Letters

In my first term as Town Trustee, I have shown that I can work collaboratively with others in various levels of government, as well as with environmental organizations to make a difference in our fragile coastal ecosystem. I pledged to work to educate members of the community about the many efforts of the Trustees. On behalf of the Southampton Town Trustees, I have been an engaged, involved member of this community.

I spearheaded the installation of a water quality monitoring buoy in Lake Agawam, one of the most degraded water bodies in New York State. By working together with the Southampton Village Board, Dr. Christopher Gobler and the Gobler Lab at Stony Brook Southampton, and the other Town Trustees, we were successful in installing a buoy in late spring. A report of the findings will be presented by Dr. Gobler in early 2020.

Through my initiative, evening lectures have been held in various hamlets throughout the past year. Experts in their fields have presented on topics of interest related to the Trustees, including: permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) as a solution for water quality degradation, oyster gardens, and the role of buffers alongside our waterways in restoring water quality, to name a few. These presentations were all documented by SEA-TV, and are available to be viewed by the public on Channel 22. The final lecture of the year is December 10 at the David W. Crohan Center in Flanders.

As a Trustee, I have volunteered with the Peconic Estuary Program and the Peconic Baykeeper to count alewives. Southampton Town has one of the largest runs of this diadromous fish in New York State. I have counted horseshoe crabs with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Marine Division on full and new moons in May and June when they come ashore on sandy beaches to spawn. Along with my family, I am an oyster farmer, a member of the community oyster garden at the Tiana Bayside Facility in Hampton Bays, which is facilitated by Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Marine Division.

In off-year elections, such as this year, it matters more than ever that each of us makes it a priority to vote. Our local elections make a difference. Your vote makes a difference. This year, in New York State, it is possible to vote early up until Sunday, November 3, at the Stony Brook Southampton gymnasium, located at 70 Tuckahoe Road in Southampton. Or at your regular polling place on Tuesday, November 5.

I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have served as a member of the Southampton Town Board of Trustees this past two years, and I ask for your support to continue this vitally important work going forward.

Ann Welker

Southampton Town Trustee