Letters

Letters to the Editor

RIVERHEAD

Curb IDA breaks

I fully support Ann Cotten-DeGrasse and Amelia Lantz’s plea to stop the tax abatements and incentives that would release new or existing businesses from providing tax-source funding to our schools. I have toured the schools with board members and the situation is desperate. The districts infrastructure is failing and space is inadequate.
Under no circumstances should new or existing business’s tax abatements and incentives result in a loss of funding to our schools. I urge the Industrial Development Agency members to tour our schools and consider ways to restructure the existing programs to support the safe and sufficient education of our children.

Mark Terry

AQUEBOGUE

Keep it moving

What a great job Suffolk County did repaving and extending Route 58’s eastbound lanes past Doctors Path. I understand the county is now working to synchronize all the traffic signals on that route. If New York State would increase the time of the green light eastbound at the Route 25/County Road 105 traffic light it would help eliminate the backup.

Ken Lebohner

SOUTHAMPTON

Move at animal shelter

I am shocked at the number of dogs at the Riverhead Town dog shelter that can’t possibly be exercised or helped and socialized by a skeleton staff, often of one person. Now we have another staff member on “sick leave” for the second summer. Last word there were 27 dogs. The adoption of the wonderful Doberman mix Buster didn’t work out. Buster goes to town meetings and is a wonderful dog. Why did his adoption fail? I don’t know, because I still can’t step foot at the shelter. I gave the real story of the unlawful killing of the dog Bruno to the News-Review last December and was “punished” by Police Chief David Hegermiller, who really should have better things to do. He banned me, violating my First Amendment rights. That’s illegal, chief. Same thing happened to Linda Mosca of the RSVP rescue group. She was an excellent volunteer who was also punished by town officials.
Volunteer trainer Gina Rizzo, who can only go to the shelter once a week, says there are few volunteers — sometimes only one or two a week, according to the sign-in book. That’s a disgrace. And so bad for the dogs with sometimes only one person on duty to feed them and clean up. When will the Town Board and the supervisor realize it’s cruel, inhumane and illegal for animals to be in a cage in a municipal shelter without stimulation and exercise, day and night?
Councilman Jim Wooten says the wheels of government work slowly and everything will be worked out. Tell that to the dogs. Jim has the best of intentions and has done the most to make change happen, but these dogs are suffering from lack of attention and exercise. Enough delays. Let’s have a real shelter with volunteers, dedicated personnel and a permanent trainer like Gina Rizzo, who has done wonderful work with these poor animals.
And bring Sean McCabe back to run the place with part-timer Maureen, who is wonderful with the animals.

Pat Lynch

RIVERHEAD

They’re the same as us

Yes I am distressed by Troy Gustavson’s column “Underestimating the gay presence.” Why am I distressed? The world now is only slowly understanding the gay presence. Every minute of every day homosexual people are reminded that they are a minority. (I dislike the word gay. Many people are gay, which means happy. I’m happy but not a homosexual.) Adolescents, when they realize they have a libido, homo or hetero, they have decisions to make. If you are a homosexual the decision you make can have you beaten to death, make you kill yourself, live a life of private misery etc. I have friends who have had this done to them. If you live in Uganda, Africa, you will be put in prison, beaten or killed. Yes, Troy, you underestimate the gay presence. I suggest you live in Riverhead instead, and not the land of Oz.

Warren McKnight