Letters to the Editor: ‘Outrageous’ plan
Riverhead
‘Outrageous’ plan
As official as it may sound, SCWA is an independent corporation in the business of selling water and related materials. It is not an agency of any governmental entity. It has no taxing power and raises money through bonds. The plan to zig-zag through Riverhead to supply water to Southold while drawing on aquifers in the Pine Barrens is beyond comprehension. It is an affront to Riverhead and its leadership. Salt water intrusion has been a decades-old problem in Southold. Some new homeowners have resorted to digging their own wells. My sympathy is with them; however, it is time for Riverhead to stand its ground and put a stop to this outrageous North Fork pipeline plan when the only real beneficiary will be SCWA.
CK Martin
Orient
Give equal time
I think it’s time to give certain letter writers bylines in your paper, since they are published constantly. I also notice that you have no problem printing anti-Trump letters but no pro-Trump. I’m sure that you receive them.
And here are my comments to Mr. Levy, Ms. Storm and Ms. Rutkowski:
- Zelensky is a war criminal. He’s resorted to kidnapping citizens off the streets because he’s running out of soldiers. Thousands of soldiers and citizens have died on his watch! He’s the clown, not Trump.
- DOGE is the best thing that ever happened. They need to go through everything to weed out the waste and fraud. So many Social Security checks going out to dead people and illegals. You should worry about our hard-earned tax dollars being wasted and stolen instead of privacy. Our information is already out there.
- Trump’s 250th birthday bash for the Army was an inspiration and much needed. It boosted morale, it recognized the soldiers and encouraged enrollment. It was long overdue. No other president ever did this, nor has any administration ever investigated the fraud and waste in our government. Trump is the best
Barbra LaCorte Latham
Greenport
Open letter to the high court
Dear Members of the Supreme Court:
I am writing to you out of respect and frankly, desperation, for the risks that have led us to the brink of a number of Constitutional crises. This country was founded on the rights and amendments of the Constitution that prevented the rise of authoritarianism and/or a monarchy. Our diverse population, made up of immigrants from every country around the world, enriched our culture and gave us an intellectual, emotional and spiritual edge, anchored by a democracy that had as its foundation the rule of law.
The only people in this country who are not immigrants are Native American, so how can you sanction deportation of American citizens, immigrants with green cards, international students and Americans who disagree with the administration and/or its policies? Raids, many of which are being carried out unlawfully without warrants. How can you dismiss habeas corpus, upon which we rely to defend ourselves? How can you conflate church and state when their separation is a free exercise clause in the First Amendment? All people residing in the U.S. have the right to due process. You, of all appointees, know this and swore an oath to the Constitution and to uphold the rule of law. The scraping of personal data from government agencies (most likely for nefarious reasons), the firing of agency career professionals, the grift of emoluments and big tech to privatize and monopolize every facet of life, the erroneous claims that the 2020 election wasn’t valid, which led to the cult following that could bring down this country, and the financial burden American families will bear for decades, the lack of security through the use of unauthorized networks and devices with those who haven’t been vetted for classified information … the list goes on. Never before have we been so compromised and terrified that the most sacred judicial branch, the Supreme Court, will rule outside of the Constitution in which you have sworn and not uphold the Rule of Law and due process, which applies to everyone in this country. I am pleading with you to take appropriate actions on these issues so that Americans now and future generations, including your own families, will trust the judiciary and act as a beacon of democracy for Americans and the rest of the world.
Melanie Mitzner
Cutchogue
Industry threat to farmland
The draft zoning code threatens a priceless Cutchogue resource. It changes the definition and approved uses of what is now the Light Industrial zone to an Industrial zone, which runs from Route 48 to Oregon Road and from Cox to Depot lanes. What is now open farmland on Depot and Oregon could legally become any (or all) of the following: a car wash, tanning salon, self-storage facility, a public utility (yes, a LIPA plant and/or a battery storage facility), dry cleaner, “medical facility” or medical cannabis dispensary.
It feels as though the authors of the draft code drove down Route 58 in Riverhead and decided this is just what we need on Oregon Road. None of these uses comports with the character of Oregon Road or the town’s own Comprehensive Plan. This change does not benefit the town or residents.
The town may argue that we need to provide opportunities for job-creating businesses. This hasn’t worked out: The most recent addition to this zone is Stonewall Storage, a large self-storage facility on Oregon Road. It employs only one or two people — so for a single job created in the town, we sacrificed open space for billboard signs advertising the facility, a paved parking area and corrugated metal structures. The largest job creator in the town is tourism — why threaten that?
Plus, there is already a significant amount of vacant commercial/industrial space in this zone of Cutchogue that is already built. We don’t need more.
The town and county have spent millions of our tax dollars purchasing development rights along Oregon Road. Allowing a public utility on Oregon Road is completely at odds with [that expenditure, made] to preserve the land around it.
The town may also argue that the draft code lists many permitted uses, but it doesn’t mean any of these eyesores will actually be built. Once a business is defined as a permitted use, the town cannot say no. The time to curtail these uses is now. The remaining farmland in the proposed industrial zoning district in Cutchogue should be rezoned agricultural, to preserve it as it is.
For many years “Save What’s Left” was the mantra. Now it seems (to paraphrase Joni Mitchell) the town wants to pave paradise and put up a parking lot. It makes no sense.
Kevin O’Mara
Co-founder, Friends of Oregon Road
Jamesport
Looking for local issues
I went to pick up your paper, as I periodically do, at my usual place and was told, “We don’t carry it anymore; nobody wants it.” I did get one and noted you had won awards for a local paper. That’s sort of amusing. It can’t be from your hard-hitting editorials like “Father’s Day”; way to tackle controversial town issues. I think the last one I saw that wasn’t boring fluff but an actual position, you were supporting the latest school budget, saying something like you have a long history of supporting the school budget. I read that as: We never saw a school budget we didn’t like — regardless of the tax hike and [fiscal irresponsibility]. Do you even know what’s in them?
I think I would faint if you had an editorial asking why the superintendent of a small school district with 5,512 students makes a base salary of $260,000 — more than the $250,000 salary of the governor of N.Y. Did you know the super’s total package includes a biweekly car allowance of $600? Of course not; what a silly question.
But I digress. The reason for buying your paper, and what prompted this letter, was curiosity if your letters were reflecting more local issues and a more polite and professional forum for a few national issue letters. Holy moly! What divisive vitriol and hate you gleefully print. I know it reflects the amount letters you receive, but did you ever think the more independent, moderate and conservative readers have abandoned your paper for other sources, like RiverheadLocal? Some don’t want to read the same old national hate letters each week.
Scott Gillespie
Riverhead
No Kings Day
More than 1,000 people may have participated in No Kings Day in Riverhead to protest the unconstitutional arrogance of President Trump. Crowd estimates are always hard. One source reportedly put forth half that number. We do know that over 1,200 people registered online. The cold rain could have reduced numbers, but there were additional walk-ins.
In any case, has Riverhead ever witnessed this large a demonstration? There was lots of energy that could affect local elections in November and midterms in 2026.
One of the strongest themes expressed by speakers and applauded by the crowd was opposition to ICE raids against undocumented immigrants with no history of violent crime. Similar words were heard and seen at No Kings Day protests in Orient, Hampton Bays, Southampton, East Hampton and Port Jefferson.
ICE should stay away from the East End until it reforms its behavior, including the heartless separation of parents and children. Riverhead police can monitor its presence but should provide no support unless ICE honors the president’s sudden discovery that our farms, restaurants and hotels depend on undocumented immigrants. That recognition must be broadened to include construction, landscaping, retail, health care and public services.
As the rally ended, I heard a man yell from the back of the crowd, “Slava Ukraini” (Glory to Ukraine). It reminded me that while the speakers eloquently denounced recent outrages by President Trump, I don’t remember hearing anyone address his betrayal of Ukraine and embrace of Russian propaganda.
The horrendous toll of innocent civilians in Ukraine, in Gaza, and now in Iran and Israel should not be forgotten in the next nationwide protest, possibly in July.
John McAuliff
Southold
Our environment
Southold is surrounded by a marine ecosystem that faces a number of serious issues. If elected Trustee, I will do everything I can to address them because it is the job of a Trustee in this town.
We live in a very diverse marine environment, from the giant boulder fields from the last ice age that scatter Long Island Sound’s north shore to our many bays, creeks, salt marshes, tidal wetlands and inlets. Much of this is disappearing in the blink of an eye. For example, the bogs in our creeks, which can take thousands of years to build and are one of the best filtration systems for our bays and creeks, are melting down to a pile of dead muck and ooze. Also disappearing are the salt marsh grasses and much of the ribbed mussels that live within the grass, another big natural filtration system. Approximately 90% of the eelgrass in the Peconic Estuary System is gone. Even Codium (aka ‘spaghetti grass’) has been in rapid decline for the past decade.
Now let’s talk about shellfish. But there’s nothing to talk about, because there aren’t any. Just because you go into a fish market or a farmers market and see clams doesn’t mean they came from the North Fork. . Hard clams have not been spawning or setting in these waters for years, steamers are basically extinct, little to no Peconic Bay scallops for six years and not many wild oysters either, with the exception of Mattituck Inlet and shellfishing in there has been going in the same direction.
Now let’s move on to harmful algal blooms, which that occur in some town waters and can cause paralytic and or diarrhetic shellfish poisoning. This past spring Jockey Creek had the highest level of Alexandrium concentration ever recorded. Years ago, we found Neoplasia, a leukemia-like cancer, in soft clams from a local creek, which may explain why they’ve all died off since.
These are just some of the problems I see firsthand as a bayman who has been making a living off the water for over 30 years in Southold Town. With all of the negatives, I do believe that with true environmental conservation practices we can get our waterways back on the right track. In the near future, I will write again about how, if I am elected Trustee, I would go about doing this and what I would ask from the community and the town so that in the future, we have a sustainable shellfish population that every resident in the town can enjoy and be proud that they were a part of rebuilding.
Nathan Andruski
Riverhead
Humor helps
We need more humor in our life to help us all come together. I saw one sign at the No Kings Day protest that it said: “Reign, Reign Go Away”. We Americans have one thing we really do well for decades is work hard to wipe out hunger, disease and poverty both in America and the World. The protesters mission statement to me, tells me we must continue to do fight these three tragedies. Because that is what real Americans do.
Warren McKnight
Greenport
Respect nesting sites
This is to remind dog walkers and beachwalkers to respect fenced off areas where endangered birds are nesting and exercise care in surrounding areas. Some birds — piping plovers, least terns, common terns, American oystercatchers and others — nest right on the sand, not in trees. The nests and eggs blend into the beach and can be easily stepped on. The startled parents will be flushed off the nests, allowing the eggs to chill, retarding their development. After hatching, the tiny chicks cannot fly for several weeks. Adults and chicks will walk up to a half-mile outside the fenced off areas to forage at the shoreline.
We heard of an incident where an unleashed dog at a town beach was seen with potentially a chick in its mouth. The next day, both an adult plover and a chick were missing. The number of plover pairs are in the dozens on Long Island, so the loss of even one or two birds means reduced sustainability for the future.
Southold Town Code states that dogs must be on a four-foot leash on all town beaches, and no dogs at all are allowed within 50 feet of a fenced-off shorebird area. Some North Fork beaches in separate Park Districts don’t allow any dogs or pets. Federal and New York laws also protect the birds, with fines of up to $25,000 and imprisonment for up to six months for each take of an egg or individual bird.
Many local beaches adjoin private properties. State law permits walking on private property only below the mean high tide line, close to the water’s edge. Shorebirds will always nest above that line. So if you are walking in a fenced-off area above the high tide line, you are trespassing.
If you see anyone violating the rules and harming the birds, alert the town’s Beach Dependent Species Management Program at [email protected]. Or call the state Department of Environmental Conservation hotline at 844-332-3267, as an officer may be nearby who can respond quickly.
We all love the North Fork for its beautiful weather, nature and beaches, including birds, animals, fish and other coast dwellers. Let’s all help to keep the North Fork great!
Theresa Dilworth
Peconic
Three questions
The news cycle spins faster each day and with mostly sad news. It’s hard to keep up to see what’s really impacting the world we live in. There are so many questions because yesterday’s news seems to slip by with a flash. Yet there are three questions that arise:
How come we can afford a $45 million parade and yet we can’t afford Medicare?
Why was there no military deployment on that fateful day of Jan. 6, and yet there is military deployment today on Los Angeles?
Also, what’s the difference between a king and an elected official running for office?
Joel Reitman
Southold
Inspiration in the rain
Hundreds of people showed up in Orient on a rainy Saturday to march in a No Kings event to protest the many ways Donald Trump is decimating our democratic form of government and replacing it with a Fascist regime. What an inspirational gathering of “senior citizens” and lots of younger folks, too!
Orient is a small town, yet, perhaps 300 people or more marched through this beautiful, quaint hamlet led by a woman to the beat of a marching drum. Everyone was friendly, courteous and in good humor in spite of the weather. Frequent chants of “No King” and similar themes were cheerfully voiced by the marchers.
I overheard one woman saying that what bothered her the most was the cruelty of the Trump administration toward law- abiding immigrants.
My wife and I were both inspired by the people we marched with on Saturday morning in Orient. It was a great way to start our weekend.
Dick Sheehan
Cutchogue
Read the tea leaves
Donald Trump sent 4,000 National Guard Troops plus Marines to allegedly guard federal buildings in a five-block area of Los Angeles. What’s this really all about?
Trump is kidding the 77 million people who put him in office with promises he knew he could never keep. He can’t stop the war between Russia and Ukraine. He can’t fix the Middle East, so he can build a resort in Gaza. He won’t keep prices down with his crazy tariff debacle. He can’t even keep Canada as a friend. And for sure, he won’t keep Europe on our side when we need them — and there will surely come a time when we will. The only thing he’ll accomplish is to make lettuce rot in the ground and invite you to wash your own dishes when you go out for dinner.
So, why did he send thousands of troops to L.A.? He didn’t send them there to protect anything. He sent them to pick a fight with the American people, at least those who didn’t vote for a dictator.
Trump wants people who oppose him to act out, to become violent if he can induce them to do that. He wants to create a condition where he can declare that an Trump-engineered insurrection is under way to give him an excuse to bring in many more troops to save our country from ourselves. And once he’s got the military doing his bidding nationwide, we’re all out of luck. Democracy is over!
When he’s through creating his fake rebellion, Trump’s going to figure out how to declare that the country cannot possibly go forward and hold mid-term elections. And if he can accomplish that, then he gets to be King Donald, and the rest of us become his subjects.
If we can’t read these tea leaves, shame on all of us. We will have handed our democracy to a man that has no interest in egalitarianism, but every interest in becoming wealthier than Vladimir Putin and nastier than Viktor Orban.
Congressman Nick LaLota has obviously read the tea leaves and made his decision. He’s gone full MAGA, and it’s King Donald for him. We all need to think about that next year — if we still have an election.
Michael Levy
