All That They Did
East Hampton Village
July 6, 2026
Dear David,
I write to salute to praise to express my admiration and respect for the remarkable young men and women of the East Hampton Village Police force and all that they did to prevent injury and mayhem at the July Fourth fireworks celebration on Saturday night. All was proceeding splendidly as the evening unfolded and the astonishing fireworks dazzled in the sky — at the same time the mother of all storms was brewing to the east.
As the last fireworks’ twinkles were settling, the alarming alert beeped on phones far and wide warning of the impending serious storm. Which arrived. And 1,000 families with small children and grandmothers and beach chairs scurried off the beach to their cars as the darn serious wind kicked up, and the thunder and lightning commenced, and the biblical rain came pouring down.
In the dark, with the lashing rain and frightening thunder, the 1,000 people and their cars and families were guided with terrific lighting and hand-held flashlights by a stalwart line of village police who stood steadfastly throughout the deluge undeterred by the terrifying thunder and lightning until the last car had made its way in an orderly line on its way home.
My car was, I’m pretty sure, the last to leave, and every policeman and policewoman was still at their midroad station more soaked than anyone has ever been but not leaving their posts. And the same was true at the corner of Town Pond and 27, as well as Dayton Lane and Main Street — steadfast police ensuring everyone’s safety and good order getting home in spite of horrific and mighty scary conditions for them. I admired each one of them so and salute their dedication and commitment to service.
I send my very special thanks to each of you. You did a such a great job.
With great appreciation,
VALERIE SMITH
Heartfelt Thank-You
East Hampton
July 5, 2026
Dear Editor,
I would like to send a heartfelt thank-you to those who came to my rescue when the severe thunderstorm arose on the Fouth of July.
I was headed into the village to pick up my son and his friend from the Main Beach fireworks, when I was rerouted because of traffic congestion.
Due to the need to circle around, I traversed Mill Hill Lane shortly after the barrage of wind and rain came down and found myself almost at the stop sign at Route 27, when I heard a loud noise and suddenly a large branch (tree sized!) plummeted down on my car. Due to the way the tree fell, it was fetched up on my rear passenger-side fender, preventing me from being able to move in either direction. I called 911 and was redirected to the East Hampton Village Police. They quickly took my information and sent an officer to the scene. Officer Londono arrived, stood with me in the pouring rain, checked my vehicle, and called in for further assistance. Darrin Downs then showed up with a large payloader, quickly assessed the situation, and had me unstuck in a matter of minutes.
I am truly thankful for both Officer Londono and Mr. Downs, as well as the driver who was in front of me, who stopped to make sure I was okay. Being a civil servant myself, I am aware that this is all a part of the job, but I felt it deserved public recognition. Many thanks once again to Officer Londono, Darrin Downs, the 911 operator, and the East Hampton Village dispatcher for all of their help, it doesn’t go unnoticed!
Sincerely,
HEATHER MILLER
Clamshell Foundation
East Hampton
July 6, 2026
To the Editor,
This may be the last year of Three Mile Harbor fireworks. The Clamshell Foundation, which sponsors this event and many other great causes out here, including the Sandcastle Contest, is running low on funds for this annual event. There’s a lot of time, money, and energy needed to make this show happen.
The Clamshell Foundation has been running it since 1992 — totally not-for-profit, now run and managed by William Kalbacher’s family and a small group of their friends and local students who volunteer their time for the East End community’s benefit.
I ask all loyal Star readers, boating folk, harborside homeowners, and various businesses to spread the word and donate whatever they can to keep this annual family event going. The Clamshell Foundation website is clamshellfoundatation.org.
All the best,
MICHAEL L. WINSCH
About Brian Pope
East Hampton
June 26, 2026
Dear Editor,
Thank you, Michael Hoff, for your wonderful letter about Brian Pope; he was a unique, kind, outspoken, smart, and incredibly generous character.
Brian did not just “stack shelves in a secondhand shop.” Here at the Ladies Village Improvement Society, he led our maintenance team. He never missed an opportunity to ask how he could help someone. He mentored numerous young men he worked with, resulting in lasting friendships. If some of the ladies were off to celebrate an occasion, he was right there to enjoy the fun. And, yes, he would want to pick up the tab.
He was a hard guy to “gift”; instead he relished the opportunity to tell a wonderful story or reference something in history that was relevant to our world today.
I loved something he once did to one of our donors. These folks turned out to be the parents of one of our former statesmen and Brian complimented their son. The proud mother asked his name. Brian simply told her, “Tell your son the Pope loves him.”
Always the teacher, the wise guy, the first on the scene to lend a hand, the friend. On behalf of all of us at the L.V.I.S. who will miss him dearly.
JOYCE TUTTLE
Disability Pride
Amagansett
July 5, 2026
To the Editor,
July is Disability Pride Month. It has been around since the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed on July 26, 1990.
The first official day of this celebration happened as a single-day event on Oct. 6, 1990, in Boston. The entire month was officially recognized in 2015 to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the A.D.A. being signed into law. The flag has six colors in a diagonal pattern. Red: physical disabilities. Gold: neurodiversity. White: invisible disabilities and undiagnosed conditions. Blue: emotional and psychiatric disabilities. Green: sensory disabilities, including deafness, blindness, and other sensory disabilities. Faded black background: mourning and rage for victims of ableist violence and abuse.
Still here,
JOE KARPINSKI
A Serious Omission
East Hampton Village
July 4, 2026
Dear David,
In the first place, let me compliment Mayor Jerry Larson for the very excellent six-page insert in last week’s East Hampton Star, outlining all the accomplishments of the village management in improving the many aspects of living in the village and giving credit to Marcos Baladron in particular for the role he has played in several of the specific improvements.
Among the accomplishments mentioned were “undertaking a renovation to the public comfort stations at Main Beach, Georgica Beach, and Two Mile Hollow Beach.” I applaud these improvements, but there is a serious omission among the names of the beaches for improvement, namely Wiborg’s Beach!
I have on more than one occasion spoken to the village office, and Marcos in particular, and apparently through no fault of the village, they are restricted from making any improvement on that beach because of tidal concerns and state and/or federal regulations.
I refuse to accept that answer, in particular because I have offered to pay myself for a simple bench to be placed close to the beach where one could sit and even clean up from the sand.
Why do the residents who use Wiborg’s Beach have to be treated like second-class citizens? Others besides me should issue their own complaints to see that some simple amenities of any sort are added. I think it is a matter now that residents should make some noise about and perhaps the existing regulations can be amended.
ALAN PATRICOF
Toilsome Lane
East Hampton Village
July 5, 2026
To the Editor,
The East Hampton Star’s July 2 editorial opposing the Toilsome Lane beer hall, “Beer, Two Ways,” brilliantly brought to the attention of the many concerned residents of East Hampton Village what could be a devastating blow to the treasured character of our village: “. . . pending draft of a comprehensive land-use plan for East Hampton Village, business district redevelopment would be centered on a rough triangle bounded by Railroad Avenue and Gingerbread Lane, at which pinnacle would be the Toilsome Farm Restaurant and Brewery,” which means rezoning a large area like that will cause a tremendous increase in traffic and everything that comes with it: an abundance of noise throughout the day and night, as well as out-of-control crowds. For the above reasons, before acting on this proposal, the town and village should consider my concern that it would make inevitable the construction of the gigantic and unwanted Toilsome Lane brewery next to my home and in our peaceful neighborhood.
In Mayor Jerry Larsen’s “State of the Village” his heartwarming tribute of appreciation to my neighbor Sherrill Dayton, he wrote, “Sherrill worked to preserve the character, historic integrity, and beauty that define what we proudly call: ‘America’s Most Beautiful Village.’ ”
If the new land-use zoning enables unneeded expansion, what Sherrill Dayton worked so hard for — and what Mayor Larsen praised — will most likely vanish forever.
Some excerpts from The Star’s editorial showing why the brewery should never be approved: “If built, it would arguably be the largest venue within the village.” (Swifty’s has 100 seats, the brewery 130.) “. . . a lawsuit greeted the proposal, which includes references to hosting up to 10 ‘special events’ for even more guests each year.”
“People who live in the area . . . rightfully doubt the developers’ promises to keep the noise to a barely audible minimum.” “[W]ould be a massive injection of commercial activity to an already busy corner.”
It would not surprise me if the brewery’s owners would try to influence the village elders to totally rezone the area to enable them, in spite of the objection over the past several years by many neighbors and town residents, to get away with building their unwanted brewery. If the rezoning were to happen along with out-of-control “special events,” parties every weekend, the East Hampton we know and love would be no more.
The Star’s thought-provoking editorial should be used as a blueprint by the town and village when considering any amendments to the existing land-use zoning plans to prevent this travesty from ever happening.
In summary, let us not forget what Michael Braverman, referring to the Toilsome Lane brewery, wrote in 2021, “. . . it is simply one of the worst development ideas propounded for a village that takes pride in its 372-year history and traditions and in a safe and peaceful quality of life.”
MICHAEL AARON
Deserved to Win
East Hampton
July 6, 2026
Dear David,
It was remarkable to see so many disgruntled letter writers in last week’s Star concerning Jerry Larsen’s loss to Kathee Burke-Gonzalez for town supervisor. I thought I was reading a bunch of letters from Trump supporters whose candidate had somehow lost unfairly in a rigged election.
Mr. Larsen lost by almost a 2-to-1 margin — that’s a pretty large mandate for Ms. Burke-Gonzalez, however you want to characterize it. He lost — and lost big.
The letters by Chris Gatti, Gene Shaw, and Meg Farrell call for write-ins for Mr. Larsen in the general election. A monumental, grassroots write-in campaign for the ages would have to occur to overcome the outcome of the primaries. Good luck with that.
Barbara Layton’s letter involved her hurt from being dismissed as a Democratic Committee member and not being endorsed on the Democratic slate — all because of her support for Mr. Larsen. She took public stands, which, she said, “risked alienating my clientele and hurting my restaurant business.” How being a Hillary Clinton activist and fund-raiser — and having the Clintons as regulars at Babette’s — hurt her business doesn’t jibe with the popularity of the restaurant. Her refusal to vote for Kamala Harris in the 2024 campaign and recent commitment to the pro-Trump, anti-science, anti-vaccine philosophy of Robert Kennedy Jr. is perhaps the better explanation.
Whatever the reasons, explanations, and feelings these letter writers might have, New York City Channel 1’s highly respected reporter and journalist Errol Louis hits the nail on the head when he says that the Democratic Socialists of America primary sweep last week served as a needed reckoning for the city’s sclerotic party machine. They used their youthful charismatic energy to out-organize, out-canvass, out-strategize, and listened to the voters’ real and basic needs in a way that the old, take-voters-for-granted Democratic Party machine and candidates didn’t.
In his letter, Jonathan Wallace says it was a very bad bet to vote for Mr. Larsen. Echoing Errol Louis, Mr. Wallace argues that East Hampton’s Democratic machine “prevails on a really sad and tired campaign slogan: Vote for us because you have no choice.”
No sour grapes or rationalizations, no write-ins needed — Kathee Burke-Gonzalez was the best candidate running and deserved to win. Let’s work with her so she becomes the best town supervisor possible for all of us in our wonderfully beautiful and diverse community.
Sincerely,
JIM VRETTOS
Words of Hope
Amagansett
July 6, 2026
Dear Mr. Rattray,
I hope you had a festive and enjoyable Fourth of July weekend — 250 — amazing!
I remember the 200th vividly, standing on a rooftop on the West Side, watching the fireworks bursting in air and the tall ships sailing into New York Harbor and up the Hudson. Breathtaking! This year, we saw the Main Beach fireworks along with hundreds of other families from the vantage point of the Maidstone golf course and arrived home just in time to get the umbrellas down and the cushions inside as the sky lit up with lightning, accompanied by a thunderous soundtrack.
Other clouds hung over my heart as our president delivered his patriotic speech at Mount Rushmore, concluding with a condemnation of and warning about the “communists” among us who want to destroy our great democracy — meaning the left-leaning progressives who still remember the phrase “all men are created equal” and who long for the return of representation by the people, for the people, and not by the billionaire class, for the billionaire class. God willing, our kids and grandkids can celebrate America’s tricentennial with universal pride and joy. Remember these words of hope, young people!
But I digress, Mr. Rattray. I’m writing for a selfish reason, to remind you and your readers that I will be giving an author talk and book signing at the East Hampton Library on Thursday at 6 p.m., the very day this paper comes out. The book I’ll be discussing is a work of historical fiction set in the present day called “My Meeting With Putin.” I hope we’ll have a lively discussion about the story and backstory of this novel.
In addition, I’ll be giving away copies of my previous book, “Uniting the States of America: A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation.” It might be more relevant today than when it was first published two years ago. Hope to see you there, Mr. Rattray.
Peace,
LYLE GREENFIELD
Drill Down
Amagansett
July 7, 2026
To the Editor:
Chris Walsh’s “Rabbi Stein Steps Up at the Jewish Center” contains an unexamined statement of fact that the rabbi “assumes her new position amid a decadelong rise in antisemitism in the United States, one that has accelerated since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel.” I would like to see the underlying stats, broken down by incident; I feel pretty certain that the bulk of the reports supporting the proposition will be accounts of people chanting, “Free Palestine,” wearing keffiyehs, and the like.
At a time when our federal court system has been resolute and unanimous in holding, in cases all around the country, that anti-Zionism is not antisemitism, a very vocal minority keeps conflating the two, with the goal of suppressing First Amendment-protected opposition to Israel as discrimination.
As a proud Jewish person, any rise in antisemitic expression perceptible to me has been on the far right emboldened by the president, which is concerning but hardly a presence in our daily life. I think it would be to everyone’s benefit if we could drill down into those statistics — or refrain from making statements which assume so much and therefore need so much unpacking.
For democracy in East Hampton,
JONATHAN WALLACE
Devon Club
Amagansett
July 6, 2026
Dear David,
The recent publicity over the plan to tear down the 110-year-old Devon Yacht Club and replace it with a modern structure fails to mention the extraordinary historical significance of the clubhouse that many of us have been trying to preserve at the risk of permanent expulsion simply for expressing our opinions.
The Devon clubhouse is not merely a private club building. It has long been the architectural and social heart of the Devon Colony and preserves a remarkable piece of the East End’s Gilded Age heritage. Virtually every preservation expert who has studied the property has reached the same conclusion. Robert Hefner, an architectural historian; Zach Studenroth and Joel Snodgrass, preservation specialists; Town Crier Hugh King; Julie Greene, a preservation advocate, and the architecture critic Paul Goldberger have all concluded that the clubhouse deserves serious consideration for historic designation.
Mr. Studenroth and Mr. Snodgrass were commissioned to evaluate the property for landmark eligibility. Both concluded that Devon appeared to be an excellent candidate and anticipated that the club would continue the designation process with the New York State Historic Preservation Office. Instead, their report quietly disappeared. It was never presented to the membership or the whole board for review, never acted upon, and apparently was abandoned. Even more significant, Devon already appears in New York State’s inventory of potential historic landmarks.
In a March 1989 report, Mr. Hefner described the clubhouse as a “principal target for Historic Preservation,” writing that “the 1909 clubhouse appears to retain the integrity of its original design and appears to meet the criteria in the town code for designation as a historic landmark.”
The rationale for this unanimous conclusion by historical preservationists was not based simply on architecture. A major factor is Devon’s influence on the history of Amagansett, its superb location on Gardiner’s Bay, which preserved one of the most scenic vistas on the South Fork, and its impact on the community’s cultural, architectural, religious, political, and artistic life.
The clubhouse occupies one of the most beautiful sites on Gardiner’s Bay. For more than a century, it has helped define the character of Amagansett while preserving one of the South Fork’s most celebrated waterfront vistas. It has influenced the community’s architectural, cultural, maritime, political, and artistic life in ways few buildings can claim.
The Devon Colony itself represents the first wave of wealthy and powerful “summer” people whose estates helped shape modern Amagansett. The clubhouse became the center of this remarkable community. Its history reads like a chapter from American cultural history.
F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Fitzgerald danced on its terrace. Charles Lindbergh, Ernest Hemingway, and Norman Mailer dined there. Jacqueline Onassis learned to swim at Devon, while a young John F. Kennedy sailed over from Hyannis Port to woo the young girls. George Plimpton was famously expelled twice — once for playing tennis with dwarfs from the circus and another time for bringing Ted Kennedy (a Democrat!) to dinner, during which he got soused.
Howard Dean learned to sail there. Walter Cronkite sailed from Devon harbor. John Steinbeck was a frequent guest. Even Paul McCartney immortalized Devon in song: “Peaceful, like heaven on a Sunday. Restful, like Devon on a Monday.” This clubhouse is woven into the history of the Hamptons and into America’s maritime heritage. That is why it is so troubling that a small group of club leaders was able to prevent a meaningful vote, discourage open debate, and ultimately suspend and expel nine longtime members whose principal offense was opposing the proposed demolition of the clubhouse.
Private clubs have every right to govern themselves. But self-governing should never be used as an excuse to silence dissent, violate their bylaws, or withhold critical information from members, particularly when the future of an irreplaceable historic landmark is at stake.
Equally troubling are allegations that the club falsely represented to the Town of East Hampton that there was “no other alternative” to demolition and that the membership supported moving forward. Those issues deserve careful public scrutiny. Historic buildings cannot be recreated once they are gone.
The Devon clubhouse evolved from a classic New England sailing club — shabby chic and imperfectly perfect — into one of the defining landmarks of the South Fork. It is not like 10,000 other generic, cookie-cutter clubs around the country. Once demolished, no amount of money can rebuild 110 years of history.
Future generations deserve the chance to experience the real Devon — not merely photographs of what once stood on the shore of Gardiner’s Bay.
BLAKE FLEETWOOD
Ignore the Issue
Springs
July 6, 2026
To the Editor,
I’ve been concerned by a handful of editorials, letters, and “Guestwords” pieces over the last few months that seem to mistake the Town of East Hampton, which has more than 24,000 residential homes, as some sort of nature preserve or farm.
That there are no zoning codes limiting where one can breed chickens in town with noisy roosters is absurd, but my real concern once again is how the town continues to ignore the serious issue of the extreme population of both deer and ticks.
These two problems are highly correlated, as deer are the keystone, or primary, host for tick development. As a local doctor who is a national expert on tick-borne diseases has been saying for years, “If you don’t have a deer problem, you don’t have a tick problem.”
East Hampton clearly has a deer problem, as it likely leads the county, state, and even the entire country in deer-car collisions, according to Suffolk County data. For perspective, we have more than twice the number of deer-car collisions than the much-larger town of Southampton or the entirety of Nassau County.
Those statistics probably significantly understate this challenge, but, according to them, we have averaged 500 collisions with deer every year for a decade now! This shouldn’t be surprising since both the Department of Environmental Conservation and Cornell told the town it had a serious deer overpopulation issue and that a cull was needed over a dozen years ago.
Science suggests that there should be no more than 10 to 15 deer per square mile for a healthy environment for both people and the deer themselves. Our town probably averages 60 deer per square mile (five times what is healthy), but in some areas, it is likely 100 to 150. Obviously, East Hampton is not one homogeneous environment, as there are many state and county parks that make up a decent percentage of the town.
The real problem that needs to be addressed is that in some areas, like Springs, the most-densely human populated area, also have pockets where there are at least 100 deer per square mile too, creating not only traffic concerns, but incredibly high rates of ticks and tick-borne disease.
The medical professional clearly is still learning about this problem, as another type of tick-borne disease, Powassan, which was just determined to be lethal in extreme cases just as alpha gal was discovered to be last fall. Some ticks on Long Island are now believed to be able to carry up to four different severe diseases.
At what point will the town start to take action to reduce this serious health risk that they were also warned about over a dozen years ago? Medical report after medical report says the South Fork is one of the leading hotspots for tick-borne disease!
One of the fallacies we must get past, I suppose, for rational steps to be taken is the often-stated, “the deer were here first” mantra and that we are encroaching on their land. The facts are white tail deer were nearly extinct 100 years ago. Due to protections put in back then, and their significant reproduction rate (adult females average 1.6 offspring every year), they have multiplied to over 35 million across the country, a far greater number than ever existed in pre-colonial times.
The other major problem our area faces is there are no natural predators for deer, so over the last four decades, their population has increased exponentially leading to significant losses due to car damage, medical costs, and, in extreme cases, lives being lost.
Deer also devastate the forests they take over, impacting plants, insects, and bird life. That has taken place in East Hampton where the local forests have been picked clean of anything lower than five feet, impacting future forest regeneration, too.
While I have been frustrated with the town’s lack of action, it is also is worrisome when there are “Guestwords” pieces in this paper that suggest feeding up to 20 deer in their yard is a good idea. It is understandable why some would do this, given that in parts of town like Springs some are starving, but this is illegal for good reason since it might lead to chronic wasting deer disease. Will that eventually be the way the town deals with this problem?
There are a handful of steps the town could take, such as the use of four-posters to reduce tick population in targeted areas that North Haven has shown to be successful, but almost all wildlife biologists will tell you that a cull needs to be done first, especially when the herd has reached such excessive levels.
Humanity is often cited as the reason for not having a professional cull, but it would seem to me that allowing so many wild animals to be born in confined, developed areas that then lead to at least 500 of them being killed by cars every year is actually far more inhumane. Death for many of these animals can be much more painful that way and also take days.
If a professional cull were finally allowed, the meat harvested could at least be used and donated to local food banks that badly need this type of contribution. Perhaps the town could work with local hunting groups and pay them to provide this service for a fee after the regular hunting season has finished.
At some point, though, the town administration has to admit there is a serious problem and start trying to deal with it. Money shouldn’t be the excuse that has been used in the past. If the town could allocate $300,000 to $400,000 a year for a multi-step, long-term plan that would take four to five years, it could finally significantly reduce both the deer and tick problem that plague our area.
BRAD BROOKS
Fully Aware
Springs
July 2, 2026
Dear Mr. Rattray,
On Feb. 25, 2025, Nick LaLota voted in favor of a House budget resolution that called for cutting at least $800 billion over 10 years in spending across a vast array of government areas. He said, “I voted yes on a budget resolution that protects Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid while cutting some spending elsewhere.” His statement is inaccurate and creates a false impression of what his vote supported.
One month after Mr. LaLota’s vote, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released its report on this Republican budget resolution, stating that cuts in this plan are impossible to achieve without making cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
According to Maria Martinez, executive director of Empire State Voices, “Cuts like these would cause offices around our state to close and make it nearly impossible for the millions of New Yorkers who rely on these lifesaving programs to access their benefits.”
Chris Gallant, who is running against Mr. LaLota to represent us in Congress, has posted his 2027 Mission Plan on his website. Included is Mission Three: Protect Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and Provide Affordable Health Care. Mr. Gallant is fully aware of the benefits of these programs, as his parents rely on Medicare for their health needs.
The choice is clear. Vote either for Mr. LaLota, who is on record for cutting these programs, or vote for Mr. Gallant, who promises to preserve them. We all should face such easy choices in life.
SALVATORE TOCCI