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Letters to the editor must be submitted via email and
must include
the author’s name, address, and daytime phone number
so that
Bellport.com can confirm the source of the submission. Letters can be up
to 500 words in length and should be in good taste, not libelous, and
not "Fake News."
We expect our readers and their letters to be civil to one another
and we expect them to remember that we are all friends and
neighbors and to conduct themselves accordingly.
If you'd like to submit a Letter to the
Editor, send your letter to
letters@bellport.com.
Letters are posted as soon as they are
received, not just once a week, so check back often!
The purpose of Bellport.com's Letters To The Editor section is to encourage the free exchange of ideas and experiences in our community. While Bellport.com and its staff try to make every effort to see that no libelous statements, inaccurate or misleading opinions or statements, or "Fake News" appears on Bellport.com we wish to make it clear that the opinions expressed in the letters, articles, correspondence, etc. herein are the responsibility of the contributor and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Bellport.com and its staff. Accordingly, Bellport.com and its staff accept no liability whatsoever for the consequences of any such inaccurate or misleading opinions or statements.
In regards to elections (national, state, local), Bellport.com imposes a 48 hour “Blackout” period before Election Day. In other words, assuming Election Day is on a Tuesday, any letters from the candidates or members of the community that are received after 5:00pm on the Saturday prior to Election Day, will not be published by Bellport.com. We do this in order to prevent last minute claims being made and “Fake News” that don’t give sufficient time for which to respond.
December 21, 2018
Kudos to the Bellport High School Orchestra
The Bellport High School Orchestra and Chorus is
outstanding! Watch its performance of the Hallelujah Chorus on YouTube. Here
is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jccZtF98vd8
By the 20 second mark, tears were in my eyes. By the end, the tears were
streaming down my cheeks. These students, and all students in our schools,
belong to all of us in the South Country School District. There is greatness
here and endless possibilities for the future. In a season traditionally
filled with hope, I found some right here.
Anne Hayes
Bellport, NY
November 12, 2018
Editor's Note: This letter is in reference to our recent editorial.
Bellport Dock
Thank you very much for your thoughtful editorial
about the restoration of the Bellport Dock. As you have sensitively pointed
out, the dock is an iconic part of the iconic village of Bellport. As I am
no longer a resident of the village, it could be said that I ‘don’t have a
dog in this fight’, but I’d like to share some of the learnings from my
tenure as president of the BBHS and the restoration of the exterior of the
Ralph Brown Building. Victor Principe’s letter about the importance of the
dock to the collective mind of the village is an eloquent plea for a
thoughtful approach to the restoration. I’d also like to add that the dock
is memorialized in important paintings from the turn of the century
impressionists who painted in Bellport. So it’s an important part of the
cultural heritage of Long Island.
Historic preservation is difficult, and it requires dozens of decisions
about the appropriate degree of reconstruction. There are lots of trade offs
with costs, esthetics, and indeed, what period to restore to. We encountered
all of these issues in the Ralph Brown Building project, which was funded by
the NY State Parks Department. Happily enough, there are resources available
to help. Our first stop was SPLIA (Society for the Preservation of Long
Island Antiquities). They are a great resource for restorers. There are many
architectural firms that specialize in planning and executing restorations
and dealing with the conflicting regulations that govern the site. I would
strongly encourage the Village Board to avail themselves of these resources
before they plunge headlong into a reconstruction which may not be
appropriate for this special place.
Anna Lou Fletcher
East Moriches
November 12, 2018
An Open Letter from Clyde Parker
Dear Friends, Neighbors and Supporters,
Thank you all for your kind and unwavering support in this mid-term
election. You are all extraordinary.
We experienced something big this past Election Day. Democracy won a big
victory and candidates who ran on decency, hope and democratic ideals;
candidates who loudly rejected the negativity, hatred and violence that has
been injected into our body politic; candidates who made it clear they would
protect and expand every person’s right and access to quality healthcare,
who would fight for our environment, who would put party aside and work for
ALL Americans, who would reform immigration not fear it, and who would
restore the American Dream for all of us….they won. The returns keep coming
in and these candidates keep winning. If you were a part of this, thank you.
If you sat this one out, be a part of something bigger next time around.
Register to vote, get passionate, get involved and see what a difference you
can make.
As much as I am sorry not to be part of an historic win, I still feel like a
winner because I was a part of something big, positive, and crucially
important for us all. We know it is not possible for everyone to win. I went
into this race as a true beginner, the guy who had never travelled in
political circles, belonged to political clubs or was known through the
community institutions that are so closely tied to that world. I say this
without an ounce of rancor because I believe our way forward is not to
denigrate these entrenched systems but rather to move beyond them and
partisanship and toward unity. I believe that if we can do this, if we can
elect people who will work for us all and I do mean all, then that is how we
will make progress that strengthens and protects families and invigorates
our communities. This is not a red or a blue goal but an American goal, and
it is what we need to strive for whether we are running for town council,
NYS Assembly or congress. To this end, I wish the new assemblyman-elect for
the 3rd District great success.
The next election is two years away. Let’s keep our goals of decency, unity,
and a democracy that promises to go back to its roots as a true beacon for
the world and a path forward for every single one of us no matter party,
color, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or economic situation to
achieve the American Dream.
Clyde Parker
Bellport, NY
October 10, 2018
Editor's Note: This letter is in reference to our recent editorial.
Legal Notices
While I hope we’re both wrong, the cause & effect
link that you’ve drawn would seem, unfortunately, to make sense.
From a larger perspective, this is feels like another, all too pervasive,
example of government treating the press as the "enemy of the people.” When
my dad was in politics, lo those many years ago, he would privately rail at
the press (read Newsday) but would never think of doing so publicly. One of
his favorite expressions was that “you should never pick a fight with
someone who buys printing ink by the barrel.” But more importantly, he
recognized that the inherent tension between government and a free press was
an important and valuable facet of a democracy.
It is from this perspective that I find today’s climate so discouraging! The
ongoing game of “gotcha,” perpetrated by both politicians and the press
unfortunately does the greater public a huge disservice. In the midst of all
of this vitriol, the underlying issues, some of which have major
implications, are lost on most of the public. This point was brought home
most publicly for me by the recent death of John McCain. His tales of bloody
floor fights with Ted Kennedy, followed by a collegial lunch with him in the
Senate dining room seem like prehistoric history.
Anyway, keep the faith! We can only hope the the pendulum will swing back to
a more collegial and cooperative climate amongst the players in our
governmental process. In that environment, we might be able to get real
solutions to the problems facing our world, instead of trying to blame the
"other guy.” In the mean time, we all have a personal responsibility to
continue to speak truth to power.
As always, keep up the good work.
Matt Dominy
Gilbert, AZ