The ferry, etc.
If you have followed my column in The Suffolk Times in recent years, you know that I have a special interest in Cross Sound Ferry (CSF) and the vehicular traffic it generates on the North Fork. In fact, I recently stepped down from writing the column because of my involvement with Southold Citizens for Safe Roads (SCSR), the citizens' group whose slogan is "Southold Town -- a destination, not a corridor." (I did not want my activism to be confused in any way with The Suffolk Times' news coverage or editorial stances on this issue. Although my wife, Joan, and I retired more than a year ago, and thus no longer have a say in news or editorial matters, there remained the appearance of a conflict because we still own the business.)
So what follows here are the opinions of Troy Gustavson, private citizen, not Troy Gustavson, journalist. And the truth is I've been spending quite a lot of time recently thinking about the ferry traffic problem and how to best address it. First and foremost, I'm gratified that Southold Town has finally gotten involved. Its suit to force CSF to comply with local zoning was long overdue, and offers a great opportunity for success, I think, due to the recent court decision that upheld East Hampton Town's right to regulate ferry operations. If East Hampton can do it, so can Southold.
In the short term, another goal is to counteract Cross Sound's recent propaganda campaign to paint Southold's initiative as an attempt to put the ferry company out of business. That is totally bogus, and a gross misrepresentation of the town's, and SCSR's, intentions. One more time: No one wants to end ferry service to New London. The ferry provides a very imporant link to southern New England, and nobody wants to see it go away -- although many of us favor moving the passengers-only fast ferry service, designed mostly to feed gamblers the Native American casinos in southeastern Connecticut, out of Southold Town. All we are trying to do is bring the uncontrolled growth of ferry traffic under control, and hopefully to have other jurisdictions (read: East Hampton, Southampton and Brookhaven towns) assume their fair share of the burden -- keeping in mind that the vast majority of ferry traffic is heading to and from those towns.
Another component of CSF's BIG LIE is that only residents of Orient and East Marion care about, or are affected by, the ferry traffic problem. While it's true that ferry traffic is more visable in these communities, does anyone really think these vehicles vanish and appear miraculously at the blinker light in Greenport as they head west and east through our community? No, they are contributing significantly to the increasingly heavy traffic being experienced in Greenport, Southold, Peconic, Cutchogue and Mattituck, and this certainty is underscored as follows: a majority of the 800-plus signatories on the SCSR petition presented to the Town Board last summer reside west of East Marion. This is a townwide problem, not an Orient-East Marion only problem.
Recently, I've been spending many of my "retirement" mornings drafting various ads, documents and fund-raising appeals for SCSR. So, with an eye on avoiding duplication of effort -- and with credit to other SCSR members, most notably president Freddie Wachsberger, for their input and counsel -- what follows are some recent offerings on this topic:
SPRING FLING AD
Spring & summer are right around the corner…
…and so is the ferry traffic!
Take Back Our Roads Spring Fling
Party/Rally/Fundraiser
Save the date: Saturday, April 15, 4-6 p.m.
Founders Landing Wharf House, Hobart Road, Southold
Please come to show Town Hall that it’s not just Orient & East Marion that care about this issue.
Highlights: Silent auction featuring local artworks, gift certificates & more • 50/50 drawing • North Fork wine tasting • hors d'’oeuvres by D’Latte
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT AD
It’s a ferry tale
The Southold Town Board is doing the right thing in its suit to limit Cross Sound Ferry (CSF) traffic that makes our roads unsafe, damages our environment, and threatens our quality of life.
Southold cannot match the casino-enriched bankroll CSF has invested in its propaganda campaign to convince people that the town wants to shut down the ferry. And that’s a lie. What we want to do is control it. And we support the town in exercising its responsibility to control unregulated ferry traffic, something the recent East Hampton court decision upholds as a town’s absolute right.
Take Back Our Roads—a coalition of Southold Citizens for Safe Roads, the North Fork Environmental Coalition and the Orient Association— invites community members to its Spring Fling party/rally/fundraiser from 4-7 p.m. on Saturday, April 15, at Founders Landing in Southold. Please attend to let the Town Board know we, not Cross Sound Ferry, are your “good neighbors.”
CAUSEWAY CLEAN-UP AD
(NOTE: This is not an initiative of SCSR, but surely some of the trash on the causeway has been generated by the thousands of cars heading to and from the ferry)
Calling all volunteers!
If you care for the Orient-East Marion Causeway (and think it’s a chock full of litter as we do), please join the
Orient-East Marion Causeway Earth Day Clean-Up
Saturday, April 22 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
(Rain date: Sunday, April 23, same time/same place)
Meet at Latham’s Farmstand in Orient at 10:45 a.m. for instructions. Refreshments will be served following the clean-up.
Southold Town trash bags and orange safety vests will be provided to all volunteers, who are reminded to wear long pants, long sleeves, boots and work gloves.
For further information, call 323-2790.
As always, comments and feedback (including opposing points of view) are most welcome.
So what follows here are the opinions of Troy Gustavson, private citizen, not Troy Gustavson, journalist. And the truth is I've been spending quite a lot of time recently thinking about the ferry traffic problem and how to best address it. First and foremost, I'm gratified that Southold Town has finally gotten involved. Its suit to force CSF to comply with local zoning was long overdue, and offers a great opportunity for success, I think, due to the recent court decision that upheld East Hampton Town's right to regulate ferry operations. If East Hampton can do it, so can Southold.
In the short term, another goal is to counteract Cross Sound's recent propaganda campaign to paint Southold's initiative as an attempt to put the ferry company out of business. That is totally bogus, and a gross misrepresentation of the town's, and SCSR's, intentions. One more time: No one wants to end ferry service to New London. The ferry provides a very imporant link to southern New England, and nobody wants to see it go away -- although many of us favor moving the passengers-only fast ferry service, designed mostly to feed gamblers the Native American casinos in southeastern Connecticut, out of Southold Town. All we are trying to do is bring the uncontrolled growth of ferry traffic under control, and hopefully to have other jurisdictions (read: East Hampton, Southampton and Brookhaven towns) assume their fair share of the burden -- keeping in mind that the vast majority of ferry traffic is heading to and from those towns.
Another component of CSF's BIG LIE is that only residents of Orient and East Marion care about, or are affected by, the ferry traffic problem. While it's true that ferry traffic is more visable in these communities, does anyone really think these vehicles vanish and appear miraculously at the blinker light in Greenport as they head west and east through our community? No, they are contributing significantly to the increasingly heavy traffic being experienced in Greenport, Southold, Peconic, Cutchogue and Mattituck, and this certainty is underscored as follows: a majority of the 800-plus signatories on the SCSR petition presented to the Town Board last summer reside west of East Marion. This is a townwide problem, not an Orient-East Marion only problem.
Recently, I've been spending many of my "retirement" mornings drafting various ads, documents and fund-raising appeals for SCSR. So, with an eye on avoiding duplication of effort -- and with credit to other SCSR members, most notably president Freddie Wachsberger, for their input and counsel -- what follows are some recent offerings on this topic:
SPRING FLING AD
Spring & summer are right around the corner…
…and so is the ferry traffic!
Take Back Our Roads Spring Fling
Party/Rally/Fundraiser
Save the date: Saturday, April 15, 4-6 p.m.
Founders Landing Wharf House, Hobart Road, Southold
Please come to show Town Hall that it’s not just Orient & East Marion that care about this issue.
Highlights: Silent auction featuring local artworks, gift certificates & more • 50/50 drawing • North Fork wine tasting • hors d'’oeuvres by D’Latte
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT AD
It’s a ferry tale
The Southold Town Board is doing the right thing in its suit to limit Cross Sound Ferry (CSF) traffic that makes our roads unsafe, damages our environment, and threatens our quality of life.
Southold cannot match the casino-enriched bankroll CSF has invested in its propaganda campaign to convince people that the town wants to shut down the ferry. And that’s a lie. What we want to do is control it. And we support the town in exercising its responsibility to control unregulated ferry traffic, something the recent East Hampton court decision upholds as a town’s absolute right.
Take Back Our Roads—a coalition of Southold Citizens for Safe Roads, the North Fork Environmental Coalition and the Orient Association— invites community members to its Spring Fling party/rally/fundraiser from 4-7 p.m. on Saturday, April 15, at Founders Landing in Southold. Please attend to let the Town Board know we, not Cross Sound Ferry, are your “good neighbors.”
CAUSEWAY CLEAN-UP AD
(NOTE: This is not an initiative of SCSR, but surely some of the trash on the causeway has been generated by the thousands of cars heading to and from the ferry)
Calling all volunteers!
If you care for the Orient-East Marion Causeway (and think it’s a chock full of litter as we do), please join the
Orient-East Marion Causeway Earth Day Clean-Up
Saturday, April 22 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
(Rain date: Sunday, April 23, same time/same place)
Meet at Latham’s Farmstand in Orient at 10:45 a.m. for instructions. Refreshments will be served following the clean-up.
Southold Town trash bags and orange safety vests will be provided to all volunteers, who are reminded to wear long pants, long sleeves, boots and work gloves.
For further information, call 323-2790.
As always, comments and feedback (including opposing points of view) are most welcome.
posted by Troy Gustavson at 9:31 AM
1 Comments:
You are not alone. I share your concern. It will be hard fight, but it will be worth it to keep Orient and the Main Rd from becoming filled with too many cars - the increased ferry traffic is dramatically changing our little 200+ year old village. Thank you for putting your name and reputation on the line.
Post a Comment
<< Home