Community Cleanup
East Hampton
May 11, 2026
Dear David,
With its curves and quiet coves, Accabonac Harbor is one of the most-scenic waterbodies in East Hampton. It is widely enjoyed by residents together with significant wildlife and natural habitat. Last Saturday, a group of volunteers picked up roadside trash on Gerard Drive at a community cleanup organized by the East Hampton Sportsmen’s Alliance.
A number of us from the East Hampton Litter Action Committee and the Accabonac Protection Committee joined in. This hearty group picked up dozens of bags of trash in a little over an hour.
It saddens me that people who leave their beer bottles, used condoms, snack wrappers, etc. are immune to the beauty of the place they are defiling. The town provides a trash receptacle at Gerard Point. Please use it next time! Thank you.
SARA DAVISON
Litter Action Committee
Honored to Serve
East Hampton
May 11, 2026
To the Editor,
As this school board election approaches, I find myself reflecting on what this experience has meant to me personally. While my decision to run was born out of a lifelong commitment to public education and a deep connection to East Hampton, these past weeks have expanded my love for our community in ways I never expected.
I have always felt rooted here as a graduate, parent, educator, and neighbor, but the kindness and encouragement I have received throughout this campaign have touched my heart more than I can fully describe. From thoughtful conversations, notes, phone calls, shared stories of family connections passed down through generations, and words of support from people across our community, I have been reminded again and again that the very best part of this place is the people in it. In moments like this, it becomes so clear why so many of us care so deeply about preserving the heart of our schools and our hometown for future generations.
I will remain deeply grateful for the opportunity to connect with so many people and to witness such generosity, warmth, and hope. It has been a meaningful reminder of why I love this community so deeply. If elected, I will carry forward that same commitment, honoring where we have been while working thoughtfully toward where we are going. I would be honored to serve on the East Hampton School Board with humility, care, and dedication.
Sincerely,
KIMBERLY SARRIS ROYAL
Potholes Get Deeper
East Hampton
May 11, 2026
To the Editor,
I wonder, have you, Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, ever driven on Two Holes of Water Road, especially lately? Have you, Stephen Lynch of the Highway Department, ever driven on Two Holes of Water Road, especially lately? You both should. The section from Stephen Hand’s Path almost up to Whooping Hollow is particularly bad. The potholes get deeper and wider by the day. The road is bumpy, uneven, and uncomfortable, plus dangerous when trying to avoid the holes. I have been begging for months, years, to get it repaved. Nothing happens. Why?
JANE ADELMAN
Shifted Its Gaze
East Hampton
May 9, 2026
David,
I attended the May 7 town board meeting to speak about a project I am incredibly opposed to for myriad reasons (350 Pantigo Road condo development), and as I sat there waiting for my turn to speak the issue of the Acquisition of 549 and 550 Wainscott Northwest Road came up. There was representation from both sides of the aisle, but who stood out was a local attorney who brought up that this 13-acre parcel of undisturbed land was a major rainwater recharge area for our drinking water — our drinking water — and that for the last 40 years our town has been focused on preservation but has now shifted its gaze to housing.
The argument against preserving this very important piece of land (for our drinking water) was the need to build affordable rental apartments. What was really amazing to me was that the people looking to save and preserve this vital piece of land were accused of NIMBYism.
It used to be that the preservation of our unique ecosystem and drinking water was the good fight in this community.
My mother, a Montauk school therapist, was a plaintiff in a lawsuit that helped protect the Springs aquifer. She spoke at hearings to protect the Pine Barrens. Her nickname in our house was Eco-terrorist. My sisters and I had the belief that we need to be good stewards drilled into us from an early age and to advocate for protecting our environment.
As the Trump administration tears away at the Environmental Protection Agency, national parks, and endangered animals, I was heartbroken to see that our town board’s attitude had shifted from protection to, “Build, baby, build.”
There is no doubt that we need affordable homes on the East End and by this I do not mean rental apartment buildings attached by chains to the State of New York and the federal government or greedy developers. We need smart solutions which provide home ownership and protect our environment simultaneously.
Preservationism is not a dirty word, and wanting to keep intact land which affords us clean drinking water does not a NIMBYist make.
Still fighting the good fight,
MARY WASERSTEIN
Indefensible
Springs
May 11, 2026
To the Editor,
In the hierarchy of crimes that undermine justice, falsely charging an innocent person, a frameup, is particularly heinous. It violates the rights of the targeted individual and calculatedly misdirects attention away from actual wrongdoers.
On Aug. 28, 2024, I was accused of reckless endangerment by town-appointed members of the dog park committee claiming I drove 45 to 50 miles per hours in the Town Hall parking lot trying to run them down. This was after a meeting in which I represented almost 200 users of the park who were against their agenda. They took eight days to concoct stories that didn’t match up and were contradicted by a surveillance video and an eyewitness. The complainant wrote an email the next morning saying “I stood still in the middle of the road and she had to swerve around me three times!” which doesn’t sound like something any rational person would do, the statement he made to the police two hours later bore no resemblance to that claim, and his sworn statement a week later differed from both.
The arresting officer had a grudge resulting from a complaint I’d made in 2022 when someone with a history of violent road rage tailgated me for miles, cut me off repeatedly, and banged on my windows. He saw the driver, told me to leave, reported it as a “misunderstanding,” where I “left the scene,” and that he “didn’t observe anything so no infraction was committed.” I’d called for help four times.
He was not at the scene of the purported crime and admitted under oath in a hearing that in his “thorough investigation” he’d never contacted the eyewitness, suppressed the surveillance video, couldn’t identify the complainant on the video, had no evidence of speeding, recklessness or imminent danger, and “made a mistake” when he wrote I was arrested before I even arrived. He claimed he “would not know” anything about that complaint. I have a copy of the internal affairs investigation. He knew. Unbelievably, the judge found he was “credible” and had “probable cause.”
In February 2024 I went, at the town attorney’s suggestion, to watch court proceedings relative to a dishonest contractor against whom both the town and I had filed complaints. When the metal detector went off, the Court officer became overly aggressive, sending me to the emergency room with atrial fibrillation, a permanent heart condition. Attempts to speak with the supervisor, who oversees court officers and the police, were ignored until I received a voicemail stating I had to speak through a lawyer. Okay, I retained one.
On May 14, 2024, we filed a lawsuit. On July 3 my licensing review board complaint was “dismissed” by the same town attorney. The board said it was “a disgrace,” which it was, but it didn’t affect me personally. It harmed the town citizens, and I let the town attorney know. In August I was charged with reckless endangerment, arrested and jailed. Photos of the perp walk were posted on the internet and in the dog park. I lost my business. I was afraid to go out. One of my cats was killed and left in a box with a note that said, “Your [sic] next bitch.” The police said it was “a coincidence.”
In April 2026 the court officer, who was in the court every time there was a hearing about the criminal case, was deposed. In sworn testimony he stated he’d had ex parte, i.e., private, conversations with the judge and the district attorney. His story changed three times. He “couldn’t remember” important details. He admitted he told “his version,” which was an obvious attempt to make himself look good by making me look bad. Regardless, he was taken at his word. After all, he wears a blue uniform.
Rules require that a judge recuse when impartiality might reasonably be questioned. As a result of undisclosed ex parte discussions which were not disclosed to me, I believe the judge was misled, prejudiced, and the case compromised. He’s denied every motion filed by the defense, refuses to look at any evidence, and is pushing me towards a trial which I cannot afford and would be terribly stressful for a 77-year-old pro se litigant with medical issues. He summarily denied my pro se motion to reopen the hearing in which the “credible” officer lied, thereby illegally withholding my right to be heard, and humiliated me in open court by explaining what a trial is and repeatedly defending my dismissed lawyer’s “strategy” which was to lose the hearing and do better at a trial. When I tried to respond, the Judge told me to “stop talking” and said he had a lot of cases.
The D.A. told three lawyers that he “didn’t want to get involved in the politics.” To me that confirms that politics are indeed influencing this situation. I’ve asked repeatedly for anything to justify this charge with no response. It is possible that they are dragging this out so it can be said in federal civil court that I’ve been criminally charged. They did offer a plea, but any deal will also compromise my position in the civil suit. More importantly, I’ve done nothing wrong.
Everything I’ve written is backed up by the written word and legal documents. I feel that I cannot get a fair trial, that the judge should recuse himself, and the D.A. should have never proceeded with this case. Justice is not about winning. It’s about doing the right thing and not harming the innocent. What they’re doing is indefensible, and complaints have now been filed with the State Commissions on Prosecutorial, Judicial and Law Enforcement Conduct. I haven’t had a moment’s peace in almost two years, but I’d like to thank everyone who has stepped up in my behalf and offered support.
And just so you know, I won’t back down.
BARBARA FELDMAN
Jumping Worms
Amagansett
May 11, 2026
Dear Mr. Rattray,
I’d appreciate some warmer temps, so if there’s anything you can do by all means do it. Thanks. A few days ago, I went to the Amagansett Post Office. Why? Good question. To check the mail and put our payment to the plumber in the slot.
Nearly blocking the sidewalk entrance to the P.O. were several neighbors, including the famous Rona Klopman. I braced myself.
Rona, addressing me, said, “Guess what we’re talking about, Lyle?” (I think she said that.) And I replied, “Important matters concerning our hamlet?” And she answered, with a Gotcha tone, “We’re talking about the Strait of Hormuz!”
I now had a sense of urgency to check the mail, so I wished my neighbors a great day. I’d canceled my fishing trip to the Strait of Hormuz days earlier. Awaiting the refund, minus 15 percent deposit.
I digress, Mr. Rattray. They were still convened when I left the Post Office, but I excused myself saying I had an urgent meeting at the I.G.A.
But let’s get to what I’ve been thinking about in recent days. Ready? Okay. Imagine if our current president, during the campaign 20 months ago (roughly at the time he’d debated Kamala Harris) had made the following campaign pledges: 1) When I am elected, we’re getting Greenland. We’ll buy it or take it — but we’re getting it. 2) The Gulf of Mexico will no longer be the Gulf of Mexico. It will be the Gulf of America. 3) The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts; when I’m elected it will be the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center. 4) Not only will we find and deport every illegal alien criminal in this country, we will find and deport every illegal alien, period, no matter who they are or how long they’ve been here or how much you love them. 5) When elected president, I will not tolerate any talk of “peace” from the pope. He should mind his own business. 6) I’ve had it with Canada ripping us off. They’re going to find out what a real tariff feels like. 7) I’m gonna bomb Iran off the face of the earth. Ask Congress? Consult with our allies? Why would I do that? Come to think of it, 8) Maybe we don’t need to be in NATO anymore! 9) I promise, we’re getting rid of windmills. They’re driving whales crazy! 10) The East Wing of the White House is toast; when I’m elected, we’ll tear it down and build a 90,000-square-foot building with a 22,000-square-foot ballroom, all paid for by billionaires, not taxpayers!
I’ve tried to imagine how the election would have gone if any of those actions and statements had been part of his campaign. I should probably be taking longer walks, Mr. Rattray, is that what you’re thinking? Okay, I will. But that’s not even why I’m writing. I have bigger concerns, concerns that have a potential impact on all of us.
Think about this alarming news, as reported in a story on Patch a short while ago: “Invasive Jumping Worms Spreading Across US, Including In NY.” What the hell!? Honestly, I’m afraid to go in our garden for fear of encountering one — or many — of these things. I have enough bad dreams as it is, Mr. Rattray, and I’m sure you’re having the same fears. I’m going to borrow liberally from the article, written by a Patch staff writer, Melanie Gulbas, because I have no words. Well, I have words, thousands in fact, but can’t assemble them in a way that will accurately capture the horror of this phenomenon. These things are known as Asian jumping worms. (Isn’t that profiling?) In the scientific terminology of oligochaeta/lumbricology, they are known as Amynthas agrestis, which sounds more like a flowering plant to me. Whatever. They’ve got a bunch of regional nicknames, too: Alabama jumpers, Jersey wrigglers, crazy snake worms. Any of which would be great names for a band, by the way.
I’m lifting the following words directly from the Westchester County’s Cooperative Extension website: “The jumping worms alter the structure and chemistry of the soil dramatically, leaving a distinctive grainy soil full of worm castings, and they can damage lawns, landscapes and even the forest understory habitat. People unknowingly spread these worms by using them for bait or transport their egg cocoons on shoes and wheels, in mulch, or via transplanted plants. Jumping worms reproduce easily. They are asexual (parthenogenetic) and mature in just 60 days, so each year they can have two hatches.”
Damn! Asexual, yet can reproduce easily and have two hatches a year? While we’re having fewer babies in America every year? In an almost hourly news “cycle” I would have to put the jumping worms right up there.
What should we do? Obviously, check your shoes before leaving your yard. Examine your worms carefully before using them for bait. And if you see any of them jumping, utilize a butterfly net, then take it to a sidewalk or other hard surface and step on it. Then check your shoes again.
Oh, and be sure to closely examine a candidate’s position on the issues that are most important to you before you vote.
Jumping,
LYLE GREENFIELD
Rules Not Enforced
East Hampton
May 9, 2026
To the Editor:
Landscapers working in East Hampton do not follow the town’s leaf blower regulations because they don’t need to; they know the rules are not enforced. Evidently, the town board believes that strict regulations will negatively affect landscaping businesses. On what evidence?
I remember when there were no leaf blowers in East Hampton. So far, the board’s solution is to dodge the issue. Doing nothing is not often an effective strategy.
East Hampton should follow the lead of North Haven and penalize property owners for leaf blower violations, instead of landscapers. That’s a beginning. In the meantime, I will not vote for any present board member until significant action is taken.
Sincerely,
ANDREW HART
Republican Influence
East Hampton
May 8, 2026
To the Editor,
Jerry Larsen is running against the current East Hampton Town supervisor, Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, in the upcoming democratic primaries this June. He has every right in our democracy to do this. However, in a convention conducted by the East Hampton Democratic Committee, Jerry participated and was interviewed for town supervisor, but he did not receive the committee’s endorsement.
As part of his campaign for supervisor he is attempting to remove from the democratic committee those members who did not vote for him.
Many candidates on the Larsen team now challenging current democratic committee members have not been previously registered as Democrats. Many have been either registered Republicans or independents.
In other words, Jerry Larsen’s team is attempting to take over control of the East Hampton Democratic Committee with persons not previously aligned with the Democratic Party.
I am proud to say at this time the people of East Hampton predominately support Democrats in elections. The best way for Republicans to beat Democrats locally is to infiltrate the Democratic Party.
The mission of the Democratic committee is to work hard for the election of Democrats locally, countywide, statewide, and nationally. As we all know, a critical election for the survival of our democracy is coming this November.
My concern is this, if the East Hampton Democratic Committee becomes compromised by Republican influence and members not fully committed to democratic values, is this what we want?
For the record, I am currently a member of the Democratic committee and am running for re-election.
ROB CARDONSKY
Appears Incomplete
East Hampton Village
May 10, 2026
David,
Bradford Billet begins his April 30 letter with the phrase, “in the interest of full disclosure.” Unfortunately, his disclosure appears incomplete.
While readers were informed of his longtime friendship and political support for Mayor Jerry Larsen, they were not informed that Mr. Billet serves as executive director of the East Hampton Village Foundation, an organization closely aligned with village leadership and one that, despite its growing public profile, has not publicly disclosed the sources of its funding in a meaningful way. That omission matters.
Mr. Billet’s letter repeatedly attacks the motives, affiliations, and alleged political interests of others while presenting himself as a neutral voice of civic credibility. Yet readers were not fully advised of his own institutional and personal proximity to the mayor, whose candidacy and conduct he so passionately defends.
Moreover, much of Mr. Billet’s argument relies not on independently verifiable evidence, but on personal assurances regarding Mr. Larsen’s integrity and intentions. Longstanding friendship, however sincere, is not evidence. Nor does public service automatically immunize an elected official from criticism, scrutiny, or disagreement.
Reasonable people may disagree about the ambulance issue, municipal governance, or the direction of East Hampton politics. But if “full disclosure” is to mean anything, it should apply evenly to everyone participating in the discussion.
Readers are entitled to evaluate commentary with a complete understanding of the relationships and interests involved.
DAVID GANZ
Party’s Own Rules
Montauk
May 10, 2026
Dear Mr. Rattray:
Jerry Mulligan is a really fine guy, an equally fine lawyer, and, by all accounts, a fine tennis player. But he’s plain wrong when he says, with respect to Jerry Larsen, in his letter published in this newspaper last week: “In the current local election, Jerry Larsen’s actions challenge the integrity of the democratic process. When a candidate, after losing a party nomination, seeks to load the Democratic committee with his loyalists, it raises serious concerns about respect for the rules that ensure fair elections.”
Whether you’re in his corner or not, Mr. Larsen is simply following the Democratic Party’s own rules. The local Democratic committee (largely a self-perpetuating cabal) endorsed a different candidate, and as is his right, he is challenging that candidate in a primary.
Moreover, the committee’s leadership is unwilling to commit to support Mr. Larsen should he win the primary. No wonder Mr. Larsen would seek to replace committee leadership and membership that is up in arms because their undemocratic prerogatives are challenged by someone with the means and strategy to do it.
Who’s undermining the integrity of the democratic process? That’s the democratic process, working as designed.
This isn’t about fair elections — that’s a red herring. It’s about holding onto power and control, and that’s what’s actually wrong.
All of the people of East Hampton should get to decide — for ourselves — who leads our community.
JONATHAN YELLEN
Unctuous and Fatuous
Amagansett
May 8, 2026
To the Editor:
Apropos of all the unctuous and fatuous letters last week defending the First Citizen’s thuggish takeover of the village ambulance service, it’s useful to resort to his own words, as reported in The Star (Christopher Gangemi, “East Hampton Ambulance Association Ordered to Dissolve,” June 13, 2024): “Mayor Jerry Larsen too, was jubilant. ‘The whole thing was a fraud, done in a fraudulent means. Everything they did was illegal.’ ”
He was speaking of people who devoted decades of their lives to volunteering on village ambulances.
That is the real Jerry Larsen. Everything you need to know about the man, as he helicopters into the East Hampton supervisor job, is right there.
In all the towns and villages of America, ambulance volunteers are the best people around. They work full-time jobs, then run out when the beeper goes off to save a life, true good, for free. Mayors everywhere appreciate them. Nobody trashes them. Ever.
All of the dishonorable missives this week never mentioned Mr. Larsen slandering the best people in the village, nor explained why it was so darn important to drive them out then salt the earth. Most of the letters explained it as business as usual: just the transfer of a license, the correction of some irregularities. Nothing to see here, people,
However, there is a tell about the real motives here: Several of the letters libel the volunteers again, as if Larsen himself defaming them wasn’t good enough. Mary Ellen McGuire: The vollies were ne’er-do-wells and scoundrels who “took umbrage” at Larsen’s victory, neglected their “mission statement. . . . They went off the charts and actually undermined the community’s trust in our ability to render care.” Mary Mott: ‘[T]he only secret meetings, and the attempts to control, have taken place in ‘dark shadows’ within the small town gossip circles” opposing Mr. Larsen.
However, it is Bradford Billet’s hit on the citizen writing The Star about the ambulance these days that most expresses the personality and morality of the incoming administration. Mr. Billet hit the classic, the iconic, low of mentioning the writer’s wife. “I will not name her here, as she should not be held responsible for her husband’s actions.” That is the slime record so far (a word I doubt I have ever used in a letter to the Star).
Mr. Billet says something else in passing I found of high interest. In a gratuitous boast, he mentioned that during a gig in New York City government, “I had direct responsibility for the merger of New York City E.M.S. and the Fire Department into a unified, seamless system.” Ha! I was an emergency medical technician in that system from 2003-07, and here are a few things everyone knew: We had been “stolen” from Health and Hospitals so that the no longer very busy Fire Department could use our much-more numerous calls to justify its budget.
The firefighters, almost all white men as everyone knows, despised the E.M.S., whose members were half women and an overlapping half people of color; whenever the proposal surfaced to share a base with them, they fought like wildcats. And though they frequently got to calls before we did, we usually found them standing around watching the victim, rather than doing anything. We called it “the blue circle of death.” Unified and seamless, my arse.
Nice of Mr. Billet to situate himself for me as he ran with the Larsen libel football, though.
One thing I wasn’t prepared for out here was the relentless schoolyard bullying in politics, of which Peter Van Scoyoc was the past master. I would love to see a “celebrity death match” between him and Mr. Larsen, but I suspect I know the winner.
Find some space in your heart for the noble village vollies, who have been so savagely slam-dunked they no longer write letters to the paper about their experiences.
For democracy in East Hampton,
JONATHAN WALLACE
Political Attacks
East Hampton
May 11, 2026
To the Editor,
Readers deserve to know the facts before weighing the recent letters from Lou Cortese and Jennifer Fowkes. Both individuals were appointed to the East Hampton Town Planning Board by Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, the same incumbent Mayor Jerry Larsen is challenging in the June 23 Democratic primary. Their letters are not expressions of independent civic concern; they are political attacks dressed up as such, and voters deserve to know the truth.
Mr. Cortese has now written multiple letters attacking Mayor Larsen. As I noted previously, he has far more at stake in this primary than his planning board appointment. His wife sits on the East Hampton Democratic Committee and is facing a challenger for the first time in her tenure, as part of a slate personally recruited by Mayor Larsen. Mr. Cortese is not a dispassionate observer raising civic alarms. He is a political actor fighting on multiple fronts to protect his family’s political position.
Ms. Fowkes has likewise entered the political arena while omitting Mayor Larsen’s decades of documented public service. She sits on the planning board as well, appointed mid-term and quickly elevated to vice-chairwoman. Voters may draw their own conclusions. Neither disclosed these relationships to readers.
Recently, she helped organize East Hampton Village Foundation May Day 5K, as she has for years. She knows the organization, its mission, and the people it serves. Her sudden feigned lack of understanding is both surprising and politically motivated.
Now to the foundation. As founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of the East Hampton Village Foundation, let me answer these attacks directly and with facts, not innuendo. I also want to make clear that the foundation itself takes no position on any political candidate. My comments here are entirely personal.
The East Hampton Village Foundation was created in 2021 at the request of Mayor Jerry Larsen following a unanimous vote of the village board. It is an independent 501(c)(3) public charity with its own governance and accountability structures entirely separate from village government.
The foundation is apolitical because federal law requires it to be apolitical. We do not endorse candidates or participate in campaigns. We serve every resident and visitor regardless of political affiliation. village and town officials across the political spectrum, including Supervisor Burke-Gonzalez herself, have attended and supported our events because the foundation benefits the entire community.
Mr. Cortese raised questions about transparency. Let us address that directly. Our audits and I.R.S. filings are publicly available at EHVF.org. The foundation holds the highest ratings possible from both Charity Navigator and Candid/GuideStar Platinum Transparency. We are independently audited annually, and every dollar raised and spent is publicly disclosed and verifiable.
More importantly, let us discuss the results.
In less than five years, the foundation has raised more than $4 million in private funds without taking a single taxpayer dollar.
In public safety, we funded a virtual license plate recognition security ring around the village, security cameras in the business district and beaches, electric vehicle fire suppression equipment for the East Hampton Fire Department, firefighter safety equipment, police emergency service equipment, and all-terrain rescue vehicles for police and lifeguards.
In community programming, Tuesdays at Main Beach draws thousands weekly each summer, free to all. SantaFest brings more than 4,000 families to the village annually. We have hosted community block parties, the May Day 5K, free yoga, fitness programs, car shows, and numerous inclusive public events open to residents, visitors, and workers alike.
At Herrick Park, the foundation privately funded major improvements, including renovated tennis courts, upgraded baseball and softball facilities, a multi-use athletic field, and disabilities-compliant walkways — all without taxpayer funding.
We organized East Hampton Village’s centennial celebration and have also provided fundraising support to more than 40 local nonprofits, helping them collectively raise over $50,000 without charging fees or administrative percentages.
The foundation’s events have now welcomed more than 150,000 attendees. This is their foundation.
What makes the recent attacks especially troubling is their selective outrage. The Town of East Hampton itself provides taxpayer funding to numerous respected nonprofits, including the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center, Family Service League, the Retreat, I-Tri, Hampton Hopper, and others. The Montauk Playhouse Community Center Foundation reportedly received approximately $5 million in taxpayer commitments, as well as a publicly announced anonymous $1 million donation. No ethical alarms were raised. No letters were written. Anonymous philanthropy is entirely lawful and commonplace throughout the nonprofit world.
Every one of those organizations performs valuable work. I support them. But charitable giving and civic organizations should not become political weapons selectively attacked depending on who is associated with them politically.
Planning board members hold quasi-judicial positions carrying a public trust. Their role requires neutrality, restraint, and public confidence in impartial decision-making. When appointed officials publicly engage in partisan political attacks while serving in such positions, it inevitably raises legitimate questions about fairness, judgment, and the ability to discharge their duties free from political bias or appearance of bias.
I support Jerry Larsen openly and personally. I have known him for more than 40 years. I founded the East Hampton Village Foundation. I served in the New York City government for more than two decades and volunteered for 10 years with the East Hampton Village ambulance. Everything I have stated here is factual, verifiable, and on the record.
Jerry Larsen has spent more than four decades serving this community — as a police officer through every rank to chief, as a business owner, and as mayor. His record speaks for itself. What is truly disturbing is not that political opponents disagree with him, but that respected nonprofit organizations, charitable giving, and civic institutions are now being dragged into partisan warfare in an effort to damage him politically. East Hampton deserves better than that.
Our nonprofits should unite this community, not divide it. Public service should be measured by facts and results, not innuendo and political theater. And no resident should ever feel intimidated from supporting a candidate, a charity, or a civic cause because of fear of political retaliation or public attack.
Facts matter. Service matters. Integrity matters. The people of East Hampton can decide the rest for themselves.
BRADFORD E. BILLET
Call to Service
Springs
May 11, 2026
Good Morning David,
When Jerry Larsen first asked me if I would consider running alongside him in the town primary, I was confused. Run for what? He explained that each of East Hampton Town’s 19 districts is represented by two community members. These members act as the voices of their districts; they are liaisons to the larger Democratic Party, and ultimately, they select who will be running as the Democratic candidate in the supervisor’s race. I was shocked. Never in my 23 years as a registered Democrat have I been contacted by or even made aware that such a committee exists. My name is Jennifer Lilja Baladron and I am running for the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee in Election District 15.
I am born and raised in East Hampton, I hold a dual master’s degree and am a small-business owner. I am obsessed with my husband and my dog. And I have been a loud and proud Democrat since I was preregistered at 17 by Timothy Rood of East Hampton High School fame! I believe in Democratic values that protect opportunity, fairness, and dignity for all people. To me, this means free public education and child care accessibility at the earliest ages, affordable housing opportunities, health care access, a priority on environmental protections, and more recently, defending the civil rights of the marginalized.
Our country and our community deserve leadership that is accessible, engaged, and focused. Too often, people feel disconnected from the political process or unheard by those elected to represent them. These days, that could not be more true. I am frustrated. Our nation is being torn to shreds by the current administration and the sycophantic Republican weasels doing the bidding of a deranged and disturbed criminal, and I can no longer change the channel.
Locally, our town and districts need representatives who actually reside here, representatives who are willing to organize year round, not just during election season. We need representatives who understand that lasting progress comes from collaboration and community involvement. Inclusion in the process and responsiveness to constituents are non-negotiables. Transparency, accountability, and true representation of the priorities of the people need to be paramount at every level of government.
I aim to help bridge that gap by bringing neighbors together, listening to concerns, and holding the town board and supervisor accountable to their charges. The overspending is wasteful and alarming. The mismanagement of several town-run offices is unnecessary and inexcusable. The local housing crisis and affordability issues seem insurmountable. Raising taxes year after year to cover the costs of litigation arising from bad governing is shameful.
I know Jerry Larsen well. I am proud to call him a close friend, and I am proud to support his candidacy for supervisor. We joke that I keep pulling him further and further to my radical left, but he’s always promoted core Democratic values. He is one of the most generous and hard-working people I will know in my lifetime. He is always putting other people’s needs ahead of his own. He listens. He is a creative thinker and a problem-solver. He is smart and practical and has a seemingly insatiable drive to make things better. He almost can’t help it — it’s a call to service that lies deep within him, and nothing is more Democratic than that.
Thank you for your consideration.
JENNIFER LILJA BALADRON
Rare Opportunity
East Hampton
May 11, 2026
Dear David,
A recent campaign mailer from the current town supervisor, Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, highlights the photos of 38 members of the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee she considers the “real committee.” But are they? The facts tell a different story.
Of the existing 38 Democratic Committee members, the question arises: How many were on the actual ballot? It has been five years since East Hampton Democrats last had the chance to vote for their district representative at a polling place. Most of these members have never faced a public vote. The last year a direct vote was held was 2021. A committee that isn’t chosen by the people directly cannot truly claim to represent the people.
This June 23rd, we have a rare opportunity to change that. For the first time in five years, you can vote for a committee that is accountable to its constituents. A party with a mandate from the people, not just those selected by party leadership. That should give East Hampton a chance to directly elect the “real committee.”
Let’s ensure our party representation is earned at the ballot box, not handed out by leadership. See you at the primary on June 23
Regards,
SUSAN JACKSON
Social Media
East Hampton
May 9, 2026
To the Editor,
As someone currently running for Democratic committee, I feel compelled to speak out about something that has become increasingly frustrating during this election cycle.
Like many working-class people in this town, I grind every day. I balance work, community involvement, organizing events, and trying to build real connections with residents, face to face. That’s what local politics is supposed to be about: community, accessibility, and open participation.
What concerns me is seeing social media platforms being used in a way that isolates or minimizes other candidates who are also officially running. Certain groups and pages are presenting the currently elected committee members as “the official Democratic Committee” in a way that can mislead voters into believing no other legitimate candidates exist.
I have documentation from the board of elections confirming my candidacy. Other candidates do as well. Whether someone is an incumbent or a challenger, every certified candidate deserves equal recognition and a fair opportunity to communicate with voters.
Democracy should not be controlled through branding, insider circles, or selective online visibility. It should be open, transparent, and welcoming to new voices willing to put in the work for their community.
Social media can be a powerful tool for organizing, but it should not become a gatekeeping mechanism that discourages participation or creates the impression that only one side is legitimate before voters have even had their say.
At the end of the day, this should be about serving the community, not protecting status, influence, or political exclusivity.
Sincerely,
RYAN ZWICK
—
Mr. Zwick is one of a group of candidates for the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee backing East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen in the June 23 Democratic primary. Ed.
‘I Alone’
East Hampton
May 11, 2026
To the Editor:
The easiest promise in politics is also the most dangerous: “I alone can fix it.” We have heard that numerous times from our president and yet, the chaos grows by the day. Now we are hearing a local version in East Hampton.
Jerry Larsen, the mayor of the village, is running for town supervisor and seems to suggest that two of the town’s difficult issues — the airport and the Maidstone Gun Club — can be solved simply by firing the lawyers and personally negotiating a deal. He will wrap it up in no time.
That is not a plan. That is a slogan.
The Maidstone Gun Club issue is well known, after reports of bullets striking nearby homes, and it was shuttered by order of a State Supreme Court judge while the case proceeds. The East Hampton airport issue has also involved years of costly legal fights with the well-funded aviation and helicopter operators. There are numerous noise complaints and other community concerns.
These are not simple problems. They involve public safety, property rights, noise, environmental concerns, federal aviation law, local control, and the interests of residents who have lived with these issues for years.
Mr. Larsen offers no facts, no details, and no serious explanation of how he would produce a settlement acceptable to the whole community. “I’ll sit down and fix it” may sound appealing, but it ignores why these matters became so difficult in the first place.
East Hampton does not need bravado. It needs careful leadership, respect for the legal process, and honest answers. The current town board members including the current supervisor, Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, are deeply involved and will provide continuity in dealing with these and other town issues.
JEREMIAH T. MULLIGAN
Would Be a Disaster
Montauk
May 11, 2026
To the Editor,
This is the third consecutive letter I’ve written to The Star as my way of painting a fuller picture of Jerry Larsen, in order to demonstrate why if he is elected as town supervisor, it would be a monumental disaster. The repurposed phrase “to know him is to shun voting for him” is what I hope to accomplish with these letters.
In my previous two letters I described his autocratic way of governing, his predilection to be in control, and his penchant for pandering to a singular constituency, ignoring the less-influential segments of the community.
In this letter, I want to bring to light his lack of qualifications for the job of town supervisor, especially in comparison to the depth of experience and the forged-under-fire credentials of his opponent, Kathee Burke-Gonzalez.
Mr. Larsen’s job as village mayor is a part-time job with a salary of $26,000, which he’s recently raised by 92 percent to $50,000, even though it’s heavily supported by the village administrator who manages all of the day-to-day operations.
The town supervisor’s job by every measurable dimension, geographic area (15 times), year-round population (22 times), budget (four times), employees (four times), departmental scope (10 times) and intergovernmental complexity, is dramatically more demanding than the village mayor’s post. That’s not a slight to the village governance, which as I said, is mostly administered by a full-time village administrator whose salary is currently at $200,000. It’s a stark reminder that the two jobs, supervisor and mayor, describe roles of fundamentally different character, scope, and consequence for residents of East Hampton.
The town supervisor has a much more demanding workload, leading a full-service municipal government responsible for police, highways, environmental stewardship, land-use regulation, social services, and dozens of other functions across 74 square miles of terrain plus 312 square miles of water bodies, stretching from Wainscott to Montauk Point. The village mayor, by contrast leads a compact, largely residential community of about 1,300 year-round residents within a 4.7-square-mile area.
As a result, Mr. Larsen seems to spend a lot of his part-time gig doing event planning, organizing seasonal festivals such as SantaFest, which includes the Santa Parade and Santa’s helicopter arrival. He’s established a Friday Night Movies event offering free screenings of family classics at the Middle School. Choosing which movies to show and where Santa’s helicopter will land are the kinds of decisions, if I were mayor, that would keep me up at night (apologies to Barack Obama).
That’s not to say he hasn’t issued consequential (and dreadful) decrees. I’ve written in depth in my previous letters, how he took a DOGE-like chain saw to the almost 50-year volunteer ambulance service, just so he could bring it under his control. I’ve also written about his establishing a private nonprofit foundation that funds village projects with funds donated by anonymous donors, creating a potential quid pro quo risk and circumventing public oversight of village spending.
He has unilaterally pushed for major changes to local sites, like Herrick Park and Main Beach, without public input. He also shortened the terms of appointed board members so he could gain more control by replacing members who may begin to disagree with him or not treat his V.I.P. constituencies with expected favoritism, while sacrificing expertise depleted by the shortened time on the job.
The experience that Mr. Larsen’s opponent in the supervisor race brings is many years of deliberations over impactful issues affecting a socioeconomically diverse constituency.
Ms. Burke-Gonzalez has been pulled in divergent directions by opposing demands from competing interests. She has participated on the town board as a councilperson and as supervisor. In both positions she’s had to consider opposing views to her own, make compromises, change course, listen to the people twice a week formally while maintaining a perpetual open-door policy, making the tough decisions, knowing that not all citizens would be happy. Her north star, however, has always been to choose the overall benefit of the community as a whole.
She’s been in the trenches and lost some battles, but overall, our town has moved forward and maintained our values, preserving the environment, maintaining our small-town character, sustaining our year-round local community of working families and standing up to the commodification for personal profit of our land and water bodies.
Jerry Larsen is not even qualified to stand among the other town board members, each one of whom is much more qualified to govern than he is, never mind rising to a comparable level as Ms. Burke-Gonzalez. He only knows how to rule by whim and favoritism. At this forthcoming election, leave him to play king of the village, where his capricious declarations are constrained to 1,300 residents and leave the 29,000 year-round residents under the care of serious officials led by our skilled, compassionate, and practiced supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez. Please vote for her on June 23.
LOU CORTESE
Steady Leadership
Springs
May 11, 2026
Dear David,
This Democratic primary for town supervisor offers voters two very different records. On taxes, management, development, and public engagement, Village Mayor Jerry Larsen has demonstrated fiscal discipline, thoughtful leadership, and a commitment to protecting community character and listening to residents’ concerns.
Under Mayor Larsen’s leadership, village taxes were reduced or held flat for three years, and this year’s 1.28 percent increase remained below inflation, unlike his opponent, Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, who as town supervisor exceeded the state tax cap for the second consecutive year. He also maintained nearly $1 million in budget surplus and reserves.
Mayor Larsen advanced limited accessory apartments for family members, caregivers, and employees while preserving neighborhood and environmental protections. He strengthened code enforcement and backed noise and nightlife regulations — areas where his opponent has fallen short for the town. To protect the local community, he opposed commercialization of the village’s historic hotels when faced with a proposed private membership club. In a historic move, Mayor Larsen passed the first Immigration and Customs Enforcement accountability law on the East End to foster trust between local police and residents, showing he upholds the rights of our diverse communities.
By contrast, Ms. Burke-Gonzalez oversaw a long-delayed senior center redevelopment project that wasted $3 million and became entangled in design disputes, site changes, and broader debates over cost, scale, and community priorities.
She also supported placing a 185-foot cell tower in the Crandall-Norfolk woodlands, the last remaining bit of open space in my densely populated Springs neighborhood, despite legal prohibitions on developing designated open space and overwhelming opposition from several hundred local Springs residents who have enjoyed the woodlands for more than four decades. Only after community members proposed an alternative site at the Girl Scouts’ Camp Blue Bay and retained legal counsel to protect our open space did she back down. The Crandall-Norfolk woodlands’ fate was better than the proposed site for the failed senior center — seven acres of woodlands which Ms. Burke-Gonzalez cleared without a completed project to show for it.
Four years later, she continues to oppose adding the Crandall-Norfolk woodlands to the town nature preserves, despite recommendations from the Springs citizens advisory committee and the nature preserve committee, as well as findings by an expert that the property meets preservation criteria under the town code. In fact, in clear contravention of local law, she has failed to conduct a proper evaluation as required by the town code.
This contrast matters. Mayor Larsen has consistently protected neighborhoods, preserved community character, demonstrated fiscal responsibility, and listened to residents. I believe he will bring that same steady leadership to the role of town supervisor. I encourage my fellow residents to support him.
Sincerely,
JACKI ESPOSITO
Attempt to Distract
Amagansett
May 8, 2026
Dear David,
As the Democratic primary for East Hampton Town supervisor approaches on June 23, I am disappointed to see that Lou Cortese has resorted to lazy, nationalized political labeling, attempting to compare Mayor Jerry Larsen to Donald Trump and his foundation to Trump’s ballroom. Such a comparison is not only inaccurate, but it is also a transparent attempt by the local establishment to distract voters from the real issues and from their own underwhelming record. Perhaps Mr. Cortese doesn’t have good knowledge of the real issues.
Comparing a former 34-year veteran of the East Hampton Village Police Department, who served as chief for 14 years and now serves as mayor, to a polarizing national figure is absurd.
As mayor, Jerry Larsen has demonstrated a commitment to bipartisan results, not ideological warfare. He has operated with a “residents-first” approach, focusing on tangible improvements: keeping taxes at historic lows, upgrading village infrastructure, and fostering transparency in government.
Unlike national politicians who thrive on division, Mayor Larsen has spent his career in public service working with everyone — Democrats, Republicans, and independents — to enhance the quality of life for those in our community. His focus is on local issues: tackling the housing crisis by making homes affordable for families, repairing local zoning laws, lowering property taxes, and improving town services. He has maintained a $600,000 surplus in the village budget and $300,000 in the contingency account to keep taxes low.
The attempt to label Jerry a “Trump-type” is a tactic straight out of a desperate political playbook designed to scare voters rather than engage them. It is designed to ignore the fact that under his leadership, the village has flourished, and many in the town are seeking that same pragmatic, efficient, and experienced leadership to address the challenges of the broader Town of East Hampton.
We deserve a debate on the issues, on who can best manage our budget, handle our housing crisis, and represent our community’s needs. Let’s judge candidates on their proven experience and results, not on the national rhetoric generated by Lou Cortese.
If you couldn’t attend the debate on Tuesday, make sure you watch a rerun on LTV.
RONA KLOPMAN
Good Deal
Montauk
May 6, 2026
Dear David,
The U.S.A. was lucky to have F.D.R. as president on Dec. 7, 1941. He knew how to wage war.
If D.J.T. had been president, he would have sent Abbott and Costello to Japan to negotiate a good deal to build a casino and golf course in Tokyo.
Happy spring,
BRIAN POPE
War to Enrich
East Hampton
May 7, 2026
Dear Mr. Rattray,
The war with Iran with the closing of the Gulf of Hormuz has had a worldwide economic impact, especially with respect to rising fuel costs. However, little if any notice has been given to the economic benefits of this war. Unfortunately, these benefits are being reaped by only a select group, especially those who invested in manufacturers that supply weapons to the United States military.
Consider these top three manufacturers: Lockheed Martin stock surged over 40 percent during the past six months, largely fueled by high demand for its missile systems. As of early May 2026, RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon) stock rose roughly 30 percent over the past six months, with record production backlogs for its missiles. During the same time, Northrop Grumman stock rose approximately 22 percent because of a high demand for its defensive weapon systems.
Anyone who invested in these stocks because they knew the war was imminent benefited enormously. The idea that having prior knowledge of what Donald Trump will say or do to make money in the stock market is not mere speculation. Last week, White House insiders informed a reporter at Axios that it was close to a memorandum of understanding with Iran that would end the war. About 70 minutes before the reporter was informed, someone invested $920 million in crude oil futures betting the price would drop. Within two hours, oil prices had fallen more than 12 percent, giving this investor a profit of about $125 million. No such memorandum was ever issued.
Is this war being conducted to enrich certain people, including Trump? Think about the price we are paying, most notably those who have been killed or wounded in this war.
SALVATORE TOCCI
Mouth Running
Montauk
May 11, 2026
Dear David,
It truly seems that politicians love to run their mouths. Listening to Liz Warren, I wonder, when does she stop? Someone needs to advise her she needs to get her facts together, before making statements and making herself look dumb.
Here is her mouth running: “If Jeff Bezos can drop $10 million to sponsor the Met Gala, he can afford to pay his fair share in taxes.”
Elizabeth Warren, wake up, he pays plenty. Amazon’s founder has reportedly kept his income down by drawing a small salary. However, he paid big time on the sale of Amazon stock. In 2024, Forbes reported, Mr. Bezos paid over $2.7 billion in taxes. Mr. Bezos has been reported as giving away billions to charities over the years.
Ms. Warren, your jealousy, greed, and your dishonesty make you still unsatisfied.
In God and country,
BEA DERRICO