| Issue #48, March 9, 2007 |
Letters to Dan
VINTAG CARS AND DRIVERS TOO
Dear Dan,
Dear Bob Gelber,
We must be the same vintage. I relate to almost everything you write. My autobiography starts with a ‘47 Chevy in 1957, my first car when I got my license.
The interesting ones included a 1960 TR-3, which I paid $2,000.00 for (new). I bought it at the end of the year, 1959, and I asked the dealer how I would know whether I was getting a new 1959 or 1960 model. He told me that on Jan. 1 all cars in inventory became 1960 models (some kind of magic authorized by the factory). Maybe it was true - or maybe he was just taking advantage of my youth and naivety.
Then there was the ‘64 VW (yes, it was $1600.00)
Then there were, in the ‘70’s, an MGB (an historic car: the first one stolen from the Nassau Coliseum), a Fiat Spider (awful car), and a ‘78 450 SL (which I still have- keep it in the garage in Wainscott and put very few miles on it.)
What else? Some more MB’s and other BIGGIES, but none as much fun as the TR3 and the 450SL.
Lucas (bad) and Bosch (good) are familiar names to me. As well as my friends cars, including AH Sprites, AH 300’s, Morgan, etc.
Anyway, I’ve been enjoying your writing for years and wanted to let you know.
Thanks.
Lew Barton
Via e-mail
For what it’s worth, I still have a 1950 TR-3 that I bought in 1966. It runs fine. –DR
BROADWATER PROJECT PROJECTION
Dear Dan,
By the time this piece is printed, the final Public Hearing on Broadwater will be in the history books. When all is said and done, the ultimate decision of whether or not to begin construction of this potentially dangerous endeavor will ultimately be determined. I can only hope that this proposed project becomes a fading image, much like the now-defunct Shoreham Nuclear facility, which hugs the coastline like a sleeping giant. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission must now review all the data and decide what is the best course of action to take. It is no surprise that this project is opposed by nearly everyone living near the North Shore of Long Island. Let’s be honest, this floating monstrosity is about as welcome as Thanksgiving Day to a bunch of turkeys. The danger associated with this proposed project is tremendous.
An accident or terrorist attack on this facility would be absolutely devastating, to say the least. Countless lives would be affected if contamination from this facility entered the environment. How would our health be affected? No one truly knows. What are the long-term risks? Can anyone provide answers? Sadly, our health and well being is being placed in the hands of capitalists who live far, far away from Long Island. To add insult to injury, Broadwater wants taxpayers to foot the bill to protect their factory! It seems that officials, who decide the fate of these projects, are intent on destroying the environment and putting our health in jeopardy.
Sadly, it appears that until we all resemble glowworms, they will not be happy. Just maybe, there might be a method to their madness. Think about it for just a moment. We have Brookhaven Lab, radioactive sediment under sections of the Peconic River, numerous gasoline spills seeping into our aquifers, and people succumbing to unexplained illnesses at an unprecedented pace. Hmm! I smell a rat. Maybe, just maybe politicians and government officials have sold out Long Island to mad scientists who have made us the focus of some diabolical scheme. The grand prize goes to the resident who most closely resembles the Incredible Hulk.
Living on Long Island, I have become accustomed to the “I dunno” answer to all our environmental concerns. Whether it is our disproportionate rates of breast cancer or the declining lobster population in Long Island Sound, the causes are still elusive. Maybe, if officials spent less time on sending out friendly property tax reminders and put some diligent effort into research, we might get to the next level. Unfortunately, we must now contend with the proposed Broadwater Energy Project, which would allow tankers filled with liquefied natural gas to unload into a vessel larger than the Queen Mary 2 stationed nine miles off Wading River. As a former resident of that quaint hamlet, I can only hope that both environmentalists and local civic activists succeed in their valiant attempts to stop this potentially dangerous project. Despite cautious reassurance by project officials that this endeavor poses a minimal threat to Long Island Sound, the fact remains that plant and aquatic life is at risk, not to mention human health.
I find this proposed plan to be a direct threat to our already questionable environment. Not very well known, but equally disturbing, is the fact that just a few years ago the health department recommended not eating bluefish or striped bass caught west of Port Jefferson. Why? Because these fish are likely to contain high levels of PCBs. Polychlorinated biphenyl’s (PCBs) are dangerous pollutants widely used for more than 40 years in electrical capacitors. PCBs can interfere with the body’s immunological system and cause cancer in laboratory animals. High levels of PCBs in western Long Island Sound are the result of contamination of the upper Hudson River near Glens Falls from a producing capacitor industrial plant. Sadly, large quantities of these pollutants flowed along the Hudson and emptied into Long Island Sound. I am relatively certain that many Long Island residents are not aware of this.
Another of my concerns is the potential damage to the Sound bed when the 25-mile extension would have to be constructed to connect to the existing pipeline that runs from Northport to Connecticut. A complete environmental review must be initiated before this project can be allowed to move ahead. I believe this project should not be allowed to move forward. Environmental pollution has become a serious concern on Long Island and many residents believe it is to blame for the disproportionate number of people being diagnosed with various types of cancer. We cannot afford to further contaminate our natural resources. Too much of Long Island’s landscape has already been destroyed by over development. We must not allow Long Island Sound to succumb to the same fate.
Jason E. Hill
Ridge, N.Y.
Via e-mail
So the broadwater hearings are over. Guess what they decided? –DR
 |
