Letters to the Editor: Protecting the new Town Square

Riverhead

Protecting the new Town Square

On Tuesday, July 22, the Riverhead Town Board will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. on whether J. Petrocelli is qualified and eligible to be Master Developer for the new Town Square. It is the first and probably the only opportunity for the people of Riverhead to be heard about whether they want a five-story, 76-room hotel with 12 condominiums and only 12 parking places built between the Suffolk Theater and the Peconic River.  

The proposed hotel will dominate the east side of the visionary square, narrowing the vista from Main Street to the river and the proposed amphitheater. It requires the sale to Petrocelli of publicly owned land now occupied by the Craft’d tavern and by East End Arts.

Legally, it was not required to invite other proposals although that would have been a more transparent process. Unfortunately, the Town Board made no serious effort to find out whether the people of Riverhead actually wanted to sell town-owned land to use part of the Square for a third Petrocelli hotel. 

A March 22, 2021, press release, “Riverhead Seeks Public Participation in Town Square Design Process,” announced: “The buildings located at 117 and 121 East Main Street will be demolished, while 127 East Main Street would remain in place, although it will be extensively renovated.”  

There is no trace of discussion of a hotel in the Pattern Book. Mentions of the Town Square in the new Comprehensive Plan are largely about the opening of space and vistas between Main Street and the river and included nothing about a hotel as part of the Square. 

The first reaction by the incumbent supervisor and the Riverhead board when their grand projects are challenged is to demean critics for negativism and to steamroll ahead. Riverhead citizens have overpowered this attitude twice in the past few years: over the Ghermezians’ cargo airport plans for EPCAL and an agritourism resort on Sound Avenue. People overwhelmed the Town Board with calls, emails and petitions, and by turning out in decisive numbers when their direct interests were threatened. 

Will they be as motivated by social, economic and aesthetic preferences for the long-term future of a unique public space? 

The PDF of the Master Developer Agreement can be found on the web page of Town Clerk Jim Wooten. Photos and successive architect renderings can be seen at tinyurl.com/RHTOWNSQUARE.

A Google poll offers an opportunity to weigh in anonymously about the future of the Town Square at tinyurl.com/RHhotelpoll.

John McAuliff 

Southold

‘Delighted’ for Dorothy

I was delighted to see the article about Dorothy Konarski, “Mrs. Farmer Mike” (“Still at hr post after 53 years, July 3). She is being recognized not only because she has a story to tell, she’s helpful and knowledgeable, and, if you have the time, she’ll provide you with recipes on how to prepare what you’ve just purchased. She is patience and kindness itself. Anything we ever bought from their stand flourished, oh those tomatoes. I always told her, “Don’t ever retire.”

While at her stand back in the day, I saw a black puppy lying off to the side and commented to Dorothy how cute it was; before I knew it, she offered us the dog. It was the first of many we would have in our lives.

I will always be mindful of that woman.

Elaine Goldman 

East Marion

Water questions

Please note two questions about the Southold Water Advisory Committee’s discussion of the proposed irrigation regulation law (“Sprinkler rule stalled by Southold board,” June 26). 

The article noted that “roughly 70% of water pumped during peak demand hours in Southold is used for outdoor purposes such as  landscape irrigation” and mentions up to 50% wastage through overwatering, etc. 

However, the data offered should include commercial (sod farms, nurseries, etc.) rates as well as private water usage figures. We have often seen sod farms watering during daytime and during heavy rains, which would be prohibited for private users under the new law. Total water usage figures would offer a better idea of the savings intended by the new law. 

There is mention in the article that the law was tabled “for further public input and revision.” Perhaps The Suffolk Times could publish information about how to facilitate that public input. 

Miriam and Nathaniel Donson 

Southold

The plovers thank you

We live near the strip of sandy beach that stretches eastward from Southold’s South Harbor Road park. Over the recent holiday weekend, we were gratified to see that there were virtually no footprints — human or canine — within the areas of the beach marked off for nesting piping plovers. As most North Forkers have learned, plovers lay their eggs directly on the sand. As a result, plover eggs and fledging young are especially vulnerable to human and animal encroachment.

Because beach walkers have been respecting the many signs asking them to avoid the nesting areas and — especially — to leash their dogs, we’re happy to report that a number of baby plovers have hatched and fledged and are happily scuttling up and down the water’s edge.

On behalf of Southold’s piping plovers, thank you for you cooperation in helping to rebuild this vulnerable and undeniably cute population!

Jim Fields 

Riverhead

What about next year?

How will we celebrate the Declaration of Independence in the year 2026?

The mission statement of our Declaration of Independence is “ We hold these Truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these rights are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” 

President Trump proposes to celebrate our 250-year anniversary by having a prize fight on the White House grounds. Trump’s proposal lacks any relevance to the mission statement of our Founding Fathers. Trump’s mission statement is that “might is right.” Albert Einstein states the only way to achieve peace is with understanding with the presence of justice. Anything else will lead to a nuclear holocaust and put an end to the human race and Earth as we know  it.

Warren McKnight 

Riverhead

Our final Fourth?

Congrats on your editorial condemning ICE’s masked marauders (“Independence Day 2025,” July 3). We are at a crossroads in the USA with a convicted felon in the White House and a tribe of sycophants in elective office.

We must remember that our Congressional representative voted against his own constituents by approving a $3 trillion deficit bill and claimed it was OK because he gave the upper and upper-middle class an extra $30,000 in tax deductions. Since that was his only issue, perhaps he should now resign.

America was once that shining beacon. The convicted felon in the White House, his co-conspirators who tried to overthrow the government on Jan. 6 and cowards like our District 1 representative are extinguishing that beacon.

I ask: Was this Independence Day our last? 

Joseph DiBenedetto 

Cutchogue

Forgotten words

They total fifty-two; chosen wisely and painstakingly. They had to be informative and full of hope and inspiration. They had to be, for the nation was at lynchpin in developing. 

These words are, of course, the Preamble to our Constitution. They, so eloquently, tell the reason why the Constitution was established. They list the objectives and inspire hope by squarely laying the burden of government upon “We the People.” 

Everyone should memorize these words and in doing so hold our elected representatives to the objectives listed. Alas, this section of the Constitution is no more than forgotten words.

Is it any wonder why the country now seems so divided as judicial decisions rest more on interpretation of the words within the Constitution rather then also weighing the objectives of the Preamble?

Bob Bittner 

Riverhead

Support appreciated

As a pastor of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church, I have been in close collaboration with various, both Democratic and Republican Riverhead Town administrations over the years. I can attest that their support of Ukraine and the Ukrainian community in Riverhead goes beyond a display of the Ukrainian flag during meetings. 

Keep in mind that the Russian aggression in Ukraine started in 2014 and since then Riverhead Town and the good people of our community — and far beyond Riverhead and Long Island — have been nothing but supportive of our cause. We, as a Ukrainian community in Riverhead, are extremely grateful to the Riverhead community and to current and past Riverhead administrations for standing with Ukraine, the Ukrainian people and our Ukrainian community on Long Island. 

The Rev. Bohdan Hedz 

Cutchogue

Church vs. state

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson publicly praised the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” enacted by the Republicans last week as being divinely inspired, and made a note to thank God for this oh-so-wonderful legislation. That, of course, begs the following questions:

• Whose god advocated leaving up to 17 million Americans without health coverage over the next decade?
• Whose god called for a $267 billion cut in SNAP, the food assistance program for the needy, and now kids can go without lunch?
• Did God demand that student loan programs be phased out so it will be more difficult to get a higher education in America?
• Was it God who made sure that two-thirds of the tax cuts provided by the bill will go to households earning $217,000 or more?
• Did Mike’s god decide to encumber Mike’s grandchildren — and everyone else’s — with intractable debt by adding $3.8 trillion to the deficit by 2034?
• Is God laughing at the Republicans for convincing them to promote fossil fuel expansion while the planet continues to burn up?

Yes, Mike Johnson and his pals are thanking God for this Big Beautiful Scam on America. He and his Republican cronies now own this train wreck. And that bunch includes our own congressman, Nick LaLota, who walked away from seeing that kids are fed and the sick are healed in order serve the financial greed of our country’s wealthiest. And worse, he tried to convince us that he’s forgiven because of his exemplary work trading American hunger and health for an increased SALT deduction.

To Mr. LaLota, a piddly increase in tax deductible items is well worth risking the well-being of our citizens and a financial crisis for our country. All this because he’s afraid of Donald Trump. Well, shame on him! Or is it shame on us for sending him to Washington? Let’s not make that mistake again next year.

Michael Levy