Letters

Apparently, there was some well-organized opposition to the possible construction of a cell tower for North Haven [“Sudden Opposition To North Haven Cell Tower Erupts,” 27east.com, February 17]. Today, cell towers are an essential piece of the infrastructure, and a critical life and safety necessity. They are no different from electric power poles, roads and water lines.

Many people depend on their cellphone for most communication and information, and in an emergency it is sometimes the only link to saving lives. When someone needs emergency help, the cellphone helps responders locate them immediately. Often, the emergency situation does not allow the person access to a land line, or to other people.

To deny cell service is to wittingly and negligently put lives at unnecessary risk. In addition, the rest of the world, outside of a few riled-up people in North Haven, use their cellphones for doing many tasks, and for getting notifications of critical information, doing banking, or doing business, and in some cases notification of government announcements of a dangerous situation, or their appointment to get their COVID-19 shot. To suggest that people can just use a land line suggests an absence of understanding of the current reality of the world.

I understand there was some comment about health issues. That is complete nonsense, scare tactics. There are hundreds of thousands of cell towers across the world, and there has been zero indication of any health issues anywhere, which has been borne out by numerous studies.

I am a real estate developer, and no matter the project there are always NIMBY objectors who just do not want anything to change in any proximity to where they live. If that were to be the reason to not build something, we would all still live in caves or tree houses, and there would be no roads.

The world grows, and moves on, and there is always someone, or a few people, who just can’t handle any change, no matter how beneficial that might be for everyone. That is what is happening here. We have a few people who got themselves all riled up to oppose something that is essential for our safety, and our ability to conduct business efficiently for those of us who work from home.

I have traveled the world, and everywhere I go there is cell service — except my hometown of North Haven. That is ridiculous.

Joel Ross

North Haven