It is said that the true test of leadership is how well one excels in a time of crisis.
And I must take the time to commend Southampton Village Mayor Jesse Warren for his true and exceptional leadership over the last eight weeks during the COVID-19 crisis.
His communication, early and often, was reassuring. His fundraising drive in collaboration with the Hamptons Health Society to help deliver ventilators, oxygen helmets, oxygen tanks and hard-to-find gowns to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital was extraordinary.
His distribution of tens of thousands of free surgical masks to residents across the East End without spending a dollar of taxpayer money was deeply appreciated by all, and set an example for every other leader across the county. His delivery of free laptop computers equipped with Microsoft Office to students who could not use the now-closed libraries went above and beyond. And his setup of the first East End viral testing site drew bipartisan praise from County Executive Steve Bellone, Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman, County Legislature Bridget Fleming and U.S. Representative Lee Zeldin. His Spanish outreach to the Latino community was strong, and he delivered personal protective equipment to the Shinnecock Nation.
And he did this all while the Southampton Village Community Party trustees were spending the crisis publicly criticizing him.
In the words of legendary football coach Vince Lombardi, “Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work.”
And that is exactly what has unfolded. Thank you, Mayor Jesse Warren, and thank you to all of our health care heroes.
Dawn MacDougall
Southampton
Shut Him UpFolks: it is time to take Michael Daly at his word(s), unpleasant as that may be. First: glide by his smarmy greeting card calls for “love.” His own words reveal him, above all, and consistently, a purveyor of hate and...
Suffering in SilenceWhen our world gets out of balance, we lose our comfort and security. Too much or too little of anything spikes our fear, and we lose our sense of peace. Those who have what they want and need are comfortable....
Advocate & Adjudicate?The previous administration of [Supervisor Jay] Schneiderman and current board member Tommy John Schiavoni did not give high priority to monitoring appointed public officials for ethical lapses in their private life activities. This laissez-faire policy towards ethics enforcement appears to...
Soil Is CallingIn a book titled “In Old Southampton,” Abigail Halsey reminds us that in the early days of Southampton, “every man was a farmer and a fisherman.” But those days are long gone and most people, today, have no connection to...
A Web of InterestsKudos to Craig Catalanotto [“What Are We Doing?” Letters, April 18] and Barbara Ring [“Tangled Web” Letters, April 18] for their letters to the editor shining a light on the web of special interests, conflicts of interest and misinformation that...
Dates of InfamySeptember 11 and October 7, similar dates of infamy for strong allies with similarly divergent reactions. Now gathered mobs of protesters are cheering on those who cry “Death to America” and call for the complete annihilation and genocide of the...
Your VoiceOn June 25, registered Democrats will go to the ballot box to determine who will represent their ticket for New York’s 1st Congressional District. Although CD1 has recently been held by Republicans, both parties have assumed leadership over the years....
Master ClassI thank Barbara Ring for aptly proving my point. In response to my letter [“An Alliance,” Letters, April 11], which decried the state of civic public discourse in Hampton Bays as being overtaken by misinformation, fear-mongering and conspiracy peddling, Ring...
