Featured Letters: Don’t chase away the helicopters in Greenport

Don’t chase away a business

In response to your recent editorial, I totally agree with that sentiment but I would also like to add my opinion. In full disclosure, I worked at STIDD Systems around 15 years ago but I have not spoken with owner Walter Gezari since leaving there.

But I will say that the Mr. Gezari I knew then was an honorable man whose company performs a vital function for our military and Coast Guard. A lot of residents don’t know that STIDD makes almost all the seats for our Coast Guard and many of the specialized seats that our Navy Seals utilize. Also, STIDD made special one-man diver submarines used by our Navy Seals. While employed at STIDD, I saw how much Mr. Gezari needed to travel from Greenport to work marine trade shows or visit with representatives from the Department of Defense to keep the employees at STIDD working and, of course, to hopefully make a good living in the process — and even purchase an expensive helicopter.

Helicopters on Long Island have had a lot of bad press because most of us feel that it’s a lot of rich people flying out to the Hamptons to avoid the LIE, and that’s true in many instances. This does not seem to be the case here.

In a day and time when people on Long Island cannot even reach a consensus to build a restroom for drivers on the LIE because of the “not in my backyard” mentality, I say give it a try and don’t keep chasing businesses from Long Island with unfriendly practices.

Paul Coleman, Mattituck

We’re used to noise

Every morning the train comes into Greenport at 5:35 a.m., waking up everybody near the tracks. While anyone can ride the train, not more than a few do at that hour. Every afternoon in the summer, a seaplane flies over my neighborhood at low altitude bringing passengers to Shelter Island.

From 8 a.m. until dusk during the growing season I hear landscapers’ equipment every day, just about all day. When they do my neighbors’ yard you can’t have a conversation in mine. Every summer afternoon, loud speedboats race by in the harbor, some entering and leaving Greenport.

On summer weekend nights the music from downtown village night spots is enough to keep people awake, and it does. Greenport is not a quiet village. There are quiet villages on the North Fork, but this is not one of them. We live close together. People work here and operate businesses here. Some of the noise bothers me but I wouldn’t suggest putting people out of work.

STIDD Systems employs 50 people in good jobs, according to an editorial written by this paper. Many of our kids graduate and have to leave for work because there are not enough jobs here. A helicopter landing two or three times each week is not going to disturb the peace and quiet. That’s already being done, to a much greater degree.

It seems crazy to me to chase out a good employer. I think the village should allow it.

Dan Creedon, Greenport