Shelter Island Reporter Letters to the Editor

Poetic justice
To the Editor:
As we bid goodbye to April, National Poetry Month, I want to publicly thank all the Islanders, readers and listeners alike, who turned out in such satisfyingly poetic numbers to celebrate “The Favorite Poem Project” at the library on Friday evening, April 24.

As always, it is pure pleasure to hear friends, relations, neighbors, even like-minded strangers, read the poems nearest and dearest to their hearts. Out loud. To us. As I said in my introduction, that’s a lot of poems — and they will be flying around in the ether for a long time to come.

I owe particular thanks to the wonder-workers of the library, Jeanette Flynn-Payne and our new director, Terry Z. Lucas, for their tireless and tirelessly pleasant efforts to bring graciousness and order to the event. They are true friends of the spoken word. The poetry gods salute you, Terry and Jeanette!
Thank you all; may 2015 be a wonderful year of poetry for all who love this greatest of the arts.
BLISS MOREHEAD
Founder and Curator, the Shelter Island Poetry Project

Prevention before escalation
To the Editor:
Once again, our community is in mourning following the tragedy in Mastic Beach last week [when a husband killed his wife and then shot himself].

The lives of six children will never be the same. We send our sympathy to the family.
Fatal domestic violence is a reality in today’s world and in our community. As the executive director at

The Retreat, the East End’s comprehensive domestic violence services agency, I would be remiss if I did not address this fact. The Retreat provides services to all family members of domestic violence. Prevention is a big part of our mission.

Please contact The Retreat to find out how to spot signs of domestic violence before it escalates to the final crime, and how to support survivors before they become murder victims. If you would like The Retreat to present to your group, please contact us at 329-4398. We have offices in East Hampton, Southampton, Riverhead and Hauppauge.

The Retreat is a safe haven for families in crisis, offering a residential shelter for adults and children, a 24-hour domestic violence hotline, individual and group counseling, legal advocacy for all victims of domestic violence, programs to engage troubled parents who may be at risk of committing family violence and a violence prevention education program taught in local area schools. All services are completely confidential and free.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, there is a way out. Please call our bilingual 24/7 hotline for help at 329-2200.
LORETTA K. DAVIS
Executive Director, The Retreat