Shelter Island Reporter Letters to the Editor: Nov. 10, 2023

Trunk or Treat

To the Editor:

The Shelter Island PTSA would like to thank everyone who visited our 3rd Annual Halloween “Trunk or Treat.” We have loved being a part of the Smith Street Halloween festivities and hope the community has enjoyed this addition as well.

We would like to give an extra special thank you to our participants. Your creativity and Halloween spirit made this year’s “Trunk or Treat” magical for our children.

Last, but not least, we would like to thank the Shelter Island School for allowing us to hold this event on school property.

We can’t wait to see more spooky ideas come to life at next year’s “Trunk or Treat.”

SHELTER ISLAND PTSA, Shelter Island

Privileged

To the Editor:

It’s never too late to say thanks, especially when warm words invoke the warm days of summer Saturdays at Havens Farmers Market, where Nanette Lawrenson and the Shelter Island Historical Society offered us the space — along with a table, chairs and umbrella — to talk about our nonprofit organizations: The Island Gift of Life, Fighting Chance and the Shelter Island Senior Citizens Foundation.

We were privileged to meet people we might help, as well as potential donors. Special thanks to Lynne Colligan and Peter Miedema, local high school teachers who did our heavy lifting. Looking forward to seeing you all next spring.

JOE KELLY — ISLAND GIFT of LIFE FOUNDATION, BOB LIPSYTE — SHELTER ISLAND
SENIOR CITIZENS FOUNDATION, KATHLEEN MULCAHY — FIGHTING CHANCE

Budget

To the Editor:

Your recent article about the 2024 budget is misleading and incorrect.

The difference between the proposed budget for 2024 and this year’s budget is $4.68M, which is 42% of $11.12M which is this year’s budget.

The 6.2% increase you reported is complete fiction. The real increase is 42%.

This is 4th grade arithmetic.

DAVID OLSEN, Shelter Island

Editor’s Note: Mr. Olsen is correct. The Town Board’s 6.2% calculation is the change  between the amount to be raised from property taxes to support the spending rather than the change between all spending from the current year to the proposed spending for 2024. We regret the error.