Just Trying to Get By
Amagansett
January 16, 2026
To the Editor:
I learned many things working on New York City ambulances almost a quarter-century ago. You could sleep deeply in between calls on the overnight shift so long as you trained yourself to wake up instantly when Central said on the radio, “8 Charlie, for the shot,” or, much more likely, “for the epistaxis” (nosebleed).
Lieutenants with good haircuts and immaculately fitting uniforms were dangerous, because they still aspired to be captain, and one way to get there was by writing the troops a lot of “command discipline” notices for things like having one too few trauma sponges on your ambulance.
Overweight, rumpled lieutenants were, by contrast, your friend; they had reached a stage at which they would never make captain and didn’t care anymore, and had slipped back into the general conspiracy of poor mortals just trying to get by, like us.
But the most valuable and improving aspect of the experience was meeting people you otherwise never would.
There were days in the South Bronx when I didn’t see another white person for an entire 12-hour tour; my partners were all African-American and Latinx men and women.
Sometimes we picked up undocumented people who had recently arrived from Latin America (on one memorable call, a family of four had just arrived hours before). They virtually all were intense, serious people who, if they had found a job already, were working 12-hour and often longer days, for very little money. They communicated no sense of entitlement; they had encountered all sorts of dangers to come here and be able to make a living in a more secure environment, and to take care of the children whom they deeply loved.
What I learned was that, if I forgot for a moment my own privilege, there was no meaningful difference between them and me. We were all just trying to get by, and otherwise to be left alone. And I contrasted this to the reality of the only image I would have had of them if I hadn’t met them, one derived from movies and TV: the execrable stereotypes of the drunken Mexican, the lazy Mexican, the funny Mexican, or the bandido. And now along comes Donald Trump and overlays this already-insupportable structure an even more vicious set of tropes, including the rapist-migrant and ultimately, the disposable trash-migrant.
Just the other day, in a slightly different context, I looked up some verses I remembered in the Book of Matthew (pretty slick for a Jewish guy, right?): “For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.”
The righteous, of course, have no recollection of ever having clothed or fed or otherwise helped their Lord, who explains: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:35-40, King James Bible).
For democracy, equality, and compassion in America,
JONATHAN WALLACE
Love and Devotion
Amagansett
January 14, 2026
Dear Mr. Rattray,
A few days ago Mary and I attended the celebration of Patricia M. Ryan’s life at Yardley and Pino Funeral Home.
Mrs. Ryan passed at the age of 91 and had been married to her husband, John, for 65 years, a record we will never be able to match, Mr. Rattray.
Hundreds of people streamed into the funeral home to pay their respects and show their affection to the Ryan family for the care, love, and devotion to this community she gave her entire life.
Mary knew most of the folks there — she knows almost everybody between Amagansett and Southampton. I knew a few and was reintroduced to others. My lack of participation in the work of the East Hampton lifeguards, Ocean Rescue, and ambulance services is a glaring blemish on my record, but there I was, waiting in a very long, slow line to greet the Ryan family members and say something appropriate. Which I did.
When we finally reached Mr. Ryan, we shook hands and he said, “Why haven’t you been writing your letters? I always enjoy reading them!” I was not expecting that, at all. But it was certainly flattering.
I explained to him that I had been writing quite a bit, but not letters to the editor. Still, I promised him then and there that I would write a letter and dedicate it to him and Mrs. Ryan. So here it is, John, dedicated to you and your beautiful Patricia M. Ryan.
In many ways the Ryans have lived a life aquatic in our community, spearheading the remarkable Ocean Rescue and lifeguard programs, though in different capacities, for decades. In his service as an educator, organizer, and leader Mr. Ryan set a very high bar. At 6- foot-6 you could say he had an unfair advantage over all of us. Not to make excuses, but hey.
Many, though not all, of the Ryan children have swum in their parents’ current as well, as instructors and leaders. Nine children, dozens of grandkids, and a handful of great-grandkids.
Years ago, when I was president of our small homeowners association in the dunes, Mr. Ryan came to our beach and demonstrated important lessons in ocean safety to the families: use of the rescue torpedo or other floating thing, paying attention to small children playing in the surf, etc.
What I remember most was his wise guidance on what to do if you’re caught in a rip current: First, say a prayer and ask forgiveness for any bad things you may have done, just in case you’re headed for Atlantis (not talking about the resort); second, don’t try to swim against the rip: go with the flow and don’t panic, swim to one side or the other of it. This way you’ll probably live and can think about what you’re grilling that night. (I suggest bone-in ribeye.)
I’ve just reread this letter, Mr. Rattray; hopefully it’ll bring a smile to the family, especially to John Ryan and, assuming she gets The Star up there, Patricia M. Ryan.
With great respect,
LYLE GREENFIELD
Action, Not Excuses
East Hampton
January 19, 2026
Dear Editor:
In 2025, a new owner purchased a Further Lane property and soon planted vegetation that blocked a preserved waterfront view over agricultural lands. Although the view had been preserved years before by conditions in planning and zoning board decisions, town officials declined to act. They claimed there was no town interest in the controversy, casually dismissing it as a “neighbor dispute.” Later, the town also claimed it could not act because the property owner refused access to the property.
Faced with town inaction, concerned neighbors sued to enforce the planning board and Z.B.A. approvals, which created the lot, as well as easement requirements.
In response to the lawsuit, the town inexplicably submitted a motion to dismiss the case, thereby effectively surrendering its enforcement powers. This action also allied the town squarely in support of the alleged offending neighbor.
It does not appear that town officials ever read or understood the board decisions that created the preserved viewshed in the first place. Nor does it appear that anyone read or understood the related easement which explicitly created a continuing right to enter the property on reasonable notice to ascertain compliance with zoning.
Applicants and future owners of properties that were created and permitted by planning board and Z.B.A. decisions are not free to ignore required conditions and restrictions. The town code is quite clear: Enforcement provisions explicitly state that local agency approvals have the force and effect of zoning requirements. Violations can be enforced with fines in Justice Court, but are more effectively restrained or abated by available remedies in State Court located in Riverhead.
Noncompliance with board approvals and related easements demands urgent and serious action, not excuses. Together with other administrative officials, the supervisor’s first task is to recognize and address threats to our rural character.
The combined force of strict zoning, rigorous administrative board review, and diligent code enforcement protect our town. But those tools are only as good as the people who supervise Town Hall. The handling of this case reveals a serious failure to govern.
JEFF BRAGMAN
For the Environment
Amagansett
January 19, 2026
Dear David,
Thank God Jeff Bragman is running for supervisor! At last we have a man who not only cares for the environment but also cares for the average East Hampton taxpayer and doesn’t want to saddle them with giant debt just as many of us are concerned about the health of the economy.
Just drive north off Montauk Highway on Abraham’s Path and as soon as you cross the tracks look east and view Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez’s legacy. She demolished the seven-or-eight-acre forest where a critically endangered species, the long-eared brown bat, lived. Just as valuable and important as the piping plover, and critically endangered, this beautiful bat had only one home in East Hampton, and that was it. There were no bats this last summer. Kathee Burke-Gonzalez wiped them out for a building no one in this town wants: the new senior center. Now she wants to repurpose it as a community center. This building, if built, will double the town’s debt. Guess who is going to pay for that? You and I and every average East Hamptoner will see our tax bill go through the roof just as the economy is looking dicey.
Jeff Bragman wants to sensibly refurbish and improve the senior center we already have, which will be a fraction of the cost of this insane supervisor’s gambit. The cost for this new building was formerly estimated at more than $30 million, and with East End cost overruns will be closer to $40 million. And then we have to staff it, heat it, and cool it, leading to vast expenses throughout the year.
The present Democrats led by Burke-Gonzalez demonstrated their priorities this last year and spent $60 million with the Peconic Land Trust to save five acres next to their big donors on Georgica Pond. And they violated the town comprehensive plan in five different ways by not purchasing close to 50 acres to protect the water of the regular people in Springs, Amagansett, northern East Hampton, Napeague, and Montauk. Giant parcels that the town comprehensive plan commanded them to save, they didn’t bother to preserve.
Mr. Bragman’s environmental record speaks for itself. He has continually fought for preservation of land vital to protecting our one and only clean aquifer: the Stony Hill aquifer. The western East Hampton aquifer by the airport has been polluted by forever chemicals from firefighting drills, where the toxic foam was not even managed and allowed to go straight into the ground.
We need environmentalists on the Democratic East Hampton Town Board, not the pseudo Republicans we have now. Our environment is not only our health but it is the basis of the business of a resort town. East Hampton will cease to be a choice destination if the water is poisoned. Vote for Jeff Bragman. He will protect our water and our environment as he has done for many decades.
ALEXANDER PETERS
Important Decisions
East Hampton
January 19, 2026
Dear David,
I need to clarify some confusion regarding the recent Democratic nomination of the town supervisor. I believe in honesty, transparency, and giving voters the full picture, especially when it comes to how important decisions are made within our Democratic Party.
The East Hampton Town Democratic Committee comprises 38 members, although only 36 seats are currently filled. At the recent nominating convention, only 30 committee members were present. Those 30 individuals, none of whom have ever been elected in a contested public election, decided on who would receive the party’s endorsement for town supervisor.
In the coming weeks, fliers will be mailed to more than 10,000 registered Democrats stating that “the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee has endorsed” a candidate. What many voters do not realize is that this endorsement reflects the decision of just 30 party insiders, not the broader Democratic electorate.
It is also important to note that the endorsed candidate has worked closely with many of these committee members for more than 13 years, having served as a town councilwoman since 2013 and becoming town supervisor in 2024. Longstanding personal and political relationships clearly influenced this outcome.
Perhaps most telling is what happened during the convention itself. A highly qualified Democratic candidate, a Yale University graduate, former town attorney, and former town councilman, did not receive a single vote. I, at least, received three. That result speaks volumes about how closed and unfair this process has become.
For the past five years, I have had the honor of serving as mayor of East Hampton village. During my administration, we held taxes flat, expanded services, strengthened public safety, and created community events that brought people together, all while staying within the tax cap.
Under my leadership, East Hampton Village created the first Hamptons Pride Parade, making a clear statement that everyone is welcome. We established the first Hispanic Day Parade on the East End, celebrating the contributions of our Hispanic community. And we expanded services and community programming without raising taxes.
By contrast, since becoming town supervisor in 2024, Kathee Burke-Gonzalez has overseen tax increases totaling approximately 16 percent in just two years, piercing the 2 percent tax cap in consecutive years, while millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent on failed or stalled projects.
This is not about personalities. It is about performance, accountability, and fairness.
The good news is this: The decision now moves out of the hands of 30 party insiders and into the hands of Democratic voters, where it belongs. That decision will be made in the Democratic primary election on June 23, 2026.
I am proud to stand before you and ask for your vote, not based on insider politics, but on my record, my experience, and my commitment to inclusive, responsible leadership.
Let the voters decide.
Respectfully,
JERRY LARSEN
Inventing Arguments
Springs
January 18, 2026
Dear David:
On Jan. 12, the public hearing scheduled for Jan. 14 for the pending application to move the 150-foot illegal cell tower at the Springs Fire Department was postponed indefinitely at the last minute at the request of Elite Towers. The delay was sanctioned by the planning board notwithstanding that Elite and the board had agreed on Nov. 19, that the application was complete and would be approved, subject only to comments made at the public hearing.
For those who may not know, the tower is illegal because Elite built it in 2015 without filing an application with the Town of East Hampton, as is required by law. The tower has never been used to provide cellphone service because the zoning board of appeals in the Town of East Hampton revoked Elite’s building permit shortly after it was built.
Ostensibly, Elite claims it needs more time for radio frequency propagation tests. But this postponement is no accident. In my view, Elite is now inventing new arguments to justify its tower. I believe this to be the case because just last week, The East Hampton Star published two letters to the editor: I wrote one and Krae Van Sickle, a board member of Springs citizens advisory committee, wrote the other.
The letters cite many reasons for the board to deny the application. These are the top two:
The premise for the tower has always been that cell service in Springs was deficient, some called it nonexistent. But the recent activation of the 185-foot multi-carrier cell tower at Camp Blue Bay, which hosts the town of East Hampton’s Emergency Services antennas (nine-tenths of a mile from Elite’s tower) and AT&T’s 70-foot tower at St. Peter’s Chapel on Old Stone Highway (two miles from Elite’s tower) have rendered the Elite tower entirely superfluous. The presumption that cell service in the Springs is inadequate is now old news, indeed it is now fake news.
Anyone who lives in Springs can attest to the dramatic improvement in cell service since these two new towers came on stream. This eyewitness evidence is confirmed by the federal Communications Commission’s National Broadband Map which shows that reception in Springs now exceeds the federal government’s requirements.
Moreover, any intermittent coverage gaps (caused by brick buildings or tree clusters or dips in the road) will soon be eliminated by 61 micro-antennas (five feet high and attached to telephone poles) which Crown Castle has already begun to install throughout Springs.
It is worth noting that Elite Towers bears responsibility for the obsolescence of its tower. Had Elite embraced the Z.B.A.’s directive and filed an application in 2015 (instead of suing the Z.B.A. in state court and losing five years later), its tower would probably have been approved many years ago. But now, the “need” for this cell tower has disappeared because of all the newly installed wireless infrastructure. The window of opportunity has closed due to Elite’s intransigence.
When all is said and done, there can be no denying that the planning board’s unanimous decision to approve this tower was based on the false assumption that when stressed by high winds or seismic or climate change events, in a catastrophic failure, the tower will not fall over, but instead will telescope into itself. There can be no denial because the board arrived at this assumption while being videoed at its board meetings on April 2 and July 23 and on Nov. 19, when Gregory Alvarez (Elite’s attorney), under cross-examination by the board members, testified that Elite’s tower would telescope under the aforesaid conditions.
The back-and-forth between Mr. Alvarez and the planning board can be viewed on YouTube. The key exchanges all occurred in 2025 at the times shown on YouTube, which are as follows: April 2 from 7:50 p.m. through 7.55 p.m., July 23 from 7:27 p.m. through 7:28 p.m., and on Nov. 19 from 7:08 p.m. through 7:12 p.m. You may also view these videos on the Town of East Hampton website under the Planning Department web portal.
However, on Dec. 16, the owner of Elite Towers (Tanya Negron) admitted that her cell tower could not telescope, and, in fact, that no cell tower can telescope, because the steel cylinders they are built from are bolted together. Ms. Negron’s admission was videotaped at the Dec. 16 meeting of the Springs citizens advisory committee. That video can be viewed on YouTube. This video is also posted on our website, SRAET.org.
It is important to note that two board members of Springs C.A.C., David Buda and Krae Van Sickle, as well as Ian Calder-Piedmonte, an East Hampton Town Board member and liaison to the Springs C.A.C., all attended the Dec. 16 meeting and all of them concurred with Ms. Negron’s acknowledgment that no cell tower exists that can telescope.
Because of Ms. Negron’s admission, the Springs cell tower now becomes a test of the planning board’s integrity. Based upon Mr. Alvarez’s false information, the board consented to shoehorning this 150-foot tower onto the Fire Department’s property by relocating it to the center of the site, barely squeaking it into the truncated 150-foot fall zone (in 2022 the fall zone was cut in half from 300 feet (twice the tower’s height) to 150 feet (the tower’s height). But it did so based on false information.
It is important to be clear about what happened. The planning board shares no responsibility whatsoever for the propagation of false information. That fault falls squarely on Elite’s attorney. Instead, the board is to be commended for the zeal it has shown concerning safety as was evident in the members’ vigorous cross-examination of Elite’s attorney. But lest that display be deemed a charade, the board now has no choice but to veto this tower because its rationale for approving it was based on the fallacious assumption that the tower could telescope, thus rendering the fall zone irrelevant.
In conclusion, several final points must be made. The Elite tower is not only unnecessary for providing cellphone service, it is also entirely unnecessary for emergency services because by dialing 911, a caller’s phone, regardless of his or her service provider, will be connected to the nearest emergency service dispatcher.
Moreover, the Police Department’s emergency service tower at Camp Blue Bay has made its emergency service network available to all first responders in the Town of East Hampton, including the Springs Fire Department, which can now piggyback on the police’s emergency network. It should also be noted that the Camp Blue Bay tower now performs a dual function: Besides dispatching first responders to Springs, it can also serve as the nearest cell tower for Springs residents to connect to in case of an emergency.
And finally, last but not least, like all my neighbors, I am grateful for and indebted to the brave firefighters who volunteer their time and risk their lives on our behalf. That said, the quid pro quo for their sacrifice should not be compulsory acceptance of what now is known to be an obsolete and dangerous tower.
Yours truly,
JONATHAN D. COVEN
Current ‘King’
Plainview
January 16, 2026
Dear David,
Donald Trump is planning nationwide celebrations on the Fourth of July for both himself and the 250th anniversary of the signing of the 1776 Declaration of Independence. So I reread the whole document and was reminded of that after Thomas Jefferson’s famous opening words (“When in the course of human events. . . . We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”).
Most of the document was a long list of complaints about Great Britain’s King George III and the “abuses” and “injuries” he was subjecting the American colonists to. So I looked up two articles about this particular King George and learned that he “probably suffered from what is now known as porphyria, which struck him at various times, making him seem to be mentally ill, and eventually he became incapable of logical acts and was thought to be insane” and that “King George would frequently repeat himself and write sentences with over 400 words at a time, and his vocabulary became more complex, creative and colorful.”
Hmm, sounds a little like the United States’ current “king” (I mean, president).
RICHARD SIEGELMAN
Watched Rome Burn
East Hampton
January 15, 2026
Dear Mr. Rattray,
The Trump Golf Tracker website reports that as of Jan. 4, Trump spent 90 days of his 361 days in office, or 25 percent of his time, playing golf at an estimated cost of $126 million dollars to United States taxpayers.
Nero supposedly played the fiddle while he watched Rome burn. Trump plays golf while he destroys our democracy.
SALVATORE TOCCI
Push for Better
North Haven
January 19, 2026
Dear David:
Sag Harbor Cinema showed a new film, “The Testimony of Ann Lee,” with the writer-director and cinematographer attending for a Q. and A. It’s an unusual film, a bit long, but a good telling of how the Shaker community developed in England, then moved here prior to 1776 and our actual “independence.”
Prejudice and colonial hardships were almost insurmountable. Their leader Ann Lee claimed ethereal knowledge was imparted to her that gave her the strength and commitment to lead this unusual religious group. Amanda Seyfried stars as Ann, the Shakers’ irrepressible leader, who preached gender and social equality at a time it was not traditional.
Today, we see many faith-based groups all grabbing for attention, many claiming exclusive knowledge of the truth. No one will ever know who is right, who is peddling B.S., who has political purpose. What becomes clear is that this country became the world’s safe harbor for freedom from religious domination and for equal rights for all its people. Many died over 250 years to uphold that concept.
Today we honor Dr. Martin Luther King and civil rights. Soon we will honor Women’s Rights on March 8. Later in 2026, we will honor the Declaration of Independence and the founding principles of our 250-year-old country. As written in that revered document:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
A list of the grievances against the Crown follows, which may seem applicable today. Something worth reading.
Then, there is the “Bill of Rights” with these two significant articles: Article 3: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Article 6: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
In summary, I ask who has recently authorized ignoring these important national documents? Who authorized Trump, Miller, Noem, ICE, and the rest of the MAGA crowd to ignore all of this?
Corrupt media has made deception easy, and self-serving greed is rampant. Congress and voters must share the blame. All are steeped in fear and indolence and inaction. It’s time to kick ass and push for much better! We are losing our country!
Please stay safe,
ANTHONY CORON
Palm Beach?
Montauk
January 15, 2026
Dear David:
Why hasn’t Kristi Noem sent ICE agents into the streets of Palm Beach in Florida? Although it is small in population it has one of the highest crime rates per capita in the United States.
My sources in law enforcement tell me that the town harbors thousands of criminals that include undocumented psychopaths and sociopaths, pathological liars, sycophants, pedophiles, racists, misogynists, miscreants, rapists, business fraudsters, and numerous escapees from local psych wards. I think it is time that we get rid of this garbage that is poisoning our blue American blood and defiling our national heritage.
Rather sadly, most of the politicians who run the town worship the national cult leader known as the Orange Fuhrer who is a wannabe fascist and suffers from early-stage dementia but has a huge following in Congress.
It is time for some tough law and order to Make America Great Again.
Cheers,
BRIAN POPE
Instill Fear
East Hampton
January 14, 2026
Dear David:
Now the Trump administration has moved the goalposts to defend the immigration agent who killed an unarmed protester, Renee Good, in Minneapolis on Jan. 14.
Notably, Mr. Trump backed off his lie that the ICE officer was injured, instead saying the agent was justified in using deadly force because Ms. Good was being “disrespectful.”
So now, because Ms. Good and her wife were viewed as disrespectful of law enforcement, Mr. Trump concluded that the officer’s use of deadly force was warranted.
Even more preposterous was his claim that the couple were professional agitators. Professional agitators are not parents who take their kids to school or drive around protesting with stuffed animals in their glovebox and the family dog in the back seat.
And, contrary to Mr. Trump’s views, even if the two were professional agitators harassing ICE for its unlawful harassment of Americans, law enforcement must put up with such lawful protests, even lawful harassment.
Whether or not one agrees with the protesters’ views in Minneapolis, or anywhere else in America, Americans are free to lawfully protest anything they care to protest about. Killing protesters in cold blood on city streets is as un-American as it gets.
Of course and true to his form, Mr. Trump offered no proof that Ms. Good and her wife were paid protesters. Like the hundreds of others on the street that day, they were concerned citizens appalled at the immigration raids Trump’s ICE goons are carrying out across the country. They should be cheered, not killed.
As Mr. Trump shifts his rationale to justify the killing, new videos of ICE’s broader actions in Minneapolis appear to show that officers are using Ms. Good’s death to instill even more fear to try to deter Minnesotans from filming and protesting their conduct — a sickening escalation that further drives this country into autocracy.
In one recorded interaction, a masked agent with Border Patrol tells a woman in her car to stop following agents and honking her horn, telling her she has a “very high probability of making a really bad decision,” adding that she could “ruin” her life if she continued. That sure sounds like a threat that if she continued, she could meet Ms. Good’s fate.
In another video, an agent tells a woman recording his actions, “Listen, have y’all not learned from the past couple of days, have you not learned?” When the woman asked what lesson she was supposed to take from that, the agent tried to take her phone away.
Now, the Department of Homeland Security has apparently released an advisory memo to the field agents that they enjoy absolute immunity for any actions they take in the field. Not only does this flout applicable law, it will also serve as a stimulant for further and more violent thuggery.
Our congressman, Nick LaLota, should use his congressional voice to denounce ICE’s thuggery. That he remains silent is proof that he is unfit for his job.
Sincerely,
BRUCE COLBATH