Political gathering irks
To the Editor:
On Sunday, October 11, Town Supervisor Jim Dougherty and his team held a rally at the Goat Hill Club House from 3 to 6 p.m. — “paid for by Friends of Jim Dougherty via the Shelter Island Democratic Committee.” In violation of town laws and regulations, loud amplified music was played on the lawn of the clubhouse and event attendees parked cars directly under three different “No Parking” signs; in addition, one car parked right on the Sunnyside-Prospect intersection where it blocked all visibility, and others parked facing against traffic on both sides of Prospect Avenue.
The last time these violations occurred, when Jim Dougherty was running for Supervisor in 2007, nearby neighbors to Goat Hill clubhouse were given a guarantee that these noise violations would not occur again and that events of this size would be held at Legion Hall or other suitable location. (The amplified music was so loud inside our home, even with all the doors and windows closed, that we opted to leave for the duration of the event.)
On Sunday, however, when informed by a uniformed police officer that the amplified music outside of the clubhouse was in violation of a town ordinance, Supervisor Dougherty feigned ignorance.
Since no other groups violate the amplified music regulation, someone must be knowledgeable and able to inform the supervisor of rules governing town property. Or perhaps the supervisor feels the laws do not apply to him? Mr. Dougherty’s attitude on Sunday could best be described as “disinterested” if not downright “dismissive.”
No tickets were issued for any of the parking violations by Mr. Dougherty’s supporters on Sunday either, to my knowledge; no police patrol checked the site, despite its size and registered complaints, until the time the event was due to conclude. Five years ago, when I accidentally parked my car against traffic along the Chequit triangle, I was ticketed and had to pay a fine. This leads me to believe that there are two sets of laws in this town, one for followers of Supervisor Dougherty and one for others.
I am a registered Democrat who votes on Shelter Island. As a result of my experience this past Sunday, however, Jim Dougherty will not receive my vote in November. In my opinion, anyone with such lax regard for law and the uniform treatment of all citizens is not the type of person who should be a town supervisor.
ROBERTA MARTIN
Prospect Avenue