Letters

There’s been some social media grumbling lately about whether the beach relief pipes that drain our wonderful Old Town Pond and Lake Agawam are being monitored. The post, with a photo taken the morning after a storm weekend washed sand ashore and closed the drainage, accuses the village of not taking care of our new bioswales and performing proper lake and pond water management. This is false.

Our Southampton Village Public Works Department team does a great job. They are certainly paying attention.

I walk the beach every morning. Year round. I and the other intrepid walkers and joggers that share these mornings witness how often village machinery is on Old Town Beach and Gin Beach. They repeatedly open and monitor the relief pipes in an endless man-versus-sand battle. It’s quite an effort against the constant shifting from storms and tides that close the beach drainage. It’s a battle being won, all because Steve Philips and the Public Works staff are doing their job — well.

So, kudos to the Public Works Department and to Trustee Gina Arresta, who is the liaison to that department, for the care and attention they pay to the proper management of our ponds, lakes and bioswales.

As one of a group of people who observe the frequency of the hard work of our village Public Works Department, I argue any assertion from people that are trying to claim otherwise.

Mark McIntire

Southampton Village