Letters to the Editor: Handicapped parking needed
Jamesport
Handicapped parking needed
I have contacted the Jamesport Civic Association and the Riverhead Town Board that the Jamesport Meeting House needs handicapped parking.
We need to be aware of the people with special needs in our township, and help them in any way we can.
Warren McKnight
Aquebogue
Riverhead election
I have voted Republican/Conservative for as long as I can recall. This go around I feel a change is needed for town supervisor. Mr. Hubbard has been a disappointment. Mr. Halpin is more of an independent than he is a Democrat regarding his ideas on how Riverhead should be supervised.
The recent tax increase was a shock to me, without outlining the specific expenses incurred by the town, other than generic statements for the increase. The agri-tourism ideas concern me. Where is this going? Is this a back door to changing Riverhead to a resort destination? I’m more in line with preserving open space than I am with “tourism.” The North Fork is special. I’d like to see it stay that way, and not become a Hamptons nightmare.
John Woods
Aquebogue
Three times the tax
I read in the Oct 2nd Riverhead News Review that the Town is proposing a 2026 tax increase of 6.74%. This follows a 2025 increase of 7.92%, for a total two-year increase of 14.7%.
Records show that the same two-year tax increases during prior administrations were 5.2% for Laura Jens-Smith and 5.4% for Yvette Aguiar. So the tax increases of the Hubbard administration are three times that of prior supervisors.
I respectfully request the Town Board take another look at their budget. And if they can’t reduce the spending, seek a business consultant or empower a citizens group to provide recommendations. We can control spending and have a good quality of life at the same time. Prior administrations have been able to!
Mark Schackel
Washington, D.C.
LaLota’s response
Re Rosellen Storm’s letter of last week, Oct. 2: Like you, my “ordinary” titles are important to me as I am a husband, a father, a son, and a neighbor. Family responsibilities shape how I view every vote I take in Congress. I respect your passion and the seriousness with which you view our nation’s future.
We may disagree on policy, but I want you to know that my decisions are not about “bending the knee” to anyone. They are about delivering for Long Island families who are struggling with high costs and looking for real relief. The Working Families Tax Cut quadruples the SALT deduction, putting thousands of dollars back in the pockets of middle-class families across Suffolk County. It preserves Medicare and Social Security, strengthens our border, and keeps our economy competitive. These are not abstract issues for me; they are priorities that impact our neighbors directly.
I know you are concerned about health care. So am I. That is why I’ve worked to protect Medicare, expand coverage for veterans, and ensure safety-net programs remain funded. Reasonable people can disagree about the best way to achieve those goals, but I would never support a policy that leaves our most vulnerable without care.
I take seriously both the honor and the responsibility of representing our district. You may not agree with every vote I cast, but I hope you see that my record reflects a commitment to service, to principle, and to the people of Long Island—not to partisanship.
Thank you again for speaking up. Civic engagement, especially when we disagree, is what makes our democracy strong. I will continue to listen to your concerns and to fight for the families we both care about.
Nick LaLota
Mattituck
Thank you, Trustees
I recently attended my first meeting of the Southold Town Trustees, and was truly wowed by their hard work, commitment and patience. I would like to take a moment to recognize and commend the Trustees for their dedicated service to our community. They carry an enormous responsibility in balancing the needs of residents, environmental stewardship and the preservation of our cherished North Fork way of life.
Their work requires numerous site visits, long meetings and careful review of complex applications and regulations. Our shorelines, wetlands and waterways are better protected thanks to their diligence. The Trustees ensure that residents can enjoy the natural beauty of Southold Town by safeguarding these resources for generations to come.
I am deeply appreciative of their professionalism, their responsiveness to community concerns and the thoughtfulness with which they approach challenging decisions. Public service at this level requires both expertise and patience, and our Trustees continue to demonstrate both.
I highly recommend attending a Trustee meeting to learn more about the importance of their work and how it affects Southold Town.
Thank you for your tireless work on behalf of Southold Town.
Tami Loeffler
Cutchogue
Making town government better
I’m running for Town Clerk for two reasons: to improve local government and to give back to a community that supported my family when we were in crisis.
My decision to attend law school was driven by a desire to make government work better. As town clerk, there are specific ways I can make Southold government work better.
I will extend office hours without increasing costs so residents can more easily obtain permits and services. I will continue posting concise, high-level summaries of Town Board work sessions and meetings, enabling you to stay informed without relying on hearsay or devoting hours to attending or streaming meetings. I will also conduct a thorough review of office processes to identify efficiencies. While I value tradition where it serves us well, I believe government should evolve thoughtfully rather than operate on autopilot.
I am also running because I feel indebted to this community, and want to repay that debt through service. In April 2023, my husband, David, suffered a severe workplace accident. We are deeply grateful he survived and remains whole, and equally grateful to live in Southold. In our family’s crisis, this town had our back.
David’s employer, John Fabb, was extraordinary. The Lions Club, Kait’s Angels, the Southold Democrats, and many individuals stepped up to help. That support allowed me to focus on my husband and children when they needed me most. As a result, two and a half years later, our daughter is thriving in college, our son is a successful high school sophomore at Mattituck, David is building a new life, and I am committed to serving Southold.
Along with my commitment, I bring skills in grant writing, website management and clear, effective public communication — tools that will strengthen the clerk’s office and benefit the people of Southold
Abigail Field
Ms. Field is running for Southold Town Clerk on the Democratic and Working Families lines.
Cutchogue
Goodwin for highway super
The choice for highway superintendent is very clear to me. Dan Goodwin has proven his ability over the past four years with his accomplishments. These include:
- 45 lane miles of road repaved
- 152 new “in house” drainage installations
- 40 outfall pipes removed, protecting our waterways from road water runoff
- securing $400,000-plus in federal and state grants for future stormwater and runoff projects
Dan has proven his ability and dedication to our town with his track record .
In my opinion, Dan has accomplished more in the past four years than any previous highway superintendent has accomplished in 10 years.
Xavier Fleming
Orient
Reconsider the rabbi
Rabbi Gadi Capela has been a beacon of inspiration to his congregation and, significantly, to the community at large. He has fostered interfaith communication while raising the prominence of Tifereth Israel, Greenport’s historically rooted seat of Jewish worship. (Potato latkes served to everyone at Hanukkah come to mind.)
He has been a figure of warmth, friendship and learning to people within and outside the Jewish community.
It is to be hoped that the synagogue administrators will reconsider the effort to deprive us of his presence … and humanity.
Burke Liburt
Southold
Ben Franklin was right
I am occasionally asked why I read, write and basically protest the way this country is heading. I — and others around me, both family and friends — live a good life. Warm houses, enough money to pay our bills and good health insurance. Many people are content with their lives as is. I, however, in the autumn of my life, live in fear for the future of this country, who as Benjamin Franklin said when asked on the last day of the Constitutional Convention if we were a monarchy or a republic said: “A republic, if you can keep it.” I took those words for granted until recently.
Two things come to mind these days for me. One is the word “erode,” meaning is to gradually destroy. The sea erodes shorelines and rocks sometimes so gradually we don’t notice it. As well, the boiling frog is an excellent metaphor, for a frog in a pot slowly adapts to increasing water temperature until it boils to death. I only hope, as a republic, we will realize we are in increasingly hot water before we, as a nation, are cooked.
This is why I hope that more and more people will protect our very fragile democracy.
Rosellen Storm
