Shelter Island Reporter Letters to the Editor: April 15-22

A message from South Ferry

To the Editor:

For some time now we’ve been getting the word out about our forthcoming commuter pass/commuter ID card policy.

In short, starting Monday, May 3, if you do not have a commuter ID card issued by South Ferry, you will not be able to purchase a commuter pass.

There will be no exceptions to this policy on May 3 and going forward.

Inevitably there will be some who, for whatever reason, did not get their card and we understand that.

This letter is a request to keep getting the word out, as May 3 is less than two weeks away.

Commuters, please come in to the South Ferry office for an application for a card. As well, you can download an application from our website southferry.com/

To our local businesses, as we gear up for what we hope to be a great summer, some of you may have new employees for the season not altogether familiar with South Ferry, its tickets or policies.

Please let your new employees — or any employees — know about this policy so they can be prepared on May 3.

Any questions are welcomed at [email protected] or by calling the office at 631-749-1200.

A heartfelt thank-you from your friends at South Ferry.

NICHOLAS MOREHEAD, Chief Operating Officer, South Ferry

Remembering

To the Editor:

Memorial Day is a day to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country and is also a time to remember those who have passed away post-service.

With Memorial Day right around the corner, the American Legion will be placing placards in the center of town in remembrance of those veterans no longer with us.

The American Legion would like to see all those deserving be recognized for their sacrifice. In order to do so, please provide their name, branch of military service, and a check for $20 made out to Mitchell Post #281, sent to P.O. Box 2021 Shelter Island, NY 11964, no later than May 1. The $20 donation will go directly towards purchasing the placards. Details for additional Memorial Day services will be published at a later date.

MEMBERS of MITCHELL POST #281, Shelter Island

No to Zeldin for governor

To the Editor:

I strongly disagree with the Shelter Island Republican Party’s enthusiastic support for Lee Zeldin’s candidacy for New York State governor.

According to the League of Conservation Voters, Representative Zeldin (R-Shirley) has the worst environmental record of all New York Congressional delegates.

He has strongly opposed banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines. In 2017, he co-sponsored the “Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act” that would permit anyone holding a concealed carry permit from any state to legally carry in any other state with a concealed carry law.

That would allow an individual with a concealed carry permit from a state with weak gun laws to enter New York State with a concealed weapon. The Act would override Federal law preventing concealed carry in schoolyards. Amazingly, Lee Zeldin voted to nullify an Obama-era rule that prohibited people with severe mental health issues from purchasing guns.

But it was his conduct during recent events that shows his true nature. Representative Zeldin was an active supporter of President Trump’s “Big Lie” that the Democrats stole the presidential election. Zeldin claimed that several states’ results were fraudulent, despite a complete lack of evidence. This led to the Jan. 6 insurrection, the mob invasion of the U.S. Capitol and the death of five people.

Later the same day, Zeldin attempted to overturn state-certified American votes by objecting to the certification of Electoral College votes by Vice President Pence. This is a subversion of the democratic electoral process.

The New York State Republican Party has many qualified candidates to challenge Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Lee Zeldin is not one of them.

BRUCE W. BREWER, Shelter Island

School taxes

To the Editor:

What a dilemma. The school district has to find $25,000 to cut from a school budget of $12,400,000 (.002%). Bob Fredericks reports the school cost at $54,000 per student, but it appears to be more like $61,000 per student ($12,400,000 budget/203 students) if the numbers reported are correct. This average, of course, includes K-8 students, which normally would be less than for high school students.

Why not send the entire school to Andover ($57,800 boarding; $44,800 day) or perhaps Friends Academy ($38,900)? Failing that, Catholic schools in New York average about $4,000 for K-8 and $7,500 for high school.

JAMES P. LUKE, Shelter Island

Editor’s note: The budget that will be submitted to voters in May is set. In calculating costs, New York State eliminates some budget figures that are set not by student population. To transport students off-Island is expensive, but some off-Island needs must be accommodated for BOCES programs, special education and sports programs.

Town Board critic

To the Editor:

Listening to the Town Board spend hours discussing their plan to remove all free access to Shelter Island beaches may be tedious and mind-numbingly boring, but it’s important to pay attention. The board intends to restrict parking to permit only at all town beaches and town landings, all 50 of them. No free beach access on Shelter Island anywhere since. This is a board of big government not in a good way to help the less fortunate, but in the way of over regulation and to squeeze every penny out of its citizens.

This board is about restrictions and over regulation. They are also tripling the price of permits to leave a kayak at a town landing.

Perhaps they need to defray the cost of the $10,000 investigation of Councilman Colligan’s confrontation with town employees at their workplace in attempt to infringe on their First Amendment rights because he didn’t approve of the political flags and bumper stickers on their personal vehicles. The union called for Colligan’s resignation. Colligan refused, so the union asked the board for an investigation. Taxpayers financed a $10,000 investigation that proved that Colligan had behaved as accused, but as far as I know Colligan received no recriminations. Taxpayers’ dollars at work. Please pay attention to what your board is up to.

Email your board and stop the madness.

SUSAN WILLIAMS, Shelter Island

— Editor’s note: All residents, including renters who pay no property taxes, get free stickers for free beach access. The investigation into the incident with Councilman Colligan and three members of the Highway Department Benevolent Association concluded that the employees’ and the union’s claims of violations of their rights of free speech, harassment and the creation of a hostile work environment were not valid. “The interaction between Councilman Colligan and the three employees on October 19, 2020 was inappropriate and should not have occurred,” the investigator’s report stated. “Councilman Colligan has admitted his responsibility in creating the situation and is remorseful it occurred.”