Marijane Meaker
Springs
December 4, 2022
Dear David,
I wish to add to the fine obituary of Marijane Meaker in the Nov. 24 Star. I was one of the original members of the Ashawagh Hall Writers Workshop that Marijane organized and led, from September 1983 through May 2014. In addition to her many accomplishments as a writer, she was an excellent teacher, skillfully leading the workshop. We met every Thursday evening for two hours upstairs in Ashawagh Hall through the academic year.
The intent for members was to get their work printed or published, and to that end, Marijane led off each meeting with news about the publishing market. The workshop was not for writers on an ego trip but to knuckle down to get their work out. Criticism was direct but not hostile, which included all of us after Marijane’s initial critique of each of three writers for the evening. (We took turns reading, the group around 14 to 16.)
Many novels worked through at the workshop got published. I wrote three novels, all read by editors at HarperCollins, and all eventually returned to me! Rejection is part of the game and not to be deterred. I kept writing. Many of my essays have been Guestwords in The Star over these years.
Marijane’s Christmas holiday party at her home for the workshop and spouses was highly festive, lots of good cheer of every description. For a number of years in January, the group came to my church service at the Amagansett Presbyterian Church, followed by a brunch at the manse. With a smile, Marijane instructed me to have a sermon “on writing.” That was a challenge, but I had fun with it.
Another highlight. Marijane brought Patricia Highsmith to one of our work sessions. She was not well and really did not contribute. In fact, she sat there as a kind of dark spirit, but nonetheless there she was, a literary icon, along with Marijane.
Though Marijane was tough, and could be acerbic in her asides, she was generous in spirit. We were a congenial group because of her.
I will miss her. At the same time, I am able to hear her voice whenever I write.
ROBERT STUART
Ways to Participate
East Hampton Village
December 5, 2022
To the Editor,
Read this paper’s letters to the editor and it’s easy to see some of the many challenges facing our community. There’s litter along our roads, low pond levels and algae blooms, speeding traffic and traffic backups, supersize homes and paved-over dunes, closing local stores and a lack of affordable housing, cast-off kittens and clear-cut lots, neighbors without enough food, disappearing bumble bees, and rising seas.
That said, I am hopeful.
Read these same pages and you’ll see the inspiring contributions of those committed to positive change in our community. Some are citizen efforts of individuals or groups or local businesses. Others are public-private partnerships with our local governments.
Whatever your interest, you can learn more from groups such as SurfRider, Build.In.Kind, 234 the Birds, Drawdown East End, Change Hampton, the food pantries in Springs and Sag Harbor, Hamptons Community Outreach, Organizacion Latino-Americana, Mandala Yoga, the East Hampton Trails Preservation Society, and the Animal Rescue Fund, as well as the town’s litter and energy and sustainability committees.
If you are able, please donate to a local group this holiday season or, better yet, volunteer your time in the coming year.
If you’re not looking to join a group, there are other ways to participate in our community. Show up at a village trustee or town board meeting (you can do so in person or via LTV, which is doing a bang-up job covering local concerns), or write a letter to a village or town committee about an issue they are debating. Find details on their websites at EastHamptonvillage.org and East HamptonamptonNY.gov. (Hint, precious few participate, so it’s a great way to learn and be heard.) Or, you can always write a letter to the editor.
It takes more than a village. It takes you.
With my regards,
GLORIA MAROTI FRAZEE
A Great Achievement
East Hampton
November 27, 2022
To the Editor,
I just read your article on Laura Rosner, a teacher at the John M. Marshall Elementary School. She taught me a few things while I was there as a lunch server and monitor. I saw what Laura did with her students and how she mixed with others.
Three cheers for Laura and her National Board Certification — a great achievement for any teacher in the field, but Laura is legally blind.
I know how hard teachers work; I lived with one, my mother, who traveled between Springs, Amagansett, and Montauk, teaching French.
Laura has bettered the school system and the district. Three cheers, Laura, and thank you for teaching the community’s children!
Sincerely,
FRAN CHAPMAN
The Oldest Windmill
Southampton
December 4, 2022
David:
Your editorial on the East Hampton windmill lights was not only spot-on, but timely. We are not friends, but many years ago you were kind enough to take me out on your ice boat, which was probably the last time there was ice thick enough to support all those sailboats. Since then, I have led a citizens initiative in Southampton that intends on returning the oldest windmill in the United States (from 1713) back to its original home on Windmill Lane in the village.
The mill was moved from Southampton in 1898 when it was no longer needed to grind corn, etc., and served as one of the village’s first 1-percenter summer residents when he turned the windmill into a playhouse for his 9-year-old daughter.
The mill now sits on a site that was acquired by Stony Brook University and serves as the campus for Stony Brook Southampton. Stony Brook has for several years held a lighting of the windmill each holiday season, but virtually no one in the village even knows there is a windmill on the campus, much less the oldest windmill in the country, which once stood proudly on Windmill Lane.
We’ve waited nearly 125 years to get the Southampton windmill back — back to the only village on the East End that has no windmill.
All best,
PORTER BIBB
Protect Our Resources
North Haven
December 5, 2022
Dear David:
Bravo to Jacqui Lofaro and the team at the 15th Hamptons Doc Festival for presenting another excellent selection of important documentary films. Many outstanding films were screened, including a most revealing one, “Grab.”
This amazing and important film follows top-notch investigative journalism, seeking answers to the secretive buying (a.k.a. “the grab”) of high-value factory farms, related businesses, and scarce agricultural resources.
Excellent undercover investigation, careful analysis, and years of risky hard work led to finding a massive global movement by major authoritarian nation-states — Russia, United Arab Emirates, and China as the biggest players. They are desperate to stabilize their water and food resources by raiding the remaining worldwide resources for their own use and survival. Africa, Ukraine, even the United States are targets for this stealthy acquisition by foreign interests.
Unfortunately, it is not just foreign investment enabling this plundering. Our own Wall Street investors lend financial support to this activity, too. It is very profitable to do so. Our lax and easily manipulated agricultural regulations facilitate many terrible abusive situations.
This film is a great wake-up call that ties a lot of the disturbing world events together, making it a fearsome understanding of how we must protect our natural resources for our own well-being. Vulnerable countries are being exploited to an unsustainable loss.
We must stop our own political nonsense and return to a productive and sensible democratic process of governing. Otherwise, competing, heavily financed world powers will eat our lunch — literally!
It is now believed oil is history. Wars now will be fought over water and food.
ANTHONY CORON
Wonderful Efforts
Amagansett
November 30, 2022
To the Editor,
I wish to express my appreciation to the team at Amber Waves for their continued support of our community and their wonderful efforts over the last few years as an anchor in our beautiful town. Walking past their amazing Christmas decorations the other evening, I was moved by what a positive influence they are having on our hamlet.
The founders, Katie and Amanda, and the entire Amber Waves team should be commended for their community outreach and support regardless of the season. They are filling a void not only in our community, but in the surrounding towns, which seem to be filled with retailers whose interests don’t always align with those of us who are more than summer residents.
They have grown into so much more than a retail store with their children’s educational programs, support of local food pantries, community-supported agriculture boxes, and farmer apprenticeships, workshops, and other public activities. With the recent addition of eight acres, I am sure we will have much more to look forward to in the future, as they grow and innovate.
Thank you, Amber Waves, you are like a fine wine — only getting better with age!
CHARLES WEILMAN
Lots of Questions
Amagansett
December 5, 2022
Dear David,
As a New York City event planner, I note all the events proposed and carried out at the Amber Waves Farm property in Amagansett this year. I believe the farm is supposed to be a nonprofit set up for the benefit of our beautiful town? However, on its web and Instagram sites there appears to be a charge for every person, including children from age 6 months and up. Events generate large sums of money, especially when the farm claims 60,000 visitors each year and hundreds of people attending each one.
As a taxpayer, I would like to know where are all the thousands of dollars going generated by all these events? Aren’t we entitled to see the income stream? Who is monitoring these events? What does the town’s permit committee base their decisions on when they grant it permits? Are we, the local citizens, entitled to see these permits that are granted? How does all this benefit Amagansett? Lots of questions and no answers.
Sincerely,
JILL DANIS
Tree Issue
East Hampton Village
December 5, 2022
David,
The amount of press generated from the East Hampton Village Christmas tree issue has been extraordinary. Hopefully, the village not recognizing Kwanzaa will have similar coverage.
As for the Christmas tree problem, the blame lies squarely at Jerry and Marcos’s feet. As seen in the village’s response to my Freedom of Information Law request, the village accepted delivery and paid Fowler’s when, in fact, the trees should never been accepted.
DAVID GANZ
No Secrets
East Hampton Village
December 4, 2022
Dear David,
Transparency is supposed to be open government with no secrets and no personal agendas. The recently elected trustees, Carrie Doyle and Sarah Amaden, ran on the premise that they would bring transparency back to the village. On a positive note, work session meetings were reinstated once a month; however, is there transparency for the village residents when these meetings are held at venues that cannot hold the residents if they want to attend? Is there transparency when these work-session meetings are not televised because the village lost their LTV slot when Jerry initially canceled those meetings?
Is there transparency when the location of these work-session meetings is not always announced to the public? Is there transparency when nobody knows who is contributing to the East Hampton Village Foundation, which is public information? Is there transparency as to what this foundation is paying for, other than what the village decides to make public, such as parades, concerts, and other Jerry-feel-good events? Is there transparency when the village has had Freedom of Information Act requests for this information regarding the foundation, and Jerry refuses to make it public?
I am asking Trustees Doyle and Amaden to take a good, hard look at these concerns, since this is not the first mention of any of the above, and try to do the right thing for the village residents who truly care about this village. Good luck!
STEPHEN DEMPSEY
So Close to Shore
East Hampton
December 5, 2022
Dear Editor,
Growing up in East Hampton in the 1970s, I don’t remember the water being as crystal clear as it is today. Due to the efforts of all of us, the clean water exemplifies that we can make a difference.
I also don’t remember the abundant bunker, or menhaden, schools off the beach or seeing whales breaching, spy-hopping and swimming so close to shore. Sometimes my dog Charlie (a dachshund) not only sees the whales, but he also barks and then decides to take the plunge and swim toward them — yes, that close! Seeing a whale 100 yards off the beach has become a common sight that always puts a smile on our faces, keeps our visitors coming back, and makes us appreciate not only the beautiful beaches we are blessed to have, but the wonderful world we live in, amen.
In the last week, you couldn’t help but notice the platform-boat named Jill right off the beach in Wainscott. This boat is starting the offshore windmill project and is splicing the cable that will connect the offshore wind turbines to the power grid on land. The cable is big enough to transfer energy from up to 200 wind turbines. Knowing that a giant cable (many miles long) will be running on the ocean floor perpendicular to the beach, I wonder if will this affect the whales, dolphins, and other sea life that use the shoreline to navigate up the coast. This cable emits a low-frequency sound that the whales don’t like and supposedly disrupts their navigation. Whales use echolocation to travel the globe, and studies have found that a foreign sound (such as a low frequency sound) alters the animals’ ability to accurately navigate.
I hope in our race to save the planet by installing a wind farm in the ocean we did the research to make sure that these animals will not be forced go around the cable and or get lost and inadvertently beach themselves. These marvelous creatures were on the brink of extinction and now exist in abundant numbers. To find out later that we made a mistake would be a crying shame.
Technology can be a double-edged sword, and before we jump on the green and tech bandwagons, we really need to examine the habits of our precious local fish and fowl.
I hope the studies were done prior to approval.
Sincerely,
SCOTT W. SMITH
Preservation Mandate
Sag Harbor
December 1, 2022
Dear Editor,
I write in response to your article “Rethinking a C.P.F. Offer in Sag Harbor?” While I imagine some will express frustration given the development, a huge swath of the community will welcome this news. The idea that the town should spend $9 million (before development costs) on an acquisition that so deeply divides the community is not befitting of a beautiful historic town like Sag Harbor. There must be some middle ground that appeals to the masses.
The school district’s constant refrain, “Do it for the kids,” has consistently ignored the many other possibilities that would serve the kids as well as the broader community. The school district’s plan, a (synthetic) athletic field with comfort stations, bleachers, and concessions ignores the legal restraints imposed on the community preservation fund. This puts at risk the entire project and actually takes away a potential opportunity for the kids.
In the weeks leading up to the vote, the board of education held meetings with parents, teachers, and students to talk about the plan. Among the most-frequently asked questions was whether the school could do anything with the lots other than build a soccer field. The school’s consistent response was that the C.P.F. had somehow limited the school to building a soccer field. That cannot be true, since the mandate of the C.P.F. is to promote community and preservation projects — not school athletic facilities. It seems from the above-referenced article that indeed, the C.P.F. was never intended for the school to build athletic facilities on the property and certainly nothing involving the scale and destruction that was revealed in the renderings. If the Southampton Town Board really told the school it would have to build a soccer field, then the next steps after the vote would have been easy. The town board would have simply ratified the only project the school was supposedly allowed to consider. But in addition to the likely legal challenges created by the school’s plan, many citizens as well as civic organizations, including Noyac Civic Council, Save Sag Harbor, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, and Citizens of Sag Harbor, staunchly oppose the plan.
Contrary to comments made in the article, there is nothing wrong with the town board declining to approve the proposed proposal. By law, the town board may only approve an acquisition if it finds that “acquisition was the best alternative for the protection of community character of all the reasonable alternatives available to the town.” That decision cannot be delegated to the school, which apparently developed the renderings without the town board. In addition, the law provides that the town board may “enter into a conditional purchase agreement before a public hearing is held,” which means that the town board is free to explore options until it makes its final decision. Here, there is no conditional purchase agreement (other than for the one property that does not require the C.P.F.). The town board cannot be locked into a plan developed by the school that would improperly limit its authority.
I have reservations about the school having right to the land (for legal reasons and because of its conduct on this issue). But we may not even get to the point where we have to consider whether the school could be a rightful custodian of land. The school may not get the land all because of a stubborn insistence on a single plan that does not promote the values of the C.P.F. The school district should have considered more inclusive ideas such as an environmental sciences center or a community park. It’s unclear whether it’s now too late.
The school, as the custodian of our next generation, had an opportunity to develop a vision that could educate and inspire students and the broader community. It is a shame that this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity may go to waste.
LAUREN FRIEDMAN
Wastewater Plant
Montauk
December 4, 2022
To the Editor,
Reading through The Star, you can’t help but notice the seemingly competing goals of preserving the incredible physical environment and the development needed to live here.
The preservation of the East End’s environment touches every aspect of our lives. It is not something any of us can afford to ignore. I cannot think of one industry out here that would not suffer should the environmental balance reach a breaking point. Moreover, as has been seen at both a local and international level, our physical surroundings are undeniably tied to our overall health. We are incredibly fortunate to live in such a place.
Development is complex: It provides jobs to many. It offers the opportunity of housing to those desperately in need and it repairs failing infrastructures, but it comes at a cost. It needs to be balanced against the bigger picture of ensuring that it does not destroy the very thing that makes the East End such a special place.
A recent example is the proposed Montauk wastewater plant (disclaimer: I am on the Montauk wastewater committee). I totally relate to Rick Whalen’s impassioned defense of the Montauk environment and was saddened to see his resignation from the nature preserve committee. At the same time, I absolutely understand the need for a better way to manage wastewater than the current process that results in wastewater making its way into groundwater and the ocean.
This afternoon, my son and I hiked in the proposed wastewater development site, adjacent to the old landfill site and to the east of the Montauk transfer station. As with much of Hither Woods, it is a peaceful spot with abundant wildlife and incredible views, and thoughtless development of the area would be a mistake.
From my experience on the committee, however, the proposed plant would not fall into the category of thoughtless development. For me at least, this is an opportunity to address what, if left unchecked, could become a major environmental issue. As an avid swimmer, I know all too well how the quality of both ocean and sound water degrades over the summer as pollutants invariably build up. My hope is that with the construction of this plant, we can begin to address this issue before the tipping point, which would have dire consequences for many industries.
Yet, Mr. Whalen raises a critical point: Development that enriches a few at a cost to the majority has become more prevalent in this area. Additionally, with housing becoming ever-more challenging for families out here, it is critical that development and housing solutions are managed in a responsible way.
While much of what one reads in the media is doom and gloom, I am optimistic that with thoughtful oversight the East End can become a global leader in finding the right balance between development and environmental protection.
Yours sincerely,
TOM FLIGHT
Should Be Welcomed
East Hampton Village
November 30, 2022
Dear David,
I have lived long enough in East Hampton to remember the days of the extensive warren constituting Stern’s Department Store on Pantigo. I’m immensely gratified by the recent announcement of the intention, after so many years of the property’s lying fallow, to turn this into affordable housing for the community. This will be an important addition to the housing capacity and to the town and should be welcomed by all local citizens.
ALAN PATRICOF
Obvious Best Choice
East Hampton
December 5, 2022
Dear Editor,
Turning the Stern’s property on the highway, within walking distance of the planned hospital extension, into three so-called affordable housing lots is just another example of the bad ideas about housing policy coming from Town Hall. Clearly, this property should be used for high-density senior housing: one and two-bedroom apartments, dozens of them.
The fact is that East Hampton workers can’t afford to live here, and three affordable housing lots is not going to solve that problem. That should be obvious to anyone. Moving dozens of older residents closer to medical services and then renting their homes to younger families is the obvious best choice for the property.
What is lacking is political leadership. East Hampton is in the deadly grip of Boss Tweed politics. It can’t move without permission from the boss. That only leaves the voters, who must decide whether they want problems solved by their elected representatives or want the patronage mill to continue to promote Boss Tweed do-nothings. It’s your choice, voters.
Sincerely,
PAUL FIONDELLA
So-Called Crisis
East Hampton
December 5, 2022
Dear Mr. Editor,
Hope all is well at The Star. I have noticed lately several writers have felt the need to mention how long they have lived in East Hampton. I can’t figure why unless it’s some type of official notice to justify their words or their short-term residence. Just for the public record, I have been here since 1955 — shorter than some and longer than most.
This brings me to the village. Last Sunday, we all took my granddaughter to the duck pond, that would be the Nature Trail to most. As I sat there with her and the ducks, I started to reminisce about my childhood in the village. My mother would take my sister and me to the duck pond and I in turn took my kids. That’s four generations of Plitts walking those trails — what a milestone. As a youth, we lived on Fithian Lane, David’s Lane, and Huntting Lane. We even got to walk to school — which brings me to all this affordable or work-force or reduced-cost or community housing.
I would like to move back to the village and am wondering what the village government is doing about “affordable” housing? The more I think about it, the more I would like to move back, but I can’t afford to. This brings me to the townwide affordable housing “crisis” in general.
I was thumbing through The Southampton Press and came across an article “After the CHF? Just Get Out of the Way” by Michael Daly. I had to read the article several times for the words to sink in. This guy’s a jackass. Let’s hope he won’t run for office, although under the current political flavor he would probably win the office of housing czar — it appears that he is some self-appointed housing messiah.
According to Mr. Daly, we shouldn’t be concerned with density, traffic, groundwater, or parking — sounds to me like he should be living in North Hempstead or Babylon. I wonder who he wants to get out of the way, perhaps the 47 percent who voted “no”? If you do the math, the “yes” vote was not overwhelming — too many open-ended guidelines.
This so-called crisis is self-inflicted by our government’s lack of vision. Could you imagine if we put the brakes on construction or maybe outlawed the daily rentals that clog up the area? Let’s go back to the summer or yearly rental maybe just long enough to see what’s happening to the East End.
Circling back to the apartments, one of the brain-dead promoters actually said it would ease the trade parade. Really. More building just means more traffic. The Democrats want density and open borders, to hell with the people who are already here and a blank check to those that are coming!
Yours to command.
Sincerely,
JEFFREY PLITT
Sooo Very Late
East Hampton Village
December 5, 2022
To the Editor:
Why does the Town of East Hampton create and send out property tax bills sooo very late in the calendar year? The bills are only ready to send out by Dec. 15 (they say “mid December”) via the United States Postal Service. Snail mail is slow, plus December is the worst month to use U.S. Mail. By the time one receives the tax bill, it is the end of December. Posting online is also late, and not everyone has access to online.
Many taxpayers want to pay before the end of the year. Creating bills so late makes this difficult to do. Many people are away for the holidays and cannot access their mail.
Most municipalities all over the country have taxpayer-friendly due dates. Some send out bills in March, others in June, etc. Why does East Hampton wait until late December? The town should change its fiscal dates and prepare our tax bills earlier in the year.
JANE ADELMAN
Town Chose Wrong
Springs
December 5, 2022
Dear David,
As many of us know, the sky in daytime is blue because shorter blue light waves scatter more in the atmosphere; which is why LEDs higher in blue light waves cause more sky glow at night, obliterating the stars. This is why it is such a terrible mistake that the town board is approving LED streetlight replacements with the higher percentage of blue light waves without any justification whatsoever, and, in spite of all evidence that blue light is more damaging to human health, flora and fauna, our view of the stars in the sky, and will change the character of our town at night — and, in spite of the fact that less blue light is supported by all scientific evidence, and at no greater financial cost to taxpayers.
There is an alternative, which the New York Power Authority has offered to use, if asked, and the town board did not even ask that a sample be put up.
The town board chose the wrong LED streetlight against the recommendation from all five citizen advisory committees to use less blue light in their support of the “Five Principles for Responsible Outdoor Lighting” issued by the Illuminating Engineering Society and the International Dark Sky Association.
The board received letters from eye-health professionals, who expressed their concerns, based on their own research, that higher blue light waves cause macular degeneration.
Until these high-Kelvin (a measurement of blue light) LED streetlights are installed, I hope it is not too late for the board to specify LED streetlights with less blue light at 2,200 Kelvin, instead of 2,700, because these LED streetlights last for decades. There is no difference whatsoever in providing “safety” from lower blue light, 2,700 Kelvin to 2,200 Kelvin. In fact, it is safer to see better at night with less-blue LEDs.
I am beyond disheartened, in fact, heartbroken, that the town board of East Hampton is making a foolish and unsubstantiated choice that affects all of us in a multitude of ways — and for decades. There is no one on the town board or working for the town with the knowledge, training, or experience in street lighting and, after hearing the presentations from the New York Power Authority, I don’t believe it does either.
Respectfully,
SUSAN HARDER
They Resign
Amagansett
December 5, 2022
To the Editor,
Isn’t it interesting you mention someone at a town board meeting on Nov. 3, then they resign from one of the committees they are on, on Nov. 10?
Still here,
JOE KARPINSKI
Important Election
Montauk
December 5, 2022
Dear Editor:
Several weeks ago, I began campaigning for a seat on the five-member Board of Fire Commissioners of the Montauk Fire District. This board is responsible for managing a budget of $2.8 million of your tax dollars to provide fire protection and emergency medical services to the Montauk Fire District. All residents registered to vote in Montauk are eligible to vote in this important election, and I urge you to do so on Tuesday at the Montauk Fire Department.
I reside in Montauk, along with my husband, where we are both volunteer paramedic and firefighters with the Montauk Fire Department. I am running to build upon the fine traditions of the Montauk Fire Department while enhancing the quality, responsiveness, and capabilities of the department, including the 24-7 paid first-responder program.
My career experience serving as an adviser to boards of directors on an array of financial and legal matters, my present position as a member of the faculty of Columbia University Graduate School of Business, as well as my almost 18 years of volunteer service as a first responder, make me uniquely qualified to serve the residents of the Montauk Fire District. Indeed, I have put my experience to work for our community by organizing community CPR classes, as well as teaching continuing medical education to emergency medical services personnel. I also secured almost $300 thousand in federal funding for the Montauk Fire Department for needed medical equipment.
As a member of the board of fire commissioners, I will continue to work for all residents of Montauk to ensure that we receive the best fire and E.M.S. services for our community and that our community outreach ensures that all in our community who wish to contribute to the efforts of keeping our community safe are given an opportunity to do so.
I thank all who have taken the time to speak with me as I campaign. Two things are crystal clear as I meet with you: First, you care deeply about our community and, second, you appreciate all of the work done by the tremendous fire and E.M.S. volunteers of the Montauk Fire Department.
So, as I continue to work for you as a volunteer paramedic and firefighter today and beyond election day, I ask one favor of you: Please make sure to vote on Tuesday, between 2 and 9 p.m. at the Montauk Fire Department. I am available to answer any questions you may have and would love to hear from you. Please email me at [email protected].
Sincerely,
DONNA M. HITSCHERICH
Strong Supporter
Montauk
December 1, 2022
During the last three months of 2014, the Montauk Fire District remained steadfast in their position not to approve the expansion of our paid medic program so that our community would be covered 24/7, 365 days of the year. On Dec. 9, 2014, I was elected Montauk fire commissioner and within three months, the expanded program was fully operational.
Donna Hitscherich, a Montauk Fire Department firefighter and paramedic, is seeking to become a commissioner with the Montauk Fire District. Donna has been a strong supporter of our paid medic program. I know she will develop and oversee the implementation of further positive expansion to our medic program if you elect her on Dec. 13. Our response to your needs during medical emergencies is a major focus for us in supporting our community.
Voting is Dec. 13, 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Montauk firehouse. Please show up and vote.
Dick Monahan
Second to None
New York City
December 2, 2022
To the Editor:
I was pleased to learn that my colleague Donna Hitscherich is running for a seat on the Montauk Fire District Board of Commissioners. As a senior associate dean at Columbia’s Graduate School of Business, I’ve worked with Donna in several capacities over the past 20 years. Donna is one of the highest quality and hardest-working professors and administrators I’ve had the pleasure of knowing, with character and integrity that are second to none.
Having the credentials to be a professor is one thing, but actually being successful and effective in the classroom and in managing people, as Donna has been for many years, is quite another. I believe Donna’s “secret sauce” for success is the energy, dedication, and integrity that she applies to all that she does. She is thorough, thoughtful, and team oriented in her teaching and administrative roles, to the benefit of those around her.
Donna manages her relationships with people with that same dedication and integrity. She puts forth a genuine effort with students, colleagues, and staff to connect in a meaningful way and to work together to achieve goals. She is serious and sincere in her commitment to the communities in which she lives and works.
As a part of this commitment to serving the community, Donna became a New York State-certified paramedic and serves the Montauk Fire Department. I know firsthand how much time and effort she put into her paramedic training over the years, as well as how passionate she is about helping others in this way.
Donna is an extraordinary candidate who will bring the right skills, mind-set, and diversity as a woman, and in other ways, to this five-member board.
Sincerely,
KELLEY MARTIN BLANCO
Cast Your Vote
Dunedin, Fla.
December 2, 2022
Dear Editor:
Since we relocated to Florida recently, we had the opportunity last week to visit our past hometown of Montauk. We came upon the sign at the beginning of town appealing for citizens to vote for Donna Hitscherich in the upcoming election for commissioner of the Montauk Fire District.
I have known Donna for many years and have always respected her honesty and dedication as a paramedic for the department. My only regret is that since I no longer live in Montauk, I cannot vote for her.
So may I suggest that those Montauk residents who have the honor and duty to vote cast their votes for an honest, dedicated woman who has shown her integrity and character.
Sincerely,
PAT FLYNN
Good Leadership
Montauk
December 2, 2022
Dear Editor:
The upcoming fire commissioner election for the Montauk Fire District is near, and I am compelled to write about Donna Hitscherich. Not only do I know her personally but have a professional relationship with her as well.
I met Donna as she carried out duties as a volunteer in the ambulance. She is very civic-minded, volunteers in her Montauk community, and is an extraordinary minister of Communion. Donna and her husband came on their own time for my father when he was ill. I have noticed the extensive work she has put into the fire department, such as writing grants and educating the public and those within the department. This type of involvement describes a person with character and distinguishable traits leading to good leadership with qualities of accountability and transparence. I do believe Donna Hitscherich will be an asset to the Montauk community as a chief fire commissioner. I urge all residents to vote on Tuesday.
Sincerely,
BARBARA SISTI
Dedication
Montauk
December 2, 2022
Dear David,
Donna Hitscherich, my neighbor, is running for a seat on the Montauk Board of Fire Commissioners. The board of fire commissioners determines how our community’s fire and emergency medical services are provided and paid for. In so doing, the board of fire commissioners manages a budget of $2.8 million. At the Tuesday election day, Montauk has a chance to elect a highly qualified woman to the board of fire commissioners.
As an accomplished legal and financial professional, Donna has been a trusted adviser to boards. In addition to being a great neighbor, she and her husband, Tom, volunteer as paramedics with the Montauk Fire Department. They have personally helped me in times of crisis of the three times we needed an ambulance, she arrived first and the third time a police officer beat her by seconds. I know with Donna’s dedication and skill that when elected she will work hard to ensure Montauk receives the best fire and emergency medical services to keep all our residents safe. I urge all residents to vote on Tuesday at the firehouse from 2 to 9 p.m.
Sincerely,
DAN BRIGANTI
Will Be Excellent
Montauk
December 2, 2022
Dear Editor:
I come from a long line of first responders, and living in Montauk I know firsthand how important our fire and emergency medical services are. So, I was very happy to hear that Donna Hitscherich was running for a seat on the board of commissioners of the Montauk Fire District. I have known Donna as a friend and Montauk neighbor. I have seen her dedication to the Montauk Fire Department through Donna’s service as a paramedic and through her obtaining over $300,000 in federal funding for the department. Given Donna’s professional experience as a banker and a lawyer and her volunteer experience, I know she will be an excellent commissioner on the current five-man board. Please exercise your right to vote and elect a qualified, dedicated candidate.
Sincerely,
LORRAINE KELLY
Hatred Motivates
East Hampton
December 3, 2022
David,
The rise in antisemitism in the United States is essentially a Trumpian, MAGA phenomenon. Antisemitism, racism, and L.G.B.T.Q.-bashing are all byproducts of his us-against-the-world mantra, the elevation of hatred and cretinism into the normal public discourse.
Deep inside our infected Christian ethic, the sick part, anti-Jewish behavior is the 11th commandment: the need to find self-esteem in denigration rather than in adulation. Hatred motivates; love pacifies.
Hatred is so easy and needs little reality. It’s a rapid-action shot of adrenaline and needs only thumbs-up from elite powers to set it lose.
It would end if all our church leaders got together and demanded that this idiocy must stop. Call it out as weak-minded drivel and psychotic masochism. Tell the truth about how it has always been fabricated and has no reality. Call it a sickness. But they don’t or won’t because they need it to keep the flock agitated, in their place. Dumb, nasty, and blessed.
NEIL HAUSIG