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| Issue #39, December 22, 2006 |
Dan's Letters
HISTORY OF THE HOLIDAY
Dear Dan,
Regarding your article about Thanksgiving, in 1863 President Abraham Lincoln called for a “National Day of Thanksgiving” and I believe specified the last Thursday in November. Franklin D. Roosevelt moved it to the third Thursday in 1942 to create a longer shopping period between Thanksgiving and Christmas to stimulate the economy but it was not well accepted and was switched back for 1943.
If you ever view the movie entitled “Holiday In” with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, a cartoon turkey appears on the November calendar squawking and jumping back and forth between the two Thursdays.
Regards.
Dennis Wynn
Cutchogue
I didn’t know that. –DR
LIVE HERE AT YOUR OWN RISK
Dear Dan,
I read your article about losing our homeowners insurance. My husband and I have been in the Hamptons for eighteen years on the ocean.
Every day since the storm last year I have been waiting for Travelers Insurance to write me that they’re dropping our coverage.
Ironically, last year I had major water damage and put in a claim. Traveler’s Insurance was very accommodating. You may want to check them out.
Let me know what happens and what insurance company you go with. Hopefully, I will not have to look for a new company.
Good luck!
Anna Wong
Roslyn, N.Y.
Allstate just stopped writing new homeowner’s policies in New Jersey. –DR
DIPLOMACY IN IRQ
Dear Dan,
The Iraq Study Group’s recommendation for broad regional diplomacy – including with Iran and Syria – is a necessary step towards bringing our troops home from Iraq. This is Bush’s big mistake and where he must change first.
The ball is in President Bush’s court now – he needs to start the diplomacy and soon. Only the president can engage in diplomacy. If he fails to act, it will be harder to bring our troops home and the loss of life will get worse.
The United States has always engaged in diplomacy – we talked with the U.S.S.R. all the time during the Cold War. We talked with China. James Baker, the Republican co-chair of the Iraq Study Group, got it right when he said, “you talk with your enemies.”
If President Bush doesn’t act, the new Congress should hold his feet to the fire. Democrats were elected with a mandate to figure out how to bring our troops home. Diplomacy is an essential part of making that happen.
Margaret Heller
Southampton
Via e-mail
The ball is in his court and his feet are in the fire. Now what? –DR
HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS
Dear Dan,
With regard to your “History of Christmas” article in the Dec. 8, 2006 issue, your readers should know that, while many traditions practiced at Christmas have roots in various times and places in history, the birth and life of Christ as recorded in the Four gospels of the New Testament can withstand the most rigorous tests of veracity and authenticity…… even better than other works widely accepted as fact.
For more info, “Evidence that Demands a Verdict” by Josh McDowall (a skeptic whose intent was to disprove the reliability of the Scriptures) is a wonderful source. There are others as well by Lee Stroebel and Ravi Zakarias.
Thank You. Larraine Greco
Smithtown
Via e-mail
Merry Christmas. –DR
BUILD IT BACK UP
Dear Dan,
I am a frequent visitor of the Ocean Beach Hotel. I enjoy being close to the water and to the village when I am on holiday. I would like to offer an alternative to the beach erosion problem. My solution is to rebuild! And it will be a win, win scenario.
Build the hotel in the parking lot, which is behind the hotel away from the ocean. Owners can make an investment in this new hotel. The hotel can be built during the off-season. Guests can park on the street temporarily. That hotel owner can take out a loan as an investment. Build a larger hotel and as part of their investment retain a share in one of the additional rooms being built. The existing hotel is two stories, so they could do a three story and with some smart design retain some views of the ocean for the hotel across the street.
After the hotel is built, the former hotel, which has been in operation, can now close and be demolished. East Hampton Village purchases the land as open space, which means money to the hotel owners. East Hampton then rebuilds and revegetates a natural dune and creates more public open space. There, everyone wins.
I’d like to be more active in a solution like this, wouldn’t you? As a conservationist and a writer, I will be able to write a story with a happy ending.
For more information about me and the Firefighter Story – about protecting life, property and the pine barrens, take a look at the nonprofit web page at: www.qualityparks.org
Sincerely.
Mindy Block
Port Jefferson, N.Y.
Via e-mail
P.S. When was the last time you read a good story, a good story about the environment?
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