Quick Flight Bad Idea

Dear Bryan,

It was very disheartening to read Claire Walla’s article promoting a quick flight to Manhattan in the face of such wide opposition to the air and noise pollution generated from these flights. You see, it’s the flying over residential areas part of her article that incurs the wrath of so many of us. The East End Towns got together and submitted to the East Hampton Airport and the FAA recommended flight patterns to and from the airport that would not impact the east end residents. Until the FAA mandates these flight paths or the pilots voluntarily fly them, it would be better not to promote more air and noise pollution.

How about this; could Ms Walla do a research paper on the plutocratic monopolization of all the nicest places (which this issue is a by-product of)? Less than 1 percent of the people here use these services that create so much disturbance. For instance, I was awakened this morning at 6:57 a.m. by an aircraft flying over my house here in Noyac. And this being Monday, by 11 a.m. I counted another 21 disturbing flights and I didn’t get them all. These pilots have no oversight except for an understanding not to bump into each other.

What do you say Ms Walla, could you do something at least as lengthy and eye catching that represents the majority opinion of the greater population on the East End? I’d be happy to point you to tons of research that has been done on this issue.

Respectfully,
Gene Polito
Noyac

Seeing the Light in Noyac

To the editors,

For those of you who missed yesterday’s hearing at the Town of Southampton, the latest chapter of the ‘we don’t want you using our beach’ drama played itself out with some exciting twists and turns.

Several members of the Northampton Yacht Club spoke in support of a continuation of parking restrictions, although predictably no one in any of the houses on Noyac Bay Avenue directly affected by the beach parking ban showed up to support the restrictions.

As usual, Councilman Nuzzi set the tone on their behalf by stridently supporting the ban, even though he repeatedly added; “this is a parking issue, not a beach access issue,” in his attempt to keep from conflating the two topics.

Not a beach access issue? Person after person speaking on behalf of the open parking ban talked about litter on the beach, sea grass on the beach, swimming on the beach, fishing from the beach, urinating on the beach, the potential of having riff-raff on the beach, and countless other beach-related topics, from beach ownership (they don’t own it) to the potential of having what they consider too many people using what they feel is too small a beach.

Do you notice the words parking in this thread of topics? Nope. Either did we! Do you think that this ban just might be beach related?

At one point, Mrs. Staffa turned to the council and cited what she felt were the true culprits in all this. She blamed this problem squarely on the shoulders of the press, going on to specifically mention the Sag Harbor Express, along with Dan’s Papers and Newsday on the grounds that the press has massively misrepresented the issue at hand and besmirched the people supporting the parking restrictions.

Not to be out-done, a colleague-in-arms of Mrs. Staffa held up a copy of a recent New York Times real estate section, which had a front page story to the effect of ‘The Hidden Beauty of Noyac’. Proclaiming that now that the secret of Noyac is out, the speaker went on to pontificate that this might inundate the beach with people from the ‘outer boroughs’ (sounds ominous), and that not allowing open parking will be their last line of defense.

And then there was the man who went on and on about the removal of parking somehow being an attractant for people from Bed-Stuy. And after a pause to think, he added Beverly Hills. Does this sound like an issue about parking? Or is it really an issue of access and exclusion?

Lest this hearing sound one sided, do note that many local residents spoke about the importance of beach access and open parking for Noyac Bay Avenue, stressing the rights of the 59,000 residents of the Town of Southampton. Lamentably, at least a couple of these speakers mentioned that they were followed and harassed in recent days by militant local parking ban proponents when they visited the beaches in question — a trend which I hope won’t continue.

Town Trustee Semlear and Baykeeper MacAllister gave impassioned speeches in defense of open parking and public access of town beaches, giving a whole panoply of reasons why this position of reaffirming the rights of the public is right and just..

Councilmen Fleming and Malone were again the voices of reason, talking about the importance of open access for all and citing the access allowed at all similar area beaches. And, Anna Throne-Holst, to her credit, yet again championed the rights of the 60,000 people who live in the town which she supervises.

But where is Mr. Chris Nuzzi on all this? Still the ‘No’ vote. Chris doesn’t seem to see what everyone else on his dais does — that the job of a public servant is to serve the needs of the public. Not the whim of a major fundraiser. I hope that by the time of the next meeting, he will have seen the light.

Gene DePoris
Noyac

Neighbor Helping Neighbor

Dear Bryan,

I am writing to acknowledge the immense contributions of several members of our community who helped make the annual auction — which is part of Fighting Chance’s summer gala fundraiser — a great success.

This year our board decided that most of the auction items should come from the artistic community and many of them were auctioned off on a “live” basis thanks to the support of the Christies Auction House and the auctioneer who joined our festivities, George McNeely.

Local artists who participated, by providing original works of art and, in some cases, studio tours, included: Dan Rizzie, April Gornik, Bob Dash, Barbara Maslen, Ken Robbins, Nancy Greenberg, Kathryn Szoka, Priscilla Bowden, CB Grubb, and Elizabeth Biondi.

The Music to Know Festival, with offices in Sag Harbor, also provided VIP tickets for the auction, as did the Hampton Classic. Robyn Poto added autographed Yankee baseballs and, like so many charities, we were blessed with a couple dates of golf at some of the East End’s outstanding courses. If I forgot to mention someone, apologies for a senior moment.

Altogether, the auction proceeds were $43,000…a record for one of our summer galas, and funds that are much-needed to defray the costs of providing free-of-charge professional counseling to newly-diagnosed cancer patients on the East End.

When you see one of these auctions unfold, as I did some two weeks ago, it is living proof that “neighbor-helping-neighbor” is a principle that serves as a pillar for villages by the sea that make up Long Island’s East End.

Sincerely,
Duncan Darrow
Founder & Chairman of the Board
Fighting Chance

In Memory of Lucky

Dear Editor,

His name was Louis Paul Mannino, but he was known in Sag Harbor simply as “Lucky.” You remember him. He was the guy who was always happy, always had a smile for you, the kind one who waved to you and remembered your name. He was the guy who made you laugh with his antics, jokes and great sense of humor. Lucky was the guy who would drop everything for a friend, the one you saw at all his children’s ball games.

He was loved by many. Sag Harbor remembers when he worked at Baron’s Cove as its head chef or when he taught Food Preparation at BOCES. He was loved by students and co-workers alike. His wife Donna and step daughters loved him. His in-laws, past and present, loved him. His nieces, nephews and grand children loved him. But most of all, his children loved and adored him. You remember Sara. She is the one who inherited her father’s unbelievable dimples, his smile and outgoing personality. And you remember Ian. He inherited his dad’s high energy and his incredible work ethic. He is also quite the chef himself. They will miss him dearly.

He wanted us to remember him for the laughter, for the happy times, and so we shall.

Many will miss him. Many loved him, and yes, I loved him too. Afterall, he was the father of my children.

Rest in peace Lucky.
Terry English
Sag Harbor

Wonderful Sag Harbor

Dear Bryan,

It’s so important to mention the positive and so we will. Last week we parked our car in a space on Main Street. We were hosting our dearest friends who love to walk/shop on Main Street. We completed our “tour” of the shops and when we tried to start our car…click, click, dead! Just as we were thinking of options, a “brownie” appeared who assured us he would help in any way he could — stopping traffic, etc. He was polite and reassuring. We wish to acknowledge his accommodating manner and all around professionalism. His name is Pablo. Say hi if you see him!

Another, so blessed to live in Sag Harbor story…our grandson, Liam, first and only, will be visiting from London soon. I went to the Sag Harbor Police Station to have a car seat installed. We are so very grateful for the time and patience that Officer Dave Driscoll spent installing it. The one I brought had seen its day and I left with a new one!

Wonderful, wonderful Sag Harbor!
Pat and Hank deCillia
Bridgehampton

Demanding Justice

To the editor,

If you watch the news on television and see images of young people all over the world in the streets demanding justice, freedom and democracy you will understand the growing gap between those who have everything and those who have nothing. These scenes reminded me of a quote from Nobel Peace Prize winner Mother Teresa.

“In the developed countries there is a poverty of intimacy, a poverty of spirit, of loneliness, of lack of love. There is no greater sickness in the world today than that one”

In peace,
Larry Darcey
Sag Harbor

Successful Regatta

Dear Editor,

This Saturday, the Breakwater Yacht Club and the National Women’s Sailing hosted their 12th annual AdventureSail Regatta for at-risk girls.

Once again, the great community of Sag Harbor generously donated items to include in the gift bags that each participant received as a memento of her visit to Sag Harbor.

Breakwater Yacht Club appreciates the help and support from our friends at Apple Bank, Bridgehampton National Bank, Brown Harris Stevens Realty, Corcoran Realty, Emporium Hardware, Flashbacks, Sag Harbor Variety Store, Sag Harbor Pharmacy, Strough Realty and the Wharf Shop.

Thank you so much for your donations!
Sincerely,
Cam Gleason
BYC AdventureSail Committee

Thanks for the Support

Dear Bryan,
The Friends of the John Jermain Library would like to thank all who contributed so generously to the success of our recent House Tour. We are truly grateful for the generosity and cooperation of homeowners who offered their homes, the merchants in the village, the Sag Harbor Police and community leaders and especially the volunteers who worked so diligently on the day of the tour. We would also like to thank the Library Board of Trustees and the Library staff for their unlimited support.

It was a great day and we are extremely pleased that the Library will benefit from your participation in this important fundraising event.

Many thanks,
Chris Tice, Judith Cash, Roberta Kyle
House Tour Co-Chairs

Covering Dolls

Dear Bryan,

Thank you for your great coverage of our vintage Black doll show that opened on July 3rd. We had a wonderful turnout due, in no small measure, to the excellent interview that Annette Hinkle conducted with me. Annette truly encapsulated my feelings regarding Black imagery and portrayals throughout history. There is just one minor correction which is that the Effanbee marionette was my great find and not that of my brother Martin. Once again thanks for the excellent coverage.

Sincerely,
Michael A. Butler
Sag Harbor

Lost Bag Revenue

Dear Editor:

One more question for the Southampton Town Board: Will the proposed ban on plastic bags apply also to the town board’s $30 bundle of plastic bags used for garbage disposal at town recycling centers? If so, how will the town board make up the lost revenue from the sale of those bags?

Sincerely,
David Carney
Sag Harbor

Popularity: 2% [?]