Letters to the Editor: Phragmites cleanupphragm

Southold

Phragmites cleanup

We are writing to thank the 40 or so community members who came out to cut phragmites around Southold’s Great Pond on a beautiful North Fork morning last Saturday. The Kenney’s/McCabe’s Beach Civic Association was well-represented, and Southold-Peconic Civic and ReWild North Fork members also helped out, along with several other interested volunteers. Group for the East End staff offered tools and training and worked alongside us, and the tow highway department hauled the cuttings to the transfer station. The event made a nice dent in the pond’s phragmites population; it’s an inspiring reminder that big things can happen when a group works together towards a common goal.

Great Pond’s restoration is a long-term initiative. Following an initial round of phragmites removal and native plantings in 2019, supported by a New York State DEC grant, a Long Island Sound Study grant is helping us continue to restore the balance between invasive and native plant species that support wildlife and water quality on Great Pond.

For more volunteer opportunities and information on this project, visit kmccbeachcivic.org.

Bridget Rymer

vice president, Kenney’s/McCabe’s Beach Civic Association
chair, Great Pond Restoration Committee

Cutchogue

Spoliation

“Spoliation” is a legal term that the public should learn about. It means intentional destruction, alteration, or failure to preserve evidence relevant to a legal case.

Ever since Donald Trump’s personal criminal defense lawyer, claiming to be acting as the No. 2 guy in the Department of Justice, engaged in a so-called “interview” with sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell, the prospect of “spoliation” has surfaced.

For two days, he threw softball questions at Ms. Maxwell so she could easily hit the Trump exoneration ball out of the park. By claiming she never saw Mr. Trump do anything inappropriate, she earned herself a removal from a real prison for sex offenders in Florida to a federal summer camp in Texas where no sex offenders go — unless, of course, you exonerate The Donald

The questions put to Ms. Maxwell by Trump’s guy begged for her to lie in her answers, and she did so brilliantly. She passed the test, and now she’s probably on her way to a pardon after having allegedly abused too many young girls to count and having been convicted of grooming them for Jeffrey Epstein and who knows what else.

There are supposedly tens of thousands of pages that comprise the claimed “Epstein File.” It’s already been reported that a thousand FBI employees were put to the task of combing them to identify and remove Donald Trump’s name. Doing that is called “spoliation.” It may be yet another crime, this time at the direction of — well, you get to guess.

It’s a safe bet that the American public will never see the real Epstein file. There may just be too many important people that have to be protected. 

Michael Levy

Mattituck

Meet the candidate

Hello, my name is Leah Tillman Sullivan, and I’m honored to be running for Southold Town Tax Assessor in this year’s election. Two seats are open, and I hope to earn your trust and your vote for one of them.

Southold has been home to me since 1975, when my family moved to Mattituck. Many of you may remember my father, Art Tillman, who was active in local politics and served as Democratic Party chair. 

Growing up in that environment gave me an early understanding of civic life, but the assessor’s role is not a political one. It’s about fairness, accuracy and making sure everyone in our community is treated equitably. That’s the spirit I intend to bring to the job.

After graduating from Mattituck High School, I attended Lafayette College, where I earned a liberal arts degree. I returned home to raise my family and had the privilege of serving for 12 years as an aide to former congressman Tim Bishop. In that role, I worked closely with residents on important issues like immigration, visas and Social Security, always focusing on helping people navigate complicated systems.

Following my time in government, I earned my real estate license and gained practical experience with property values and assessments here in Southold. I also served as executive director of the North Fork Chamber of Commerce, advocating for and supporting local businesses.

For the past eight years, I’ve also been a familiar face at The Village Cheese Shop in Mattituck, where I’ve enjoyed working both in front of and behind the counter. That experience, too, has strengthened my connection to our community.

I look forward to meeting you during the campaign and hearing what matter most to you. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Leah Tillman Sullivan

Ms. Sullivan is a candidate for Southold Town Tax Assessor on the Democratic and Working Families lines.

Mattituck

Candidate introduction

My name is Dana Forlenza, and I am a candidate for Southold Town Tax Assessor. As a lifelong resident of Southold Town, I have a deep love for the community I call home, and as a mother raising a family in Mattituck, I want to ensure that our town is here for generations to come. 

After graduating from Mattituck High School, and earning my bachelor’s degree from Stony Brook University, I began my career in banking, before transitioning to insurance. I am a licensed insurance agent and have spent the past 10 years working for a local agency. I have an extensive understanding of the value of local properties, as I calculate the replacement cost of each home I quote. While this cost-per-square-foot calculation may differ from the one used during an assessment, the core principle of determining the value of a property is the same.

Over the course of my career, I have also developed strong service and communication skills, which uniquely qualify me to assist our residents and business owners in all aspects of their property assessment, especially when it comes to questions, filing grievances or submitting exemptions. 

Sales data plays a part in the assessed value of a property, but considerations such as square footage, structure type, exemptions and grievances also factor in, and these are areas where my knowledge and expertise will be of value over those of my opponents.

When elected, my job will be to ensure property taxes are applied correctly and fairly across Southold Town, and I promise to bring empathy and understanding to every interaction with the public. The Assessor’s Office is an environment where I can put my expertise to use to better serve our community, and I humbly ask that you consider voting for me on Nov. 4. 

Dana Forlenza

Ms. Forlenza is a Democratic and Working Families party candidate for Southold Town Tax Assessor.

Mattituck

Clarifying costs

In response to G. Charles Whyte’s letter (“A taxing proposal,” Aug. 28) I must point out that he has overlooked a few things regarding the request for community support of the Mattituck Laurel Historical Society. We have over 250 members who pay dues each year, totaling approximately $6,500. We ask for donations and do fundraising, which typically brings in less than $10,000. We are also in pursuit of grants each year, and have been successful in obtaining some help from the Gardiner Foundation and others. 

Mr. Whyte’s estimate of $45,000 a year for maintenance and operating cost is a bit high, but we are close to $40,000. If our annual losses continue as they have for five more years, we will be forced to permanently close the doors, and the community will be without the ability to experience how people lived here between the 1600s and the early 1900s.

With community support — $60,000, an average of $1.25 per month per property, depending on assessments — we will be able to maintain our buildings and make better use of our facilities, bring wi-fi onto our site so we can establish an office and get computerized, and expand our programs to give the public easier access to local history through computers and cellphones. Unlike the schools, libraries and parks, there will never be any future increases to this support. 

We thank Mr. Whyte for his lifetime membership and his concerns.

Charles Gueli

president, Mattituck Laurel Historical Society and Museum