Shelter Island Reporter Letters to the Editor, July 7, 2022

Careful out there

To the Editor:

With so many new arrivals, come new boaters. I think it may be time to require some sort of proof of ability to operate a water craft. Crashing into inanimate objects such as beaches and jetties makes me think that we need some level of competency here. Be very aware out there, people — a bunch of jerks are working against you out there.

JONATHAN TEHAN, Shelter Island

Highly disturbing

To the Editor:

The New York Times recent article on Shelter Island does a good job describing what makes our island such a wonderful place, but I also found it to be highly disturbing. With articles like this, what’s going to stop us from turning into Northampton?

Maybe time to launch Operation Enigma II, a highly sophisticated campaign to spread misinformation about the Island. Shelter Island you say? You kidding?  The ticks are as big as sparrows. On and on and on. Scare the beautiful people away.

The beauty of the Island is that it  is so low-key and uncrowded that it is easy when you step off the Ferry to feel you own the place. Does anyone one of us look forward to fighting traffic like you do in the Hamptons?

RURIK HALABY, Shelter Island

Policy decision

To the Editor:

The two-page Q & A that appeared in the Reporter last week crystallized the issues on affordable housing in a manner we have not seen before. Rather than appealing to empty phrases like “we need to build a community,” the authors provide the kind of information our current community of voters need to know to make a proper policy decision. In case you missed it, you can find it at friendsofshelterisland.org.

If passed, in my opinion, the funds raised by the referendum will risk our drinking water, undermine our open space preservation, increase our property taxes, and introduce an enormous amount of artificial growth. The case against the referendum is overwhelming — particularly when one considers there is no existing plan or assurances as to how these monies will be utilized. That is the essence of irresponsible governance.

ALLISON WOODWARD, Shelter Island

Enforcement, please

To the Editor:

Re: To the current discussions on affordable housing on the Island. A great deal has been written about our fragile aquifers. There is concern that the Island does not have the drinking water and wastewater infrastructure to handle this increased housing.

If indeed this is the case, regardless of affordable housing, is this not the time to prohibit in-ground irrigation systems and to enforce the ordinances on the filling of swimming pools?

CYNTHIA HALABY, Shelter Island

Running for Congress

To the Editor:

My name is Michelle Bond, and I’m running to represent Suffolk County in Congress.

I was born and raised in Suffolk County, attending Miller Place High School and SUNY Stony Brook. Long Island is in my blood. I grew up in a working class household — my dad, now passed, painted bridges for a living and my mom, now retired, was a Long Island realtor.

I haven’t run for office before. I spent almost my entire career in the business world. To me, this is a feature, not a bug: I look around Washington and see a bunch of career politicians looking for their next gig and dollar, while the country they’re supposed to be running goes off the rails.

When the most powerful people in the world — the ones in charge of looking out for our economy — say inflation is “transitory” right before it spikes to historic highs, the government is not working.

When families don’t feel safe walking in their neighborhoods at night or sending their kids to the local park, with our police under attack, the government is not working.

Some here at home want to add another career politician. We don’t need more opportunistic, backslapping career politicians wiggling their way around Washington to climb the ranks. We already have one of them in the White House right now.

We need to try something different. I’m a conservative businesswoman who understands how the economy works. If we replace enough of the career politicians with people like me, people with experience outside of politics who understand the economy and also have conservative values, we can make a lot of progress.

MICHELLE BOND, Port Jefferson

Ms. Bond is running for the Republican nomination to represent the 1st Congressional District.