Letters to the Editor: Acknowledging your support

Mattituck

Acknowledging your support

On behalf of the officers, directors, corporate sponsors, volunteers, professional advisors and advocates of Kait’s Angels, let me take this opportunity to thank the greater community for your support of our efforts this year and in years past. 

Kait’s Angels is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization formed in March 2015, six months after the unexpected passing of Kaitlyn Doorhy, a life fulfilled in countless ways and evidenced by a quilt of accomplishments developed beyond her age.

We’ve just completed our 2025 fundraising calendar of events — Designer Handbag Wingo, Poker Run, community yard sale and the recent Sip & Shop event at J. McLoughlin — and are grateful for your contributions, as we would not be able to support our many North Fork neighbors without them. 

Kait’s Angels is proud to be a financial shoulder for those with job interruption, health crisis and personal setbacks. In addition, we sponsor age-appropriate school assemblies, deliver inspiration and encouragement though our many social media platforms, install buddy benches in locations including town buildings, local libraries and area beaches. We are very proud to have donated dozens of NARCAN and LifeVac Kits throughout the community, including to East End first responders.

Despite the fact that there will always be an empty chair at our table, Kait lives because of the goodness done in her name. Just like Kait, we have been driven to do better and be better. Just like Kait, we have been driven to think first for the well-being of others.

William Araneo

president, board of directors

Riverhead

Hispanic simpatico

 I am 82 years of age and of northern European descent. After decades of living with the majority of my Latino neighbors, they have treated me with much kindness, caring and went out of their way to help me. Whether friend or stranger, time after time they helped me .We are very blessed with their simpatico. Thank you, amigos.

Warren McKnight 

Baiting Hollow

ICE raids and deportation

With all the protests, and sometimes violent demonstrations, against ICE arresting and deporting people who are in our country illegally, some people have missed or are ignoring the root cause of all of it.

None of ICE’s actions would be happening if Joe Biden, instead of blatantly lying to the American people, had enforced our immigration laws throughout his administration. Biden, by tacitly allowing anyone to cross the border, set the stage for the ICE raids and the deportations that are now occurring.

Biden’s inaction on border crossings and the vast amount of taxpayer dollars required for their care will, forever, be his legacy.

Stephen Rothaug 

Southold

Take action on e-bikes

An elderly woman was exiting the front of the Southold Pharmacy. As she was about to step onto the sidewalk, two young kids came roaring by on a pair of electric bikes — the type with the balloon tires. They very narrowly missed hitting her and, without stopping, kept on going.

If they had hit this poor soul, what recourse would she have? These vehicles are not required to have license plates, helmets, lights or, most importantly, liability insurance!

I have nothing against electric bikes, but the operators should be held to the same standards as, for example, a small motorized gasoline-powered scooter.

Legislators, take notice! Enact regulations to correct this dangerous loophole.

Barry Charles

London, U.K.

A word about Soloviev

Don’t let him do it. Greedy, rich developers have no right to spoil Southold.

Robert Goldman

Summerville, S.C.

A development alternative

I’m perplexed by the outcry over a proposal for 47 homes on 372 acres — preserving 75% of the land — when previous plans allowed nearly 193. But who will live in these homes? Most will likely be second or weekend residences, adding tax dollars but little community engagement. Full-time residents — our teachers, first responders, and store clerks — bring vibrancy, volunteerism, and local support that weekend owners rarely match. 

Rural towns gain stability, safety, and school participation from year-round homeowners, whereas seasonal owners contribute mainly economic resources. Prioritizing affordable housing can foster neighborhoods where people know and help each other, stabilizing property values and protecting community character. 

As we plan, let’s champion policies that build sustainable, engaged communities for working families. Imagine: Instead of 47 second homes, what if we built 275 affordable apartments? This would nurture a resilient, diverse community of residents who truly invest in our future.

Bill Bladykas 

Laurel

Turnout and burnout

Beginning next year, all residents of Mattituck and Laurel will be forced to make contributions to a historical society which, for decades, has been financed through voluntary donations. The reason: On Oct. 21, 113 residents of the area voted “yes” in a referendum on whether they and their neighbors should be taxed to finance the society’s operations. Voter rolls for this election contained 4,917 names.

Many residents said they did not know about the election despite the repeated appearance of legal notices, a mailing from tax proponents urging a “yes” vote and a lone story in a local newspaper. You can’t blame residents (even the few who knew about the referendum) for not casting ballots; they’re suffering from voter fatigue. 

In addition to the elections held a couple of weeks ago, they were called to polling places in the last few months to vote on the Mattituck-Cutchogue School District budget, a bond issue to finance a major library expansion, the library’s budget, the budget of the local park district and proposition #1 (to fund the historical society) – all on separate dates. If a win at the polls required approval of more than 50% of those eligible to vote – as public boards operate – nothing would ever get passed given the turnouts in these elections.

Perhaps Albany should consider legislation to provide for all district budget votes, commissioner races and propositions to occur simultaneously. The various jurisdictions would all have a stake in promoting the date and time of such balloting, which should enhance voter turnout.

Nearly 5,000 qualified voters will be affected by last month’s referendum to raise taxes for Mattituck and Laurel residents. Fewer than 2.3% of eligible voters actually cast ballots to sustain the levy. It’s ridiculous that so small a percentage should speak for us all.

David Levy 

Peconic

Explain this

In a recent letter to generate donations, Representative Nick Lalota wrote about cutting taxes. Maybe he could explain why school and property taxes are going up?

While he is doing that and while he and the Republicans have ended wars, there still are wars in Israel and the Ukraine. And there is another war starting, one with indiscriminate bombing in Venezuela. Explain that?

Mr. Lalota says that the Republicans put working families first, now that’s the one, the one where the issue is on one that Democrats won on in Virginia, Georgia, New Jersey, California, New York City, Detroit, and in the 1st Legislative district in your home county of Suffolk. The issue that working families are concerned about is the economy. These are the voters, the working families that the politicians are supposedly helping. These constituents are facing higher prices, losing jobs to AI, government cuts, tariffs and higher fuel costs. The Democrats used that issue to defeat the Republican candidates in all polls by over 10 percentage points. Explain that?

Mr. Lalota says that he cares for working families? Well, most politicians never worked a non-political job and therefore don’t have any idea about SNAP, WIC, HEAP, Meals on Wheels, Medicare, Medicaid — the list goes on. Those are programs that are being cut while the FAA cuts flights so we can’t go visit our loved ones on Thanksgiving. While the Congress, one body of government that you are part of, that shut down the country, all the while food and home heating costs are going up. Explain that?

Furthermore, none of that affects any elected official, that’s because they still receive a government paycheck and all the perks while the government is shut down. Can you explain that?

Joel Reitman 

East Marion

Congress must do its job

No more excuses, no more continuing resolutions. Another government shutdown drama, another continuing resolution (CR) to “save the day.” Let’s call it what it is: a failure of Congress to do its most basic job.

The whole shutdown mess was absurd. We should never have had a CR to begin with. Every Sept. 30, Congress is supposed to pass all 12 appropriations bills that keep our government funded. That’s not a suggestion — it’s their duty. Instead, when they can’t agree, they kick the can down the road with a “temporary funding measure” to keep the lights on.

The first continuing resolution was enacted on Oct.1, 1981, as a stopgap because lawmakers couldn’t finish their work on time. Since then, Congress has managed to pass all appropriations bills by the deadline only four times. Four times in more than 40 years. That’s not governance — that’s negligence.

And frankly, I don’t care which party is to blame. This isn’t about Republicans or Democrats. It’s about accountability. Every member of Congress, regardless of ideology, should be held responsible for doing the job they were elected to do. We voted for them to represent us — not to delay, posture and pass endless CRs while the government lurches from one funding crisis to the next.

It’s time for serious reform. If Congress can’t pass all appropriations bills by Sept. 30, there should be real penalties. Dock their pay. Cancel recess. Freeze campaign travel. Whatever it takes to make them feel the same urgency the rest of us feel when we miss a deadline at work.

 We deserve a government that functions — not one that survives on stopgaps and excuses. No more CRs. No more finger-pointing. Do your job, Congress. That’s what we hired you to do.

Jack Malley