All-Hands Effort
East Hampton Village
March 2, 2026
To the Editor,
I would like to take a moment to thank the East Hampton Village Department of Public Works, D.P.W. administrative, custodial, and Central Garage staff, as well as our private contractor, Bistrian Materials, for a job well done during last week’s winter storm. The all-hands team effort that even includes my administrative assistant behind the wheel of a plow truck helps guarantee success and is greatly appreciated.
Department of Public Works responsibilities are more than a typical highway department; we are committed to providing safe access to 51 lane-miles of village, state, and county roads; sidewalks and bus stops; all village parking lots, including the Y.M.C.A. RECenter; three firehouses, emergency medical services, and police station; the Post Office and train station; our three distinct business districts; three public schools and two preschools; all village municipal buildings, and six places of worship.
The village’s approach to snow clearance is time proven since as early as the 1930s and ’40s, when mechanized snow removal came into play, and has not changed other than to take on more responsibility. Every superintendent has refined it into the system we have today.
Additionally, without the outstanding leadership of Mayor Jerry Larsen, the village board, and the village administrator, Marcos Baladron, who have provided a significant operating budget as well as meeting equipment and personnel needs, we have successfully achieved D.P.W. goals no matter the task.
Special thanks to Jeff Verity, who retired Feb. 27. Jeff, in planning his last week, left two days open in the event he was needed, knowing the possibility of winter storms. We wish him well after 30 years with the department.
Respectfully,
DAVID COLLINS
Superintendent of Public Works
Two Holes?
East Hampton
March 8, 2026
To the Editor,
Two Holes of Water Road has many deep potholes. The town does not fill them. The town does not repave the road. Why does the town neglect Two Holes of Water potholes?
I have written letters to The Star. I have sent letters to the town board. I have called the town board. I have spoken to town board members. I have called the Highway Department. Nothing gets done.
The town is now redoing Amagansett’s sidewalk, not nearly as important as a road. The town has recently repaved many roads. So why not Two Holes, which is a heavily trafficked road? The potholes are so deep they could easily ruin tires.
When I drive slowly to try to avoid the holes, cars pull out and pass me, which is dangerous, especially on curves.
The summer is approaching. Now is the time to fix the road!
JANE ADELMAN
Misguided Rollback
Sag Harbor
March 9, 2026
To the Editor:
Funny timing: Gov. Kathy Hochul is trying to lock New York into more fossil fuels for decades to come, just as the new war in the Middle East has drastically lowered their supply and raised their cost. New York needs more renewables, not increased reliance on gas and oil.
Internet memes say it best: Wind and solar don’t have to go through the Strait of Hormuz.
Our utility bills are already skyrocketing, and just wait until we get the next ones.
Since most of New York’s electricity is derived from burning natural gas (which is mostly methane), we will be subject to the price spikes the war is causing. Utilities won’t give us a lower price for burning what we extract at home. Natural gas is a commodity traded on the world market, and much of our gas is exported. World prices are our prices. It’s just capitalism.
The electricity from homegrown wind and solar, in contrast, paired with battery storage, is generated here and stays here at low fixed costs. The fuel is even free! Wind and solar are the decentralized, domestic technologies best suited to take New York into an affordable, reliable, and secure energy future. Our future also depends on renewables to replace the fossil fuels that are driving climate change.
I’m reminded of the saying, “Don’t let a good crisis go to waste.” With new attention to the price volatility of gas and oil, the New York Legislature needs to thwart Governor Hochul’s misguided rollback of our climate law. I appeal to Assembly Member Tommy John Schiavoni to stand up for our clean energy future. Please carry on the legacy of Fred Thiele as an environmental champion, and give us the energy security and affordability we need for the long term.
KATHLEEN BOZIWICK
We Cannot Fail
East Hampton
March 9, 2026
To the Editor,
The first waves of the unemployment tsunami that is A.I. have landed on our shores. It doesn’t seem like our various governments are addressing this issue that will affect everybody, as the Great Depression did.
We failed our children with the environment. We cannot fail this time. We must put aside politics and act as citizens. We must be serious.
TOM MACKEY
Serious Backlog
East Hampton
March 9, 2026
To the Editor:
Some readers may know me as a 36-year resident of the Town of East Hampton and a licensed building contractor in the town and village for more than 30 years.
On Tuesday, I went to Town Hall to speak with Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez about an employment issue I was having with the town. As I entered the building, residents were gathering for the town board meeting. Having never attended one before, I decided to sit in and take the opportunity to speak during the public comment period.
About five weeks earlier, someone from the East Hampton Building Department approached me and asked if I would be interested in becoming a building inspector. She knew that I had applied for the position in the past and was familiar with my experience in the industry. However, my application was denied because I am not fluent in Spanish.
At the same time, it is widely known among contractors, subcontractors, real estate agents, bankers, and homeowners that the Building Department is currently as much as nine months behind in issuing permits and certificates of occupancy. For a homeowner, that kind of delay can create real hardship — affecting mortgage rates, material costs, and sometimes even the realization of someone’s dream of building or improving their home.
The department is facing an enormous workload, and to my knowledge there are currently only two people qualified to perform inspections and review plans. I had been following the town’s job postings for nearly two years, and at no time did the listing state that a candidate needed to be Spanish-speaking.
Even if that were considered a desirable qualification, shouldn’t common sense prevail when the town faces such a serious backlog? Turning away someone with more than 50 years of experience in the building industry seems difficult to justify when so many residents are waiting for approvals.
Respectfully, the town should consider experience and the needs of the community first.
LARRY ZIMMERMAN
An Increase in Posts
East Hampton Village
March 7, 2026
To the Editor,
My name is Ryan Zwick, and I have been a resident of East Hampton Village for more than 21 years. I am currently petitioning to appear on the ballot as a District 13 representative for the Democratic Committee. As someone becoming more involved in our local civic process, I believe transparency and responsible public communication are essential for maintaining trust between residents and their government.
In recent months, residents may have noticed an increase in video posts and messaging coming from the town’s official social media channels. Communication and transparency from local government are important, but the way these platforms are used also matters.
Town social media should serve as a place to inform residents about services, projects, and the work being done across departments that keeps our community running. When those platforms begin to center heavily on one elected official, however, it can start to feel less like public communication and more like personal promotion.
Anyone can scroll through the town’s official Instagram account and see that the supervisor now appears far more frequently in posts and videos. With a competitive race underway against the challenger, Jerry Larsen, the increased presence naturally raises questions about whether official town platforms are being used primarily to inform the public or to shape a political narrative.
I would also encourage residents to look beyond surface-level assumptions when discussing Jerry Larsen and the work he has done. Speaking with someone who supports him or has worked with him often provides a clearer understanding of the opportunities he has helped create within our community.
It is also important to clarify a common misconception. The mayor of East Hampton Village does not decide which businesses lease storefronts. Those decisions are made by private property owners and landlords who control the buildings. When people criticize Jerry Larsen for large brands entering the village, it is worth remembering that he does not negotiate or sign those leases and often has no involvement in those agreements at all.
Residents deserve consistent, balanced communication from local government year round and a public conversation grounded in facts rather than assumptions.
RYAN ZWICK
Multiple-Choice
Montauk
March 6, 2026
To the Editor,
As I am not a legal eagle, I am not quite sure how to answer the following multiple-choice question:
Were the recent political contributions to the Backdoor Campaign:
a) illegal
b) unethical
c) stupid
d) all of the above
Sincerely,
BRIAN POPE
Church and State
East Hampton
March 9, 2026
To the Editor,
Thank you, Christopher Gangemi, for explaining “the mathy” nature of how Democratic Committee representatives are chosen in electoral districts to then, in turn, choose our candidates for public office in the Town of East Hampton.
All this in the context of East Hampton Village Mayor Larsen’s effort to petition for a different set of Democratic Committee members who would choose him as their town supervisor candidate and eventually a different town council slate. The blatant change of party affiliation for some of those invited representatives is disturbing.
You expressed surprise that a couple of clergy were invited to be representatives given our constitutional effort to keep church and state apart. (The First Amendment advises no establishment of a religion.)
In doing some quick research I was reminded that clergy (except for Roman Catholic priests who are prevented from running by the church) are free to run for political office. Ministers have served in various elected positions in the United States government, both as Republicans and Democrats. And we have just witnessed the Texas Democratic Party Senate primary winner as a minister, James Talarico, who is at present a Texas state representative.
It was the 1954 Johnson Amendment (yes that Johnson), an Internal Revenue Service regulation for nonprofits, which prohibits houses of worship from endorsing or opposing candidates or distributing information that favors one candidate or party, although they can do nonpartisan education for their congregation. The rule is meant to uphold the separation of church and state.
For anyone old enough to remember the resurgence of the moribund Republican Party in the early 1980s, with the election of Ronald Reagan, its success came largely from recruiting the Southern Baptists (the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S.) whereby their churches became precincts for the Republican Party. Church conventions featured speeches from Reagan.
That effort coincided with the fundamentalist takeover of the Southern Baptist denomination. (Confession: I produced a PBS documentary with Bill Moyers, “Battle for the Bible,” on this very issue in 1988.)
Moreover, big name, big congregation fundamentalist ministers coordinated with Catholic bishops and local candidates on hot-button electoral issues: abortion and gay marriage. (Another confession: I produced another PBS doc with Bill Moyers, “New Holy War,” in 1992 on this coordination in Colorado Springs during the Proposition Two Colorado State amendment that denied gays any rights, for example, to employment, housing, etc.)
We are living in the aftermath of that historical process. We now see a “peace” president anointed by Christian nationalist ministers to rationalize financing and abetting a religious state to bomb other religious states.
We have watched the behaviors of cabinet and non-elected officials representing Christian nationalism trying hard to influence our government. Most recently, complaints came from rank-and-file military about commanders proselytizing and providing a religious rationale for the current mission in the Middle East. That’s a clear violation of the First Amendment and a corruption of any “separation” of church and state — although nowhere in the Constitution is it actually stated that way.
So, while inviting a moral voice from our community to be a political representative is legal, the avenue for abuse of the Johnson Amendment to prevent churches from becoming precincts for one political faction or party is laid bare.
Conservative denominations and religious organizations have fought to overturn the Johnson Amendment arguing that this law stifles free speech and religious freedom.
During his first term, Trump, through an executive order tried to eliminate the Johnson Amendment. A case that wound through the courts in 2025 has caused the I.R.S. to step back.
If the religious organizations win the settlement, clergy could endorse or oppose a candidate from the pulpit without fear of losing the church’s nonprofit status — so long as the endorsement happens in a religious context and is directed to the congregation.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State stepped in and filed a brief in the case. Along with other organizations like Campaign Legal Center, Common Cause, and Public Citizen, they have advocated that voters have a right to know who is trying to influence their vote and who is working to influence our government. Their real concern is “dark money.” Churches raise money. And as 501(c)(3) corporations they do not have to pay taxes on that money.
Transparency about the sources of funding for our elections and candidates, and how that money is spent, is central to the free and fair functioning of our democracy. The Johnson Amendment ensures that public subsidies support charitable work, not partisan political advocacy.
Without the Johnson Amendment, there would be no safeguards, no transparency. Churches could fund electioneering without disclosing donors. They could accept unlimited funds without paying taxes. That’s how “dark money” works.
It is interesting to hear from a minister (James Talarico) running for the Senate who defends the Johnson Amendment and the constitutional prescription that fosters separation of church and state as beneficial for the churches.
Google the interview the Rev. James Talarico had with Stephen Colbert on YouTube.
GAIL PELLETT
Dedicated Individuals
Amagansett
March 6, 2026
Dear David,
As we approach the upcoming elections, it is important to recognize the dedicated individuals running for the Democratic Committee who have consistently demonstrated their commitment to our community.
Among these candidates are those who have actively supported essential local services, such as the East Hampton Food Pantry, which provides vital assistance to families in need. Their involvement extends to our local fire departments, ensuring the safety and well-being of our residents. Additionally, many of these candidates are engaged with the Ladies Village Improvement Society volunteers, contributing their time and efforts to various community initiatives.
These lifelong, and newly registered, Democrats embody a commendable spirit of service and dedication. Their steadfast commitment to our town is evident in their numerous contributions and initiatives to improve the quality of life for all residents.
However, it’s crucial to address a concerning narrative that has emerged recently. If Kathee Burke-Gonzalez and Anna Skrenta, the Democratic chairwoman, want to question or attack committee candidates for having previously been Republicans or independents before registering as Democrats, then let’s at least apply the same standard across the board.
The current town board includes individuals who were once Republicans (David Lys) and even a libertarian (Ian Calder-Piedmonte), who changed their registration to run on the Democratic line.
Voters should be focused on commitment and the service these candidates have done in our town, not on selective narratives about someone’s past registration. If switching parties is acceptable for sitting elected town board officials, it should not suddenly become a character issue for grassroots committee members.
As we approach the voting booth, let us remember the candidates who have demonstrated their loyalty and dedication to our community through their actions and service. Supporting these individuals means backing a brighter future for East Hampton.
JILL DANIS
Live in Fear
Amagansett
March 9, 2026
Dear David,
As a resident of Amagansett, I recently attended a meeting of the newly formed Latino advisory committee, which comprises 17 members of our East Hampton community. This gathering highlighted the serious concerns faced by our Latino neighbors, who often live in fear of Immigration and Customs Enforcement intruding into our town. Many attendees expressed their distress at the thought of masked individuals being able to detain people without verifiable identification, leaving them feeling deeply vulnerable.
At the meeting, Lt. Kenneth Alversa and Police Officer Daniel Munoz were present to show their support for the Latino community. While it is important to acknowledge that the police must operate within the bounds of the law, they are also tasked with ensuring that our streets are safe and that those who operate within our community are accountable.
Our local law enforcement agencies must propose and support legislation that protects all residents, particularly those who are most at risk.
Unfortunately, East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, who serves as a liaison to this committee, did not take any definitive stand on advancing this critical legislation. Instead, she suggested creating a community task force and codifying it to explore the issue further. This is to be discussed at a forthcoming town board meeting. Her proposal to form subcommittees for outreach, while well intentioned, does not provide immediate solutions or education for our Latino residents, leaving them in a state of uncertainty. The committee meeting ended after meeting for 90 minutes without any clear resolutions to help our Latino neighbors.
As a leader of our town, it is disheartening to witness a lack of decisive action on such an important issue. Supervisor Gonzalez’s indecisiveness raises concerns about her ability to lead effectively, especially given our community’s need for clear direction and support.
In contrast, I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge Mayor Jerry Larsen, who has been a driving force in East Hampton Village. His vision and dedication have led to significant improvements that benefit all residents. Rather than shying away from criticism, Jerry has faced challenges transparently, taking responsibility for decisions made during his tenure. This accountability is a hallmark of true leadership.
As a former police chief, Jerry possesses the knowledge and experience necessary for effective decision making, especially on issues that affect community safety and well-being. He has shown that true leadership is not about being perfect but about taking responsibility, learning from mistakes, and striving to improve our community.
I urge my fellow residents to recognize the successes Jerry Larsen has brought as the village mayor and to support him in his bid to lead us as supervisor of East Hampton. We need a leader who is decisive, accountable, and committed to the well-being of all residents, especially our most vulnerable neighbors.
RONA KLOPMAN
Critical Thinking
East Hampton
March 6, 2026
Dear David,
Kudos to the great piece of investigative journalism by Christopher Walsh in his recent Star article (“Rowan on Trump’s Peace and Gaza Boards,” March 5). It’s exactly the sort of objective reporting of facts that stirs critical thinking that is the lifeblood of a healthy, functioning democracy.
The connections between our community and the role some rich and powerful residents and their boards of directors play in the larger national and international political, economic, and moral order is collectively well known, but rarely acknowledged and faced as powerfully, directly, and courageously as Christopher does in his piece.
Other boards of directors in our community, including those in synagogues, museums, civic and political groups, and those representing various corporate and other business interests (such as the Flock cameras in the village), might well be scrutinized as well so that “we the people” have a better idea of who’s running things and their possible abuses and undue influence as they go about their business.
The indisputable facts, as Mr. Walsh points out, in this case, are that Marc Rowan, a multibillionaire investor, chief executive of Apollo Global Management, and owner of Duryea’s Lobster Deck on Fort Pond in Montauk, donated $1 million to Donald Trump’s ill-fated and failed 2020 presidential re-election campaign and had close ties with Jeffrey Epstein, which included Mr. Epstein’s offering to buy Mr. Rowan’s private jet in 2016.
Mr. Rowan was appointed by Trump to the executive board of the Trump administration-led Peace Executive Board and its Gaza Executive Board. The stated goal of the committee is that the “board will help support effective governance and the delivery of best-in-class services that advance peace, stability and prosperity for the people of Gaza.”
In the face of the brutal snow and ice we’ve had this winter and the wholesale destruction of lobster cages as a result, we wonder if this probable spike in the price of lobster rolls for the Gazans would be a major impediment for his prosperity plan for them?
Very best,
JIM VRETTOS
Duryea’s of Gaza
Amagansett
March 5, 2026
To the Editor:
I find an excellent contribution to the Can’t Make This Stuff Up Department in Christopher Walsh’s “Rowan on Trump’s Peace and Gaza Boards.” Yes, the president appointed the owner of Duryea’s to the panel that’s supposed to supervise reconstruction in Gaza.
I have written many letters about the way in which Mr. Rowan and his large team of lawyers, including James Catterson, have completely gutted town government. They have made the zoning and permitting process a joke, mandatory only for the little people like you and me, while billionaires like Mr. Rowan get to opt out.
But I haven’t written about Mr. Rowan as a powerful member of the Make American Great Team, eviscerating his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania. He was instrumental in forcing out its president, Liz Magill, alleging antisemitism when her sole crime was, rather weakly, to defend academic freedom. Like Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr. Rowan absolutely conflates any criticism of Israel with antisemitism.
Let’s go to the videotape and quote Mr. Rowan himself. The liberal arts university, he says, has “metastasized into post-colonial education, into oppressed and oppressors, into powerful and powerless, facts be damned. Jews and Israelis are seen as white. That’s Bad.”
Wait, let me check. (Looking at my hand.) Aren’t we?
“They’re seen as powerful. That’s bad. They’re seen as oppressing Palestinians. That’s bad.” (Source: American Council of Trustees and Alumni website, itself a supporter of Project 2025.)
Last November, The New York Times identified Mr. Rowan as “a leading force behind the Trump administration’s quest for a ‘compact’ with universities that could have tied federal funding to fealty to Mr. Trump’s ideology.” As a result, per The Guardian, “students and faculty from multiple campuses gathered by the Midtown headquarters of the investment firm Apollo Global Management to protest against its CEO, Marc Rowan, a billionaire Trump donor . . . who they say ‘has no business making policy for higher education.’ ”
The Times meanwhile ran an article a few weeks ago titled, “In Devastated Gaza, Grandiose Peace Plans Clash With Reality.” “Even under the cease-fire, Israeli strikes have killed about 600 Palestinians there . . . [C]hildren are among the dead. . . . About 80 percent of the buildings in Gaza were damaged or destroyed during the war.”
Meanwhile, to the fevered MAGA minds of the members of the Gaza Board, “Slick PowerPoint presentations paint a picture of a futuristic seaside metropolis.” Inhabited by whom? Wait! I see Duryea’s of Gaza, very sparkly, with a great big dock at which yachts are moored the size of the Staten Island Ferry. I want to lean in through the door to check if there are any Palestinian guests inside — or even service staff. But that’s all the time we have; the vision dissolves, to an eerie whisper, “From the river to the sea, Duryea’s shall be.”
What do the Town of East Hampton, the University of Pennsylvania, and Gaza have in common? Marc Rowan, who, in my humble opinion, seems to be trying to disembowel each — with a hook.
I have previously said that the old adage, about all politics being local, has been flipped: All politics is global now. Henceforth, let Duryea’s remind you of Gaza — and when you hear about the Gaza Board, think of Duryea’s for a moment.
For democracy in East Hampton,
JONATHAN WALLACE
Stonefaced
Montauk
March 7, 2026
To the Editor,
We have a campaign commercial that will run in every competitive congressional district between now and November. Democrats sitting stonefaced, while a grieving mother stood in the gallery. Democrats walking out while a 7-year-old girl’s family sat exactly where Trump put them, visible to every camera in the room.
Republicans who stood for American citizens versus Democrats who wouldn’t.
This is our world today. Plenty of sitting, no caring about America.
In God and country,
BEA DERRICO
No Barriers
St. Petersburg, Fla.
March 7, 2026
To the Editor,
My response to the editorial opinion published in the Feb. 19 edition “Don’t Be Fooled on Voter ID Bill” is: Don’t be fooled into thinking cheating camouflaged as victimization for the mentally challenged, the minority ranks, or the aged, is the honest, ethical approach to fair elections.
In America, there are no barriers whatsoever to prevent any American citizen from acquiring a government-issued identification card based on race, sex, mental acuity, physical disability, rurality, economically disadvantaged, underprivileged or overprivileged, elderly, terminally woke, or the loss or misplacement of copies of original, raised seal vital statistics documents from the cities or towns where the birth, baptism, marriage, or death took place.
Here are the legitimate reasons you can’t get or replace a government-issued identification that would entitle you to cast a vote in an American election. You are not a citizen of the United States; you are dumb; you are lazy; you are a communist, or you can’t remember where you were born.
If you fall into any of the categories above, you shouldn’t vote anyway. If you cannot manage to provide proof you are who you say you are in this modern, high-speed electronic society that bends over backward for cry babies, you’re likely a low-functioning, irresponsible, dishonest individual the U.S. doesn’t need any more of, especially exercising the most consequential right and privilege of voting in a free, democratic society that values American morals and integrity over cheaters and liars.
Crooked politicians prey on fools. Don’t fall into the trap. The truth is without voter identification every election is a rigged election.
CAROL DRAY
Frightening Character
East Hampton
March 5, 2026
Dear Mr. Rattray,
Here’s another frightening character who helps plan policies in the Trump administration. He’s Cory Lewandowski, who has been involved in policy decisions since Trump first ran for the presidency in 2016 and continues to do so in the present administration.
Mr. Lewandowski was supposed to work just 130 days last year because he was classified as a temporary government employee. Thanks to creative timekeeping, he worked far more days than allowed under the law. The same will likely be true this year.
Mr. Lewandowski is no stranger to corruption. He never registered as a federal lobbyist during his job as a government employee in the first Trump administration. Failure to do so can result in a prison sentence if found guilty. For example, in 2008 Jack Abramoff was sentenced to four years in prison for his corrupt lobbying activities.
Mr. Lewandowski denied for years that he had lobbied for a company called FirstEnergy in 2016 while he was working in the Trump administration.
However, emails that were recently obtained show that he had lied. FirstEnergy is one of many companies for which he had worked as an unregistered lobbyist while working in the Trump administration. Citgo, a Venezuelan-based oil company, was another one.
Mr. Lewandowski was the second-most powerful person in the Department of Homeland Security, serving as top adviser to Kristi Noem, whom Trump recently fired. At D.H.S., Mr. Lewandowski played a key role in establishing inhumane detention centers for immigrants, including the “Alligator Alcatraz” facility in Florida and a tent compound in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Trump’s firing of Ms. Noem leaves Lewandowski’s position unclear.
Ironically, Mr. Lewandowski unknowingly played a role in her firing. In a recent appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Ms. Noem was asked by Senator Richard Blumenthal whether Mr. Lewandowski had any role in approving D.H.S. contracts, and she said no. Official records clearly indicate that she was lying. Trump’s firing her may have resulted from her embarrassing Senate appearance which opened the possibility of her being charged with perjury.
We can be thankful for one thing. If the corrupt Mr. Lewandowski had not been working at the D.H.S., then Ms. Noem would still be serving as its secretary. But will Trump’s nominee to replace Ms. Noem be qualified for the job? Given Trump’s track record, it’s doubtful.
SALVATORE TOCCI