Shelter Island Reporter Letters to the Editor
Supervisor Jim Dougherty takes issue with his colleagues on road paving.
Real questions
To the Editor:
As your supervisor, I am committed to properly maintaining our roads as well as all our infrastructure. The town has about 52 miles of roads under its jurisdiction and this year I have budgeted $130,000 for their maintenance, and in the 2017 budget, just adopted, $130,000 as well. With other budget lines, this customarily covers routine maintenance of all roads, as well as repaving on a 10-year cycle — in other words about five miles a year.
As I’ve summarized many times over the nine years I have served you, my top priorities have been “ticks, taxes and the aquifer.” I believe I have substantially made good on these priorities in my five terms. My colleagues recently seem to be revising this priority to “roads, ticks and the aquifer,” and lots of luck on taxes.
Putting aside the real question whether the work is critically needed now, voting to go over our unanimously adopted road maintenance budget by raiding our cash reserves in anticipation of future grant monies, is problematic in my view. As President Reagan used to say (what’s a Democrat like me doing quoting a Republican?), “Trust but verify.” None of us want to turn Shelter Island into a high tax, overly manicured and regulated “paradise.”
Shelter Island will have lost its uniqueness.
JIM DOUGHERTY
Supervisor, Town of Shelter Island
Flag portrayal
To the Editor:
I received my edition of the Reporter on November 10 and was shocked and amazed to see the deplorable and horrible version of our wonderful American flag portrayed in such a way (“Paw Print,” November 10).
I am a combat veteran of World War II. As a crew member of the U.S. Navy, I served on the USS Eldorado – AGC 11, an amphibious command vessel that was in charge of the invasion of Iwo Jima. The ship was anchored very close to the shore of this island in view of Mt. Surabuchi.
Some crew members and myself were curious when we noticed some activity on the top of this mountain. I borrowed a pair of binoculars and arranged to view the top of the mountain. We were amazed to see Old Glory flying in the breeze and even though a few shells had damaged her, it is a sight that I will never forget.
I am fully in agreement with a letter and comments from Ms. [Kathryn A.] Cunningham (“Your Letters,” November 17). How could a bleeding liberal newspaper and its bleeding liberal cartoonist use this to show their disappointment in the results of the recent presidential election? I am now requesting that this newspaper and the cartoonist involved write a letter of apology and print it in some future edition.
GEORGE C. STROM
Shelter Island
Companion animals
To the Editor:
As a senior with severe walking problems, I would like to alert seniors to the “service dog” category which permits, with governmental approval, your dog’s entry to a variety of facilities.
Also, as I go for another knee operation, this time near my niece’s Florida locale, I know that on the main streets there I am better able to get around with my cane than on Grand Avenue in the Heights, the normal walking area for me and my small dog.
ELIZABETH HUTTMAN
Shelter Island
