Letters

John Leonard, president of the Hampton Bays Alliance, complains that three letters (including mine) failed to mention a discussion held at a July 9 meeting [“New Low,” Letters, August 8]. Outraged by such an omission, Mr. Leonard responds by disparaging the Hampton Bays community, the Hampton Bays Civic Association, its board of directors and certain named individuals.

This is the second time he has disparaged members of the community and whined about a perceived slight.

There are a lot of meetings and lots of discussion. A lesson learned from dealing with the town is, believe it when you see it. When I see the revised pattern book, I’ll believe it. (I’m still waiting for the Bel-Aire Cove Motel demolition.)

The town website indicates that this off-base, angry John Leonard is the same John Leonard appointed to the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals. While private activities of public officials are First Amendment protected, those activities do reflect on other employees, affect the public’s trust in the fairness and integrity of government, and affect the public’s perception of being treated fairly and impartially. The town determines standards of conduct for town officials, but I’d be sure to wave around Mr. Leonard’s letters as evidence of bias if I was aggrieved by a ZBA decision.

For better or worse, the Civic Association has thrived for over 100 years. Even in the darkest days of my relationship with its former board, I could not deny its value. It has brought a wide range of intelligent and knowledgeable speakers and panelists to membership meetings. Members come from a wide variety of disciplines and have provided impressive and knowledgeable input and opinions on all issues. Recent meetings have addressed downtown development, the Bel-Aire Cove Motel, the BESS facility, the construction of a gas station, and taxes and assessments.

Everyone should join the Civic Association. It’s worth it even if you don’t agree with anything or like anyone. You will get information and perspectives that you don’t find in The Press, won’t get from scrolling social media, or can’t get from single-focus organizations.

Publicly trashing community members because of a perceived difference of opinion on the matter of downtown development is unwarranted. Doing so because of a perceived personal slight or rude comment by someone somewhere at some point in the past is nonsense. Doing so because of outrage over three individually and independently written letters is ridiculous.

As Mr. Leonard notes, I don’t speak for the entire community. In the “parade of horribles,” I’m beating my own drum — but I am thinking of taking up the tuba.

Peace.

Mary Pazan

Hampton Bays