Letters to the Editor: Gratitude and intent
Baiting Hollow
Gratitude and intent
I approve of this article (“9/11 survivor,” Sept. 11), and it seems self-serving. And yet my intent is more generous than what it appears. I can’t speak for others or other social milieus in earlier historical “periods.” With mass media stretching our ears on the latest controversy, and journalists and editors that choose complacency and complicities to sell attention, I am grateful for local papers that by intent and with perseverance demonstrate integrity when interviewing and authoring a piece for the common person like me.
I enjoyed my interview with Ana. I could detect her sincerity in her voice, her willingness to listen, her diligence in being accurate and could read her written words that mirrored and complimented my own. If this practice of journalistic code is followed, I will continue to seek truth through this paper.
Rhetoric warning: Today, misinformation and disinformation are prevalent, and the truth has sometimes become irrelevant or even counterproductive to achieve results for some political agenda. I refuse to lose hope that honesty and scientific method are the clear path to solutions. The local newspaper is one medium which we should be able to count on.
Be safe and prosper.
Kevin Shea
Jamesport
A true hero
I read the story in the Sept. 11 issue regarding the terrible tragedy and Kevin Shea’s loss of fellow firefighters that fateful day. I had no idea of the extent of his injuries until I read the story.
My fellow readers, this gentleman is a true hero. The article mentions he is running for public office. He is running for Riverhead Town Board. Let’s reward his service by electing him in November.
Vinny Spampinato
Aquebogue
Another tax hike?
Last year, Tim Hubbard and his (fiscally conservative, huh?) Republican cronies hit us with an 8% tax hike — the highest in recent memory. We wonder if taxpayers will be slammed this year with a double-digit increase, given another year of reckless spending by Hubbard’s team.
Although it’s rarely used by anyone from Riverhead, the hockey rink is a money pit with millions of dollars spent on bathrooms and hundreds of thousands spent on electricity. And then there’s millions of dollars of taxpayers’ assets basically given away to Joe Petrocelli’s companies for his private hotel venture, after he already received 30 years and millions in tax breaks for his other venture. And then there’s the rogue IDA, which continues to grant benefits to dubious developers. When will the comptroller and attorney general step in?
Ron Hariri
Laurel
Arbitrary changes have consequences
I represented a minor, “Sarah,” on the lawful permanent U.S. residency path, via 1990 Bush congressional law, titled Special Immigrant Juvenile Status or SIJS.
I was a volunteer attorney, through the nonprofit organization Safe Passage.
Sarah was with her mother when her mother was fatally shot by a drug gang. Her brother had disappeared when he refused to work for the same drug gang, Her remaining brother brought her to New York. Sarah’s history qualified her for the SIJS pathway to legal residency.
Sarah appeared in both New York and federal courts, testifying to her mother’s shooting and the violence that she and her family endured. While navigating the legal SIJS process, Sarah mastered English and graduated from high school.
Sarah was awarded SIJS status in a court order on Aug. 23, 2023. When asked by the judge, Sarah said she wanted to enlist in the U.S. military.
In February 2024, Sarah received a work authorization Social Security number and deportation deferment until 2027. Said deferment was in anticipation of future receipt of her green card.
However, on June 6, 2025, the SIJS policy was abruptly terminated, not by Congress but by a policy change from Homeland Security.
That policy change terminates Sarah’s pathway to her green card. This is not by act of Congress, or any action on Sarah’s part, but rather the arbitrary whim of the executive branch. She is a victim twice, once of a drug culture fueled by the U.S., and secondly of false accusations and criminalization of immigrant youth, asserted to justify termination of a long-established asylum process.
Sarah is losing a safe home, and we are losing a promising young person.
It is time for the American people to cease being complacent with the arbitrary actions of the current administration and defend democracy!
Theodora Marangas
Southold
Unauthorized use
The Southold Sunshine Society wishes to inform our clients that we do not endorse any real estate agency and did not give permission for an agent to use our name.
We loan new and gently used hospital equipment, send cards of cheer and sympathy along with donated fruit and flowers during the appropriate seasons.
Out mission statement is our motto: “Have you had a kindness shown? Pass it on.” With that in mind, we hope that everyone will take a minute to spread some sunshine.
Chris Wruck
Southold Sunshine Society
Southold
Earning your vote
Four years ago, I was honored to earn your trust as a Southold Town Trustee. Today, I’m asking for your support once again — to continue the work we’ve started and to keep advocating for a fair, sustainable future for our town.
When I first ran, I promised to get things done — and I’m proud to say I’ve followed through. As liaison to the Conservation Advisory Council, I helped expand their mission to include long-overdue sustainability efforts across Southold. I also worked line-by-line to suggest updates to Trustee code, transforming precedent into transparent policy. Now, applicants know what to expect and every case — nearly 1,600 in the last four years — gets a fair and equal review, whether you’re a lifelong resident, a young family or a large developer.
Beyond my role as a Trustee I bring hands-on community experience to this role. As director of operations at the North Fork Arts Center, I help run a nonprofit that keeps the historic Greenport theater as a thriving year-round home for film, music and community events. This experience has enhanced my commitment to protect local treasures and keep them serving the public.
As a U.S. Coast Guard licensed captain with over a decade of experience working our waters, I have a direct view of the changes in our fragile wetlands and a deep understanding that every decision has consequences. That respect for our waters, and responsibility guide my work as Trustee.
Trustee races may be run on party lines, but our work isn’t political. We’re a bipartisan board where hard work speaks louder than party affiliation – just ask the Trustee board’s Republican president, reelected year after year by a Democratic majority.
And now, as a new parent, these decisions feel more personal than ever. My son has given me an even deeper reason to do this work, because protecting our environment is not just good policy, it is a promise to future generations.
I’d be honored to earn your vote again on Nov. 4 and to continue serving Southold with fairness, experience, and heart.
Liz Gillooly
Ms Gillooly is running for Town Trustee on the Democratic and Working Families lines.
Cutchogue
A differing view
Our Constitution gives us the right to differing opinions. You (The Suffolk Times), in “Our View” of Sept. 4, gave yours. Here is a glimpse of my observation and opinion.
You are unhappy with the election of Donald Trump, his policies and the lack of opposition from within the Republican Party to his appointments, executive orders, policies and enforcement of Constitutionally passed laws, and you called it “comical obsequiousness”!
Comical was observing President Biden ride a bike, walk up stairs, down stairs, across stages and spend 40% of his time on vacation. Horrible was watching his disastrous handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal. He stated no one would be left behind even if he had to extend the leave date. Then he left people behind at the stated date, blaming his predecessor. He was in command and he made the decision — or was it the auto pen? Disastrous was his handling of border security and the economy. His administration was autocratic and government first, last and always.
Name-calling is childish at best and your statement inferring Trump to be a “clownish businessman” and Kennedy a “crackpot” is, as they say, “beyond the pale” and unworthy of print. Trimming the bloated federal payroll is warranted and necessary. Influencing the maintenance of peace in our cities, I would argue, falls well within his Constitutional authority when local leadership is failing.
We will just have to agree to disagree. I find the present administration open, transparent and doing exceedingly well despite the obstacles placed in front of it by the opposition party and their minions.
Bob Bittner
Southold
Beyond left vs. right
In today’s polarized world, the narrative peddled by mainstream media and political elites is simple: It’s left versus right, liberals clashing with conservatives in an endless ideological tug-of-war. But this binary framing is a distraction, a smokescreen hiding the true conflict — one not of policy preferences, but of good versus evil. The modern political climate isn’t about red states battling blue ones; it’s a moral struggle where forces of decency fight against corruption, manipulation and outright malevolence.
Consider figures like Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, who championed free speech, personal responsibility and American values. Kirk and allies like Ben Shapiro or Jordan Peterson aren’t just “right-wing;” they’re voices exposing systemic rot — big tech censorship, indoctrination in schools and the erosion of family structures. On the flip side, what passes for “left” often aligns with agendas that undermine these foundations: endless wars funded by taxpayers, open borders enabling chaos and policies that prioritize globalist elites over everyday citizens. But labeling it as mere partisanship misses the point. Evil isn’t confined to one party; it’s the shadowy puppeteers — think Big Pharma, the military-industrial complex, and unelected bureaucrats — who thrive on division.
People in power want us divided because a fractured populace is easier to control. They amplify wedge issues like race, gender and climate hysteria to pit neighbor against neighbor, while they consolidate wealth and influence. Social media algorithms, owned by these same elites, fuel echo chambers, turning debates into hate-fests. The result? We exhaust ourselves fighting phantoms, ignoring the real threats: spiritual decay, loss of freedoms and a slide toward authoritarianism.
Yet, hope lies in awakening. True good — rooted in truth, compassion, and integrity — transcends labels. By rejecting the left-right illusion and uniting against corruption, we can reclaim our future. It’s not about winning elections; it’s about defeating evil. Let’s stand firm, as Ephesians reminds us, armored in righteousness against the dark forces at play.
Jason Taggart
Cutchogue
Common sense
In the wake of the tragic events of last week, it’s time for Republicans in Congress to join with their Democratic colleagues to approve common sense gun regulations, to honor the memory of Charlie Kirk. It’s time for Representative LaLota to take a stand against the monied interests of the NRA and gun lobby to protect the lives of his constituents and his colleagues.
How many times do we have to live through the news of beloved children, elected officials, political voices, concert attendees, religious worshipers, mall shoppers, movie theater patrons, etc. being gunned down? This is preventable carnage!
In parallel to the legislative effort in Congress, We the People need to start having serious conversations about the need to pass a Constitutional Amendment, to clarify the Second Amendment. If the Supreme Court continues to overturn common sense gun regulations passed by Congress and state legislatures, then the people of 35 states can join together to overturn those harmful court decisions.
Thomas Paine once motivated a rag-tag collection of people to create a nation with his “Common Sense”. Let’s honor his legacy by once again employing common sense to allow reasonable restrictions on gun ownership and use.
Barbara Farr
Southold
Eyes wide open
Remember in 2016, Gold Star father Mr. Kahn would give out pocket copies of the Constitution. Still a good idea, but in this horrid environment, I think we should also read, digest and ponder the roadmap for this administration and its accolades, Project 2025. They are eroding the Constitution, our civil liberties and our democracy. My fellow citizens: Be aware, be afraid, but speak up loud and clear.
Rosellen Storm
