Shelter Island Reporter Letters to the Editor: Dec. 1, 2023

Where do we live?

To the Editor:

I cringe when I hear people say, “I’m going to Shelter.” That’s where homeless people live or one goes to get out of the rain.

We live on Shelter Island a.k.a. “The Island” or “The Rock.” 

Block Island locals despise hearing, “I’m going to Block.” And when I hear someone planning on visiting our neighbor to the south say, “I’m going to Sag,” I chuckle and think they should perhaps invest in a new brassiere.

There, someone had to finally say it.

PETER REICH, Shelter Island

Congratulations

To the Editor:

Congratulations to our accomplished candidates, Albert Dickson and Ben Dyett, for their well-deserved success in the Town Council race.

I also want to commend Ken Lewis for securing the position of Superintendent of Highways, Amber Wilson for Town Clerk, and Annmarie Seddio for Tax Receiver. Your commitment to public service is truly commendable, and I am optimistic about the positive impact you will bring to our community.

Furthermore, now that the election is certified, special congratulations to the new Supervisor-elect Amber Brach-Williams. We look forward to bipartisan collaboration to promote the best interests of Shelter Island.

Additionally, thank you to Supervisor Siller, Councilman Colligan, and Councilwoman Ianfolla for their dedication and service. I hope you enjoy a well-deserved rest and time out of the spotlight.

Lastly, I would like to acknowledge the Herculean efforts exerted by our candidates who ran but were not elected. Running for office demands courage and dedication, and their commitment to serving the community deserves recognition. A sincere thank you to Gordon and Bert for their hard work and dedication to our community.

CATHERINE BRIGHAM, Vice Chair, Shelter Island Democratic Committee

Important words

To the Editor:

Thank you for the article, “Shelter Island celebrates Veterans Day 2023: Rituals that bring the community closer (Nov. 16). On behalf of all our veterans, I want to thank you so much for these very important words for our Shelter Island community. And I loved the Father Peter quote on page 1: “This is a good day to pray and work for P.E.A.C.E.” 

With the state of world affairs today, those words are so very important if we stand a chance at establishing some degree of worldwide peace. Once again, our veterans very much appreciated your thoughts and words.

JIM COLLIGAN, Councilman, Town of Shelter Island

Outrage

To the Editor:

Suffolk Closeup: “Never again is now” (Nov. 23) by Karl Grossman, was compelling. The Jewish community is justifiably distressed at the rise of antisemitism. I have visited and lived in the East End for over 50 years. I recall a receptive community without overt instances of bigotry.

The events of Oct. 7, 2023 in Israel showed the evil of hatred.

The state of Israel was created because the world looked the other way when six million Jews were murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators.

The collective guilt was an opportunity to create a homeland for the Jews. I know that vigilance might act as a deterrent, but the rest of the community helps morale by expressing their outrage when hatred rears its ugly head.

As a child of a Holocaust survivor, I know first-hand how lives are destroyed even if you were lucky enough to survive.

STEVEN A. LUDSIN,East Hampton

Editor’s Note: The writer was member of the President’s Commission on the Holocaust and the first U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council that created the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.