By:  Progress for Westhampton Beach

This week the Southampton Press printed a misleading story about the Best Yet Market, the hard work of both the planning board and the building department.  It requires correction — below is the quote from the Press, the matters in red were misleading:

“The long-anticipated opening of a new Best Market supermarket in Westhampton Beach, tentatively planned for April, is most likely going to be pushed back two months—if not longer—due to delays in the planning process.

Or Raitses, the vice president of the Bethpage-based supermarket chain, said this week that officials are waiting for the Westhampton Beach Village Planning Board to approve requested modifications to a decade-old site plan for the property. That document was filed in 2006 by the now-bankrupt Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company in New Jersey, which had operated the old Waldbaum’s from the same location prior to its closing this past fall.”  

Southampton Press, Feb. 25, 2016, page A3

When Best Yet Market was the successful bidder for the dilapidated Waldbaums on Sunset Avenue, village officials invited the owner to meet and advised him that there was an approved plan on file and that work could start immediately for complete renovation of the building combined with the old National along with the reconfiguration of the parking lot.

The new owner reviewed the plan and later decided to make substantial changes.  The new plans from Best Yet were only filed  for the February 11, 2016 meeting.  The members of the Planning Board have run meetings late and worked hard to move this revised application along.  The architectural review board (ARB) reviewed the application and has made its recommendations to the Planning Board.  The Planning Board has also agreed to provide for phased work.  Right now there is some haggling over a performance bond; that is an important protection for the village and  its residents — even more important for a job to be done in phases.  

The  Press article suggests that the Planning Board has been the cause for delays of an application filed in 2006.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Not only does village government work, it works hard.

By:  Progress for WHB

This week the Southampton Press has attempted to create news rather than report the news.  The Trustees and the Mayor are in the process of considering the appropriate successor to our Last Chief of Police.  That is an ongoing process, and it is worth the time and effort to get it right.  The decision will affect every officer in the department directly.  It is a serious matter that remains under review.  The Mayor has already said this to the Press.

Today, the Southampton Press reported that the Future Of Westhampton Beach Police Department Uncertain As Consolidation Talks Swirl – 27east.  The publication of this headline was a grievous disservice to the members of the Westhampton Beach Police Department and their families.  Consolidation would most assuredly put the jobs of police personnel at risk.  What family needs to carry the burden of such a concern?  The headline would also be cause for concern for residents who could lose a community police department.

The Press went on to report that Southampton Town officials, “appear” eager to discuss a “possible” consolidation.  Notably not a single official from Westhampton Beach told the Press that consolidation with the Southampton Town PD was being considered.

The Press printed this headline even after Mayor Moore expressly told the Press she had never had any such talks at all!   In the face of this express statement of fact, and its own report that the Press  was unable to reach Supervisor Throne-Holst to get “clarification” of a cryptic remark the Press  itself had attributed to the Town Supervisor, the Press manufactured its own news.

The Village Board has an obligation to both its residents and its employees in the police department and that is:  to provide the best police protection at a fair price.  We should never again have to pay a severance package like that paid to the Last Chief.  The Trustees must consider all options to meet the objectives of our village residents, and when that is done it will be news the Press can truthfully report.

ADDENDUM

Today, the Southampton Press did not publish its story in the eastern print edition.  Apparently the Press realized that its story on 27east, that the Village of Westhampton Beach would pay “$2.28 million” to the Southampton Town Police District for police protection, was more story than news.

A New Chief of Police, Part III

By:  Progress for WHB

On rather short notice, our village learned that Hillary Clinton the former:   First Lady of the United States; Senator from the State of New York; and Secretary of State would be visiting Westhampton Beach at Books & Books for a signing her latest book Hard Choices.  Mayor Moore was there to greet her and welcome her back to our village.

Although they had a reporter present at the event, an editorial decision was made at the Southampton Press to not report that our Mayor was there on Sunday representing the village.

The decision was also made to exclude the above photograph, as well as others that included the Mayor, from the  27east story while they posted 16 other photographs taken by Neil Salvaggio, a reporter for the Press.

Our residents should know that, contrary to the coverage by the Southampton Press, our village was represented by its Mayor, and that she did give the Former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, a proper welcome.

The Southampton Press and 27East has earned our first ever Dunce Cap Award

(if the Press can give out dunce caps, it can surely wear one.)

from Progress for WHB