The Wellness Movement San Diego, Calif. July 27, 2015 To the Editor, Your editorial “For the 24 Percent,” about playgrounds for adults complete with outdoor exercise equipment (the photograph looks like a spoof) brought back some memories. When I co-founded the fitness resort and spa Rancho La Puerta near San Diego with my husband, Edmond Szekely, back in 1940, we had no exercise equipment, and frankly, no money. We exercised outdoors — we had no gyms. We made barbells from broomsticks and coffee cans filled with concrete (metal was hard to come by during World War II). We proved that if you will just get outdoors and in touch with nature, you will want to get moving. Kids know that. We adults need to remember it, rediscover it. Seventy-five years later (I’m now 93) I’m still trying to get people to take control of their own health. My own daily exercise sessions and walks are nonnegotiable. My health advocacy nonprofit organization wellnesswarrior.org tries to get people thinking about ways to prevent disease, as well as demand that corporations and regulations protect us from hazards such as the 80,000 untested chemicals in use today in the U.S.A. I urge your readers to give wellnesswarrior.org a visit. Sign up for our newsletters. Stories like the one on multigenerational playgrounds are just another example of the powerful wellness movement that grows stronger and bolder every day in our nation. I do hope that the Town of East Hampton and its population of retirees (and otherwise) continue to work toward their own personal wellness. Let the world be your playground! DEBORAH SZEKELY Co-Founder, Rancho La Puerta Founder, Golden Door Bilco Doors With Steps Springs July 24, 2015 Dear David, I’m writing this letter as a warning to those who have Bilco doors with steps going into the basement. Have the steps checked to see that they are securely anchored, not only at the top but into the sides and floor as well. Last week our stairs collapsed as Redjeb was entering the basement from the outside and stepped on the top steps. The stairs, as I now understand, were built as a unit that was inserted into the stairwell and only fastened with about six not-very-long nails that went into the concrete across the top. The nails had deteriorated over time, possibly because of humidity in the concrete and the fact the Bilco doors are not totally water/humidity tight. The stair unit with him on board slid down nine feet into the basement. He could have been killed. Fortunately, only his ankle was injured‚ which is painful and cramping his style now for the summer. To our surprise, our neighbors, upon hearing this, told us that the same thing happened in their house about two years ago. Both our houses are about the same age, 12 years. Didn’t expect a new house to disintegrate in that short a time. So I write this to encourage others to take heed and have someone do a thorough checkup of your cellar stairs, particularly those that lead to the outside. PEGGY BACKMAN Ballet Hispanico Amagansett July 26, 2015 To the Editor: On Saturday evening, a charming performance by dancers of Ballet Hispanico, directed by Eduardo Vilaro, brought a lovely note of cultural diversity to our community. Even before entering the grounds of Guild Hall, we were treated to lively scenes of Hispanic families posing for pictures, small children in their Sunday best, and a general air of gaiety. This enthusiasm for sharing their culture with all of us was contagious. And no Guild Hall audience, as far as we can ever recall, whistled and clapped with greater energy. Among the highlights was the magical dancing of Jamal Rashann Callender, whom we wish had had an even more significant role. The lead sponsors, the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation and the Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, are to be congratulated for making this event possible. HARRIET and BOB FRIEDLANDER Two Wishes Brookline, Mass. July 27, 2015 Dear Editor, Thank you for Britta Lokting’s informative article about high levels of mercury in marshes, studying mercury poisoning in woodland songbirds, and the effects of climate change. As I felt pity for the little birds enduring blood tests, I worried about my young grandson, who eats fish. As Pope Francis wrote in his encyclical Laudato Si’ (paragraph 92): “We have only one heart, and the same wretchedness which leads us to mistreat an animal will not be long in showing itself in our relationships with other people.” In other words, allow your heart to be cold toward even birds, and soon it will be cold even toward your own fledgling. I have two wishes: May I never feel callous towards the suffering of even a little songbird, so that my heart may always love my grandson, and may your congressman, Representative Lee Zeldin, heed the words of the Pope and fight climate change with all his heart. RABBI JUDY WEISS Smart911 Is the best East Hampton July 26, 2015 To the Editor, I’m writing to raise awareness of the need for greater emergency preparedness in our area. I am a retired E.M.S. volunteer, having worked in Suffolk County over the last 40 years. I feel strongly that our 911 dispatchers are the true first responders, because they are first is a line of professionals called upon to save a life. In the 1990s, I was one of the people who spearheaded educating emergency dispatchers on how they can deliver lifesaving medical instructions during a 911 call. After all, isn’t it the purpose of any branch of E.M.S. to save lives? It quickly became mandatory for any 911 call-taker to be educated and certified in giving those much needed instructions over the phone. Now, 25 years later, I see another opportunity to drastically enhance the lifesaving service 911 call-takers provide in an emergency. Smart911 is the best program I have seen since the implementation of trained, certified emergency dispatchers. With Smart911, individuals sign up at smart911.com for free and create a safety profile, with any and all information they would want 911 to have in the event of an emergency. The safety profile can include information about everyone in your household — including your pets! Your safety profile is stored in a secure national database, so that any time you call 911, your safety profile pops up on the dispatcher’s screen to better assist them in delivering a faster, more efficient emergency response. You now have a leg up on a successful emergent situation. How cool is that? The problem is, however, not enough individuals in Suffolk County have signed up. We are letting this important resource go to waste. As a resident of East Hampton, it is my desire to bring this program to the attention of everyone on the East End, because it very well could save your life. The best way I know how to do this is with the assistance of The East Hampton Star. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Suffolk County Fire Rescue and Emergency Services for bringing this critical program to our county, because in an emergency, every second counts. Consider, for a moment, how many seconds count when a child goes missing. How much time are you willing to waste when you or a loved one are in need of emergency intervention? If there’s a fire, and you’re at home, wouldn’t you want E.M.S. responders to know where your bedroom is? Wouldn’t you want them to be able to quickly assess whether you are even at home, thereby reducing the risk of our E.M.S. personnel getting injured? If there’s an accident at home, or at work, or even in a motor vehicle, and you’re unable to give your information, wouldn’t you want them to be able to give you the best care possible because you signed up for Smart911? I just feel that together we can make an entire community much safer. So, what do you say? Are you with me? Sign up at smart911.com today and help me spread the word to keep our loved ones in Suffolk County safe. KATHY WHITTAKER Banned in Our Town Sag Harbor July 27, 2015 Dear Editor: I write to again request the Shinnecock Indian Nation to require the Cole Bros. Circus not to bring the exotic animals, the elephants and tigers that are banned in the Town of Southampton. Why are they banned? Because of many years of documented animal abuse, to the point where many cities and communities have banned animal circuses. This has been brought to the attention of the tribal council many times over the years, only to be received on deaf ears. We plead with the Nation, to please go to your roots of being connected to and respectful of animal life. We in the community have offered to help come up with other events that would generate even more money for you and be consistent with your ideals. You, the Shinnecock Indian Nation, right now can stop this and not continue the same animal abuse that has been banned in our town! DOROTHY FRANKEL Abuse to Circus Animals Springs July 26, 2015 Dear Editor, Unfortunately, the Shinnecock Indian Nation has invited the Cole Bros. Circus to their reservation again this year, from Aug. 3 through Aug. 5. This circus uses captive wildlife to entertain spectators, and has an appalling history of abusing, neglecting and/or endangering the animals under its supervision, as well as endangering the public and animal trainers. These animals endure years of physical and psychological pain and suffering, which an uninformed audience supports so that the promoters and owners can profit. Cole Bros. Circus has failed to meet minimal federal standards for the care of animals used in exhibition, as established in the Animal Welfare Act. The United States Department of Agriculture cited the Cole Bros. Circus numerous times for failure to provide veterinary care, adequate shelter from the elements, and proper food and water, as well as failure to handle the animals in a manner that prevents trauma and harm while ensuring public safety. They are barred from owning their own animals, due to a prohibition by the U.S.D.A. To get around this, they lease animals and trainers from Carson and Barnes, whose head elephant trainer, Tim Frisco, is notorious for beating elephants. An undercover video (that you can view online) shows Frisco, using obscenities, telling fellow trainers to “sink that hook into them . . . when you hear that screaming then you know you got their attention. She’s gonna do what I want and that’s just the way it is.” Beating elephants with bullhooks and clubs and shocking them with electric prods are common training methods used by this (and other) circuses! Cole-Carson elephants have shown signs of being abused with sharp metal bullhooks, bearing obvious hook-mark wounds on their legs and under the jaw. In one instance, they paid a $10,000 civil penalty to settle charges of abusing elephants with bullhooks. They have been charged with cruelty to animals for overloading and overworking elephants, and two elephants that were described as malnourished and neglected suddenly died under their care. There are dozens of documented violations (not just allegations) dating back to the early 1980s, where they have repeatedly caused elephants trauma, physical harm, and behavioral stress, in addition to a variety of other violations. Spectators have also been injured or killed by escaped and/or mishandled elephants and tigers. Cole/Carson have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, been ordered to perform hundreds of hours of community service, and animals have been removed from their ownership by federal agencies. The Shinnecock Indian Nation has been repeatedly asked by numerous individuals and groups not to invite the Cole Bros. Circus to their reservation, and many have offered to assist the Shinnecocks to host a different event in order to supplement the revenue they might lose if they did not host the circus. They have been informed of the abuse suffered by the animals as well as the danger to the public. The Town of Southampton, in which the entire reservation is situated, prohibits any display of wild or exotic animals, and in the event that non-wild or non-exotic animals are displayed or exhibited, bullhooks are expressly prohibited. East Hampton has similar laws. I have a petition to present to the Shinnecocks with almost 6,000 signatures asking them to cancel the circus. The voice of the community is clear. My reason for writing this letter is threefold: First, I hope the public becomes aware of the abuse suffered by circus animals. Next, I implore the public to not support abuse as entertainment and to boycott the Cole Bros. Circus and join in protest against it from Aug. 3 through Aug. 5. And last, I ask you, Mr. Rattray, not to provide free advertising for this circus through a listing in the events section of your paper. If they want to advertise their show of abuse and torture, make them pay for it. Thank you, DEBORAH KLUGHERS Clerk for 14 Years Springs July 26, 2015 Dear David, I am a 34-year resident of Springs, and up to 2010 worked at the Springs School. I have been an active member in the community and am a longtime school board meeting attendee. I can honestly say that I have missed fewer than six meetings in 34 years. I have seen the meetings packed, the meetings with police presence, and the meetings empty except for me and maybe one other resident. During the last 14 years, the district clerk has been a Springs resident (and graduate) named Frances Silipo (nee Miller). Fran, as the whole school calls her, has worked her way up from secretary in the special-education office, to confidential office administrator in the main office. Along with that position she has held the office of district clerk for 14 years — 14 years with many board members, with four superintendents, and with all the extra tasks that emanate out of the main office. She ran the elections, organized the meetings, and set up interviews for the four superintendents to get their positions. As with any small district, she has also processed all the special-education paperwork, she has organized events that the administrators sponsored, and she has completed numerous tasks when the need arose. If you voted in a school election, if your child received special-education services, if you ever wanted a document or records for retirement or residency, Fran was the person who did it. Fran usually arrived by 7:30 a.m., worked her way through lunch, and often left around 6 p.m. When I taught at the school, Sunday was my day to go in and organize. Usually Fran was there. She worked weekends from her home, and often made phone calls over the weekend about school activities, business, or responsibilities. The position of district clerk is an appointed position, held at the discretion of the school board. The Springs School Board had every right to choose another staff member to hold this position, but obviously, they did no planning on their part. The agenda had Frances Silipo’s name on resolutions for various positions that she has held during her term. Agenda items were read with another staff member’s name, as if it were theirs and not Fran’s. She was not notified in writing that she was being removed from these positions and no reason was given. This type of action speaks to the lack of transparency that members of the community have complained about. It also speaks poorly of a district that would remove a staff member who has been more than competent and more than dedicated to the children and the Springs community. It also bodes poorly for the district’s future. MARY JANE ARCERI A Star Chamber Air Montauk July 23, 2015 To the Editor: Speaking from the position of a longtime high school teacher and coach (softball, track, cross country and swimming), I am truly troubled by the recent actions of the East Hampton school administration concerning Coach Lou Reale; in particular, those of Richard Burns, the district superintendent. I can only hope that the East Hampton School Board will act to correct these actions. If, in fact, the East Hampton School District wants to “change direction” in its coaching philosophies and therefore not rehire a coach, how does a superintendent not have the decency to sit and discuss with the coach the reasons for his decision not to rehire? While it may be true that coaches in New York State do not have the due process rights of tenured teachers, don’t they deserve to be afforded the dignity of an explanation, and maybe a thank you‚ for nearly 30 years of service to the district? Unfortunately, I believe the current situation goes beyond a simple lack of decency. The “changing direction in coaching philosophy” explanation quickly became one of “the district has been inundated with allegations over the last six weeks from students and parents in the community.” Mr. Burns asks the community to “trust” him‚ stating that the information he holds is so compelling that it calls for Coach Reale’s replacement. But while the superintendent claims that he knows all sides of the story, he has failed to ask Coach Reale to provide a response to the secret allegations. These arbitrary and secretive proceedings are beginning to have a Star Chamber air about them. I consider myself fortunate to have coached at a time when educational decisions were made by those who were hired because of their expertise in these areas and parents were in the stands cheering on their children and their teams. Best, JOHN McGEEHAN High School Athletics Washington, D.C. July 24, 2015 To the Editor: The two situations that seem to be dominating social media, The Star, and the general talk around town (the original social media) seem to have strong ties. The town is abuzz about how to control the current situation in Montauk, fueled by what many have referred to as the me-first and entitlement attitude of the recent class of visitors. There is an irony when the townspeople point blame at external sources while at the same time allowing the recent actions regarding athletics at the high school. There is a great misjudgment, unfortunately by those in charge, that organized athletics is about participation and not about the life lessons that come from playing competitive sports. One can argue that having more kids play is best for all, and at certain levels that is certainly the case. However, varsity athletics is about competition, reserved for those who have the ability or drive to become the best of the best. It is meant to be hard, or at least is supposed to be. It is not for everyone. It is no wonder we are creating an age of entitlement when we purposefully lower our programs to the lowest denominator. Though I still have many family, friends, and ties within the community, I no longer live locally. My upbringing in Montauk challenged and prepared me for the bumps, obstacles, and detours that life throws at you no matter where you reside or what challenges you take on. I’m honored to have played under some magnificent coaches, people who knew how to get the most out of a student, and more importantly open that student’s eyes to their own talents. East Hampton has had a long line of strong coaches, from Little League to varsity squads, who have constantly challenged our youth to be strong, to find that inner fight, and to come out ahead. It is how our high school has often been able to compete with much larger programs from UpIsland. It is a disservice to the very people you are supposed to be educating when you ignore the coaches and students who have been successful here. Look at the alumni of East Hampton High School, look around the town at business leaders, community leaders, fire chiefs, police officers, teachers, people who step up to help others — and you will find varsity E.H.S. hanging deep in their closets. MAX FINAZZO, Class of 1994 Body in D.C., Soul in Montauk Playing a Sport East Hampton July 24, 2015 Dear David, Three more things. First, Lou Reale deserves all the credit given him for his record in softball. Perhaps it was last season’s two wins with eighth graders, freshmen, and sophomores manning eight of the nine starting positions that went against him. Each season the athletic director stated that JV sports are about participation and winning, and varsity is about winning. This theory of participation and winning has been turned on its head by those who think it good to be a second-string ninth grader on varsity when play on JV is available. Second, three respected coaches are right to question the existing open criteria for hiring and not retaining coaches. Is it winning? Should it be like a good college and the retention of freshmen or players? Should it be about teaching, respect for players, conduct during games, conduct during practices, the validity of demands on a kid to concentrate on one sport if that kid wants to play three? Coaches Cooper, McGeehan, and Nicoletti are well respected; let them develop standards. In the end it ain’t physics, but subjective standards would be helpful to all. The last three years of softball showed a dramatic change in won-lost records, a dismal record of retention of players. The absence of a JV a few seasons ago has long-lasting repercussions. Third, to show the demeanor of one lesser light advocating for the coach, one person advised me that I’ve “pissed off a lot of people and your daughter will never play softball in East Hampton.” That quote smacked of the conduct it supports. It may be true, but at least no other kid will have to be reduced to tears as criteria for playing a sport. The phone was slammed down before I could ask if that includes adult slow pitch and the beer league. Coach Reale deserved a dignified resignation. That did not happen, and his supporters lack the introspection to realize if there was a coach who was the master of his own destiny it was certainly this one. It is certainly necessary to thank all the kind people who have gone out of their way (one guy trotted across the street) to confirm that it was good to fight this fight. Kids, parents, coaches, and officials have made it clear that this was a necessary fight. Turn the page. Very truly yours, WILLIAM J. FLEMING Town Has Changed Springs July 27, 2015 Dear David, What brought those of us to this town of East Hampton who were not born here was the quality of life and East Hampton’s intense beauty. The first two years I lived in my house in Springs, I was still working as a school administrator in Yonkers Public Schools, living in Hastings-on-Hudson, and out here every chance I could get. By the middle of that second year (2004) I could no longer leave here — I had to be in East Hampton. That was 11 years ago and in that 11 years I have witnessed a decline in that quality of life. The quiet, peaceful town has changed. In my own neighborhood, I now see houses once occupied by elderly people living alone or together taken over by multiple families. One can easily count the multiple vehicles that are visible at a glance and know there has been a change. Our school is suffering an explosion of population in the last eight years that, by state law, the school cannot refuse to educate. But where are the houses that were built in the years in that same time period to produce this influx of students? Nowhere. Building, in earnest, did not begin to happen till this year, since this year is when the economy began a significant turnaround. What exists now is a state of affairs that the law presented at the last work session by Mike Sendlenski, a town attorney, for a rental registry will correct. Our town has lagged behind most of the other towns in Suffolk in this aspect. The present administration has heard the outcry of the residents asking for a means to control the multiples of people who are living in single-family residences, and who, by the way, are being exploited by greedy landlords. Our town board has diligently worked on problems that were allowed to amass by past administrations. It now needs to jump into the present-day realities and work with its lawyers to refine this law so that it will do the job of improving that famous quality of life. Sincerely, PHYLLIS ITALIANO Rental Property Law Springs July 27, 2015 To the Editor, I am writing to express my support for the rental property law (Chapter 199 Rental Properties) as presented to the town board on July 21 by Michael Sendlenski, an East Hampton Town senior attorney. East Hampton currently has regulations regarding rentals; Chapter 199 is not intended to modify existing regulations. Rather, it will provide the town with information about which properties are rented, ensuring compliance with existing law. To those who say we should enforce the laws that are on the books, the registry will be used to enforce existing laws. We live in a world of finite resources; the town must use its personnel in the most efficient way possible. The town covers a large geographic area. It is not reasonable for code enforcement to identify rentals without a registry. Southampton has a rental registry, as do many other towns on Long Island. I hope the town board will approve this legislation. My best, PATRICE ANNE DALTON We Are All Montaukers Montauk July 27, 2015 To the Editor: The Montauk meeting at our firehouse was the largest and most wonderful happening in the political life of our town. For the first time in the 40-plus years that I have been living here, our community got together, really together, to help solve what most of us feel is a major threat to our way of life and the short and long-range life of our hamlet. Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Conservatives, unaffiliated, etc., second-home owners, full-timers, business folks, vacationers, and just about anyone else who wanted to comment was encouraged to do so in a most dignified and respectful manner. There was much passion, but no rancor, finger-pointing, or partisan political diversions evident. We have a common problem, and regardless of where or when it started, we recognized the efforts of our town government to help create solutions to this very complex and multifaceted crisis. There were many suggestions made, none of which were dismissed. No one was treated in any way that would diminish them or what they had to say. Not one sarcastic remark, not one boo or expression by the board or audience of derision or disapproval. One of Montauk’s finest moments. We are a town united, on this issue at least. Please, I beg you, don’t petty politicize these issues of such importance. Instead, work with the town government and those of us who genuinely want to change things for the better. Tom Knobel, if you will not be part of the solution, you surely will be part of the problem. Of all the supervisors we have had in my memory, Larry Cantwell has been the most representative of all points of view on virtually every issue that I have witnessed. This is true of both Democratic and Republican supervisors. Our board meetings have been conducted in as objective, visible, and respectful a manner as I have ever seen. On the issue of the “changing Montauk,” we are not Democrats or Republicans, we are all Montaukers trying to help solve the challenges of responsible and reasoned responses to the crises besetting our hamlet. No need to “Trump” these sincere efforts with the usual petty partisanship and cynical comments that electioneering usually brings. Montauk deserves better than that, especially now. To both Democrats and Republicans, etc., please, especially on this issue, let’s work together to sincerely and productively be of help to our community. Change in itself is not good or bad, but it is how we manage that change that determines its value and long-term effect. LARRY SMITH Increased Enforcement Montauk July 27, 2015 To the Editor, Despite the recent concern about the lawlessness in Montauk over the July Fourth weekend, it is interesting to note that East Hampton Town Police Chief Michael Sarlo has been quoted in Newsday as indicating that police calls in Montauk over that weekend were up only 12 percent over last year. This may not be surprising given the commitment made by Larry Cantwell’s administration to focus on this issue in the first 18 months in office. Having inherited a Code Enforcement Department both demoralized and underfunded by the prior Wilkinson administration, the new team immediately began to train, recruit, and institute new programs and identify department synergies that could have an immediate impact. The result was a 29-percent increase in code enforcement actions in 2014 vs. 2013, which came from engaging the public in reporting issues through the new online complaint reporting system, enabling real-time notification of code enforcement officers and in-field deployment of these same officers 24/7 over the summer weekends. Furthermore, this 2014 effort was recognized by the Montauk Citizens Advisory Committee in September 2014, whose minutes reflect that “This committee acknowledged the good work that the Dept. of Code Enforcement and Betsy Bambrick have been doing.” Recognizing the need for additional efforts in 2015, the same town board increased hiring of code enforcement officers and began an active program of referrals to the State Liquor Authority regarding liquor licensing, and referrals to the Suffolk County Department of Health Services for sanitary code violations. The result was a 23-percent increase in code enforcement activity in the first six months of 2015 compared to the prior year. For those interested in the details of this enforcement activity, the regular reports issued by the Ordinance Department can be found on the town website and are regularly reported on at town board meetings. The current administration has demonstrated its commitment to improving code enforcement in Montauk and has called upon all the residents to turn it around, including those members of the business community who have yet to step up. Let’s work together to get it done. Respectfully, EDNA STECK Spinning Their Wheels Montauk July 27, 2015 Dear David, Your editorial in last week’s paper “The Montauk Crisis” was right on track. This problem in Montauk has been a growing problem for years. The people of Montauk have been complaining about this for at least the past five years. The police have been understaffed for years and have been choosing the battles they want to take on. They have asked the town board to address this but it has fallen on deaf ears. Yes, the current town board has done nothing. Now it’s out of control and will take an army and tons of money to fix. Some say Larry Cantwell inherited this mess, but let’s ask the question: Until July 14 what has he done? He can’t blame the Republicans; the Democrats have the majority — Mr. Cantwell, Sylvia Overby, Peter Van Scoyoc, and Kathee Burke-Gonzalez. Now they say they are going to make more laws? They cannot enforce the laws they have now. They are spinning their wheels and wasting everyone’s time. They are just trying to buy time to get re-elected. They have no plan for future enforcement efforts in Montauk or anywhere in our town. There is an old saying, “If it weren’t for bad luck, I would have no luck at all.” I have a new saying for the current town board: If it weren’t for bad decisions, this town board would make no decisions. Let’s hope that no one gets raped, beaten, or killed in Montauk while we sit on our hands and issue summonses for spring-break behavior. This town board does not have the ability to fix the problem in Montauk. RHODA BATION Sniping on the Sidelines East Hampton July 27, 2015 Dear David, The excesses of business in Montauk and greedy landlords in Springs are on everyone’s minds as we approach the November election. The Republicans are criticizing the current town board in expensive campaign ads that show no respect for the facts. The board continues its work of addressing the problems. Councilpersons Overby and Van Scoyoc started a pattern when they were in the minority, with the first efforts to reduce abuse of the beach at Amagansett’s Indian Wells. The board has been working on the problem of improving code enforcement in Springs, Montauk, and throughout the town since the election a year and a half ago. Code enforcement actions were up 73 percent in the first six months of 2015 over the same period a year ago. The town has responded aggressively to the events in Montauk this July. Enforcement personnel are working overtime to supplement the capacity of an enlarged but still too limited staff. The supervisor has announced he will seek funds in next year’s budget for more enforcement personnel hours. Newly passed legislation prevents motels in residential zones from adding bars and restaurants. Current legislative proposals will address overoccupancy by requiring nightclubs with 100 or more authorized occupancy to monitor and record their actual numbers electronically. The town is working with the State Liquor Authority to ensure that violations of liquor laws have consequences. There is renewed interest in passing a rental registry law, which will make it easier for code enforcement to identify the violators of rental laws in Montauk, Springs, and throughout the town, and to prove the violations in court. The Republicans put forth no plan, and they have no credibility on this issue. For four years, they neglected the overcrowding in Springs and the proliferation of illegal share houses in Amagansett and Montauk. They overlooked apparent abuse of the zoning laws by Cyril’s, the Surf Lodge, the Sloppy Tuna, and others. They actually facilitated the illegal expansion of the old Ronjo into the Beach House, with a bar and pool area serving all outdoors. The Republicans have put forth no alternative plans. Their sniping on the sidelines adds nothing to the solution of a difficult problem in which all our community needs to play a constructive part. Sincerely yours, ELLEN PETERSEN It’s Only July Amagansett July 27, 2015 Dear David, Wow, our local Republicans sure are nervy! For years, they’ve maintained that supporting businesses — whoever they were and wherever they came from — was the most important priority for the whole town. And so, they twice elected a supervisor who acted on the belief that no constituency in East Hampton was as good for the town as Montauk’s nightclubs. Under the mantra of supporting businesses, they strained their necks looking the other way, allowing the ever-increasing abuses of our zoning rules by homeowners, renters, nightclubs, and developers all over town. And now they have the chutzpah to claim that we need to dump the current town board to save our quality of life. And who have they chosen to replace the board? A former Republican chairman, the director of the East Hampton Business Alliance, and the village police chief’s wife, a nice woman whose main claim to hold public office is that she has never had one. It’s only July and there are big expensive ads in all our local papers. Guess if you have money you can pay to say anything. Sincerely, LARRY MARCUS Attitude Is the Problem Amagansett July 27, 2015 Dear Dave, As an Amagansett resident, some might say I don’t have a dog in this hunt, but I feel the need to comment on the situation in Montauk after watching a TV interview in which a man living next to the Sloppy Tuna was complaining that people were using his yard as a toilet. To my amazement, he was interrupted by a beachgoer who said words to the effect that he should be happy for all the money being brought into the community. I think this attitude is the real problem. The man is having his property abused and is expected to say thank you. Montauk is not Greece. The schools and banks were not shut, with utilities and public safety services barely functioning and the entire economy on the verge of collapse before these business owners came in and saved the day. Does the influx of extra tourists add revenue to segments of the local economy? Absolutely, although just how much of the money generated stays in Montauk is subject for debate. I think what a large segment of the local population is saying to these money-throwing, drunken, public urinators is, you’re more trouble than you’re worth. Some people believe that the sole measure by which this problem is judged is money. If the attitude of the pro-party businesses and tourists is, We realize this is a problem, is there some way we can find a middle ground — that’s one thing. To go to the bathroom in someone’s yard and expect a thank-you is too much, and in my opinion Montauk would be better off without these people and their money. RUSSELL BENNETT Two Americas Montauk July 24, 2015 To the Editor, The two Americas: The ruled and the rulers! The citizens of Montauk who showed up at the firehouse recently to complain about the overcrowding problem were told to move downstairs because of overcrowding. These citizens were obeying the law. So my question is this: Do the laws that address overcrowding pertain only to the citizens who are complaining about the overcrowding? VINCENT BIONDO A Voice From Montauk Montauk July 24, 2015 To the Editor, Just another voice from Montauk: On the CBS taping of the Montauk “problem,” a young visitor is seen taking issue with the reporter taping some interviews. He indignantly rejoins that no one seems to be complaining about the added revenue coming in to Montauk. There’s a degree of fairness in his righteous complaint. No doubt he is paying his “big bucks” (our local money-maker) for high-end rental or motel rates. The high store prices he pays match those that we all pay when and if we ever get a chance to shop locally. And whatever bar prices he has been forced to cough up during his visit certainly far exceed many local folks’ budgets. (I have found boxed wines at White’s a bit of a bargain, however.) The young man’s comment is right on. He should be informed, however, that that money is not Montauk’s. That added income is lining the coffers of those few individuals who have had the amazingly astute business sense to recognize a fast-buck (actually, a mega-buck) opportunity. They have scooped up languishing spots, altered their sleepy identity with glitz and din, and used whatever ample funds in their possession to spread the word. Money has broadcast to more money, and many are coming to spend their excess and drive up the wealth of the new investors. The dividends they might receive, albeit at high price, may lead to future investments of their own! That is, if ever a sober discussion takes place. The new investors are not my neighbors. They are not volunteer fire personnel nor do they do ambulance runs. They do not volunteer for outreach programs. They don’t work here all year round. They may be among the large-new-house owners; perhaps not. (Some may have invested in those homes to broaden rental opportunities.) Their kids, if they have any, do not go to our schools. Any scouts among them? They may contribute huge sums to gala events (that most of us cannot afford to attend), and I am grateful for the fireworks that the Sloppy Tuna helped fund. Their largesse, however, does not compensate for the noise that intrudes throughout my neighborhood when the wind comes off the ocean. We were even told that we had no recourse, when a visiting young parent called the police one afternoon to complain about indecent and vulgar lyrics drowning out the soft surf sound. I drove through town last week and was struck by the thought that we had been “occupied” by an attractive and well-dressed army of the occupation. They were pleasant, parked everywhere, on lines everywhere or eating, drinking, vacationing. Hordes of pleasant, and, at that time of the day, sober young people. One could feel happy to see others share in the beauty that this town affords. Yes, the refuse bins were overloaded, all sorts of waste was blowing around or gleaming in the grasses. Others did the midstreet stroll, the boardwalk amble along motel row, the finger wave at those who gently honked to ease by. Visitors are welcome, and nightfall spills a still seamier scene. I’m sorry I have no solution to suggest. Maybe make west Edgemere a permanent taxi stand, and eliminate all taxis from town except for a few assigned (and paid for) spaces by the bus station. Some folks have just mastered the sense of entitlement. How does one ever learn this? Oh, yes, power corrupts. I think money does, too. GERT MURPHY Montauk at Town Hall Montauk July 27, 2015 To the Editor, The idea that Montauk is not represented at Town Hall is ludicrous. There is currently extensive Montauk representation at Town Hall, as evidenced by the many Montauk residents providing countless volunteer hours serving on key town committees, the public town board meetings that are held every month at the Montauk Firehouse (no other hamlet in East Hampton is afforded the luxury of the town board coming to them), and the monthly meetings of the Montauk Citizens Advisory Committee. The Montauk C.A.C. is in fact the largest citizen committee in the entire town, with 45 members representing the many diverse interests of Montauk: year-round residents, business, environmental, second-home owners, etc. The monthly meetings, held the first Monday of the month at the Montauk School, are always attended by the town board’s Montauk liaison, Councilman Peter Van Scoyoc, and produce meaningful dialogue on the issues confronting Montauk and committee resolutions for the town board to consider. Perhaps those advocating an additional Montauk voice should first avail themselves of those numerous forums that exist today. Respectfully, STEPHANIE KRUSA Weekend Ban East Hampton July 27, 2015 Dear David, I write to praise the East Hampton Town Board’s excellent decision to hire Kathleen Sullivan, of Quinn, Emanuel, Urquhart, and Sullivan to appeal the recent federal court ruling imposing a preliminary injunction on the town’s essential and reasonable one-per-week rule to protect the public from disturbing aircraft noise impacts. Hopefully, Ms. Sullivan will be able to favorably resolve this critical piece of the town’s aircraft noise-abatement program, now stymied by aviation interest lawsuits led by Jeff Smith of the Eastern Region Helicopter Council and other out-of-state helicopter companies. The town’s inability to enforce its one-per-week rule coupled with its presently enforceable curfews has compressed increased numbers of operations into a shorter time frame, creating extraordinary noise impacts on surrounding communities. While the curfews offer welcome nighttime relief, they address only a small fraction of noise-generating operations at the airport, significantly diminishing overall impacts for the noise-affected. And, still, there are those who continue to fly outside curfew. The town’s initial efforts to impose reasonable access limits at our airport to protect the public from noise were a good start, but incomplete, as they omitted a most important noise-abatement tool. The town board needs to reintroduce the weekend ban. Additionally, residents affected by aircraft noise need to continue to register complaints in order to support what could be a long legal battle for the right to home rule of this airport. This data is an imperfect measurement because it indicates that no complaint means no noise event. However, it remains important information for the town to gather to continue to demonstrate how disturbing and disruptive aircraft operations at East Hampton Airport are to East End residents. I urge your aircraft noise-affected readers to continue to register complaints: by phone, 800-376-4817, or online, planenoise.com/khto. Thank you. Sincerely, KATHLEEN CUNNINGHAM Quiet Skies Coalition Taking F.A.A. Money East Hampton July 27, 2015 Dear David: My favorite fabulist, Rick Murphy, editor of the so-called Independent, is at it again. In the midst of his rant last week about the problems of Montauk, we find this howler: “Had the previous [Wilkinson] administration chosen to take F.A.A. grant money, the town would have lost all control over the airport until 2021 and maybe beyond.” If Bill Wilkinson didn’t manage to get any F.A.A. grant money, it wasn’t for lack of trying. The Wilkinson administration submitted an application for funding for an airport deer fence that we didn’t need because there already is a deer fence, albeit with gaps that need to be closed and soon will be. Councilman Dominick Stanzione then went to see the F.A.A. in Washington to plead for grant money so that the town would never be able to regain control of the airport, working against the interests of East Hampton. When the F.A.A. wouldn’t fund the unnecessary deer fence, the Wilkinson administration revised the project. It morphed into a high-security fence against terrorists and vandals, a truly absurd project for East Hampton. The F.A.A. wouldn’t fund that one either, not least because the grant application was replete with falsehoods. It should never be forgotten that it was Tom Knobel, the current Republican candidate for East Hampton supervisor, who, when head of a Republican-controlled board in the 1990s, expanded the main runway to business jet standards in flagrant violation of the town’s duly adopted airport master plan. We know this because the New York Supreme Court determined it to be so. That boneheaded move lost Mr. Knobel the supervisor election of 1997, and rightly so. Now that the town has finally regained control over the airport and the power to restrict airport access to control noise, and we have a town board that has used that power to adopt the first-ever airport restrictions, Mr. Knobel and company want to give local control away again, forever, by again taking F.A.A. money, and they say so openly. There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that, just when a solution to the problem of airport noise is within our grasp, a vote for Mr. Knobel and the slate of Republican candidates would be a vote for uncontrolled airport noise to the end of time. As for Mr. Murphy? His solution to the problems of Montauk is to “Make it so people UpIsland will find a trip to Montauk so excruciating they will stop coming, period.” Sheer nuttery. Fortunately, the people who actually sit on the town board are grown-ups. We owe the Cantwell administration our thanks for moving promptly and aggressively to curb lawless behavior in Montauk, for moving forward to control airport noise, and for seeking seriously to address the multiple threats to quality of life for all of us. We owe Rick Murphy a great big raspberry for making up goofy stuff. Sincerely, DAVID GRUBER Access to Public Spaces Springs July 26, 2015 To the Editor: It’s bad enough that Jonathan Wallace and other residents of the East End Dunes Residents Association continue to misrepresent the East Hampton Nature Preserve Committee proposal for 12 to 20 parking spaces along the east side of the Dolphin Drive right of way, adjacent to the South Flora Preserve. Now Rona Klopman, a Democratic candidate for town trustee, tells us in last week’s Star that the best way to preserve the dunes is to have her and her buddies tear across them on their bicycles. A strange proposal, because for years Ms. Klopman has fought to keep the ocean in front of the subdivision where she lives off-limits to anyone, let alone bicycle riders. As ridiculous (and destructive) as this bicycle scheme is, it’s no more ridiculous than EEDRA’s claim that a few parking spaces on town-owned roadway will destroy the South Flora Preserve. EEDRA’s concerns are especially delicious coming from homeowners who have, each and every one, illegally appropriated for themselves about 20 feet of town-owned right of way in front of their homes, complete with landscaping, planter boxes, etc. The town code forbids such activity, but so far the town has done nothing about it. One more time, for the record, the pertinent facts about the nature preserve committee’s recommendation: First, the parking will occupy a 10-foot-wide strip on the east side of the Dolphin Drive right of way. Not one foot of it would be on the preserve. Second, this parking allows direct access to the existing paths to the ocean. Unlike any other potential access, this requires no new trails or access points and is immediately available. Third, this property (37 acres) was bought with public money, specifically for use as a public beach. Attempts to deny the public access to its own property are elitist and unfair. If you believe as I do that the public deserves access to public spaces purchased with public money, please let Supervisor Cantwell and the town board know that, so far, they are on the wrong side of this issue. Sincerely, REG CORNELIA The Right to Park Springs July 27, 2015 Dear Mr. Rattray, Wow! Three new letters about Dolphin Drive and the South Flora Nature Preserve draft management plan to discuss. Rona Klopman’s suggestion of making the South Flora Nature Preserve’s existing and proposed pedestrian access a bicycle beach is terrific, but anyone on two wheels already has access, as recommended in the evidently unread draft plan. Since bike racks are already included in the plan, does Ms. Klopman now support the public’s right to access its property that solely her neighbors, the 130 homeowners of the East End Dunes Resident Association, conveniently enjoy? Mr. Conti’s letter that there’s never been a problem of overcrowding or circulating traffic looking for a spot is a bit of magical parochialism, to coin a phrase. (Can you say Marie Antoinette?) Of course there’s never been a problem; the vehicular access that would continue under the plan means that beach driving permitted folks to simply transit the area on their four-wheel ways to the beach over the pre-existing, and to remain, vehicle access. Anyone else has a long walk from across Montauk Highway, more lately like Daytona Speedway, if they don’t park on the wonderful Route 27 bike path. The draft plan doesn’t suggest “developing” a parking lot on Dolphin Drive. It does call for providing limited parking, hopefully by town permit, along a portion of the road right of way — flat, not dune, currently occupied by invasive Japanese black pine, which will be removed as part of the plan. Ms. Edwards, you’re absolutely right: The draft plan’s proposed parking scheme is to allow other town residents to park on public roadway, currently mostly covered with the invasive black pine, in an area to be fenced off from the undisturbed meadow after their removal. This fenced-off strip, double the required distance from sensitive wetlands, on existing but unpaved, and remaining so, public right of way, alongside land the town purchased with community preservation fund money, will allow a limited number of other permitted town residents to park. They can then stroll up the existing pedestrian sand access — not beach grass — over the dune’s pre-existing path to the beach, as do you, your neighbors, friends, tenants and their friends, and other visitors to your homes, unless one lives on Shore Road atop the dunes and has another private access. You’re also right that under the plan there will be no new trails, or browsing on the sensitive South Flora Preserve. In fact, the plan calls for specific exclosures, as needed to protect especially fragile flora and fauna, dune fencing as part of restoration efforts, etc. As for Marlin Drive, if it’s public property, shouldn’t the public have the right to park if necessary, and if not, why not? What everyone is conveniently ignoring, or pettifogging under the guise of environmentalism, is that the South Flora Preserve is public property, purchased with public funds. It’s about 32 sensitive, ever-evolving acres that we all bought, and, respectfully, should all be able easily to use as recommended in the carefully wrought plan, passed unanimously, though with a later defector. Atlantic Drive beach access has permitted parking, so should Dolphin Drive. It’s a beautiful place. Share it with all of us who paid for it. It won’t hurt. Public property requires appropriate public access, simple. I wonder if anyone’s really read the draft plan, since no one is discussing two other plan recommendations. Besides some parking, I hope the board will act to reclaim the town-owned land currently inappropriately, and possibly illegally, being used by the Lobster Roll, a.k.a Lunch, for its trash, and, order immediate removal of the inappropriate and wrong “private” sign at 1996 Montauk Highway. Finally, someone, my new pal Jay Dub I think, has suggested I’m so publicly supporting this plan as a favor to someone. Right again! It’s for my grandson, and because I remain, and intend to be, local by choice. IRA BAROCAS Dolphingate East Hampton July 22, 2015 Dear David, I am responding to Mr. Sterlacci’s letter in the July 16 Star regarding the South Flora Preserve, where he criticized my satirical poem about public parking access on Dolphin Drive and accused me of being part of a conspiratorial deal. I’ve made no deal with anyone in exchange for supporting fair, safe, necessary, and convenient public parking — although I did make Larry Cantwell promise to never catch a 34-pound striper next to me again! I support beach access, with no strings attached. I do not apologize for stating that our town’s legislators need to be held responsible. If they cave to the selfish demands of fewer than 100 homeowners, while they hang thousands of other taxpayers out to dry, I’ll be duly disappointed. The beach was bought with public funds and it requires public parking — it’s that simple! Mr. Sterlacci, as representative of the East End Dunes Residents Association, attributed no less than seven conspiracy theories as the catalysts for all the rumpus at Dolphin Drive. They blame everyone but space aliens for the public’s request for fair access. Mysterious disappearances, no written records of anyone signing off on public access, etc. Well, guys, it’s not exactly Area 51. It’s been reported multiple times in this very paper that the nature preserve committee has always intended for the public to have access to this preserve. Furthermore, the nature preserve chairman, Zachary Cohen, was quoted very clearly in a 2014 article in The Star saying that “no parking on Dolphin Drive would set a new precedent of denying access.” Yes, there are some weird events taking place around this Dolphingate! Entitled people requesting special treatment, totally unaware of how selfish they’re acting. What does the acronym EEDRA really stand for anyway? Maybe Entitled Elitists of Dolphin Restrict Access. At a 2014 hearing before the East Hampton Town Board, at least nine individuals representing die-hard conservation groups explained to the Dolphin homeowners that allowing for some public parking was not an environmental threat. Surfriders, Montauk Surfcasters Association, New York Coalition for Recreational Fishing, CfAR, the nature preserve committee, David Buddha, Ira Barocas, and several trustees asked EEDRA not to use smoke-and-mirror tactics to turn this into an environmental issue. Historically, there are several town preserves and other public beaches that allow for public parking at the end of streets. I spend many an afternoon on Sammy’s Beach, another preserve where parking is allowed. Homeowners are welcoming and enjoy the area along with the rest of us. You don’t see them making a fuss about cars going by their homes to access the beach. The public should get at least 12 parking spots at Dolphin Drive. That’s probably less than we deserve, but it would show that the Dolphin Drive folks have some empathy for their neighbors and are not simply trying to privatize a public beach. It would also continue the precedent by which our elected officials must forever abide, which is to reach an access compromise that protects our beautiful town and represents the interests of all stakeholders involved, not just a relative few who are fortunate enough to live next to a preserve bought with public funds. Mr. Sterlacci, I know you’re not a fan of my poetry, but the most fitting response to your “War and Peace”-length letter seems to be this modest haiku: EEDRA fools deny That town-owned land is public Cantwell live like that JAY BLATT Where’s the Lie? Amagansett July 27, 2015 Dear Editor: It seems certain that when confronted with facts in a matter, the opposition must resort to the defense of “Liar, liar, pants on fire.” They have no real defense at all and resort to vague assertions of a “big lie,” “propaganda,” “hot buttons,” and “dune hysteria.” I do not propose this in a jocular fashion. Levity has no place in a matter that involves an environmentally precious piece of land and the safety and neighborhood character of an adjacent community. Let me confront this underwhelming defense by stating some facts regarding the Dolphin Drive parking controversy. 1. There has been no parking anytime on both sides of Dolphin Drive for over 40 years. 2. Last year’s sudden sign change, to permitted parking on both sides of the street, was based on an invalid code amendment. 3. The South Flora Nature Preserve lies directly behind a primary dune that provides substantial storm and flood protection to the entire Napeague stretch. 4. The town’s comprehensive plan states that “since the beaches and dune system provide the primary and best defense against storms and the elements, everything possible should be done to keep these natural features intact, and to discontinue practices that degrade them.” 5. The comprehensive plan also states that “town-maintained road-ends provide public access, but are also significant potential flood corridors, and means of restoring dunes and re-vegetating these areas should be considered.” 6. The South Flora parcel has been designated by New York State as significant coastal fish and wildlife habitat and assessed by the state as being “irreplaceable.” 7. East Hampton Town surveys indicate that most of the plant and animal communities of concern on the preserve are located on the western portion of the preserve, which is contiguous or substantially contiguous to Dolphin Drive for most of its length. 8. There currently exists a four-wheel-drive access road and a pedestrian access path at the foot of Dolphin Drive, which are open to the public. 9. The East Hampton Town Comprehensive Plan states that “vegetated areas should be maintained with native species; road shoulders should be planted or allowed to grow in with native species, especially wildflowers.” The nature preserve committee’s past quotes: 1. May 5, 2013: “All of South Flora is ecologically significant and any encroachments on the South F- parcel should be kept as much to the east as possible. The western portion should be kept as much as possible as one large ecologically environmental region. 2. May 31, 2013: “The intersection near Dolphin Drive is known to be an area with frequent and serious accidents.” 3. May 31, 2013: “Parking is prohibited along this section of Dolphin Drive. That prohibition would remain and should be strictly enforced. Currently, visitors to South Flora can park on the highway.” I could go on, but surely this would induce the tedium I have been accused of. The point is, where’s the lie? Where are the half-truths? Insofar as the alleged residents’ encroachments on the alleged right of way, this would mean the de facto taking of 23 feet of land of everyone in the development and the taking of land for a host of other East Hampton landowners. The ensuing chaos would be unimaginable. This may be somewhat speculative, but a reasonable speculation, don’t you think, East Hampton residents? Then there is the past Babe’s Lane Nature Preserve unauthorized, unpermitted clearing in 2013. Perhaps there are people in East Hampton who do not come to this controversy with clean hands? We welcome anyone who is eligible to cast the first stone to do so. Respectfully, MIKE STERLACCI For the East End Dunes Residents Association Agreement With Iran East Hampton July 25, 2015 To the Editor: The agreement with Iran after 35 years of pointless remonstration has to be a coup for President Obama. Given the obvious, our Dumb White Christian Male syndrome, a smart black guy pulls it off. Too simple a matrix for success and failure. Yet, watching the dozens of U.S. experts and politicians speaking on the agreement, it is hard not to be struck by the use of the word “we.” Not we in the plural, meaning the group of nations that put this agreement together, but we, or really I, in the singular, meaning the United States. Every aspect of the deal that is analyzed is prefaced by how it works for us. Not the other countries, not the rest of the world. No one except us. An egocentric, self-absorbed myopia about us. Like no one in the world exists besides the U.S. Iran as a pimple that we used to be able to crush by pissing on it. No longer the case, because our military has been decimated by Bush and Co. and we wouldn’t know what to do with the country if we did a quick Iraq-style deal. Iran in the hands of the religious loonies is the reason why we keep religion out of government. The danger is the irrationality of spiritually driven people who have no basis in the real world. In its long and twisted history, religion has always poisoned and demented governance, to the point that all of the sane and rational world has eschewed it as a piece of the governing equation. Iran’s connection to terrorism is something we should understand and appreciate. Our experience and expertise in terror (see Chile, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Cambodia, etc.) should give us a deep understanding of how terrorists work and how to control them. But we block out our history, and with it the knowledge to combat a major present-day problem. Leaving the terrorist component out of the Iran deal should be a no-brainer. The presence of China, Russia, and the European Union (1.7 billion people) in this deal should tell the American people (330 million) that we are moving in a direction where the world takes responsibility for the behavior of its nations. It’s an enormous deal to move outside the framework of “we,” as the only people who matter, into “us,” as in we are all in this together. Ultimately the Iranian people will throw the loonies out, as they have done for 5,000 years. But Iran’s theocratic madness will only be undone by bringing the country into the world of nations, not through isolation, a la North Korea. One last point regarding our Congress and the Dumb White Christian Male syndrome. Getting elected alone is not an indication of intellect, comprehension, or worldliness. No group in the past century has proved to be as genuinely brain-dead. Concentrate on running for president, cookouts, and fund-raisers, and leave the rest of the world alone. NEIL HAUSIG You Would Not Believe East Hampton July 25, 2015 Dear David, On a broiling July Friday in 2000, Hillary Clinton, then running to represent New York in the U.S. Senate, was scheduled to address the lunch crowd at East Hampton’s senior citizens center at 12:15 p.m. Every seat at every table was taken, and an overflow of seniors, town workers, and local reporters stood against the walls awaiting her arrival. Twelve-fifteen, 12:30. No Mrs. Clinton. One o’clock, 1:30. At 2:15, two hours late, she swept into the room and up to the microphone, her expression one of utter disbelief. You would not believe, she said in so many words, you just would not believe the traffic we encountered coming out here from the city. It was not credible. A summer Friday morning, temperature already in the 90s, a regular summer weekend visitor and, as it turned out, accompanied at the time by Judith Hope, a former town supervisor, and she was shocked by the heavy traffic heading here from New York City? Why insult a hundred locals by claiming to be surprised? What was her purpose? Why not just apologize forthrightly for her lateness and get on with it? Okay, it was 15 years ago. But now when I hear her respond to charges about Benghazi or carelessness with her private email account, or when I recall her questionable claim while first lady that she had been shot at on an airfield in Bosnia, I remember this pointless evasion and find it harder to believe her. And I want to believe her. RICHARD ROSENTHAL Trump and McCain East Hampton July 23, 2015 Dear Editor, First let me state I am no great fan of John McCain. But if we are going to have to listen to the pump of Trump nonsense we should at least make sure his bombast is truthful, as should those who submit letters to this newspaper. A particular writer makes a habit of parsing the truth and supporting lies, so she always requires a fact check: Navy Vice Admiral Norbert Ryan, president of the Military Officers Association of America, said in a press release that Mr. McCain has been a “champion” for troops and veterans, arguing that no one has visited American troops more. We can disagree with some of Senator McCain’s positions at times, but we can never say he has abandoned the troops, Ryan wrote on July 20: “We should acknowledge the facts: John McCain cares deeply about our men and women in uniform, and through his actions, he has made a real difference for our troops. Mr. Trump owes Senator McCain and all veterans an apology.” While many veterans’ groups have had their differences with Mr. McCain over the years over specific legislation and his general approach to veterans’ issues, that’s not the same as saying he’s done “nothing” for veterans. In fact, just within the past two years, Mr. McCain has sponsored and helped enact several major legislative provisions to help veterans that have become law. He also devotes a significant portion of his office staff to veterans’ problems and needs. We rate Mr. Trump, and his local supporters’ claims about Senator John McCain, false. RICHARD HIGER The Left-Wing Cabal Mount Sinai July 22, 2015 To the Editor: I have to laugh reading Richard Higer’s suggestions on reading The New York Times. If I only read The Times I wouldn’t know that there are many credible people who don’t believe in manmade climate change. One such person is Patrick Moore, a Canadian ecologist who was a co-founder of Greenpeace. He said that Greenpeace is using scare tactics. He believes a few-degree temperature rise could be beneficial, not catastrophic. I for one would like to see a list of the so-called 97 percent of scientists who are believers and how much money they have received from Tom Steyer, a billionaire who contributes to politicians who must believe in climate change. While recent job numbers look better, they’re always readjusted downward a month later, with little fanfare from the press. American family income has declined and food stamp recipients have increased to record levels. The president lied, and people weren’t able to keep their doctors or their health plans. He travels the country whining about one cable news station. How petty. So pour yourself a big glass of Kool-Aid, Mr. Higer, as you read the Old Gray Lady, a.k.a. the leader of the left-wing cabal. PHILIP MAYER Choice for President East Hampton July 24, 2015 Dear Editor, Is this some kind of sick joke that Americans are being given the choice for president of a scion of a hierarchal dynasty, the long-suffering wife of a philandering former president, a loud-mouthed, insecure son of a successful Brooklyn real estate man, a 76-year-old socialist, plus a collection of 20 white men and one black guy who all seem to be named Me Too? Franklin, Harry, Ike, J.F.K., L.B.J. — where are our leaders worthy to follow in your footsteps? JOSEPH D. POLICANO Fascinating Woman Sag Harbor July 27, 2015 Dear David, Please bear with me what I consider a few mini-surprises along the way at every turn. A male nurse was sent to our home to draw blood from my wife who could not travel to her doctor. As our conversation began the nurse mentioned he has a peace sign on the top of his house, “and it will stay there as long as I live.” Apparently before he walked into the house he observed the international peace pole in four languages, which has spread around the world a long time. At least we know there are two peacemakers on the planet, the silent majority. The first page of The New York Times, July 16: “Clinton Lags in Engaging Grass-Roots Donors,” such as Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who is drawing high crowds, 35,000 at the most. A voice America has been waiting for. Enough corporate power known as the 1 percenters, corrupted by large fund-raisers and bribery. We the middle class and the poor are left out of the equation yet we represent 330 million? In the business section of The New York Times the question was asked, “can we tame Wall Street?” It gave many examples of arrests for felonies, a breakthrough, finally. Now the big surprise, Elizabeth Warren. What an impact she is making on the powers that run our lives and cripple our economy. She will guide Bernie Sanders though the debates. On July 20, Warren’s face, big as life, was on the cover of Time magazine, and will be on the cover of three other magazines. Stay tuned and wake up, there is hope. On the cover of Time magazine there appear two highlights that summarize the path Senator Warren will take in the next election. She is brilliant and a fighter for what is justice in a very unjust world. 1. Who’s Afraid of Elizabeth Warren? 2. She’s hounding Obama, haunting Hillary, and paving the way for Bernie Sanders. How she’ll shape the 2016 race. Democrats love the slogan “Run Donald Run.” Hillary is hard to believe, preaching of the larger gap between the rich and poor while her official letterhead, J.P. Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, are her major fund-raisers/corporate money! Same old story. The wolf in sheep’s clothing. Fifty-eight percent of new American income goes to the top 1 percent. The 1 percent top have more wealth than the bottom 90 percent. Gap wider since 1928. Obama is at war with his own party over how to write rules of global trade. Globalization from the top hurt us. Trust me, Obama said. Elizabeth Warren’s response: No. He won’t let you see the deal. The draft put together by only corporations in secrecy. Time to get rid of revolving door between White House and Wall Street. Even Nancy Pelosi said no to Obama, but changed her mind to stick with Democratic Party. Warren didn’t know enough of money and corporations. A question arises here. Warren knows what Jamie Dimon is aware of, fear of Warren. When all the politician left for the July Fourth weekend, Warren met with an M.I.T. professor, a former chief economist of the International Money Fund, in the basement of the White House. They understand what’s really going on. Warren: the pressure on the middle class is the result of deliberate decisions made by the leaders of this country, the American enemy lurks from within. This is the top vs. bottom story. Two-thirds of the American people believe wealth should be more evenly distributed among the people. Taxes should be raised on those who make more than a million. An Obama fund-raiser said Warren could make more than $100 million online in the first quarter of 2016. Warren declined. She could make more in the Senate anyway. She wants to break up the big banks. The Wall Street wing of the Democratic Party is shrinking quite drastically, said Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor. Two hundred fifty-eight billion goes to corporate welfare. Real wages have increased 138 percent for the top 1 percent. Summary by Warren, her mantra, the game is rigged. A legal academic by training and teacher, a pugilist to the core. She never saw politics as a party or career as an identity. To understand this fascinating woman even more, she lived in Oklahoma in a home haunted by economic hardship. Her father died when she was 12, sent her mother to the work force. At 19 she dropped out of school, had two children, divorced at 30, a law internship on Wall Street, and eventually the life of an academic. Toiled for a decade to defeat bankers’ proposals, recruited Hillary Clinton to join her efforts. But after Clinton became New York’s senator, she switched sides. It’s like getting your brain wired to think differently. I may have written a lot in this letter but never could touch the depth and breath of her whole person. Time magazine should be required reading for anyone wanting to learn about the truth. The biggest surprise of my political life, and you will learn why so many are afraid of Elizabeth Warren. Hang in there, LARRY DARCEY Lots of Spinach Southold July 25, 2015 Dear Editor, In 1954, Telly Savalas visited my mother’s side — grocery, uncles, great-uncle, grandmothers. It was in Woodhaven, very near Mario Cuomo’s grocery on Jamaica Avenue. Drive down that avenue and you know of it. Telly Savalas asked if he could take me through an underground from there to Astoria, to Mattituck! I was strong. My mother never missed a meal and I was fed lots of spinach. So they allowed me to make the walk, and we got tired, but were strong, and made it. Greek Orthodox priests walked with us, and I thought one was tall, dark, and handsome. We stayed a day and I met a lot of Greek girls. It must have been more than 80 or 85 miles. Around the same time, I would go into the city alone, to watch “Sweeney Todd” backstage, by the buzz saw. John Cassavetes was there all the time, wearing an expensive gray overcoat. I would push down the buzz saw. Lots of Southold folks came to see “Sweeney Todd,” like Jim Rich, who was that — rich! Ha-ha, and handsome, who stood in the back of the theater during the play. I would see other people from Forest Hills visiting other shows. One was a Nell Carter play where all the women danced on rollerskates. That was an exciting play. ANITA FAGAN
Published 4 years ago
Last updated 4 years ago
Letters to the Editor: 07.30.15
July 30, 2015