Above and Beyond
East Hampton
May 14, 2026
Dear David,
East Hampton is a special community of which we are proud to be a part. We would like to thank our community members for all they do for our students, welcoming them and sharing their knowledge! As part of our English as a new language program at the East Hampton Middle School, our East Hampton Local History Club introduces our students to various places of importance in our community. This school year we went to the East Hampton Library, the Maidstone Club, the Animal Rescue Fund, East Hampton Indoor Tennis, and the Springs Tavern.
Joe Brondo, Andrea Meyer, and the library staff are always accommodating and fun. They showed our students the extensive features available to all. They make learning about local history interesting and memorable.
Ken Koch at the Maidstone Club gave our students a trip back in time, to see East Hampton and its traditions before the turn of the century. They learned about the importance of landscape design and architecture and how East Hampton has both changed and stayed the same over the years all while looking at artwork and the beautiful views.
Jamie Berger at the Animal Rescue Fund treated our gang to a behind-the-scenes tour of the shelter and all the labors that the staff and volunteers do to help our furry friends in the community. The students learned a great deal and were even able to interact with the animals and interview the staff for their video projects.
Scott Rubenstein welcomed our group to East Hampton Indoor Tennis. The students were impressed with the grounds and all of the sports areas, but, of course, had a blast checking out all the fun activities that the Clubhouse has to offer.
Raul Rodas at the Springs Tavern had the students gather around the fire, making traditional American s’mores as he informed the students of the history of the building and its importance to the Springs community.
As teachers we want to give our students knowledge and experiences to be curious about and understand the world around them. Luckily, we live in a community that goes above and beyond to educate our students and truly make them feel a sense of belonging. Thank you so very much to all of the people that help us make learning an interactive and memorable experience for our students. Go, Bonac!
ALEXANDRA MCCOURT
CARA NELSON
Meaning of Community
Montauk
May 17, 2026
Dear David:
Over this past weekend, two wonderful women, Catherine Ecker Flanagan and Patty Collins Sales, held a fund-raiser for the Support James Devine’s Cancer Care GoFundMe that was very successful. In the process, these two women and my volunteer nurse have taught me the true meaning of community and love. My nephew, Matt McHugh, and his wife, Alicia Ann, have shown me the love of family. Neither of these lessons will ever be forgotten.
I need to let everyone know that I don’t consider the funds raised as “free” money. The donations imply an obligation. I have told Matt, the most trustworthy person I know, that should something happen to me, the funds raised must be sent to people who need it. I am thinking at this moment of Greg Donahue and others. That is the plan so that the hard-working people who donated know what
On the town board front, Tom Flight has contacted my friends, and we will see how that goes. People have suggested Medicaid, but one needs to be destitute, or nearly destitute, to qualify. There is also the New York Cancer Foundation, which has less stringent rules, but is not flexible enough for a lot of people to qualify. So, I am exploring all options available.
Yours,
JIM DEVINE
One-Hour Limit
Montauk
May 12, 2026
Dear Mr. Rattray,
I am writing regarding the town’s recent decision to begin enforcing the one-hour parking restriction at the parking area at the end of West Lake Drive in Montauk.
Montauk’s economy and identity depend heavily on tourism and waterfront recreation. The end of West Lake Drive is one of the few places where the public can casually stop and directly experience the harbor, inlet, commercial fishing fleet, jetties, and maritime atmosphere that make Montauk unique. Visitors and residents alike use the area to swim, fish, dive, walk the shoreline, and observe daily harbor activity.
For at least the past 15 years, the one-hour parking restriction has not been posted or enforced. During that time, the area has functioned successfully as a shared recreational and waterfront access point for both residents and visitors.
This winter, millions of federal dollars, along with approximately $2.6 million in town funding, were invested in dredging the inlet. That project created a significantly larger beach at the end of West Lake Drive, expanding the area available for public recreation and waterfront access. Because these improvements were funded in large part through public taxpayer dollars, policies governing access to the area should continue to allow reasonable public use and enjoyment of this newly improved shoreline.
While it is understandable that town officials anticipate increased summer use, immediate enforcement of a previously unposted one-hour parking restriction seems premature and unnecessarily restrictive given the normal use of this area. Visitors often spend time walking or fishing from the jetties, enjoying the beach, watching boats navigate the inlet, or exploring the adjacent area that includes the town dock where many commercial boats are berthed. A modestly longer time limit would better reflect the actual recreational use of the area while still ensuring reasonable turnover of parking spaces. The town could then evaluate actual parking conditions and usage patterns during the 2026 summer season before deciding whether it is necessary to enforce a heretofore unenforced restriction. If parking management is ultimately determined to be necessary, reasonable alternatives that preserve public access while addressing turnover concerns should be considered, including allowing two or three-hour parking in much of the lot during the summer season (June 15–Sept. 15), while creating a limited number of short-term spaces near the inlet overlook for visitors making brief stops.
While I understand there has been some suggestion that the one-hour restriction be replaced with a resident-only or town beach permit requirement, I believe such a solution would be ill advised. The East Hampton Town Board already maintains many resident-restricted beach and parking areas. The end of West Lake Drive remains one of the few places where both residents and visitors can freely experience Montauk’s harbor, inlet, and maritime heritage up close.
As a result of the dredging, it is also one of the few publicly accessible sand beaches on Block Island Sound in East Hampton Town. Public investments in dredging and shoreline improvements should support continued reasonable public access to the area. Preserving that access benefits residents, visitors, and the local economy that depends on Montauk’s waterfront character.
Respectfully,
ANN M. JOYCE
Fix the Road
East Hampton
May 18, 2026
To the Editor,
Apparently, the Town of East Hampton is not going to repave Two Holes of Water Road.
The road is about two miles long — so compromise and do half. The worst half begins at Stephen Hand’s Path after the roundabout, after the very small portion they paved.
The town is spending millions of taxpayer money on “affordable” land and housing for low-income people. How about the middle-income people? Use the tax money for something from which the actual taxpayers themselves will benefit. Fix the road.
JANE ADELMAN
Invisible Barriers
Amagansett
May 16, 2026
To the Editor,
I married my second husband on Nov. 27, 2018. I knew he had a house in the Hamptons, but I was not familiar with the area. I only knew it from Hollywood movies. Since Covid, we have been living here full time. I am now a resident here and a proud American citizen. I vote here, and I fulfill my civic responsibilities with respect and gratitude.
I fell in love with the nature and the beaches. Amagansett became my happy place. My daily walks from Atlantic Avenue to Indian Wells Beach are my therapy. The ocean became my comfort, with its breathtaking sunrises and sunsets.
This place is magical, a little paradise on Earth. I feel blessed and lucky to be here. But I have one problem. I found it very difficult to connect with people here, even though I truly love people, human connection, and real relationships. I can honestly say that I do not have a single close friend here, and sometimes it breaks my heart.
For years I asked myself, “Is it me? Am I the problem? Is there something wrong with me?”
After a long time of observing and understanding this place, I realized that I am not the problem. The problem is that many people around here think they are better than others simply because they were born into privilege, generational wealth, or trust funds.
Even though I am a highly educated woman who speaks four languages, I still feel many invisible barriers and social walls that are difficult to break. Snobbery is very common here. If I meet someone new at a local coffee shop, one of the first questions is often, “Which club do you belong to?”
My answer is always polite, and it usually makes people smile: “I belong to the nice people’s club. Would you like to join me?”
And honestly, I do belong to the nice people’s club. I am simply looking for genuine people who care more about human connection than money or status. Otherwise, this beautiful place can become emotionally toxic.
No matter how much money we have, one day we will all leave this Earth the same way we came into it — with empty hands. So be kind to one another.
Build real connections, not fake ones.
Spread love and kindness.
SISSY SAKVARLISHVILI TSISNAMI
Integration
My fern and jade are in love.
They are different shades of green.
When I placed them on the shelf to winter-over
I thought twice about that.
The fern’s thin appendages entwined
around the jade’s palpable waterfilled scallops.
What harm could come of this
integration?
I would wait until spring to separate them.
They nudge tighter as the days shorten.
They sleep, drink, sunbathe together,
vibrate when I play classical music.
Bird watch, hug.
Inseparable. Different colors don’t matter.
In the spring, I will design a pot
they can live in together.
DEE SLAVUTIN
Awareness
Amagansett
May 17, 2026
To the Editor,
As we approach the end of Mental Health Awareness Month, remember there are those who keep attacking the character of an individual because they can’t attack the facts, and it is eating them alive. When they can’t rewrite what happened, they attempt to rewrite who another is, because discrediting is the only way they avoid owning it.
It is a good rule of thumb to remember an abusive person is not an accurate source of information to give the details of events in regard to the person they are mistreating.
Still here,
JOE KARPINSKI
A Rare Chance
East Hampton
May 18, 2026
Dear David,
Thank you for covering the May 8 East Hampton Town Board hearing on purchasing the Wainscott parcel for affordable housing. I’d like to share a little more of what I said that night, as the excerpt that made it into print was only part of the story.
I also want to say, publicly, that I’m grateful to our town board for taking this seriously. Land like this doesn’t wait. And a board willing to act before a developer does is a board that’s working for the people who live and work here — or would like to.
I grew up in a pocket neighborhood in Massachusetts. When my parents divorced, my mother couldn’t afford a house in our town. She couldn’t afford to live near her job. Fortunately, we were able to move into a small condominium community in our town, and that little community is what kept us going. It kept me in the school system I knew. It kept my mother close to her work. It was, honestly, what let us land on our feet. That’s what I was thinking about when I stood up Thursday night.
This purchase in Wainscott is a chance, maybe a rare one, to give East Hampton’s working families somewhere to stay. The artists. The writers. The teachers. The nurses and doctors staffing our new emergency room. The ambulance volunteers. The farmers and waitstaff, firefighters and town employees. The people who want to build a life here, and raise their own kids here. These are the people who make East Hampton a vibrant community.
The question I ended with, I’ll ask again here: Do we really want to live in an East Hampton where only the people who can afford the massive homes get to stay, where the people who make this place rich — in every sense — can no longer afford to be here?
I hope my neighbors will think about that. Not just what we might lose if we build a couple more super-sized houses. But what we’ve already been losing, for a long time, by not building enough affordable homes.
GLORIA FRAZEE
Long-Term Investment
East Hampton
May 18, 2026
To the Editor,
As someone born and raised in East Hampton, I understand firsthand how important it is to protect the future of our community. The greatest challenge facing local families today is not simply housing — it is the loss of attainable homeownership.
East Hampton Town is now considering projects that would allow outside, for-profit developers to build apartment complexes and label them affordable housing. But expensive rentals are not affordable housing. Rebranding high-rent apartments with the word “affordable” does not solve the long-term problem facing our young people, working families, and year-round residents. If we truly want to preserve the character and future of East Hampton, we must stop thinking short term.
This community was built by generations of families who were able to buy homes, raise children here, and remain connected to the town they love. Homeownership creates stability. It creates pride, investment, and roots that last for generations.
Large-scale rental developments built by outside developers are not aligned with the historic character or long-term vision of East Hampton. They risk permanently changing the fabric of our community while still leaving many local residents unable to build equity or secure a future here.
We should be focused on helping local residents own homes — not rent them forever. That is why Jerry Larsen’s proposal deserves serious attention. His plan would utilize community housing fund money to help build homes and provide low-interest loans to first-time homebuyers — creating a direct pathway to ownership for local residents.
Unlike projects that rely on state funding and open the door to outside applicants entering housing lotteries, this plan keeps control local. The homes would be reserved for the people of East Hampton. the teachers, tradespeople, first responders, small-business owners, and young families who are already part of this community and are struggling to
stay here. Most importantly, the model is sustainable.
Instead of funneling public money into rental projects that never create ownership, the town would invest in homes that residents can actually buy. As homeowners repay their low-interest loans, those funds would replenish the program and help finance future housing opportunities. Over time, the repayment structure and interest generated could help sustain and expand the entire initiative.
That is a long-term investment in the future of East Hampton, not just a short-term housing statistic. The goal should not simply be to increase the number of housing units. The goal should be to preserve a real community.
Our children should have the opportunity to stay in the town where they were raised. Our work force should have a path to ownership here. And our local families should be able to build equity, stability, and a future in the community they love. That is what truly affordable housing looks like.
If we fail to prioritize homeownership now, we risk creating a future where East Hampton becomes a place people work in but can no longer call home.
JENNIFER WILSON
Never Too Late
East Hampton
May 16, 2026
To the Editor,
My name is Jackie Dunphy, and I am running for a seat on the East Hampton Democratic Committee representing District 11.
I have been a full-time resident of East Hampton since 1990. My daughter was born and raised here, and I feel fortunate that she chose to marry and build her life here in our community as well. Over the years, I have built a local business as a real estate agent, been a member of the Ladies Village Improvement Society since 1993, and co-founded Hamptonswhodunit, our local mystery and true-crime festival. I was instrumental in starting the Hamptons Pride Parade with Mayor Jerry Larsen and Tom House.
East Hampton has been my home, my community, and an important part of my family’s life for decades. In recent years, I have become increasingly concerned about the direction of our local government. My mother always told me, “Put your money where your mouth is,” so I decided it was time to step forward and get involved. This is my first time running for elected office, but I believe it is never too late to serve your community. When you want to see something improved, you roll up your sleeves and do the work.
As your neighbor in District 11, I respectfully ask for your support. My name will appear on the Democratic primary ballot, and I would be honored to earn your vote.
JACQUELINE DUNPHY
Blatantly Untrue
East Hampton
May 17, 2026
Dear David,
Before I go any further, I want to rebut a few mischaracterizations (that’s my polite word) in Bradford Billet’s letter last week.
Mr. Billet stated that I “helped organize East Hampton Village Foundation May Day 5K, as she has for years.” This is blatantly untrue. The event is an Old Montauk Athletic Club event that takes place in the village, as it has since its inception five years ago. It is not an East Hampton Village Foundation event. I did not help organize the event — I organized the event, in my role as OMAC Treasurer, in conjunction with two high schoolers who secured volunteers, sponsorships, and participants as well as showing up for multiple meetings and at Main Beach at 6:45 a.m. the day of the race.
I had one phone call with the East Hampton Village administrator in January 2026 and then went about my planning. I received a call from Mr. Billet on Friday, May 1, at 4:04 p.m. — that’s less than two days prior to the event. He was checking to see if “we” were all set with the race and he asked what time I wanted him there to officially start the race.
This event is important for OMAC in that it marks the start of Mental Health Awareness Month and the funds raised by OMAC are donated to the Tyler Project, a local nonprofit that provides funding for mental health support to teens and young adults locally. We, at OMAC, are grateful to the village for the support of the East Hampton Village lifeguards and village police in producing the event, just as we are grateful to East Hampton Town for its support when we produce such events as the Montauk Mile and Brewathlon. To characterize my role as “helping organize” is simply not true.
As far as being on the planning board, yes, I am so honored to be a part of the planning board and was appointed to serve in January of 2024 by the entire town board. I sent in an email expressing my interest in serving and subsequently interviewed with the entire town board for the position. It is, as I mentioned, an honor to be a part of, and I take my role on the board very seriously.
My letter two weeks ago was to express my support for Kathee Burke-Gonzalez for town supervisor as a private citizen. Why Mr. Billet thinks that my letter should have included anything about Jerry’s “years of documented public service” is beyond me. He kind of missed the point. His letters in support of Jerry certainly don’t contain anything about Kathee’s years of public service, so I am not sure why I should be held to a different standard.
As far as the village foundation, I just think that more people need to be asking questions about an organization that funds projects for a municipality. Are the projects ones that the village trustees are in support of? If these projects are of paramount importance to the village, why are they not subject to any sort of review or public comment?
I’ll keep my letter this week short and sweet, but I encourage everyone to think about the double standard here — while encouraging the town to “show more accountability” (quote from one of Jerry’s many Facebook posts slamming Kathee’s decision making), who is the village foundation accountable to?
Go, Bonac!
JENNIFER FOWKES
‘Ye Shall Know Them’
Amagansett
May 14, 2026
To the Editor:
I have rarely disliked anyone so quickly as Bradford Billet. Two weeks ago, I had never heard of him, and now I detest him. I am ashamed; seems like I need to retire my “Nothing human is alien to me” T-shirt.
It’s largely the unctuous “amusing light slander” tone of his letters to The Star. Last week he hit a low, even for election-time slander letters, by dragging someone’s wife in, and this week he did it again: “His wife sits on the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee and . . .”
Mr. Billet is worth the attention because he is supporting Jerry Larsen and because he is somewhat iconic in himself. Though Gemini/Google doesn’t think he’s a billionaire, he sure acts like one. He spends much of this letter vaunting the village foundation he runs: “We serve every resident and visitor regardless of political affiliation . . . major improvements . . . at Herrick Park . . . all without taxpayer funding.”
This all, needless to say, represents one more pernicious development in late capitalism (“Ooh, he said capitalism!”) — the “public-private partnership.” Zuccotti Park, where a cop hit me with his shield three times the night of the eviction for, wait for it, the crime of standing still on a public sidewalk, is exemplary: It looks like a public park, but you don’t actually have constitutional rights there, because it isn’t! How can we combine the most authoritative force and fraud elements wielded by governments with those brought by the billionaires, while minimizing the rights of ordinary citizens? The public-private partnership!
Mr. Billet seems to be (in classic billionaire style) so oblivious to some of the nuances, that he boasts about stuff we everyday humans may find shocking: The foundation paid for the infamous Flock cameras! “In public safety, we funded a virtual license plate security ring around the village.” What that means is that you can’t use the Freedom of Information Law to get information on the purchase, because the foundation isn’t a government, just a private entity playing at being one. There couldn’t be a sweeter, easier example of the private sector providing cover for the misuse of force by the public one.
Historians and political theorists have been writing for centuries about the critical distinction between public and private sectors. Democracy depends on a very robust, large public sector and on a smaller private sector remaining, well, private. The two sectors merging is always a symptom of totalitarianism. Always.
The total merger at the national level is evinced by Donald Trump, for example, pardoning a convicted fraudster within hours of first hearing the person’s name from someone he likes, tearing down the East Wing on a whim, and putting his face on a coin. It’s a return to feudalism, where there was no distinction at all between public and private.
Seriously, folks, we want that here?
To all my so-called friends — some of whom I fought for in court for years, as I do — who are flocking to Mr. Larsen because they hate Kathee Burke-Gonzalez so much, in a few years you will be moaning that you never saw this coming. You’ve traded, for sweet revenge, a system in which our pols were ineffective in protecting us against people like Mr. Billet, or were complicit with them, to one in which Mr. Billet will be directly in your faces. Serfs, pick your barons carefully!
Oh, and back to Mr. Larsen. To paraphrase Matthew 7:16: “Ye shall know them by their Billets.”
And back to that unctuous tone of light slander: I won’t get down on that level here but merely suggest: Do a Google search on “Bradford Billet 25 defendants.” For 50 bonus points: His wife is mentioned.
For democracy in East Hampton,
JONATHAN WALLACE
The Wiser Choice
Amagansett
May 17, 2026
Dear David,
Full disclosure: I write this as a member of the East Hampton Democratic Committee and the person who nominated Kathee Burke-Gonzalez to represent the committee in the upcoming June primary. But I also write this as a resident of the Town of East Hampton who attended last Wednesday’s primary debate and came away with a clear understanding why Kathee is the stronger of the two candidates — and this is not a knock at Jerry Larsen, whom I respect and who has proven to be a competent mayor of the village. It’s simply that Kathee’s knowledge and experience make her the wiser choice.
Let’s face it. There’s a world of difference between managing a town the size and complexity of East Hampton Town and managing a village the size of East Hampton Village. The town encompasses some 70 square miles. Town government’s 335 full-time employees (plus another 200 during the summer) serve a year-round population of 30,000 that swells to more than 100,000 during the summer. The village? It’s much smaller, less complex and easier to manage. It’s just under four square miles with 80 full-time employees (plus more in the summer). Its year-round population is 1,500; that also swells dramatically in the summer. You tell me which is more challenging.
But what strikes me as especially relevant is this: Even with all the affluence that surrounds us daily, the Town of East Hampton, sadly, has the highest poverty rate of any of the 10 towns in Suffolk County. That’s right, the highest poverty rate in Suffolk County. And Kathee has managed the issues that accompany this economic disparity with competence and — most important — with compassion.
To Kathee’s everlasting credit, she has devoted her entire public service career to helping others and championing the needs of our most-vulnerable citizens. As supervisor, she has fought for the town and secured more state and federal funding than at any time in the town’s history, and, in the process, Kathee has proven to be an extremely knowledgeable and effective manager and leader. How effective? Under Kathee, the town has been awarded the coveted Aaa (triple-A) credit rating by Moody’s Investment Service, the nation’s highest possible credit rating a municipality can receive.
Does Kathee deserve the support of Democratic voters on June 23? Hell, yes. Kathy herself is triple-A!
With best regards,
JIM LUBETKIN
Leadership Is Broken
East Hampton
May 12, 2026
Dear David,
The town’s current leadership is broken. Part of the reason is because it’s entrenched. This has manifested in a series of unapologetic debacles and dysfunctions: the stalled senior center and affordable housing project, intractable airport issues, the broken, corrupt Building Department, truck beach court findings of contempt, crumbling roads, inaction on quality of life matters, to name a few.
Jerry Larsen ran and won against a similarly entrenched village administration in 2020. He and his party candidates and team had a clear, modern, and meaningful vision for the village, which they duly executed. They tackled longstanding problems quickly. It’s high time for a change for the better for our town. This is the exact moment we need an experienced and accountable leader such as he.
Sincerely,
SPENCER L. SCHNEIDER
Had the Facts
Amagansett
May 18, 2026
Dear David,
I attended the recent debate held at LTV and, more than ever, was convinced that Kathee Burke-Gonzalez is the superior candidate for town supervisor. Jerry Larsen spoke in broad generalities, while Kathee supported all the issues with documented detail.
Major issues covered included affordable housing, the environment, town services, and the Building Department. With each and others not mentioned here, Kathee had all the facts, including the proactive approach to improving response time for building permits under the leadership of Rich Normoyle, the new department head.
Mr. Larsen’s approach was to blame, as opposed to offering constructive suggestions.
As a current member of the Democratic committee for Election District 12, I could not be prouder of our supervisor, her integrity, work ethic, and caring for all members of the East Hampton community.
On June 23, I urge all to vote for Kathee and would appreciate those of you in E.D. 12 to vote for me and Anna Skrenta to retain our seats on the Democratic Committee.
DAVID HILLMAN
A Poor Example
Amagansett
May 15, 2026
Dear David,
I am writing to express my deep disappointment regarding the appalling behavior displayed by specific members of Kathee Burke-Gonzalez’s immediate family during the LTV East Hampton Democratic primary debate on May 13. While public discourse is encouraged, the blatant disrespect shown toward candidate Jerry Larsen and fellow attendees was unacceptable.
At the beginning of the evening, I observed what appeared to be an intentional disruption whenever candidate Larsen was speaking. This heckling was executed strictly by Kathee Burke-Gonzalez’s husband, Joe Gonzalez, and her son, Burke Gonzalez. When the debate started and Mr. Larsen began speaking, Councilwoman Cate Rogers was also loudly shouting out a constant stream of comments. This disruptive chatter from Councilwoman Rogers is exactly why I made a simple shushing sound to hear the discussion. I was then immediately confronted by Ms. Burke-Gonzalez with unacceptable profanity and told to, “Shut the fuck up.” There were many attendees who heard this confrontation.
In addition to Ms. Burke’s verbal hostility, Joe Gonzalez sat in the front row and laughed mockingly at Mr. Larsen whenever he was speaking, causing a purposeful distraction. While this behavior was not the candidate’s fault, it certainly didn’t speak well of the disrespect her husband and son showed toward Mr. Larsen, the moderator, the attendees, and the democratic process.
It is disturbing to see such hostility at a local event. The way Joe Gonzalez and Ms. Burke-Gonzalez targeted Mr. Larsen, displaying a total lack of regard for the civility expected in our community sets a poor example. Politics may be passionate but it should not become toxic.
We deserve better at our public events. I hope this letter serves as a reminder that community engagement should be grounded in basic respect, not bullying behavior.
RONA KLOPMAN
Real Democrat
Montauk
May 14, 2026
To the Editor,
This is a response to Rona Klopman’s recent letter extolling the virtues of Jerry Larsen, who is running in the Democratic Party primary on June 23 against the East Hampton Democratic Party-endorsed Kathee Burke-Gonzalez.
Questions: Why would you support a politician who knowingly and willingly took $60,000 in illegal campaign contributions and then had the gall to return only half of this amount to his corporate and L.L.C. hidden donors? Why hasn’t Mr. Larsen been indicted?
Apparently, she prefers sleaze, dishonesty, and subterfuge to honesty, decency, and democracy.
Rona and Jerry and the DINOs (Democrats In Name Only — not a rock group!) think they have the voters in East Hampton Town bamboozled with the wonderful job Jerry has done in East Hampton Village. I will give him credit though for his wonderful flyovers for Santa at Christmas, his rock steady concerts at Main Beach, his pop-up car dealership at Herrick Park, and his partnership with the corporate makeover of East Hampton Village. (However, I am somewhat saddened that I am unable to buy a pair of jeans in the village for under $500 and have to travel to TJ Maxx in Bridgehampton where I can buy jeans for $19.99.)
This is why I will be voting for Kathee Burke-Gonzalez for town supervisor on June 23. She actually is a real Democrat who has done a great job in East Hampton Town of protecting our environment, our drinking water, our beaches, our dunes, our waters, our fishing and tourist industries, and, most important, our unique history of a community that cares for one another.
Sincerely,
BRIAN POPE
Not Just Needed
Amagansett
May 18, 2026
To the Editor:
Our current supervisor has “Lifelong Democrat” emblazoned on her campaign signs. I happen to agree with another writer who pointed out last week that party labels are irrelevant in local politics. What matters is the ability to get things done and not waste money. So far, the incumbents have a poor record in both. There’s the Building Department fiasco, the airport mess, the beach driving debacle, the gun club tangle, and my personal breaking point: the ill-conceived and for-now-abandoned senior center. I say change is not just needed, it’s necessary. Vote for Jerry.
ALICE HENRY WHITMORE
Over the Limit
East Hampton
May 18, 2026
To the Editor,
Jerry Larsen did two things that have raised serious questions about his ethics.
He tried to associate himself with the East Hampton Democratic Committee for himself, advertising and fund-raising until the Suffolk County Democratic Party threatened to sue him for misrepresenting himself. Jerry had no defense for those banners and they came down fast.
Then came the news that in this current campaign, Jerry had collected donations in excess of the $1,000 limit per donor — in fact, in total it was over the limit, somewhere around $60,000. To date, he has returned $33,000 of the unlawfully contributed funds. He seems unwilling to return the other $27,000; he claims those donations were legal but has supplied no evidence to show it.
This is not the first time Jerry’s donors have exceeded the $1,000 cap. The same thing happened in 2019 while he was running for mayor. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, I’ll vote for somebody else.
Kathee Burke-Gonzalez is a trustworthy civil servant and leader with integrity.
JERRY BUTLER
Autocratic Tendencies
Montauk
May 18, 2026
To the Editor,
Four weeks ago, I began writing a letter every week to this newspaper where with each letter I would, piece by piece, render a political character sketch of Jerry Larsen. I didn’t set out to draw a comparison of him to Donald Trump, but with every characterization that I inferred from Mr. Larsen’s actions as a politician, it became transparently evident that the mayor of East Hampton Village was a small-town version of our Supreme Misleader.
It’s uncanny how they share striking parallels in their governing methods. Both are characterized by autocratic tendencies, combative relationships with the party establishment, self-promotion over substance, and governance marked by controversy and personal grievance. Moreover, I believe they both suffer from the psychological phenomenon known as the Dunning-Kruger effect, a type of cognitive bias where people with limited competence in a specific area greatly overestimate their own expertise.
Trump has turned the Republican Party into his own MAGA Party and demanded complete fealty while insisting that the G.O.P. conform to his vision. Mr. Larsen has repeatedly clashed with Democratic Party officials, receiving multiple cease-and-desist letters for appropriating the Democratic Party name illegally for his own campaign materials and forming unauthorized groups like “East Hampton Town Democrats for a New Town.” He has mounted an aggressive effort to unseat all 38 sitting members of the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee in order to reshape the local party “in his image.” He’s suggested to his Republican friends to change their registered party affiliation to Democrat so that they can vote for him in the upcoming primary. Both Mr. Larsen’s and Trump’s party affiliations are fluid and exploitive, not representative of their respective classic party values.
Both of them demonstrate autocratic tendencies through controversial power consolidation. Trump bypasses normal channels and has imposed executive authority at every turn, claiming emergencies where there are none. Mr. Larsen, fabricating a problematic predicament where there was none, orchestrated a takeover of the East Hampton Village Ambulance Association by secretly transferring the ambulance service certificate from the 47-year-old volunteer organization to village control without proper consultation with the regional E.M.S. coordinating body. (A shout-out to Jonathan Wallace for a great letter on this topic appearing in last week’s Star).
Both men love self-promotion and spectacle over substance. Trump favors grandstanding and branding over substantive governing. Mr. Larsen’s time as mayor has been spent mostly as an event planner, staging an extravagant Christmas tree lighting sponsored by Prada, with Santa arriving via police helicopter, and cultivating relationships with celebrities. Lots of fluff, no substantive benefits for the ordinary folks.
Trump entered office with no government experience, dismissing the value of policy expertise while relying on instinct. Mr. Larsen, similarly, has had no governance experience. His 34 years as a police officer and his part-time mayor’s post have not translated to expertise in housing policy, zoning regulations, fiscal management, or the complex negotiations required in municipal governing.
Trump hands out favors and pardons to friends and major donors. One of many examples is the White House ballroom funded by donors, who in turn, clearly, expect to receive favorable treatment for their respective personal interests. Mr. Larsen set up the East Hampton Village Foundation funded by citizens’ donations, which creates an obvious conflict of interest and potential favoritism scenario.
Don the Con and Jerry Come Lately — to the Democratic Party — both exemplify a style that prioritizes executive power over collaborative problem solving, favoritism to patrons over benefits to ordinary folks, show over substance and autocratic tendencies manifested by Trump at the national level and Mr. Larsen at the local level.
In 2016, barely enough voters decided that a change was needed and took a chance voting for Trump. Let’s not make that same self-defeating mistake in 2026 in the town supervisor race. On June 23, vote for Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, a lifelong Democrat and make sure you vote for the Democratic Committee members representing your district chosen by the official East Hampton Democratic Committee.
LOU CORTESE
Pattern of Behavior
East Hampton
May 18, 2026
To the Editor,
Democrats in East Hampton should take a careful look at the pattern of behavior displayed by Jerry Larsen in his campaign for town supervisor. Leadership matters, but so does respect for laws, rules, democratic norms, transparency, and accountability. Mr. Larsen has repeatedly demonstrated a troubling willingness to bend rules and concentrate authority in himself.
First, his campaign distributed yard signs that falsely implied he was the endorsed candidate of the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee. The Suffolk County Democratic Committee reportedly issued a cease-and-desist letter demanding that the misleading signs be withdrawn.
Next, Mr. Larsen announced plans to challenge all 38 members of the East Hampton Democratic Committee. The message seemed clear: Dissent and independence within the party organization would not be welcomed.
He then publicly encouraged Republicans, independents, and unaffiliated voters to switch party registration solely to vote in the Democratic primary — a practice known as “party raiding.”
Rich Schaffer, the Suffolk Democratic chairman, sharply criticized the effort as an attempt to undermine the local Democratic Party structure for personal political gain because Mr. Larsen lacked sufficient support among longtime Democrats. More than 400 Republicans and unaffiliated voters reportedly changed their registration ahead of the primary.
The pattern continued with campaign finance issues. Mr. Larsen’s campaign was accused of accepting contributions that exceeded legal limits under New York election law. When challenged, he described the matter as a technical mistake and returned some of the excess money, while restructuring other contributions in an effort to avoid returning the full amount.
Most disturbing, however, are Mr. Larsen’s own statements about how he would govern if elected. He has said he would eliminate the town public information officer and personally handle all communications himself. He has also suggested eliminating the town administrator position and assuming those responsibilities personally. That is not streamlined government. It is the concentration of power.
Strong democratic government depends on checks and balances, professional staff, transparency, and accountability — not on one elected official deciding that only he can do the job. The rhetoric is uncomfortably familiar to anyone paying attention to national politics: weaken institutions, sideline oversight, and centralize authority in a single individual.
East Hampton needs leadership that respects democratic processes rather than testing their limits. Kathee Burke-Gonzalez has demonstrated steady and collaborative leadership grounded in professionalism and accountability. At a moment when democratic norms are under pressure nationally, our town should reject politics built on self-promotion and power consolidation.
JEREMIAH T. MULLIGAN
It’s Time
East Hampton
May 14, 2026
Dear Mr. Rattray,
Prominently displayed in the Oval Office is a portrait of Andrew Jackson, our seventh president. Donald Trump looks to Jackson as an inspiration as to how a president should act. No doubt Trump’s admiration stems from Jackson’s abuse of executive authority without regard to the Constitution, earning our seventh president the nickname King Andrew.
Now is the time for all of us to take inspiration from Jackson, not from his actions, but rather from the words that he once said: “Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.” The time to “go in” has arrived.
The media, politicians, and citizens have expressed their concerns through editorials, speeches, and demonstrations to point to the existential threat that we face from Trump’s attempts to destroy our democracy. No matter how loud the public outcry, Trump will not stop. He must be stopped.
His second administration has no “guardrails” to control his whimsical and narcissistic impulses. The constitutional provision of checks and balances is dead. Congress relinquished its powers as authorized under the Constitution, while the Supreme Court has basically given Trump carte blanche to act as he wishes.
The only way to stop Trump is to elect men and women to Congress who will place their country above their self-interest and check Trump’s efforts to replace our democracy governed by laws with a monarchy ruled by him. There can be no doubt that Trump would welcome the title King Donald.
Although every day brings a new concern and therefore an incentive to write another letter about Trump’s words and actions, I have decided to focus my efforts on replacing our Congressman Nick LaLota this November with someone who values patriotism above party and democracy above dictatorship. It’s time to go in and get LaLota out.
SALVATORE TOCCI
Russiagate
Montauk
May 18, 2026
Dear David,
It is truly about time the Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking into ex-Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan’s role in the Russiagate conspiracy. We, as Americans, need more than criminal prosecutions to fully tell the truth about the 2016 plot to smear and destroy Donald Trump as a pawn of V. Putin.
Mr. Brennan perjured in congressional testimony about one part of his role, namely the fact that in 2016 he ensured that the Steele Dossier would be part of an intelligent intelligence community assessment that claimed to find real Trump-Russia collusion.
The dossier was a farrago of fiction about Trump’s alleged connections to Russia, well paid for by Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
Christopher Steele fabricated this dossier as a weapon against Trump in the 2016 campaign. Declassified documents show that Mr. Brennan worked in a rush to lie by getting it into the hands of the C.I.A., which mysteriously leaked it to the press. This put D.C. into a Russiagate fervor as Trump took office.
Mr. Brennan’s direct engagement in the Mueller Report’s development was highly unusual in both scope and intensity, and also risked quite a debate.
This was a slow-motion coup attempt. It didn’t dislodge Trump, but crippled his administration.
Mr. Brennan continued his lies on the left cable news circuit. Recently James Clapper admitted their administration spied on Trump and his campaign with the approval from none other Barack Obama but crippled his administration.
If we Americans are to regain trust in our institutions, the public needs a full accounting of the abuse that led us to lose that trust.
In God and country,
BEA DERRICO