Letters

It was the water — specifically, its promise of serenity, adventure and abundance — that brought my Italian grandparents to Long Island in the 1960s, to a house in Tiana Shores, not far from the bay. During the summer nights of my childhood, the sea air lingered in my grandparents’ backyard, a presence everyone felt and welcomed as we gathered around the picnic table. There were nights when that table was filled with fish that my aunt and uncle had caught, clams unearthed by the grandkids’ toes, and crabs lured by the chicken necks on the ends of our lines.

This sea held me, my brother, cousins and friends as we learned to swim. Each new wave shaped and strengthened our relationship with the water.

Now, my children swim in this same sea and delight in its astonishing gifts: a shell in the shape of a heart, a shy sand crab. Sunlight glittering the crest of a wave.

My family and I treasure our beaches, which is why we are grateful that Matt Parsons has answered the call to protect them.

Matt, running for reelection as a Southampton Town Trustee, has known these seas since childhood. His lifelong passion for our waterways led him to pursue a marine biology degree and a career as a bayman.

In addition to serving as a Trustee for the past two years, Matt is also a husband and father, a Little League coach (go Dodgers!), and the owner of a local business that cares for aquatic life. Even under pressure, Matt keeps cool and maintains a sense of humor. He is an enthusiastic participant in the life of our community, and a kind, personable, generous human being.

Matt’s resume — supporting oyster and eelgrass restoration, strengthening community access to beaches, advocating for clean water and shellfish sustainability — is impressive, as is his vision for the future. He is committed to improving water quality and ensuring that our waterways, and the various creatures that depend upon them (humans included), remain healthy and viable for generations to come.

I trust Matt to fulfill the duties of Trustee with the reverence, wisdom, and humility the job requires. Please join me in voting to reelect Matt Parsons as Southampton Town Trustee.

Jennifer Fiore

East Quogue