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n—two THE EAST HAMPTON STAR. EAST HAMPTON. N. Y., AUGUST 31. 1967 • • -to t h e Editor RACCOON DEFENDED East Hampton August 27. 1967 The Editor East Hampton Star Dear Sir: I wish to protest about the anony mous letter in the Star of August 24th, re raccoons. 1. A raccoon is not a pseudo marsupial (perhaps the writer was thinking of the opossum)? It does not “hold an object underwater in order to drown it." The hand washing of a raccoon, whether in water or simply rubbing its front paws together, is because the pads on the front paws are its chief sensory organs. A rac coon investigates by touch rather than sight or smell. They are. as one scientist has said “tactually sighted.” 2. The anonymous person says that raccoons "smell odious." (An other confusion? With the skunk?), and that their fur “quickly wears out.” Raccoon coats of the John Held era of the 20’s are still in use. Raccoons can be and frequently are destructive of property. Who are we, as humans, to cast a stone, with our history of destruction of prop erty and lives? No raccoon could cause a Hiroshima. Their domestic lives are admirable. They live together as a family for two broods, and are ready to adopt, and frequently do adopt, orphaned babies of their species. The charming mask. Bandit, in deed. Has the unfortunate writer never been to a masked ball? How sad. » May I suggest that before he/she writes any more defamatory letters on raccoons, he/she read Polly Red- ford’s “Raccoons and Eagles,” with a foreword by Carl Buchmeister of the National Audubon Society. As to choosing between policemen and raccoons, I see no conflict. I don,’t equate them, but admire and love them both. Yours sincerely, MARGARET DeKAY (Mrs. Ormonde deKay) HATER CHALLENGED 1365 St. Nicholas Avenue New York, N. Y. 10033 August 26, 1967 Everett Rattray, Editor The East Hampton Star Dear Ev: Since becoming a member of a local school board, with a district including both Harlem and Inwood (a Conservative Party stronghold), I have tried to avoid getting involved in any controversy I could avoid, feeling the unavoidable ones would keep me busy enough. But I cannot let some statements by a RACCOON HATER go unchallenged. Like everything else people usual ly write about raccoons, the state ments in RACCOON HATER’S let ter are exaggerated.' A raccoon is not a “pseudo - marsupial,” but a carnivore, more closely related to the domestic dog than is the domestic cat. The word “pseudo-marsupial” sug gests the raccoon is trying to palm himself off as a possom or a kangaroo, and nothing could be farther from the truth. Raccoons never pretend to fit their young in a pouch (which they do not possess), and when corn ered will only too gladly open their mouths for inspection of technically important differences ;in dentition between Carnivora and Marsuplialia. Raccoon "washing” of food is real ly dunking of food, to soften it a bit. It is no more stupid than trying to “drown" a doughnut in a cup of coffee. Usually, in fact, it works out a bit better, because the stream in which the raccoon has dunked his food is not perceptibly affected, but a cup of coffee with floating frag ments of soggy doughnut is undrink able. The “mask" on a raccoon’s face has not been worn by bandits, in these parts, at least, for a hundred years. Most bandits, if they wear masks at all, wear a nylon stocking over the head or one of those rubber things that covers the head com pletely. The mask of a raccoon is more like the domino worn by ravishingly beautiful young women at the fash ionable masquerade parties to which I am not invited, but read about in novels and see on television. It is true that most of these ravishing beauties are foreign spies (at least the ones I read about), but no such charge could be brought against the raccoon, which is an entirely Amer ican animal that does not live wild in any Communist nation. If the Hatachas rank the alligator and raccoon numbers one and two in the power to exert evil, then the Hatachas are a very silly and un realistic group of people, very un likely to attain dominance in human affairs (one # less thing to worry about). The smell of a raccoon is less odious to me than that of some cocker spaniels, and very much less odious than that of an over-perfumed mid dle-aged lady who sat next to me on the subway the other day. I have no intention of having the middle- aged lady drummed out of “our society,” and see no grounds for drumming out the raccoon. As to the fur of a raccoon wearing out quickly, it seems to last well enough on the raccoon, and it is only when the fur is misused by removing it from the raccoon that complaints arise. People who want a coon-skin on the wall seem to wear out quickly, too. SAM B. McDOWELL Support Your Local Raccoons TICK OR TREAT Amagansett August 23, 1967 The Editor The East Hampton Star Dear Sir: “Watch out for ticks!” That was the only warning ever ushered my way when I made Ama gansett my most pleasurable summer home four years ago. Let it be known; I am a devoted lover of anything with four legs or feathers. But when it comes to the wingless class, the insecta, such as the spider or tick my love runeth the other way. My first three years were practical ly tickless. Which tickled me pink. During that span of time, I don't think I pried loose more than a dozen ticks from the heads of my family or from the back of my pets. But then — seldom did I brave the beach grass without binoculars and sugar tongs and a machete. And if you think it’s hard to pul verize a mosquito in total darkness try killing a tick in broad daylight. Their backs are as hard as a beach log. Submerge your captive in a pool ,o£ rubbing alcohol and it will gleefully swim in circles and then skid down over the rim of the dish to freedom. My most successful means of ex tinction is to drop them down the ole you-known-what. I must have the tickiest plurtibing in Suffolk County. Each year I am given various dates of the tick exodus. During the first summer a would - be - entomologist comforted me by saying that ticks NEVER appear after the 30th of June. He believed it just as firmly as he believed Easter always arrives on Sunday. The second season I was told that ticks disappear from sight on July 15th. The third year a tick-talker planted in my mind that the little tykes. I mean ticks, have had it by the 10th of August. This year I will happily swap with the Chinese our Year Of The Tick for their Year Of The Horse. Lets face it — we’ve had a Tick-In. They turned the hides of man and beast into "fun city." This year I personal ly predict; the tick season will def initely be over by Christmas. Christ mas? New Year’s! But whenever they go WHERE do they go? Do they all sit around play ing Tick-Attack-Toe with the win ners deciding upon what dark night they will all march along the Mon tauk Highway and slowly steal away? After a full season of Tick or Treat do they all pile into a sand pit and hole up for another year? Do they put the bite on everyone and then ride out the waves of the cold Atlantic until summer settles again around this lovely land? Where DO they go WHEN they go? Maybe only a tick knows for sure. I’ll ask this one on my typewriter. Here ticky, tigky, ticky. Sincerely, BARBARA H. POSENER HICKS ISLAND Amagansett August 26, 1967 Editor, Star Dear Ev: I have heard vaguely of a proposed dredging of the entrance of Napea- gue Harbor by which that spot known as Hicks Island will actually become an island. As you may know, I have been doing considerable photography on Hicks Island and environs, and have the opinion that it should be made a sanctuary. Scores of Terns and a pair of Black Skimmers annually nest there. Of equal importance is the fact that large groups of transients — Peter Mat- thiessen’s "wind birds,” the sand pipers — are continually there. Ruddy Turnstones, Black - bellied Plover, Dowitchers, and scores of others rest and feed on its shores. Perhaps most important I have semi two to six American Oystercatcheis which in time may nest there. I am worried that this environ ment might be the dumping ground for the dredging and urge that steps be taken to safeguard it as it is. Interestingly enougn the waters at two to three feet are rich in baby flatfish. They can easily be seen by snorkeling as they rest oc move among the stones. Well, that is all except that if Hicks Island is destroyed someone or some group can congratulate themselves on wiping out a beauti ful unspoiled environment where a variety of interesting species nest. Sincerely, THOMAS E. MAHNKEN P.S. Couldn’t Goff Point be used for the dredging? GRATEFUL BOATMAN Montauk August 26, 1967 Editor, East Hampton Star Gentlemen: Just a line to let you know that I want to give credit where credit is due, to the wonderful help I re ceived from the Beach Buggy Associ ation when my boat was in distress in Block Island Sound on Aug. 20, 1967. Without their help things could have been much worse. Also, credit to the boat that towed my boat ashore. I can’t pay them enough for their help. Thanking everybody for all their help. I remain, F. T. SCHROTZ GOOD OMENS East Hampton August 26, 1967 The Editor The East Hampton Star Dear Mr. Rattray: There are two omens of what I believe to be good news for all peo ple of the Town of East Hampton. (1) Reports are coming in daily that the large blue crabs are back in Georgica Pond. They certainly were not dropped there by either an airplane or a flying saucer. They came in through the time honored outlet made possible by man work ing with the forces of nature, and should be, I believe, a prime example of what nature can do to restore some things which many thought were lost forever. Let’s imagine for a moment the unmistakable joy that a young per son may get out of catching a mess of blue crabs in Georgica Pond. This feat can be a joy forever to almost any person experiencing such a thrill. Three hundred acres of dormant un derwater land can be and should be brought back to a live fairyland of activity for the youth of our town. Swimming, diving, iceboating, fish ing, crabbing, sailing, under very little supervision can make Georgica Pond a youth center for all young people. We do not need to tax the Town or build a large stadium or enclosure. The spring, summer and fall weather of East Hampton per mits open air activity on the hot days, the cloudy days, or the rainy days. Georgica Pond is far* safer than the ocean, the bay, or the Sound for both young and old. So I think the coming back of the blue crab to Georgica Pond is an omen of good luck. (2) Another item of interest is the comeback of a pair of ospreys to a telephone pole directly across the road from Bill Claxton’s home on Copeces Lane. Bill is one of our Di rectors and I am sure these two ospreys could not have picked a bet ter location, for he observes them almost every hour. Perhaps, in ways unknown to us, they picked this particular homesite because it was near one of our mem bers, Mrs. Hedy Lonero of Springs, who worked hard and long to get our former Supervisor to erect many poles with partially completed osprey homes in various parts of the Town. This was a noble gesture to a bril liant bird, which for reasons un known is fast disappearing from our local scene, but at last our prayers have been answered and at least one pair of ospreys has come back and we hope to rejuvenate the osprey world. In this connection, I wish to say that the brochure containing Nancy Brown’s article on the osprey writ ten for the East Hampton Star has been completed and is ready for dis tribution at no cost to anyone in the Town. The overall design for this booklet was done by Mr. Clax- ton, the art work, coloring and over all assembly by Mr. Robert Schapiro of Water Mill. It is a living memorial to Nancy Brown and her great interest in conservation matters pertaining to our great local heritage. The PSEE, Inc. is proud of this brochure and its contents, and the Board of Directors of the Society are deeply indebted to you for permission to use the article. We sincerely hope that in the years to come the Star will continue to support the needs of conservation and preservation on Eastern Long Island. Sincerely yours, FERRIS G. TALMAGE PIKE'S PEEK Continued From II— 1 arguments made the other way by people who ought to know what they’re talking about, the American people are in no mood to give foreign aid to countries which break diplo matic relations with America, or ship strategic goods to North Vietnam, or just generally seem to oppose us when we take a strong position in the U.N. The foreign aid program will sur vive in some form. I happen to be lieve that a foreign aid program is in America’s own self-interest. I hap pen to believe that gratitude is nice, but secondary to stability, and that stability can only come when human beings believe they'll be more likely to be decently fed and housed and clothed under their existing govern ments than under the ones which are trying to overthrow them. I can find it in my heart to amend, and shape, and cut the program, but not to kill it, and thereby remove the best hope of millions of human beings so lowly that what we classify as poverty in America would seem very luxurious indeed. EXECUTIVELY SPEAKING Continued from II— 1 natural potentials while protecting and preserving priceless natural re sources. It is expected such a study will be a hopeful example of the kind of planning that is so urgently necessary for all of the remaining- undeveloped areas of Suffolk. A million more new residents will move into Suffolk before 1985 rolls around. Let us not repeat the shambles -that stemmed out of some of the back rooms of Town Hall for the first million. NEW HOMES ALTERATIONS ¥nd S TO / e /m a n . Served Exclusively a1 THE VIENNA DINER “Where Catering is a Specialty” Montauk Highway 537-9814 East Hamplon Also Featuring Superb American Dishes Daily from 7 A.M. to 8 P.M. ISulke & foulke 53 Jobs Lane Tel. 283-0374 Southampton Tel. 283-3076 COOL IT THIS SUMMER m All your favorite brands and we deliver too! Montauk Highway Lester Liquors Amagansett FOR INSURANCE & INSURANCE SERVICE CALL Jim Amaden Bill Harden J. EDWARD GAY, JR. AGENCY GAY LANE EAST HAMPTON 516-324-0041 ON EASTERN LONG ISLAND call . . . . R A 6-4777 FOR EXPERT TERMITE CONTROL NARDY PEST CONTROL SERVICE WATER MILL, L. I., N. Y. LAST CHANCE FOR UNSURPASSED SAVINGS IN OUR END OF SEASON CLEARANCE EVERYTHING MUST GO! ALL SUMMER MERCHANDISE PRICED AT COST OR FAR BELOW COST INCLUDING OUR ORIGINAL MODELS COTTONS, SILKS, WOOLENS STARTING AT $5 ALL SALES FINAL CLOSING FOR THE SEASON FRIDAY, SEPT. 8 Now Showing Our New Fall Collections CLOSED SATURDAYS AT 1:00 P.M. 68 Easl 551h Slreel New York, New York 10022 tfMGE & S0^ Box 136 East Hampton, New York 324-1289 % Free Estimates Cheerfully Given Financing Arranged lo Suit any Budget It's a Pleasure to Serve You ^Person- to-person A cable under the sea... a pilot in the air... and other telephone tidbits. Fire Island got sub m erged in publicity recently when it be came connected to the mainland by 1200 feet of telephone cable buried beneath the Narrow Bay Channel. The cable was laid by the good ship “ Cable Queen,” New York Telephone’s formidable fleet of one. Another example of the phone company going overboard to provide good telephone service. Rescued fliers in Vietnam are get ting quite a lift from one of their helicop ter rescue pilots. Seems that in a flight of fancy he attached to the back of his fly ing jacket a familiar decal that says: “ Find us fast in the Yellow 1 Teen-agers took over Telephone Company offices in the Patchogue area recently. Fourteen outstandinghigh-school students were each given a chance to learn a supervisor’s duties, to handle them on his own and make important decisions. The program is called TELFAD - “Telephone Executive for a Day.” It’s designed to give students insights into some of the prob lems of running a modern business. If you want to keep out of a jam next ‘ time vou go to the city, call 212-999-1234 before you leave. It’s the number of the New York City Re port. You get a report on traffic and transit conditions, so you can decide whether to go by lane or train. And news on other important last- minute events in the city, too. R. O. Holgerson,^ Manager I New York Telephone Part ol the Nationwide Bell System
