Shelter Island Reporter Letters to the Editor
New leadership for Goat Hill
To the Editor:
As a former grounds superintendent and member of the Shelter Island Country Club (SICC), I was disheartened to see the most recent photos of the golf course greens. They are in terrible shape! Judging by the photos, they are riddled with snow mold (fungus), lacking proper nutrients, basic mowing, as well as mechanical practices (aeration, thatch removal, etc.).
These are just a few of the problems. Many of these problems can be attributed to lack of basic funds being applied to the grounds, funds which are “balanced” and “dispersed” by the executive leader of club.
The most asked for requests for funding to maintain the grounds were a basic pesticide management program, seed, fertilizer and parts for rebuilding and maintaining the mowers and carts. Many times I, Larry Lechmanski, Chris Stone and George Blados went scavenging for usable parts at the Recycling Center. Buying newer, second-hand machinery is all that could be done and often took a raffle to finance it.
Also, Betty Kontje sunk her own money into maintaining the club, as did Barbara Wilcox, and most recently Carol Loper contributed a rough mower. Not to mention the countless others who have worked voluntarily for the club to support its success.
Survival has been the club’s motto, and it has been for 115 years. Today, many believe that the bar is what brings in the most money along with the rent earned from the kitchen tenant. But let’s face it folks, the course is what sustains the existence of Goat Hill. Greens fees and cart fees alone can boost our revenue. But how can we charge even a minimum amount of greens fees when the course is in poor shape? Judging by the evidence I have seen in photos and my visits these last two years, the greens are simply unplayable.
Step 1: Remove the current club president of SICC from office and elect a leader who is ready, willing and able to lead the organization towards recreation for all and preservation — on the National Register of Historic Places since 2009. Clearly, this isn’t being done now.
This letter supports a movement started by Brian Lechmanski, who eagerly wants to evoke a positive change for the preservation of an Island institution Be sure to look for him in town and on Facebook. Many people came out to Save the Shelter Island fireworks. Now it is time to Save Goat Hill.
GRETEL FRENCH
Yixing, China
Single use bags are not single use
To the Editor:
I am not sure who dubbed the plastic bags at the supermarket as single use. I disagree. Most of my groceries are carried in supermarket plastic bags. That’s a lot of bags. And I reuse them. Each of them. I have plastic bag dispensers in both my homes mounted to the inside of the kitchen cabinet.
I use them to bring lunch to work, to line my recycle bins, to dispose of my lunch, to clean out my car, to get food from my folks, to carry containers of food to neighbors and to sort my recyclables. I use them in my “in bin” in my apartment and have not used a single white garbage bag in 16 years. I put my shoes in them when I travel.
There are so many uses. A bleach container, in my experience is single use. A soda can is single use. Print magazines are single use. Tuna cans are single use. A plastic bag has many uses.
When I started living on Shelter Island, I saw others bringing bags to the market, so I purchased two cloth bags. By the time I unpacked, the inside was soiled and I had to wash it. If the supermarket plastic bag is soiled, I just use it as a garbage bag.
And how many bags should I bring to the store with me? What happens when I have an entire shopping cart worth of groceries? Drive home and get more bags? Buy some more bags? And when these cloth bags rip and become permanently soiled? They will go in with the wet trash to sit in our landfills. The supermarket bags are recyclable.
I do not question that they pollute the land and water and get caught in engines and injure wild- life, but this seems to be a human behavior problem and pollution enforcement issue.
Perhaps if they were made of some biodegradable material, there would not be an issue.
I will follow any law that passes but I must say that these bags are not single use.
GEORGIA TSISMENAKIS
Shelter Island
A first
To the Editor:
Regarding an item I just read on the Shelter Island Reporter website regarding helicopter noise: “Councilwoman Mary Dudley reported on a meeting of helicopter pilots, aircraft providers and community members held in Melville recently on ‘noise abetment.’”
That would be a first!
GARY COSIMINI
Shelter Island
Eyesores
To the Editor
In the March 31 Reporter, Supervisor Dougherty denied his responsibility for the Town Board’s inaction on the issue of the Route 114 eyesores (“Dougherty: Route 114 an eyesore”).
“I’ve raised that a couple of times,” he declared, “and been described as the Bernie Sanders of Shelter Island.”
Well, Mr. Supervisor, I knew Bernie Sanders. We both went to P.S. 197 in Brooklyn. And believe me, you’re no Bernie Sanders.
SY WEISSMAN
Shelter Island
Thank you all
To the Editor:
A big thank you to our Fire Police for traffic control, assisting all across the street and keeping everyone safe during our annual Easter Egg Hunt at our new home, Fireman’s Field.
To our chiefs for having a fire truck at the field for everyone to see up close, and for all who came, donated, watched, photographed and participated, thank you all. Once again it was a huge success. See you next year.
DEBBIE SPEECHES
President, Shelter Island Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary
Praise for Karin Bennett
To the Editor,
I left out of my recent letter on the retirement of Henrietta Roberts praise for one of the major helpers of the Shelter Island aged, Karin Bennett, director of the Nutrition Program, which offers “Meals on Wheels” and twice weekly luncheons where seniors can learn about other activities.
DR. ELIZABETH HUTTMAN
Shelter Island
