Letters

Letters to the Editor

SOUTHOLD
An act of kindness

While shopping in King Kullen last week, I had a food cart loaded with food. At the checkout counter all my items were placed in bags and into the shopping cart.
When I reached into my pocket for my wallet, I discovered I’d left it at home. The clerk said, “Sir, that’s no problem. Just push the cart on the side and when you return you can pay at the desk.”
When I returned he had a smile on his face and said, “This is your lucky day. It’s all paid for.”
Who paid the bill? He said the young couple next in line paid the full bill. I asked if they left a name or telephone number. He said no, that I looked like a veteran and that it was a gift.
Yes, I am a vet of World War II. In all my 85 years, I’ve never experienced an act of kindness like this.
I would like to thank this couple and wish them a healthful, long, happy life.
A thankful veteran
The author, who served aboard a destroyer/minesweeper in the Pacific theater, wishes to remain anonymous.

MATTITUCK
What, no outrage?

It amazes me that the parents of Southold Town would be outraged by a seventh-grade child being allowed to remain in school during her pregnancy, but not outraged by the unwed pregnant teachers walking the halls.
These same teachers show impressionable children how easy it is to be a single parent because some districts do not hold teachers accountable for their two and a half hours of free time during the day. It proves that prep time for a class is really not as important as dropping off the baby at the sitter.
There was no outrage concerning the unprofessional Facebook pictures that teachers post. There was no outrage over teachers who were inappropriate with students and allowed to leave quietly with full retirement benefits.
There was no outrage by the teachers given a 24 percent raise during this economic recession. We are not outraged that our children spend six to eight hours a day with these “well paid role models.”
That poor seventh-grade child was abused and should not be condemned by Southold Town parents. We need to look closely at who is educating our children.
Maria Mineo

GREENPORT
OK, who’s in charge?
I could not believe what I was reading — elected officials defending raises.
How do you justify paying a truck driver $99,691 a year and what kind of union lets that happen? Management is not union, so why is the highway superintendent driving a truck?
All that says is you don’t have enough help. Also, if the highway superintendent is driving a truck, who is running the highway department?
Donald Grilli

CUTCHOGUE
There is no ‘only’

When the Town Board approves the pay raises, local government will join the ranks of the federal and state governments, the health care and educational systems of corrupt self-servers, with no regard for the population they were designed to serve.  
Instead, the population now serves them.
I admit I am jealous. If my salary even neared the $90,000 mark, I’d probably be fighting for more also. My life went in the direction of the health care system. A far cry from the educational system where I previously worked, with its thousands of dollars in annual pay increases, hefty retirement and medical packages and more days off than you can imagine.
As a therapy provider, I have received no pay increase in the last 15 years, while the upper level of corruption has earned monies beyond my comprehension. Individual co-pays have risen to the point that therapy attendance is limiting for lack of client ability to pay. As a sole proprietor, the hit from either side is difficult at best to absorb.
Whenever any system broadcasts that a budget will “only” raise my taxes 5 percent or 2 percent, the word “only” makes me cringe, I am the only one adding up the “only” increases for federal, state, school, fire district and on and on for that combination that impacts me.
There is no “only.” When looking at the big picture, these have been significant and steady increases. Taxes are choking me.
For many years I’ve thought if “only” every system would hold increases to 0 percent for three, maybe five years, I just might be able to catch up. Every year I am disappointed. Now I wait for the year when there is nothing left for me to pay these taxes. It’s coming soon
Then will someone pay for me? No! Then I’d have to sell my house and all inside it to continue to pay for you.
I’m trying not to sound petty, because I’d like for every government worker, teacher, politician, etc. to excel and grow and make oodles of money. I’m just tired that it’s at my expense.  
I am tired, so very tired.  
MaryAnn Fleischman

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL
Safety is paramount

The highest priority of any school district is to assure the safety and well-being of all students. As a former Greenport Elementary School principal, I support a closed campus during school hours to include the tennis courts, track and field, as well as the elementary playgrounds.
Many times over the past three years, I’ve asked adults walking dogs, or parents with pre-school children, to leave the playground area to safeguard students playing outside during recess or lunch.
I did this to avoid having to explain to a parent why some stranger came in contact with their child. Obviously, not to intervene would have been irresponsible. Equally rash is to assume high school students or community members on school grounds will always act responsibly.
While the likelihood of something happening remains negligible, it is prudent for the district to scrutinize potential problems and address them accordingly. I also believe it is a reasonable sacrifice to ask community members to use the school facilities after school hours.
Parents with children in school have enough worries. Maintaining a safe haven at school, including the school grounds, far outweighs all other arguments.
Paul Read

SHELTER ISLAND
A proud American

Allow me, please, to make an important (to me) correction to Beth Young’s World War II article on page three of the Veterans Day edition of your paper.
My name is Barbara Allen-Lieblein. William Lieblein of Port of Egypt is my husband. I am German by birth (from Berlin) and proud of it.
However, I am not “a German”, as you call me in your article. I am a naturalized citizen since 1957 and consider myself as patriotic an American as you or anyone else. The way you referred to me in the context of your story did not resonate well with me.
My German motherland and heritage are important to me, but no more so than my adopted homeland, America, which I love and defend as an American, not a German.
Barbara Allen-Lieblein

MATTITUCK
Jerry is here to stay

I would like to thank you for letting me place last week’s letter in the paper, explaining the allegations set forth by Mr. Husak in the Nov. 4 edition. As stated in my response, his assertions were “at best hearsay.”
I would also like to thank all those who voted on my behalf in last week’s Mattituck Parks District election. I would also like to let them know that I am planning to be back next year to run against Commissioner Doris McGreevy.
The first planned topics of this next race will be the very dark, very blue public assembly hall (with future kitchen) and all the surprises they plan not to inform the public about, such as the cost.
Oh, and the future placement of many of thousands of cubic yards of dredged sand from Breakwater Beach, the mouth of Mattituck Creek and Mattituck Inlet. I ask all interested residents to attend the future meetings of the Department of Environmental Conservation and other state and federal Agencies. These meetings have been held at the Mattituck Public Library.
Kindly watch for important notifications regarding the dates and time of the monthly meetings of the park district commissioners at Veterans Memorial Park. The office number is 298-9103. Work sessions are held on the Monday evening prior to the Thursday monthly meeting. You are not allowed to speak at the work session meetings.
You can ask questions of the board during the regular meeting, but they do not have to answer you. However, you can put your questions in writing, and if they want to, they will answer you in writing at a future date.
Jerry Goehringer

EAST MARION
An all-new monster

Not long ago, Native Americans watched from a distance as steel rails were pounded into place by agents of a growing continental railroad, fulfilling “manifest destiny.”
Plumes of black smoke would soon be pulsing upward between the virgin streams and sparkling skies, ocean to ocean. From the horizon, in dismay, the tenants of the land did not want or need an iron horse.
Today, as descendants of these Europeans, we face a different, though somewhat similar monster as the pre-Viking inhabitants had thrust upon them.
The pipes of SCWA, recently installed to the western edge of the Dam Pond bridge, could lie empty and unused. If surging with foreign water, not long from now they may someday snake into a filled former pond, feeding glass structures that pierce the sky as in Dubai.
Tim Morey

CUTCHOGUE
Wonderful support

A heartfelt thanks to all the people who came out to support the Mattituck boys varsity soccer team over the past few weeks.
So many people, families and friends, some that didn’t even have children on the team, were there at Diamond in the Pines in Coram to cheer our Tuckers on. It was amazing.
And our student support was the best. These kids drove 40 minutes back and forth to three playoff games that got the team to the Southeast Regional playoff.
It was terrific to see our school and community support. Even our osprey mascot was there to keep us going. The boys played their hearts out and we are so proud of them winning the Long Island championship.
It was a wonderful experience that we will all remember. They played some incredible soccer.
Lisa Tettelbach

SOUTHOLD
What great people

A most heartfelt thank-you to the wonderful 911 responders and the emergency room staff at ELIH who coordinated my husband’s helicopter trip to Stony Brook Hospital last Tuesday evening. It saved his leg and quite possibly his life.
Another big thank-you to the great volunteers at Southold Historical Society’s Treasure Exchange who filled all the spots on the calendar left by our absence. You’re the best!
Thanks to all who made a call, told a joke, said a prayer.
It truly does take a village.
Chris Wruch

MATTITUCK
It’s a gold mine

Southold Town is a wonderful place to live. We who live here know and appreciate all it has to offer.
And talking about having something worthwhile to offer, Southold should take advantage of the wealth of knowledge, background and experience that the people of this town have to give. For example, in the large retirement community alone there is a gold mine to be tapped and grow richer from.
A suggestion: Why not have a Southold Town Hall post office box set aside for citizens of this community who would like to volunteer their time and talents and how they might fit in and possibly contribute to a great town?
Maybe call the volunteer program “Volunteers for Southold Town.”
Let the town take advantage of what the people have to offer. It’s there to tap.
Jack McGreevy

JAMESPORT
Ditch the leftist slant

Regarding Michael White’s column about media trends. Let’s get real. As a local contractor, I find more and more folks in our towns on the North Fork are tuning in to Fox News. Whether its grandmas, the local doctor or auto repair shop, folks are watching Fox News. Why? Because we viewers do believe it’s fair and balanced and it represents what we want in a news show. And who are we to judge? Why, we are “We the People.” We are tired of hearing twisted news. In his recent column, which stated MSNBC has enjoyed success, Mr. White should check the ratings; it’s a failure as news and as commentary. And if he writes that he has a “litany of complaints” about Fox, then list them so we can see the true nature of his opinions.
This paper has tried in the past to sound like “The Village Voice” with past editors, and it not only hurts your circulation but hurts my business as an advertiser in your paper. I’m tired of seeing all the unsold editions at the gas stations and delis. Stop trying to kiss up to out-of-towners and stick to what matters to us folks! And if you feel like ripping into Rupert Murdoch, then be fair and balanced and investigate MSNBC (owned by General Electric) and also George Soros as influencing the media. No, I didn’t go to Columbia, but I did attend the University of H.K. (hard knocks) Thank you.
Chet Kutscher

EAST MARION
A pathetic attack

In a letter in the Nov. 11 edition Mr. Thomas Spackman launched a pathetic and personal attack on me.
His statements are, unfortunately, typical of the strategy of the left through which they have gained some control over this country.
Mr. Spackman  stated, “…And yet when it is assumed that Mr. Copertino is a racist because of his demonstrated hatred for President Obama, he becomes indignant …”
Assumed racism?
There are many who undeservedly achieve much by using that and similar terms. Mr. Spackman distorts my opinions of Mr. Obama into being based on racism and hatred.
He must also assume that tens of millions of Americans that disapprove of Obama are also racists. Sadly, Mr. Spackman plays the race card to attack others that have a point of view that differs from his.
How sad.
Mr. Spackman’s tirades won’t stop people like me from speaking out against those of whom they disapprove.
Remember, Mr. Obama is not our black President. He is our president — unfortunately — and should be addressed and perceived only in that way.
Mr. Obama should be judged by all on his performance, which up until now is disgraceful, and not his appearance. We will self-destruct if we continue to divide Americans by race.
Will Mr. Spackman and others that write as he does expedite that division? I think so. We are all Americans and we should not judge or be judged for any reasons by one’s appearance.
Yes, s a union representative in the 1960s, I marched with MLK and Abernathy in the south to secure equal rights for all Americans.
We didn’t demonstrate so that others could continue to separate and incite people by stirring up racial division with their writings or utterances of false assumptions.
“Assumed racism?” “Demonstrated hatred?” How pathetic.
A true example of “accused racism” is when the president of the United States interfered in a local police action by branding it a racial incident. It happened in Massachusetts in 2009. “Let’s have a beer on the white house lawn.”
Remember?
The editor should scrutinize non-factual personal attacks prior to printing them. Doing so will allow others to contribute their opinions without the fear of similar attacks.
God Bless America.
John Copertino

RIVERHEAD
She’s a fine example

Congratulations to Maryjane Raynor, owner of Raynorshine Cruises/Cruise Planners of Riverhead, on being designated a cruise line counselor. (Business Beat, Nov. 11.)
I had the privilege of sitting next to Maryjane at the East End Women’s Network’s general monthly meeting in October. She is an accomplished, personable working woman and mother.
Maryjane is a typical example of EEWN membership and an asset to our network.
Ceil Carpenter
member, EEWN board of directors