Letters

Suggestions for Main Street

Dear Editor and Staff,

The recent Express Sessions forum on the future of Main Street was so well done! A round of applause for all of you!

Please see, if possible, that it is not only on LTV but also can be seen on Sea TV so all of the area can access it.

I would like to make the following suggestions.

1. A professional survey should be done as to what it would take for the village to include all the 11963 area without any increase in taxes for the village, Noyac and Sag Harbor. This would give us a larger pool of qualified individuals to serve on our boards. I realize this would have to be passed by the New York State legislature.
2. Have a professional village manager to aid the Village Board. The League of Women Voters of the Hamptons did a study of this a few years back, which showed the effectiveness of this form of government and that it can even lead to cost savings.
3. Have the townships and village look into changing the zoning to allow more

shared living, in a very controlled manner. It would be a cost saving for individuals, a help for seniors, and a method for service workers to be a part of the village, the towns, etc.

4. Encourage some of our shops, where there might be under-utilized space, or those who close in the winter to save money, by sharing that space with businesses we are missing locally, such as jewelry repair, the collection point for cobbler, cleaner, perhaps an eye doctor, a knife sharpener (a truck used to come to the village). The can help a bit with the rent and are there permanently or say once a week.

May I remind everyone, please, please everyone, shop locally as much as you can!

Nada Barry, proprietor

The Wharf Shop

Sag Harbor

Step Up to Save Environment

Dear Editor,

I am very disappointed with the DEC’s press release on the status of the Sand Land Mine. As you recall, on June 29, 2018, the Suffolk County Health Dept. published a report reporting contamination of the sole-source aquifer beneath the mine. Excessive iron, manganese, other heavy metals, radioactive nuclei, carcinogens, etc. were found in the water. This is the water source for the entire East End.

Our Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman replied to the DEC’s ALJ Judge McClymond’s ruling stating that mining is not allowed in Southampton.

On September 10, 2018, the DEC sent a letter to the owner of Sand Land stating the DEC “proposes to modify the permit … to require that mining activities at the facility cease and reclamation activities begin.”  In addition, the DEC’s “staff concluded that Sand Land has only de minimus reserves of sand left for mining purposes, and the areas where mining could occur are the subject of groundwater monitoring investigations… While Sand Land could potentially remove the de minimus amounts of sand in the existing life of mine, that sand is located predominantly in the area of the mine formerly used for storing and processing of vegetative waste. Future site activities in and around those areas where processing and storing of vegetative waste formerly occurred, has the potential to allow the release of contaminants in that area which could impact the local groundwater.”

Now on March 15, 2019, DEC says the mine can continue to mine sand for 8 years, can dig an additional 40 feet deeper, and then have 2 more years for reclamation.

Three governmental agencies identified contamination, said that mining sand is illegal in Southampton, determined that there is no more sand to mine, and yet the DEC says they can mine for 8 more years. How does this continued activity at Sand Land protect our sole-source aquifer? I am appalled that no governmental agency is taking charge to protect the community’s interest.

Sincerely,

Elena Loreto, President

Noyac Civic Council

Helping Gahan

To all of my friends who support excellence in the arts:

This is a plea on behalf of Gahan Wilson, an inspiration to generations of outsiders with his wonderful view of the world and a resident of Sag Harbor for 20 years until he could no longer afford to stay. He needs some financial help now, as he did not “monetize” his art as well as he could have. He has had hundreds of cartoons published in the New Yorker as well as Playboy magazine since the early fifties, but now he’s in a mental health care facility and the money is running out to keep him there.

His step-son has set up a site: https://www.gofundme.com/gahan-wilson-team-effort

Please help Gahan stay in the Memory Care Ward where he is doing well while doing the only thing he ever wanted to do: draw cartoons.

Thanks again,

Terry Sullivan

Sag Harbor