Shelter Island Reporter Letters To The Editor: Jan. 15, 2026
STEVE SANDERS LEAVES A VOID
To the Editor:
The members of the Shelter Island Green Options Advisory Committee are deeply saddened by the recent passing of our colleague and friend, Steve Sanders. Steve was more than a dedicated volunteer. He was a driving force behind our work, a source of steady optimism, and a reminder of what committed community service truly looks like.
Steve played an essential role in our efforts with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Technology Innovation Partnership Project (ETIPP), a program that provides community-led technical support to coastal, remote, and island towns seeking innovative pathways toward sustainable, resilient energy systems. Steve embraced this mission wholeheartedly. His insight, persistence, and belief in local action helped move Shelter Island closer to solutions tailored for our unique needs.
A passionate environmentalist, Steve was also an early adopter of solar technology — well before rooftop panels were commonplace. He lived his values with quiet conviction. Whether advocating for renewable energy, sharing research, or simply encouraging others to see what was possible, Steve led by example. His enthusiasm was contagious, and his curiosity never wavered.
Beyond his technical expertise, Steve was a kind and generous presence who approached every conversation with respect and good humor. His absence leaves a void in our committee and in the wider Shelter Island community.
We will honor Steve’s legacy by continuing the work he believed in so deeply: protecting the natural beauty of Shelter Island and pursuing a sustainable, resilient future for all who call it home.
Members of the Shelter Island Green Options Advisory Committee
AN ESSESNTIAL FORUM
Letter to the Editor:
Thanks for the kind shout-out on saving the Reporter (“Our View,” Jan. 8.)
In truth, it was the whole community speaking up, the talented editor and staff continuing to show the value of their work week after week, and the paper’s public-spirited owner, Andrew Olsen, stepping up at a critical moment. Together, that combination carried the Shelter Island Reporter through 2025 — and, by all indications, well beyond.
A community paper is an essential forum for our shared life here.
DUFF WILSON, Shelter Island
IT’S UP TO US
To the Editor:
Given the horrific actions our country has taken this past week (invading Venezuela, the killing of Ms. Good at the hands of ICE, and threatening to take over Greenland —again) I am wondering when Americans are going to realize they do not have a democracy anymore.
Congress has been sidelined, seemingly willingly, and ordinary citizens are being terrorized by government agents. As we see food prices increase weekly and many Americans face huge increases in their health insurance, our neighbors taken away or executed before our eyes, our right to life-saving vaccines taken away, what ought we to do? Just go back to watching TV and turn our heads from these atrocities?
The decent German citizens of the 1930s did much the same and how did that work out for them? We now trust AI videos and random strangers on Facebook and TikTok more than we do experts in relevant fields. Maybe it is time we recognized that the elected leaders are either bent on destroying democracy or are too scared to stop it.
I think it is up to us, all of us — Republicans, Democrats, and the politically disinterested — to stop this madness. Let us here on Shelter Island and the Forks get active and stand up for justice and truth.
WENDY TURGEON, Shelter Island
