their home. If the past burning of a motel roof in Montauk was not enough for our community to do something, the potential for a greater tragedy should be. As ignorance of the law is no defense for breaking it, we need to increase the penalties of this criminal activity to more than a mere fine. Further, sales of these ridiculous items should be outlawed in our community. I implore the town board to take immediate action. JILL DANIS Is It Such a Burden? Springs July 20, 2015 Hi, David, The entrance to Three Mile Harbor around the corner from Maidstone Park Beach used to be so peaceful and scenic. But now it is a just very picturesque parking lot. It seems selfish of those who need to have their vehicle by their side. Why? There is ample parking just a few feet away, Because a permit is required to park there, it doesn’t get overcrowded. The area is safe so car theft doesn’t seem to be an issue. Is it really such a burden to walk the 30 feet or so to carry a chair or picnic basket? Hot metal blocking views and taking up space where kids could play, families could picnic, sunbathe swim or read, or just enjoy the beach. Our beaches are not so beautiful when they are filled with cars and trucks. Carol O’Rourke Public Access Springs July 19, 2015 Dear Mr. Rattray: A tedious diatribe in last week’s paper, and similar fantastical propagandist claims in other weekly publications by the associated cheerleaders for privatization of public lands, shed no light for any reader of the actual management plan for the South Flora Nature Preserve, nor, sad to say, does listening to repetitive impassioned environmental paeans to the pristine dunes, already cut through in several spots for the convenience of the neighborhood’s access to the beach. Both, in my opinion, are more tiresome to experience than the sort of witty poetry by Blatt, the Fisherman’s Bard, but of course, there’s no accounting for taste. Elitist or alarmist, advocate for or against, the South Flora Nature Preserve draft management plan calls for limited permeable parking to be created along the edge and end of the roadway near the traditional public accesses, one of which is vehicular, the other pedestrian. No one is suggesting paving the entire possible area where some parking could be located for the public’s convenience. Parking for a few cars for public and handicapped residents — six or eight — is reasonable and proper, as I believe the town board understands and will act upon, hopefully in time for the rest of us conveniently to enjoy our property this summer or fall, and forevermore. No amount of picture-waving, histrionic gestures, or confused and self-serving enumerations of “coverups” or alleged “attacks” will change that. Kind invitations to visit by residents opposed to the plan they tried unsuccessfully to buy off in the previous administration without “coverup” are tough to accept — there’s no parking! That said, the neighborhood, and others like it, does have a legitimate concern about its location. It is low-lying, vulnerable to the ocean and the bay to the north. (The fact that its septic waste leaches into the ocean is a discussion for another time. No fault there, it was and remains our foolish norm. Just saying.) Notwithstanding the simple fact that the feared flooding of the low-lying neighborhood (referring now solely to its elevation) occurred from the north in the last major storm event, Sandy, concerns for its safety, given the geography, are as real as is the false prediction of an imminent public hazard due to hordes of out-of-control visitors cruising their narrow streets in quest of a place to park. It’s the same and real concern that is seemingly suspending reason in the face of “saving” downtown Montauk by turning it into a limited facsimile of New Orleans’s Ninth Ward, Katrina’s and Rita’s famous victim, complete with pumps and floodgates, and dune walls and levees, instead of some serious effort towards long-term coastal planning. Thus the question remains: What amount of so-called hardening can hold back nature indefinitely? And at what cost? And to whom? That it might be temporary, given nature, doesn’t change the fact that if the water comes, it’s s not water for very long if trapped, but rather a toxic soup of dead creatures, septic waste, and storm debris. Pray no people compound the brew. Given the natural cycles of the earth, an amount of erosion of shorelines, migration of sand, dunes, and beachfront over time are well documented, and their continuation inevitable. These processes are also subject to the effects of our current macro cycle of weather, perturbations in the geographic processes of the earth and seas, climate rhythms, and the like, whether our own fault or natural. Then, of course, there’s “density,” the opaque catchphrase for development within rules that never fully imagined what might happen except for layouts, “sustainability” coming only lately to the party. In sum, the town board — we — are faced with tough choices in effectively planning for the future of our blessed town. Our comprehensive plan must be a living document, as should our local waterfront revitalization plan. We’re doing hamlet and business studies, also necessary. And we’re continuing to buy property, and in Springs, our school is growing like Topsy‚ or so we’re told. Issues of public access and private property occupy and concern us all, as does the necessity to support residents’ rights to quiet enjoyment of their homes and streets, intelligently modifying codes and regulations, building codes, commercial activities in residential areas, truck parking, a rental registry in support of that enforcement. (I wrote a few years ago about a rental tax, a lead balloon at the time.) But it’s clear to all of us who live here that something needs be done to continue our ability to do so as long as we choose, and that so might our children and theirs, rather than being forced out by disaffection as our quality of life erodes, or the increasingly higher costs imposed by Mr. Uihlein’s now famous observation that contrary to his clearly wise mother’s admonition, “some of us have sold ourselves for a buck.” The questions of who has, how much, etc., are important too. We need to follow the money. In that regard, I learned some disheartening information last week in Montauk in conversation with our outgoing county legislator, our own Jay Schneiderman, though currently looking west, and now there’s another bandwagon to crank up. Despite Jay’s documented advocacy for a change, Montauk hotel owners’ and East Hampton Town hostelries’ taxes, $3 million, about a third of all such taxes raised, never comes back to us. If we have to pay ever more for seasonal public safety enforcement, couldn’t the county help to defray the expense? Maybe Paul Monte’s position on the lavishly funded Long Island Visitors and Convention Bureau will help us get a sliver of the pie we provide, paid for by our residents’ inconveniences, and many people from elsewhere lining their pockets in the brief summer season we all used to enjoy far more. And maybe it could pay for the necessary permitted resident parking we should have on Dolphin Drive, too, unless Steve Lynch wants to make the road(s) indicated on the surveys, instead of using the community preservation find? IRA BAROCAS A Make-Work Project Amagansett July 15, 2015 To the Editor: I have lived in the East End Dunes Residents Association, which includes Dolphin Drive, for over 30 years. In all that time I have rarely seen any instance in which there has been any problem with beach access in the development. If there had been such a problem with overcrowding and circulating traffic in search of a parking spot, I think my neighbors would be the ones seeking relief, but that has never been the case, simply because they never had cause to complain. Instead we have the irony of the nature preserve people seeking to “develop” a parking lot on Dolphin Drive! This on property purchased by the town to forestall commercial development, now threatened by the agency whose function it is to preserve and protect! This is all the more puzzling as any cursory visit to the area on the busiest days and weeks at the height of the summer season, including this one, will confirm no overflow parking at the Atlantic Drive parking lot and absolutely little or no vehicle traffic circulating the development in search of a parking spot. I suggest, without checking myself, that there are few if any parking ticket violations issued in the area for illegal parking on the side streets during peak summer weekends. In short, there is no problem with beach access in this area, by people and cars alike, when permitted. It is stunning to see the work, time, and money wasted by the nature preserve people going against their own preservation responsibility to create a minimal, yet unnecessary, infringement on the very area they are supposed to protect. My suggestion to any of the members of the town board, most of whom have been to EEDRA meetings and are familiar with the area, to substantiate for themselves my characterization of the situation here while considering the nature preserve committee’s management plan. This is a case of a make-work project to correct a so-called problem, when in fact there is no problem of beach access here. And certainly no need to compromise a preserve area to solve a problem that does not exist. ROBERT CONTI Will Your Street Be Next? Amagansett July 20, 2015 Dear Editor, Unprecedented rowdy, drunken crowds in Montauk. Unprecedented noise from nonstop helicopters. Where and when is it coming next? The nature preserve management committee is recommending parking on Dolphin Drive. The town board has held two hearings on the preserve’s management plan and will hold what is essentially a third hearing during their regular meeting on Aug. 20. The plan for the South Flora Preserve recommends no trails or walkways on this fragile piece of land. There has been no argument with the recommendations for the preserve, which would not need parking. The parking is for beach access only. There is no parking or restricted parking on all streets that end in the ocean beach in East Hampton Town. This is a back-door way to get parking on those roads. Dolphin Drive will only be the first street. A speaker at the last public hearing was already calling for parking on Marlin Drive, at the west end of our community in Napeague. There seems to be an insatiable push to bring more and more people into the east. We are already overcrowded. Will your street be next? JOAN EDWARDS A Bike Beach Amagansett July 19, 2015 Dear David, The decision for South Flora Nature Preserve Management Plan was delayed last Thursday evening in order for the town to get a SEQRA evaluation. The town board has not acted hastily in responding to acceptance of any Dolphin Drive parking proposals. That’s a good thing! Evaluation of all options is what makes this town board effective. I suggested to the town board, at last Thursday’s hearing, that a bike beach should be created at South Flora. In using Google to check any existing bike beaches in this country, I found none. Riding around the preserve on a bike is the best way to see the unique and rare species of flora, wetlands, and ever-disappearing Napeague dunelands that exist there. A bike beach would eliminate some car traffic, pollution, and be a form of exercise and a biking destination. The State Department of Transportation has created a bike lane on the shoulder of 27, perfect for a bike beach destination. Friends and neighbors have added to the conversation by agreeing that it is a super idea. I have not heard one negative comment about the idea. Let’s hope the town board takes this idea seriously. All you need are bike racks at the beach entrance! Sincerely, RONA KLOPMAN Sixteen Years Ago Amagansett July 13, 2015 Dear Mr. Rattray: Please fasten your seatbelt and hold on firmly to the center armrest. I hope you used the restroom before leaving the restaurant. On Saturday evening, in the beautiful sunset hour, Mary and I were driving home from Bridgehampton, back to Amagansett. We’d decided to take the scenic route and avoid highway traffic, heading eastward on Further Lane, windows open, the fragrance of honeysuckle wafting through the car. Suddenly a black Porsche convertible sped past us, ignoring the double lines, going at least 70 miles per hour. There appeared to be a guy driving and two women in the car. Mary said, “I hope there’s a cop up ahead!” And I replied, “Yeah. On the other hand, if you’re young and rich and have a Porsche convertible with two chicks on board, wouldn’t you want to pass the old guy in the black Ford Fiesta?” I should point out that I was driving 9 m.p.h. over the speed limit. Which is 25. Who’s the man? A moment later we were passing a driveway on the right and there, stopped to open the entrance gate, was the black Porsche. Mary screamed, “Hey, that’s Seinfeld!” Sure enough, entering the former residence of Billy Joel, was our famous neighbor. I responded, “ ‘Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee’ — he must be jacked up on caffeine.” What? I explained that Mr. Seinfeld had a very successful web series called “Comedians in Cars,” etc., but that in all the segments I’ve seen he’s driving the speed limit. Probably afraid he’ll kill Chris Rock or Mel Brooks. But on Further Lane, fast and furious Jerry. “What if a baby had jumped out into the road? How does ‘Comedians in Cars Running Over Babies on Further Lane’ sound?” At that point my wife urged me to stop talking and we continued, safely, on our way. But that’s not why I’m writing, Mr. Rattray, so you can unfasten your seatbelt and exit the car. Let’s just talk here for a moment. The reason Mary and I had been in Bridgehampton was because one of our dearest friends, Dan Kalish, had passed away in his home just hours earlier. We went to be with his wife, Carol, and beautiful daughter Jocelin, to try to do what you try to do when grief is in the house. You bring food, you hug, tell stories, mention a funny incident, talk about peace at last and a “better place.” Nothing does much, but you just want to be there. Dan fought a two-year battle with an insidious cancer that simply overwhelmed him over the past few weeks. Yet less than two weeks ago he talked, from his home-care bed, about helping his twin brother, David, install a screen door in some lady’s house. That’s an optimist. That was Dan. People will say life is precious, so live each day like it’s your last. But I say the hell with that. Live each day as if you’ll live forever. Like a bird. Like my friend. Dan was a builder, carpenter, and craftsman who worked on many projects, large and small, for us and for our neighbors and friends over the years. As the son of a third-generation potato farmer, he had practical skills in every trade. He worked hard, loved to solve problems, thrived in a time of corporate builders changing our East End landscape. And he told stories — about his daughter’s scholastic successes, his camping trips with his wife, his sailboat races out of Breakwater Yacht Club. Every story had a punch line and a laugh. We built some crazy beautiful things together. We hugged and called each other brother. He was 65. Sixteen years ago, Mr. Rattray, when your mother was editor of The Star, I wrote a 4,000-word letter which she published in two installments (don’t worry, I won’t do that to you, not that you’d publish it anyway)! The letter was my response to a story that had appeared in The New York Times reporting on the shortage of burial plots in the cemeteries of East Hampton. Apparently this real estate crisis had been caused by the ‘nouveau riche’ who were moving in to the area, buying blocks of plots for their families and leaving little ground for the locals, who’d been here for generations. In my illuminating and compassionate letter I offered a variety of solutions to this vexing dilemma (i.e., a long, narrow graveyard on the grassy median between the highway on 27 from Manorville to Southampton for easy on-off access). I also described in great detail the burial of a dear friend of mine in the Double Dunes, less than a half mile west of Indian Wells Beach in Amagansett. It was a request he had made of his closest confidants and written into his will, as read upon his death in the fall of 1996. We accomplished this difficult assignment on a Wednesday night in early November at approximately 3:30 a.m. The beach was empty on this frigid night. No one commented on this letter, Mr. Rattray. Let me repeat that: No one said anything about the letter or the story! (Which is when I realized that 4,000 words might be a little long for a letter to the editor.) Then, three months later, on a Saturday in early spring, I was in my home in the dunes when I heard a strong knock on the door. I opened it and faced a tall man in his late 40s. “Are you Mr. Greenfield?” “Yes,” I replied. “I’m Detective Steve Willis (we’ll call him that) from the East Hampton Town Police. May I come in?” He was in plainclothes, no uniform. I let the detective inside and said, “Is there a problem, Detective Willis?” “Well., I hope not. Umm, my captain told me to come here and ask you a few questions. Would that be all right?” He seemed a little uncomfortable, and I was certainly baffled, but I said, “Sure, what is it?” “Well, did you write a story in the newspaper about burying someone on the beach, in the dunes?” With that I literally fell to my knees and started laughing. “That was three months ago and no one has said a word about it! Why are you here now?” I asked. “So you did write the story,” he asked. “Yes, I did.” “So you buried someone in the dunes.” “No, of course not!” I replied. “Well, why would you write something like that?” “Because I thought it was a fantastic story and could be told believably. But why are you here all this time after the fact?” Detective Steve explained to me that a resident had contacted the State Department of Health, expressing alarm that a body had been buried in their “backyard” (near the current Seinfeld residence, I should add) and the East Hampton police had been ordered to investigate. In a way I felt bad for the detective. On the other hand, more interesting than a speeding ticket maybe. For the next hour I gave the officer a sworn statement asserting that I had not in fact buried anyone in the dunes. And when we were finished with that, Detective Steve asked me a little bit about what I did for a living (music, commercials, blah blah). Then he started telling me about himself. He mentioned he was divorced, had a girlfriend in Los Angeles who was a casting agent for TV and film. She’d encouraged him to get his SAG card ’cause he’d be perfect to cast as a fireman, for example. And I said, “Yep, I’m sure she’s right!” Finally Steve said, “Well I guess I should be going. Thank you for your time. Um, could I ask you one thing?” “Sure, anything,” I said. “Please don’t write about the stuff we were just talking about. That probably wouldn’t be good for me.” “I promise I won’t write a word about it,” I assured him. We wished each other well and he left. I never told your mother about that encounter, Mr. Rattray. But it’s 16 years later — statute of limitations and all. Dan would have laughed his ass off if he’d heard it, so I’m dedicating this letter to him. He was buried in the Edgewood Cemetery in Bridgehampton following a funeral Mass at Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Church. Wish him a good journey. LYLE GREENFIELD Significant President East Hampton July 15, 2015 Dear Editor, So the community organizer from Chicago has done it again! What a legacy enhancement! Far East trade agreement, Cuba, Iran nuclear agreements, all in a month, added to his other significant positive changes in the society and fabric of the country. Significant president emeritus? Unquestionably. Peace in our time through negotiation is a winner! On the other hand, we can substitute a Republican president. Just pick one, any one, your choice. Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, Rick Perry, Lindsey Graham, Carly Fiorina — and picture what the hopes for peace and income parity would be. As some TV character says, give me a break. RICHARD P. HIGER Fast and Furious East Hampton July 14, 2015 Dear David, For the record, the program called Fast and Furious was the creation of the Obama administration. It resulted in between 1,400 and 2,000 firearms to be exported illegally from the U.S.A. to Mexico. The program ended with the murder of a border agent, Brian Terry, by a smuggler of narcotics and human trafficker attempting to get across the border undetected. The Obama administration caused these weapons to be sent into Mexico in violation of both American and Mexican law. Further, the program was concealed from the Mexican government. Between 43,000 and 60,000 are known have been murdered in the drug cartel war. This is including at least 111 American citizens. Many of those murdered were innocent people in the wrong place at the wrong time. It has been estimated that there are in excess of 100,000 more missing and unaccounted for in these wars. Of these firearms only 700 have been recovered, most at the scene of murders and as a result of firefights with the Mexican authorities. El Chapo (Shorty) escaped last weekend from a Mexican prison. He is the head of a major drug cartel whose sphere of influence extends from Central America to Chicago, possibly further, maybe to N.Y.C., L.A., and the like. So the war continues. This sad situation is not of the Bush administration’s doing, but rests squarely on the shoulders of the Obama administration. This may account for the current coolness in relationship between Mexico’s and our current administrations. PETER C. OSBORNE Flag Flies High Springs July 20, 2015 Dear Editor, Listening to the likes of Jehmu Greene and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, I fully understand why narrow-minded liberals, progressives, whatever they call themselves, repeat word for word the stats they want you to believe. A third grader would understand the real unemployment. A person with a brain would know most of the statistics thrown at the public are only to make you believe the Democrats are doing a wonderful job. The gross domestic product has gone nowhere. The real unemployment is 23 percent because that includes the citizens who are no longer entitled to unemployment and those that have stopped looking for work. Too many millions are out of work, but we are to busy fighting for the president’s legacy: Give everything to the undocumented. Iran will have a nuke and it will still hold Saeed Abedini, Amir Hekmati, Jason Rezaian, and, last but not least, Robert Levinson. These lives are not even on the table, no homecoming for them. Five hundred billion dollars going to Iran: no sanctions, no release of the Americans listed above, all the while they laugh at us. Such a weak president. Give everything to Iran and now Cuba all so America loose. A beautiful young woman named Katie murdered in California by an illegal, purposely living in a sanctuary city, nothing from the White House, nothing no representation, a terrorist attack in Tennessee, five armed service members murdered, and the flag flies high, no sir, no half mast for soldiers assassinated on American soil. Yes, Donald Trump needs to calm down. He was on the money with illegal immigration but off on John McCain’s military time. However Mr. Trump was right that Mr. McCain has done nothing for the vets except give speeches; he’s overdue to retire. He will not be hurt by Mr. Trump’s statement, as Arizona is already fed up with him. In God and country, BEA DERRICO More Than a Hurricane Southold July 20, 2015 Dear Editor, I would like to share an exciting memory of mine, of being over to the swank home of the star Ida Lupino in the 1950s. I remember her boomerang-shape bar that was white, and 331/2 feet of the room. I didn’t talk much in the start of my teens, just a shy one, me. Howard Duff, her talented husband, walked in and the quiet went on longer. I’ll say it was the quiet before a storm! There was a disturbance outside in front of the place. Big leaves and giant branches blowing hard and blinding you. Noisy trees came to life and started busting apart. It was scary to watch all this mangled wood moving about. I watched Ida Lupino run out first in fright, down the street, and ran after her but couldn’t catch her. Those movie stars can move! Large stuff, chairs flying all over the place. I think the beautiful actress reached the boulevard, out of the rubble of the English Tudor row-houses of Forest Hills, but not sure. I fell to the road, but heard sounds of teacups, beer glasses, plates, shelves collapsing, coming from all the houses. A couple of smaller trees fell on me, and I went unconscious. It must have been more than a hurricane. When I came to, a friend named Howie Cleary was trying to lift the debris. Slowly I got up from being knocked out. He might have been the same, from the sound of his weakened voice, near fallen telephone poles. I walked down the street pushing foliage and branches. I craned my neck to look into light windows that were framed in black. Pretty teacups were visible, but no Ida inside. I think she made it out of the gigantic hurricane into a store on the corner. She was a shapely lady, I remember in “Treasure of Sierra Madre. Bogey’s dog was so human, like it had a soul. Its eyes were moving all around in such an expressive way on the Nevada mountain. I miss everyone I knew in Forest Hills a lot. They moved? If any of them are around town, I want to send my love. ANITA FAGAN
Published 4 years ago
Last updated 4 years ago
Letters to the Editor: 07.23.15
July 23, 2015