Shelter Island Reporter Letters to the Editor
Meet the candidates
To the Editor:
Tomorrow, Sunday, March 25, the Shelter Island “Sunday Group” is sponsoring a reception to introduce three candidates for the Democratic Party nomination for the House of Representatives in the June 26 primary election.
The candidates are seeking to unseat Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin who strongly supports President Trump’s regressive health, environmental and tax policies. The reception will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. this coming Sunday, at the home of Paulann Sheets, 27 HiLo Drive, HiLo Shores, (631) 749-5805.
You will have an opportunity to meet and hear from Vivian Viloria-Fisher, a career educator and former Suffolk County legislator — ineligible after 13 years to continue due to term limits — who has been active in child care, environmental, and other community-based issues; Perry Gershon, a successful entrepreneur in commercial real estate finance with a longtime commitment to philanthropy and social justice; and David Pechefsky, a Patchogue native and former senior staffer for the New York City Council, with extensive experience abroad in international development.
The three Democrats share a progressive world view and are deeply disturbed about what is happening to our country under the unpredictable and dangerous presidency of Donald Trump and by the strong support he has received from Lee Zeldin.
We hope you will attend the reception on the 25th to get a better understanding of who these candidates are and in what they believe.
BARBARA BARNES, ANN BRUNSWICK, JANET CULBERTSON,
MARY DWYER, DIANA MALCOLMSON, GRACE PELLICANO, PAULANN SHEETS, BARRIE SILVER, BARBARA SILVERSTONE, PAULETTE VAN VRANKEN
Shelter Island
Turning towards the sun
To the Editor:
Congratulations to the students and the faculty of the Shelter Island School for standing up for their beliefs (“Students march in solidarity,” March 15) protesting the lack of gun laws and exercising their 1st Amendment rights. Bravo!
Eighteen years ago we had an anti-war march, but with no young people and no teachers because there might have been negative consequences for them.
Times have changed! Many of the students speaking out will be going to the polls in a few years and it is possible that they can turn our democracy towards the sun. It is very bleak right now, but young people of the world united can make this a better earth.
I salute you, admire you and thank you.
JEAN H. LAWLESS
Shelter Island
Army tents?
To the Editor:
So, Margaret Koller recognizes the need for rental housing on Shelter Island but she doesn’t want any new housing built (“Your Letters,” March 15).
Have we thought about surplus Army tents? Thank you, Janalyn Travis-Messer for having the courage to do what no one else on this Island will do!
STEPHEN GARVEY
Shelter Island
Hope
To the Editor:
The editorial (“Rhyming history,” March 15) was a wonderful to way to link the immigrant reception offered to the Irish and more recently Mexicans (and others).
Fortunately this recent hateful observation is not as widely shared, but when voiced by the U.S. President it diminishes our perception by the world.
I was an older boy who distributed leaflets and knocked on doors for that first Irish Catholic president the editorial refers to, but missed being able to vote for him by five months.
Hopefully all things do eventually get better.
CONRAD POWER
Shelter Island
