Letters to the Editor: Awful road conditions

Greenport
Awful road conditions
While paying my considerably increased Greenport Village taxes, I asked who I should voice my concern with regard to the condition of many village streets, some of which resemble the surface of the moon. Take a drive down Center Street, Park Street or North Street, just to name a few. They said they would refer my request to the village deputy clerk. I won’t hold my breath waiting for a response. Former mayor George Hubbard Jr. once noted that a lot of streets were paved during his administration. I thought this was not much of a claim to fame at the time but now I appreciate the attention to basic services like well-paved roads. More splashy achievements like the renovated carousel and miniature railroad are really great but might not be worth the trip if you are going to bust a shock absorber getting there.
Pete Marcino
Southold
A fine family
I read reporter Amanda Olsen’s story about what to buy for dinner for her family at the market and seeing three hungry teenagers sitting on the curb, conversing in Spanish and holding a sign asking for food. I salute the Olsens for jumping into action and seeing those kids were fed. Not only did the parents do a Mitzvot (good deed) by their kindness and humanity, their teenage sons saw firsthand wonderful parents showing empathy and caring for others under unusual circumstances. What a wonderful family, indeed.
Elaine Goldman
Laurel
Library bond referendum
On behalf of the Mattituck-Laurel Library Board of Trustees, I would like to thank the community for the turnout to vote on the bond referendum June 17. Although the referendum did not pass, the library remains committed to providing excellent service to our community.
We will go back to the drawing board and come up with something more palatable to our patrons to address the deteriorating condition of the building. We are grateful to everyone who has taken the time to share their thoughts and will continue to gather information to guide us as we move forward.
Jim Underwood
President, Mattituck-Laurel Library Board of Trustees
Southold
The passing of Gerard P. Lane
I was one of those fortunate people to cross paths with GP. One early summer night, I walked by an open door from which live music abounded with revelry. I ventured in and there he was; just right for this place and time. He allowed me to play in his open mic night many times and a dear friendship of respect began.
RIP, my friend.
Kevin Whitaker
Riverhead
The real Riverhead High School
Why do we focus on the negative instead of recognizing the positive? Riverhead High School is often looked down upon, but the truth is, there’s so much more to it — if people would only take the time to look.
As a senior at RHS, I’ve seen firsthand the incredible things happening here. The courses offered at Riverhead High School are ones that cannot be compared to other schools. For example, SMART Physics is a class that Riverhead is one of the only schools in Suffolk County to offer.
Our music department is one of the best on Long Island. Students can participate in the wind ensemble, marching band, pep band, orchestra, choir and more. Select groups compete nationally — in places like Washington, D.C., Virginia Beach and Boston — and come home with awards every time.
The Blue Masques theater program stages two productions a year. This year they were nominated for 23 Teeny Awards for performances of “Sweeney Todd” and “Something Rotten!” The students who are part of the shows are extremely talented and dedicated to the performing arts.
Our athletic program continues to make history. The softball team went undefeated and won both the league and Suffolk County championships. Our boys varsity basketball team had a historic playoff run, and the girls golf team sent players to the state championship for the first time in RHS history. Unified Sports has also expanded opportunities for all students to be part of a team.
Riverhead High School is a place that should be cherished by the community instead of being looked down upon. The people of RHS are determined to make a difference and spread kindness, are going to be an inspiration and are going to make a pathway to the future.
Madison Perez
Oakdale
Facts about the pipeline
The Suffolk County Water Authority’s proposed North Fork pipeline addresses an urgent issue: There isn’t enough water in Southold to meet peak summer demand. Storage tanks run dry, taps slow to a trickle and public safety is at risk. This is already happening — and we must act.
SCWA is a nonprofit public benefit corporation. We do not profit from selling more water. In fact, we’ve invested heavily to reduce water use in Southold — rebates for smart irrigation devices and conservation advertising. We’ve made desperate appeals to local governments to adopt enforceable conservation ordinances. Despite repeated summer emergencies, those calls have mostly gone unanswered.
The pipeline is necessary. It will shift water from existing SCWA wells in areas with strong, sustainable supply to Southold where aquifer stress and rising chloride levels signal risk. This isn’t about delivering “vast” new quantities of water — the pipeline’s max capacity is 6,000 gallons per minute, about half of Southold’s current capacity. Most of the time, it will run at a fraction of that. It will let us ease off the use of existing wells, giving time for the aquifer to recover.
Importantly, SCWA has no authority over zoning or land use. Whether or not any new homes are built, the pipeline is needed to meet existing demand and protect water quality.
As for Orient, we’re not building a pipeline there. The county asked us to study it after finding PFAS in private wells. Any future expansion would require the North Fork Pipeline and community involvement. Environmental law requires us to assess the combined impact, but it is not a commitment to build.
The facts are clear: this project is about ensuring safe, reliable water and reducing stress on the North Fork aquifer—not encouraging unchecked growth. We owe it to our customers to act.
Charlie Lefkowitz
Mr. Lefkowitz is chairman of the SCWA.
Southold
No to Noem
No, Kristi Noem. You were wrong to say that Los Angeles is “not a city of immigrants, they’re a city of criminals.” Correction: Los Angeles is the City of Angels. As are cities and towns across our country and our own Suffolk County. Why? Because, like Los Angeles, we are filled with a rich diversity of human beings — some angels and some devils but mostly all striving day to day to live decently and with kindness. Let’s applaud each other for that and heed the call from a president we can admire — Abraham Lincoln— who called on us to tap into “the better angels of our nature.”
Patricia Lloyd
Greenport
AI and Pope Leo
Pope Leo XIV, the newly elected pontiff and first American Pope, had a few comments regarding AI. He described how AI should be viewed as a tool and not replace or diminish workers, perceiving that AI posed a threat to justice and jobs.
While on its surface, his comments regarding AI might seem to over dramatize the dangers that AI poses. The arrival of new technologies always provokes some misguided apprehension. The Pope’s stance on AI has some merit — with AI having an noticeable environmental impact, as generative AI requires large amounts of electricity, leading to increased carbon dioxide emissions.
Large corporations such as Amazon, which prioritizes profit and efficiency, find AI enticing to cut workers to increase their profit margins. Without proper safety nets and regulations, why would AI not be abused by tech giants to cut down their corporate workforce and “replace” workers?
Anthony Kuczynski
Mattituck
Thank you
I want to thank the men and women of the Southold Police Department and the Mattituck Fire Department EMS, who came to my home in the early hours of June 13. If not for my wife calling 911 and the incredible first responders arriving in minutes, I wouldn’t be here today. Your dedication, bravery and personal sacrifice to our community is truly appreciated. God bless you and your families.
Gregory Wood
Southold
‘What about us?’
Last week, Mattituck/Southold/Greenport girls lacrosse team won the Suffolk County Class D championship. Not much, if any, mention! How come?
This week, Section II had its sports dinner at East Wind’s restaurant. Some of the girls won All-County and All-League awards. Again, no mention! Why not?
Remember our kids. They live, work, study and represent their schools. Also remember the supportive parents, grandparents, friends and fellow students.
In good sportsmanship,
Bob Mohr
Retired coach
Riverhead
Open letter to Rep. Nick LaLota
When President Trump campaigned about his immigration policies, he claimed to be targeting violent criminals. Instead, many of the people who have been seized by ICE have no criminal records, and appear to be hard-working, taxpaying residents of their communities. Most recently, a southern California gardener, a father to a U.S. military veteran and two Marines, was pinned down and punched over the weekend, according to NBC News.
The man in question, a gardener in Santa Ana, Calif., was pinned down and violently detained Saturday by federal immigration agents. His son, who has served in the U.S. Marine Corps, expressed anger, sadness and a sense of betrayal.
A video clip outside a Santa Ana IHOP at Ritchey Street and Edinger Avenue shows Narciso Barranco being punched repeatedly in the head last Saturday.
Could you use your influence to prevent masked, often unidentified, agents from pouncing on workers, handcuffing them behind their backs, denying them due process and taking them away — often from their children? These are the actions of a dictatorship, not of our cherished democracy, with its rules of habeas corpus, a presumption of innocence and a fair and public trial by one’s peers.
The Rev. Ben Bortin
North Fork
Thank you
We would like to thank everyone in the community, and especially Greg Ammirati, for supporting the East End Lions Club’s takeout dinner fundraiser on June 18, as well as everyone purchasing raffle tickets. Our fundraising efforts benefit the Guide Dog Foundation, American Vet Dog and Canine Companions.
Ruthanne McCormack
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