Letters to the Editor: Thanks for a great day!
Mattituck
Thanks for a great day!
We would like to thank our community for all your support to make Billy’s Will Power tournament a great success! It was a beautiful day at the beach for volleyball, the basket auction and the bake sale. We are always amazed at the generosity of our local community that continues to support Billy. We are grateful beyond words.
To our many sponsors and volunteers that help in so many ways, we could not do it without you. Your love and support keep us believing that nothing is impossible.
The Hickox family and the
Will Power Trust committee
Southold
History is our greatest teacher
Southold stands proudly as one of the first settlements in our country, and its history is as rich as the soil that has sustained it. One truth has always remained constant: The backbone of our economy is agriculture and tourism. Generations of families have relied on these twin pillars to make a living, to raise children here and to preserve the character of this community.
If you look back through Southold’s history, you will also see something striking: Each of our towns once had large hotels — symbols of a thriving tourism economy that attracted visitors and sustained local commerce. Yet nearly all of those hotels met the same mysterious fate: They burned to the ground. It’s difficult to believe this was mere coincidence.
Today, we find ourselves once again at a crossroads. Agriculture struggles under mounting pressures and tourism is handicapped by a moratorium on hotels. By ignoring our own history, we risk repeating its mistakes. We cannot sustain this town by restricting its lifeblood.
The lesson is clear. If Southold is to thrive, we must embrace and support both agriculture and tourism — not stifle them. History has already shown us the consequences.
Vincent Guastamacchia
Southold
Science and community first
This summer, I watched my children delight in the simple joys of Southold’s beaches — chasing hermit crabs across tidal pools, collecting sun-warmed stones along the shoreline, and stacking rocks on the bluffs while their laughter carried across the water. Seeing their wonder and excitement reminded me of my own childhood in Mattituck and strengthened my commitment to preserving these experiences for future generations. That is why I am running for town Trustee.
A Trustee’s core responsibility is safeguarding our waterways and managing waterfront development. Our shorelines are facing unprecedented development pressure and erosion from worsening storms. Our groundwater is at risk of overuse and vulnerable to sea level rise. These problems cannot be left to politics; they demand professional expertise and science-based solutions. I am that professional.
I’m the only Trustee candidate who is a professional engineer. I hold a master’s degree in maritime engineering and have more than 15 years of coastal engineering experience. My work has included erosion control, dock and bulkhead design, underwater structural inspections, resource management and freshwater preservation. I have collaborated with industry experts locally and around the world, and understand how to be efficient in today’s complex regulatory environment.
I am also the co-founder of an oyster farm in Peconic Bay. Our small business supports local jobs, oyster habitat restoration and water quality improvement. The health of our waterways is vital to our industry’s success.
As a waterfront expert, oyster farmer, lifelong Southold resident, Mattituck High School graduate and father of three, I am deeply invested in the success of this community and uniquely qualified to excel in this position. I believe protecting our waters cannot wait — and it cannot be left to politics. Elect me as a Trustee this November and I will put science and community first.
Joseph Finora
Mr. Finora is running for Town Trustee on the Democratic and Working Families lines.
Mattituck
Crisis has been reached
Thank you for covering the dangerous situation at Mattituck Inlet and Bailie Beach (“Mattituck Inlet’s planned dredging project postponed,” Sept. 4). Getting the Army Corps of Engineers to address the damage its jetties have done to Bailie Beach is essential to prevent a breach of the Inlet and the corresponding economic and environmental damage. Beyond that, mitigating the jetty-caused damage is also crucial to the homeowners east of Bailie Beach; their homes are threatened by the erosion.
A minor correction: The final 2011 Section 111 study of Mattituck Inlet used multiple methods to assess the percentage of Bailie Beach’s erosion caused by the jetties. One method found the percentages you reported, but the method the Army Corps believed was more accurate — and thus relied upon for the study — found the federal jetties caused 83% of the sand otherwise destined for Bailie Beach to be lost.
The current situation has reached the crisis stage. With the postponement of the maintenance dredge initially planned for this fall, no sand will be put on Bailie Beach, and the dangerous shoals in the channel will not be addressed. We all must hope for a year of mild storms, and that our congressional delegation can help us get the Army Corps to do its job — its whole job — next fall. The sand from a maintenance dredge is so woefully inadequate to Bailie Beach’s needs that it cannot even be called a band-aid.
We encourage everyone to come to the Oct. 6 meeting of the Mattituck-Laurel Civic Association at Veterans Beach, which will include a presentation on the inlet situation and the future of Bailie Beach. We also ask people to sign our petition, available on the Mattituck Park District’s homepage.
Kevin Byrne
chairman, Mattituck Park District
Cutchogue
Connecting the dots
Dr. Susan Monarez is a world-renowned scientist with a B.S. degree in microbiology and a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology. Her research focused on developing technologies to prevent, diagnose and treat infectious diseases.
On July 31, she was sworn in as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Less than one month later, she was fired when America’s leading medical quack, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., asked Donald Trump to get rid of her. She had reportedly refused to endorse unscientific or reckless directives demanded by Mr. Kennedy and, worse, disagreed with the nation’s No. 1 nutter over vaccine policy, particularly regarding the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, which Mr. Kennedy seems hell-bent on preventing from manufacture and distribution to Americans. In testimony before the U.S. Senate, he now calls her a liar.
Dr. Peter Hotez, one of the country’s leading experts in vaccinology, estimates that the COVID-19 vaccine saved as many as 3.2 million American lives. It’s also estimated that between 200,000 and 300,000 Americans lost their lives to COVID because they foolishly refused to get vaccinated when they could have. And that vaccine is the medical miracle to which America’s home-grown crackpot wants to deny us all access. It seems that Mr. Kennedy hasn’t given a minute’s worth of thought to how many deaths he may cause by forcing his anti-vax theories, debunked after debunked, on innocent Americans.
For anyone who remembers his father: Who could have ever imagined that RFK Jr. would one day become a clear and present danger to America’s health? Just connect the dots.
Michael Levy
Southold
New problem for pond
In response to ““Pitching in to save Southold’s Great Pond” (Sept. 4), I’d first like to thank everyone who donated their time and effort to help eradicate some phragmites from around the pond; however, I would like to address the quality of the pond itself since 2019, when the phragmites situation was first addressed.
Starting in the spring of 2020 a new weed has now totally inundated the bottom of this beautiful resource. Whether it was brought in by the dredge that was used or by another boat or kayak, this body of water cannot be used for fishing or swimming after late June. This invasive weed grows up from the bottom to approximately one to two feet from the top of the water and covers the entire bottom, and is thick and mat-like. I believe the weed is hydrilla, an invasive fast-growing weed that depletes oxygen levels, hinders water quality and quickly crowds out native aquatic plants.
I have been fishing on Great Pond over 15 years and remember kids from the camp swimming and fishing from the docks. This is no longer possible. The former weed beds no longer exist or are very scarce. The pond drew fishermen from all over the island and many of them commented to me that they considered this the best place to fish on all of the East End for largemouth bass and how fortunate I was to live only a couple of miles away. Largemouth bass, yellow perch, black crappie, bluegill and pickerel were all abundant. Over the last several years I have noticed a significant decline in the population and size of all fish species. There also seems to be a decline in fish fry, frogs and snapping turtles in the pond. Something should be done to remove this weed before this beautiful resource is but a 50-acre mud hole. There are solutions; I implore the state and town to find one.
Ron Falkowski
Southold
Social contract
Historian Jon Meachem just put in context the vaccination uproar. We must follow traffic laws for the greater good. We stop at stop signs, merge safely, etc. It’s part of our social contract with each other. Vaccines are a key part of the social contract, to avoid sickness not only for us, but our neighbors. Plain common sense when you live in society.
Rosellen Storm
Wading River
Stand up for justice
Rep. Nick Lalota: Please make us proud by standing up for justice and signing the discharge petition to lead to a House vote on releasing the full Epstein files. Exposure of evidence involving offenders, conspirators and their enablers will act as a deterrent to future systematic sexual abuse and will show support for the victims of these terrible crimes.
Alan Daters
Peconic
Believe it or not
On Jan. 6, 2021, while the United States Capitol was being overrun by crowd of people chanting words and carrying placards that spoke against my country, the National Guard stood silently nearby with no orders to stop the insurrection.
Inside, the Constitutional process of a free election was in process, but delayed by those moving closer to politicians who were trying to continue the process of a free election. Those politicians fled from that process as the crowds closed in.
Now, those same National Guardsmen are providing a threatening presence in that same city, and are also in the county’s second largest city. They are about to be deployed in our third largest city, despite the resistance of the governor and mayor of that area.
Why, when in one instance there were no orders was given, now multiple orders are given?
How does this work in a free and open society when the federal government allows disruption and later uses force against its own citizens?
Joel Reitman
Riverhead
Support for Epstein survivors
The abuse and trafficking of young women by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell has become a test of moral conscience and political courage. Anyone who watched the gut-wrenching press conference and interviews of Epstein survivors must unite with their demand that all case files and financial documents be made public — and that Ms. Maxwell be returned to a real prison.
Will Rep. Nick LaLota support the bipartisan discharge petition necessary to force the documents into public view? Or will he go along with the effort by Speaker Johnson and President Trump to suppress crucial information about the prominent men that sexually exploited 14- to 17-year-old girls?
People who care should write or call Mr. LaLota’s office (631-289-1097). They should also demand that our elected Town Boards in Riverhead and Southold send him a similar official letter. The same challenge must be made for collective action by the slates of candidates seeking to replace them.
Similar non-partisan moral concern is justified about the views of LaLota and local politicians on the deadly but more distant betrayal of the people of Ukraine and Gaza.
However, Mr. LaLota and our local electeds and aspirants should not be allowed to duck responsibility for the more immediate challenge of justice for the Epstein/Maxwell survivors — even if that means deserved embarrassment for political allies in both parties.
John McAuliffe
Southold
Corruption
On Sunday, Donald Trump and a number of his cabinet members and advisors went to the U.S. Open as the guests of Rolex, a Swiss watch company. Curiously, the president has imposed the highest level of tariffs on the Swiss, and it is expected the tariffs will be especially hard on the watch companies. Is there perhaps a relationship here that should be addressed? Is Rolex trying to influence U.S. policy by gifts to the president? Might this be called bribery? Is the president using U.S. policy for personal gain?
The U.S.T.A. would have found seats for the President and his entourage in a minute. In other similar cases politicians have had to reimburse for such favors. Do we believe that Rolex will be paid for those seats, which are worth tens of thousands of dollars?
Steve Curry
Cutchogue
An ‘outrageous attack’
Can you name a Hollywood movie where the madman who is trying to destroy the world is the good guy? No. Me neither. So why is Trump being hailed as a savior? His end game is patently obvious: Remove every perceived obstacle in the way of squeezing the last drop of oil from a dying Earth. The only people this will benefit are the ultra-greedy, who are being showered with your tax dollars as they fawn at Trump’s feet. So far, this administration has sought to purge all reference to the climate crisis, is working to gut the Endangered Species Act and crush the budgets of the EPA and the National Science Foundation, among many others. Now, he is trying to overturn the 2009 endangerment finding of the EPA, which lays out the scientific and legal basis for regulating fossil fuel emissions to protect us from the impacts of climate change. This is another outrageous attack on science, on the world, on you and your family — all to literally add more fuel to the fires that are scorching the Earth.
It’s really very simple: When the Earth and its glorious life forms suffer, so does humankind. Look around you: Isn’t this glaringly obvious? We are not above nature, we are part of it. Attacks on the Earth and nature are attacks on ourselves.
History is laden with tales of past civilizations that collapsed because they failed to learn these lessons. We are already far down this road. Trump isn’t making America great again. He’s destroying it, and he’s taking down the rest of the world as well. Wake up America!
Stephen Tettelbach
Westhampton beach
Best use for Plum Island
There’s a reliable, cost-effective, zero-carbon way to produce all of the electricity needs of Suffolk County now and in the future, most likely with power to spare — and sell. It’s the modern small modular reactor, which could be sited on a portion of Plum Island.
Electricity from nuclear power is the most reliable because it does not depend on the ever-changing wind or sunlight. Unlike those methods, nuclear power needs no fossil back-up power plant.
The new reactor design is much lower in cost than the old ones, because it is small and modular, takes less time to build and more than one can be built depending on the amount of electricity needed. The Plum Island site, once used for hazardous disease research, is owned by the federal government and, I read, is to be placed in Suffolk County’s control.
As the demand for electricity grows, the opportunity for Suffolk County to enjoy dependable energy now and in the future is tremendous. In the governor’s search for suitable nuclear sites, I hope she considers Plum Island.
Richard Blumenthal
Cutchogue
Conflicting concerns
Our representative, Nick LaLota, should be more concerned with representing the best interests of his constituents than with being primaried by Donald Trump.
He should be more concerned that the actions of RFK Jr. are going to lead to heightened sickness and premature death among his constituents. He should be more concerned that the funding cuts Republicans pushed through Congress are going to harm his constituents by cutting health care, financial support, educational funds and FEMA emergency support that will harm his constituents, everyday Americans working and raising families.
He should be more concerned that the Republicans are blocking the full unedited release of the Epstein files, that would inform his constituents of the involvement or non-involvement of people at the top of our government and corporate empires with the immoral crime organization run by Jeffrey Epstein.
Our representative, Nick LaLota, should be more afraid of his constituents voting him out in the next election than he is of being primaried by Donald Trump. We, his constituents, need to call, email and visit his offices to voice our own fears and concerns. Mr. LaLota’s Washington, D.C., office phone is 202-225-3826.
Barbara Farr
