Letters to the Editor
To the Editor:
Despite the recent and ongoing rants of our pond-front neighbor, Vinnie Novak (see Your Letters, “Dishonest, dangerous,” August 15), Shelter Island’s beautiful Fresh Pond has been clear of algae this summer. The swimming has never been finer!
Mr. Novak is himself dishonest on several points, and appears to be motivated by a self-interested desire to scare others away from the town landing beside his property. Yes, our beautiful pond needs monitoring and maintenance, and, as is made clear by this year’s draft watershed management plan (shelterislandtown.us/public_ftp/SIWMP%20Recommendations_2_11_13.pdf) the town has been neither negligent nor passive.
Mr. Novak is also disingenuous in suggesting that the “not a bathing beach” signs required by Suffolk County this year had anything to do with the health of pond waters. The signs were actually a response to Mr. Novak’s own complaints that the pond front and other beaches were not monitored by lifeguards and lacked adequate beachfront facilities. Nor are Mr. Novak’s comments about algae blooms elsewhere on Long Island relevant to the situation here on Fresh Pond.
If the goal is to protect the health of our pond, and keep it as clear and fresh as it has been this year, there are some key steps to take. In particular, the growth of vegetation along the pond edges helps prevent runoff and discourages geese. Open, mowed, pond-side lawn fronts are problematic. We strongly encourage our neighbors, including Mr. Novak, to consider maintaining a strip of natural vegetation along most of their pond-front.
All summer, adults and children alike have continued to swim in and enjoy Fresh Pond. For generations, it has been a treasured, healthy and yes — public — resource.
PETER GRAND, LAURIE GOODSTEIN
Shelter Island
Haughty, contemptuous, supercilious
To the Editor:
Your editorial (“More for everyone,” August 8) was poorly written, illogical and a disgrace to this fine newspaper.
To postulate that the increase in value of the Community Preservation Fund was a symptom of our Island’s “unique character being smothered by … low life characters with money” is total nonsense and disrespectful of our new neighbors.
It’s a simple fact, newcomers to our Island are attracted by the quality of life here and acquiesce to paying onerous extra taxes because they prefer to live here than elsewhere. (You can be quite certain they are not coming for the school system.)
Your claim that “ We have lost something and will never get it back” is equally preposterous and has no basis in fact.
Perhaps what has been lost, Mr Editor, is your sense of fairness and respect.
That a newcomer to our Island can pick up the local newspaper and see himself described as a “low life character with money” by a semi-literate editor is disconcerting and insulting.
Your comments were haughty, contemptuous and supercilious.
DAVID OLSEN
Shelter Island
Editor’s note: The quotes from the editorial are taken out of context and don’t reflect the views of this newspaper.
A tip of the cap
To the Editor:
Many thanks to Susan Klenawicus and the Reporter for the constructive suggestions that afforded the Shelter Island Pilots’ Association the opportunity to clarify its documents and to greatly accelerate ongoing work to improve the airfield (see story, “Not so happy landings at field,” August 15). All suggestions are taken seriously and are greatly appreciated.
JAMES PUGH
Shelter Island Pilots’ Association
Getting the point
To the Editor:
Some peoples’ Googling is strange, as in the recent letter in these columns headed “Googling Republicans” (August 15). If one wants to find out the reputation and the reality of Georgiana and Jack Ketcham, one can do no better than just to ask one’s neighbors on the Island. One would surely find that both the Ketchams have long been honored citizens on the Island, giving both of their time and their money to our community organizations. This, by the way, is equally true of all the members of the Georgiana B. Ketcham Real Estate company. Every one of them are locals, and locals who do more than their share for the community.
We are newcomers on the Island: We have only been here 25 years, but we have certainly learned that political stereotypes have little role to play in identifying the do-gooders and the givers. Georgiana and Jack are both do-gooders and givers. We do expect, too, of course, that many Islanders got the point of Georgiana’s thought-provoking letter.
BERNARD AND PHYLLIS JACOB
Shelter Island
A vote for Georgiana
To the Editor:
The writer of the letter titled “Googling Republicans,” criticizing Georgiana Ketcham, is apparently someone who is a short-term and/or part-time resident of this Island. The writer is apparently unfamiliar with the many causes and events that Georgiana supports and sponsors, often with her husband, Jack.
I am hard-pressed to think of a worthy cause or event that Georgiana has not supported. She is one of the most generous people I have ever known. Just read the list of sponsors for these events, and you will often find her name among them.
I believe Georgiana was taking issue with some of the self-serving “fundraisers” that have cropped up here recently, and I totally agree with her.
LINDA G. HOLMES
Shelter Island
Above and beyond
To the Editor:
On behalf of the Shelter Island School Board of Education, the Physical Education Department, former student athletes and most of all myself, I would like to thank and acknowledge the hard work and efforts of Jay Card, Cliff Clark and Jimmy Colligan. Jay and Cliff have been kind enough to donate $1,000 each toward the new Shelter Island Athletic Hall of Fame glass encasement that houses our new plaques and pictures. Words can’t express how appreciative our school is for their generosity and goodwill.
As you may know, Jimmy Colligan pretty much donated his life last year ensuring our new Hall of Fame would launch successfully. His love for athletics and our athletic history is amazing. We could not have done this without him. In case we have some readers looking to become involved with assisting our athletic program in some capacity, we have a new Booster Club that is scheduled to meet for the first time in September. If you are interested, please give me a call at 749-0302, extension 101. This never could have happened without the likes of these fine gentlemen.
I look forward to another successful school year.
MICHAEL HYNES
Superintendent, Shelter Island School District
