Letters to the Editor: Thank you
Southold and Riverhead
Thank you
We want to thank Al Krupski and the Food Rescue US – North Fork volunteers who showed up at the last minute to distribute literally tons of squash to food pantries across our fork. The Krupskis have been generous members of our community for decades and we at Food Rescue were thrilled that the supervisor reached out for help to share the abundance from his farm.
Many of our volunteers showed up with their cars and crates — one even rented a U-Haul — to take as much as they could to the pantries, which are feeling extra pressure to feed so many more people in need during these stressful times. The generosity of these members of our community is what makes the North Fork such a special place to live.
Stephanie McEvily and Anne Howard
co-site directors, Food Rescue US – North Fork
Riverhead
Train tale
A little footnote to the article on the infamous 1926 train wreck in Calverton (Nov. 6). My grandfather, Gottlieb Bartunek, was one of the 337 passengers in one of the coach cars of the train. He was returning from a business trip to New York City and was coming back with some flowers for a floral arrangement. Fourteen-year-old Alvin Bartunek (my father) was waiting at the Riverhead train station in my grandfather’s Buick for the arrival of the “Shelter Island Flyer,” when he was informed of the wreck in Calverton. He drove to the site of the train wreck and was told that my grandfather had taken Woodson’s Taxi to Riverhead. By this time, the company of soldiers and numerous policemen at the site convinced my father that because he did not have a driver’s license, it might be prudent to go home.
I was never told what happened to the flowers my grandfather was carrying.
George Bartunek
Riverhead
There’s still time
The Sigal Building, former home of CRAFT’D, still stands until Riverhead Supervisor Hubbard can arrange a luminaries event to witness its demolition.
Board members might consider how many votes were lost by their presumptuous imposition in the new Town Square of a five-story hotel/condo with only limited public support. Mr. Hubbard, the most visible advocate for the hotel/condo project, has apparently lost to Jerry Halpin. The Town Board candidates who supported his policy faced reduced returns from their elections four years ago: Rothwell going from 31.06% to 25.63%, and Kern from 29.65% to 26.12%.
The Town Board board should reconsider before the Petrocelli wrecking ball arrives and invite CRAFT’D to return to a reconfigured two-story building with an 80-year history.
If not, they can redeem themselves by dropping the hotel idea and restoring the full publicly purchased Town Square park. The expressed goal in Resolution 399, adopted by the board on Aug. 4, 2020, was “creation of a public gathering space with pedestrian connectivity and open vistas from Main Street to the Peconic River.”
Imagine a lawn from Main Street to the amphitheater, providing an unobstructed view from The Suffolk theater to the Peconic River, with ample space for summer concert audiences to spread out picnic blankets. An actual “open vista” will also provide a far better setting for the historic East End Arts Council buildings than being squeezed between two five-story behemoths. New residents of Heatherwood will not object to the much improved view.
If Jerry Halpin is confirmed as supervisor, an early test of his leadership will be to save the Town Square park from the hotel/condo.
If the demolition goes forward, I plan to be there to suggest to attending VIPs an alternative truly “open vista” future for the space.
John McAuliff
Riverhead Watch
Riverhead
Town Board observations
I was present at the last three Riverhead Town Board meetings. I noticed Jerry Halpin was there also. He did not make any comments and seemed very focused on the proceedings. I thought to myself, ‘Riverhead has two caring citizens: Tim Hubbard, who has and will continue to love and serve our town, and the Rev. Jerry Halpin.’
Warren McKnight
Greenport
Keep the festival afloat
Regarding “Maritime festival hits rough seas” (Nov. 6) and the decision of East End Seaport Museum & Marine Foundation’s decision to abandoned the ship when it is gaining momentum after the deadly waves of COVID- 19 and that, too, without the confidence of the community.
Love for sea and ships are in-born attraction for the people residing on Long Island in general and for those youngsters in particular desiring to take up marine careers. Not everyone becomes the captain but may be the master of universe.
The magnificent Maritime Museum stands proudly on the shores of Greenport village and is one of the landmarks depicting its heritage and history with nautical gadgets, pictures, charts and relevant materials.
Hats off to museum director Erin Kimmel and her dedicated crew for keeping museum afloat with flying colors. But while focusing on its “core mission,” it seems she is drifting away from its vital mission of an annual maritime festival, which also benefits the local business community at all levels. Looks like some wise judgment and right navigation is missing while steering the course.
Fun and education go hand in hand. Thousand of visitors, tourists, sea lovers and seafarers across the island flooded the street of Greenport exploring the charm of nautical village and witnessing the cardboard boat regatta and rescue operation and air demonstration. These are everlasting experiences and lifetime learning.
Let’s join hands together and clear the deck for the annual Maritime Festival with smooth sailing.
Muneer Haleem
Greenport
Homes for the working class
In last week’s issue (“Luxe home mega-development fuels ‘South Forkification’ fears.” Nov. 6) , I was pleased to note a quote from Bill Bladykas: “Will we find out next firefighters, EMT volunteers or local store clerks among these residents?”
I would have added hospital and bank employees, teachers and all sorts of working-class people.
All the new construction I see on the North Fork consists of very large houses with swimming pools. Is this really necessary?
How about smaller homes that would be suitable for local working-class families, whose ranks are disappearing rapidly, much to the detriment of this whole area.
Byron Cohen
Southold
ADU housing
How many years of nothing being done are we at now? I think 20 years. The ADUs (“Pre-fab ADUs may aid housing crisis,” Nov. 6) seem like a sustainable choice. Let’s make it happen.
Marie Lisa Truglio
Mattituck
Seeking your support
My name is Denise Goehringer-Geis. I am running for reelection as Mattituck Park District commissioner. Since I was elected three years ago I have spearheaded the residents’ campaign for a local dog park at Aldrich Lane and added a pet food pantry for the community to come together and help each other by taking what you need and leaving what you can for our furry friends.
I have expanded our community activities by adding outdoor movies to our summer concert series. This year, I have also added the first indoor family holiday movie night, featuring “ELF,” Saturday, Nov. 15, 7 p.m.
I have been the Easter egg hunt coordinator for over 30 years. And this is the third year that I’ve been the coordinator for our party with Santa, which will take place Saturday, Dec. 13, starting at noon.
It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as a commissioner. If reelected, as a lifelong Mattituck resident. I promise to work together with the community on preserving the park district history, while bringing our parks and beaches into the future responsibly.
Working together with the current commissioners and the community, we have accomplished much in the past three years. I’m asking for your support on Thursday, Nov 20. Voting takes place from 3 to 8 p.m. at Veterans Park.
Denise Goehringer-Geis
Southold
People over politics
In Southold, we pride ourselves on being neighbors first. This election reminded me how vital that spirit is, and how easily it frays when national politics seep into local life.
I’m grateful to voters and to this paper for endorsing my reelection as Town Trustee. But along the campaign trail, I saw more anger than in years past. While talking with voters outside King Kullen, a man asked which party I belonged to. When I said I was a Democrat, he cursed, slammed his grocery cart and drove off in anger. I share this because it saddened me. I’m raising my family here, and that reaction feels foreign to the community I want my child to grow up in.
The antidote to division is to lean harder into what makes us neighbors. Hold the door at the post office. Show up at town meetings and football games. Have conversations with people who might surprise you. Choose connection over contempt, every single time.
But that effort gets harder when headlines like “Blue wave hits North Fork” turn elections into partisan scorecards. Every candidate who won attracted voters from both parties and many independents. People voted for neighbors they trust to do the work on behalf of our community, not for party labels. When we frame local elections in the language of national politics, we risk importing a divisiveness that doesn’t serve us. Our local paper plays an important role in shaping how we see each other.
What gives me hope is that we already know how to work together. When the fire whistle blows, our volunteer firefighters don’t check lawn signs before they respond. Candidates from both parties talked about the same complex challenges —ones that don’t have easy answers. They require nuance, good faith and the humility to acknowledge competing values.
The work of a Town Trustee isn’t about politics. It’s about stewardship. Our board consistently reelects the sole Republican as president because he’s excellent at the job. That’s how governing should work: grounded in respect and a shared commitment to the public good.
The challenges ahead are real and urgent, but we can meet them if we keep choosing each other. That’s the Southold worth protecting, and the better angels of our nature worth calling on.
Liz Gillooly
Town Trustee
Greenport
Engage!
What made America great was that the truth always mattered — and still does. Right from wrong used to be obvious to many more. A time will come when the truth cannot be buried in taglines like “Fake News” and “Liberal Lunatics.” Dues are due.
I predict that things are coming to a head. There is finally some hope for sanity, justice and righteousness. To all those who were losing hope and belief in the resilience of America, the oldest, longest-running democracy in history, it’s not time to sit back and take a sigh of relief or to celebrate. It’s time to stand up, to engage and continue to challenge the misinformation, lies and corruption that are the signatures of this nightmare. Democracy dies from silence. The war is not over. Engage.
Paul Henry
Southold
‘Disturbing encounter’
I’m a longtime Southold resident. On Oct 7, 2025, my wife and I had an extremely disturbing encounter within our fair hamlet. I’m sharing it for your readers to better understand what’s taking place in our backyard.We were driving through Southold and saw the Gaza-related signs that had been displayed throughout the summer. The person who put them there, a longtime acquaintance, had thanked me for my “thoughtful comments” in a previous conversation. A protest was being conducted there by another individual.
Oct. 7 [was] a painful anniversary for all who possess a semblance of humanity — Jew and non-Jew. And on that day the world was awaiting a Hamas response to a ceasefire proposal that had been proposed over a week prior. I stopped and inquired why [the man] wasn’t displaying a sign demanding, “Hamas, take the deal!”
He answered that the offered peace deal would subject Gazans to subservience. Factually, the deal would remove Hamas from power and convey political control to a multinational entity led by Arab states. The deal also outlines that Gaza would be rebuilt, and further all surrounding Arab countries are advocating for Hamas to accept the deal. This protester, however, stated that they are all wrong. He claimed that Hamas is “a small band of people with sticks fighting against a trillion-dollar war machine..
I asked if he’d ever visited the region to witness facts on the ground, to which he responded, “No, I wouldn’t be caught dead over there.” I then advised him that his use of the word “Nazi” was insensitive, hurtful and insulting. He asked how else to refer to a country committing a genocide, and didn’t I agree that there’s an ongoing genocide. I told him that any loss of innocent life is horrible, but that there is no “genocide.”
He asked again if I would agree there’s a genocide taking place, to which I responded “No”. His next words to me were, “Go f— yourself. I refuse to speak with you. Go f— yourself.” I chose to disengage. Apparently, he did not appreciate my thoughtfulness. As I got into my car he shouted “Happy October 7!” To that, my wife rolled down the window and asked why he was engaging us so aggressively while sitting under a sign that read, “Peace is the answer.” He screamed that he didn’t paint the sign and that he distanced himself from its message.
Jordan Handler
Southold
Color me sad
Dislike Zohran Mamdani for his politics; that’s fine. (I, for one, hated the politics of Bush, to say nothing of this completely white nationalist administration.) But for being Muslim and inferring a connection with 9/11? Sorry folks: a) Your Islamophobia is showing and b) he was 10 years old. Gee, if I hated Christians because Timothy McVeigh, a devout Christian, bombed the building in Oklahoma City so many people would critique me.
I thought when we elected Obama, we as a nation were moving forward from hate. I was optimistic that we were starting to embrace MLK’s speech, in which he said: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Boy, was I wrong. I have not forgotten 9/11, or Sandy Hook, Parkland, Las Vegas, etc. They are all actions that continue to shape our nation — and not in a good way.
I have no idea if Mamdani will be a good mayor. I hope so, but he, and all politicians, should be judged on accomplishments and nothing else.
Rosellen Storm
Southold
Hmm…
Um, it’s funny that the tax increase came to light after the election.
Linda Donohue
