Happy Holidays from MyRye.com
Happy holidays from all of us at MyRye.com.
We have many things to be thankful for at MyRye.com.
Thanks to our contributing writers Pamela Baur (social scene), Judy Croughan (real estate) and Diana Tapper (restaurants). Thanks to our commenters both named and anonymous. Thanks to our readers – nearly 2,000 of you every month – mostly local but some as far away as England and Japan. Thanks to my wife Lauren Rosen and our three terrific boys for putting up with this great community project called MyRye.com.
One of the great promises of the Internet is to bring people and communities together. We – all of us – are proof of this. Through MyRye.com, it is my hope that each of us feels a little closer to one another, a little more engaged and responsible and a little more vested in the Rye community.
We'll be taking a few days off between Christmas and New Year's Day.
Thanks for your current and future contributions and best wishes for 2009.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you too.
My Rye does an excellent job of reporting on our great community as well as giving people an outlet to voice their opinions.
Happy holidays to all. May 2009 bring peace, prosperity and happiness to our community.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night…….michael johnson
Thank you Mr. Sears and staff for all you bring to Rye and Westchester on a daily basis. May your families find Health, Peace, Joy and Prosperity this holiday season and throughout the New Year!
Thank you Jay for creating a participatory forum for lively community dialogue and news exchange in Rye. We are grateful to be included on your site and for your coverage of our progress this year.
Best Holiday Wishes for a Hopeful and Happy 2009 from the Jay Heritage Center!
Happy Holidays to All!
As I sit here trying to compose my year-end letter to all my supporters and non supporters, I find it very difficult to express cheerful thoughts this holiday season. Our economy is in a recession, businesses are closing down, unemployment is rising at an alarming rate, fiduciary and environmental responsibilities are being neglected and we are all facing uncertain and scary times. Therefore, I send this note out with a two-fold purpose. First, I would like to “THANK” all of you who supported me in my efforts as well as those that did not. A special “THANK YOU” to MYRye.com for bring us this forum. For those of you that supported me, whether in the public form, just in whispers under your breath, or through personal e-mails sent to HEALtheHARBOR.com, I appreciate your support and words of encouragement. I hope that I have brought some humor to the table in light of dealing with the very serious and uncomfortable topic of sewage disposal in Rye.
I would also like to “THANK” those of you that did not support me this past year. If you were not voicing your opinions, we would never have had the opportunity for this public dialog that has existed. Secondly, I would like to spread the virtue of “HOPE” because we can not give up. We must confront the situations we are living in and have the fortitude and courage to overcome and succeed in our struggle regardless of what that struggle may be.
As I begin my second year in the Rye area, I continue to commit myself to the challenges of exposing the cover-up that is presently on Hen Island and in Milton Harbor.
I want to wish all of you no matter which side of the fence you may fall on much Health, Happiness, Prosperity and Peace in 2009.
Happy New Year!
Mr. Floatie
As usual, Mr. Tartaglione, when faced with reasonable questions and the reality of your true agenda is brought to light, you refuse to answer.
Why don’t you stop with the long winded stories and answer the questions directed at you?
Dear Concerned Citizen,
Excuse me but, what was the question, my nameless, name calling friend, that you think I have not answered? Although I may refer you to one of my earlier responses, I will be happy to answer any of your concerns once again. After all, you are the “Concerned Citizen“ and not one of the polluters on Hen Island. If possible please try to stop the personal attacks for they seem to cloud the issues.
Mr. Tartaglione, I did not call you any names. I respectfully asked you several questions in the last thread that remain unanswered. I will summarize them again for your convenience.
You stated that your sewage system may be leaking into the Sound, yet you have refused to install a composting or environmentally friendly toilet. It would be perfectly legal for you to disconnect your toilet from your sewage pit and install a composting toilet. Why haven’t you installed an environmentally friendly toilet? If “healing the harbor” is truly your agenda, you would have done this long ago.
You claim that a “city employee” told you that the City of Rye has known that Hen Island has been polluting the Sound, yet has chosen to ignore the problem. I will ask you again to please identify this person. If you really had this conversation with a Rye employee, I am quite sure that you would have had him subpoenaed to testify in one of your lawsuits.
Have you presented a detailed proposal to the island residents outlining your $1,500.00 per year piping plan?
Have you performed an environmental feasibility study to determine if such a pipeline would be approved?
Have you considered the impact of such a pipeline to both Greenhaven and the Marshlands Conservancy? I am fairly sure that both the Greenhaven Association and the Conservancy would oppose such a project.
Have you considered the environmental impact to the Sound caused by this pipeline installation?
It appears to me that this pipeline plan could only service the island land mass closest to Greenhaven. Running piping to the far end of the island does not appear to be either economically nor environmentally feasible. And, installation of such a pipeline through fragile saltwater marshlands would have an enormous negative impact on the environment. Do you want to protect the environment, or destroy it?
These questions remain unanswered.
“He who steals my money, steals nothing.
He who steals my good name steals everything, enriching himself not and making me but a pauper”.
W.S.
Cocerned citzen is not calling you names. He is calling attention to the credibility of Mr. Ray Tartaglione’s pointless and usjustifable attack on our City. Is there a thief among us who would steal the good name of our city government and the good name of the people of Hen Island?
Bucky Star
I love everything about Rye and I’m very grateful to be here. But I must be honest, I hate “Poppy’s.” Every time I’ve gone in there, it feels dirty. The place is decrepit, all the surfaces are covered with a film of grease and the elderly staff always acts crabby. It’s an eyesore and the experience is gross. Really. I hope a fresh, renovated, upscale diner can take it’s place. How does Poppy’s pass health inspections? My wife once saw a brazen cockroach run across a table top in the middle of the day. Maybe you folks find that acceptable, but the whole dive grosses me out.
Ray….Ray !!!!
I don’t know how to reach Mr. Floatie…Please have someone read the following story to him…He may want to get a ride in your Floatiemobile up Route 1 to Greenwich, CT !!!! They have a REAL sewage problem….
Michael Johnson
Mr. Johnson, what story are you referring to? Can you please provide a link?
Yes, Wilbur…
We all find cockroaches acceptable.
YEESH!!! I will agree that Poppys is a bit surly, and could use a makeover. But the last thing Rye needs is another “upscale” eatery.
Besides, I usually don’t take restaurant advice from someone who is simply trying to promote a blog about Sara Jessica Parker, by throwing dirt in the air.
Happy New Year.
Sorry Mr. Johnston, you will have to take care of that one yourself. I am busy working on a real sewage problem on Hen Island. If you think it is not a real problem it is only because you believe or would like to believe the smoke screen and cover-up Mayor Otis along with many others on Hen Island including yourself have created. Take a look at this e-mail sent from Deputy Health commissioner Meyerson to his boss Chief Health commissioner Josh Lipsman. https://www.healtheharbor.com/documents/MeyersonLipsmanEmail.pdf I believe it was about two weeks later, after a request from the good Mayor Otis that the Commissioner changed his mind and told everyone to say there were no problems on Hen Island. There is also a wealth of other information that proves your theories false and our claims true. Remember the pictures that were published on the MYRYE.com site we now correspond on. Here is that link in case you have forgotten. https://myrye.com/2008/08/hen-island—ph.html
I may be full of it, but I do speak the truth.
Happy New Year Everyone!!!
Bucky Star,
Thou dost protest too much, methinks
W.S.
Mr. Tartaglione, it has become painfully obvious that you will not or cannot answer my questions.
You prefer to spew propaganda and potty jokes from an animated creature that you conveniently “borrowed” from our Canadian neighbors.
Your failure to discuss the salient points that I have made in this forum have proven that you have no credibility and that your crusade is purely self serving.
Happy New Year to all!!!
Here is a link for the Greenwich sewage spill.
https://www.courant.com/news/local/statewire/hc-ap-ct-sewagespilldec30,0,7265717.story
Dear Concerned Citizen,
I assure you your answers will be forthcoming shortly. I know it is your hope that I am spewing propaganda. Unfortunately, the truth rings clear in documents, pictures and videos displayed on our website HEALtheHARBOR.com and in my answers to you and your enablers here on this site. As for borrowing Mr. Floatie from our Canadian neighbors, after many conversations and communications from POOP (People Opposed Too Outfall Pollution) Victoria, their board has given HEALtheHARBOR .com exclusive rights to use Mr. Floatie in the United States. They are also responsible for the construction and transportation of Mr. Floatie to the United States. They were following the Hen Island conflict very closely even before Mr. Floatie’s travels were approved. HEALtheHARBOR has invited them to visit Hen Island and hopefully, they will be visiting this coming year. We are trying to set up a toilet bowl race down Purchase Street this summer and we have invited them to be the judges. https://www.flickr.com/photos/bluebomberx/2701675708/ I encourage you and your fellow enablers and polluters to contact them or sign up for our race. I am sure you will receive a very warm welcome. Just as warm as Mr. Floatie, 98.6 degrees.
Concerned Citizen…..Just click on my name at the end of the posting regarding Greenwich, CT….you will be taken to the site…
https://www.greenwichtime.com/ci_11335213?source=most_viewed
OMG — “I assure you your answers will be forthcoming shortly.”
Wow…talk about stalling. ANSWER THE FRIGGIN’ QUESTIONS!!!
Can you be more infantile? A grown man in a turd suit? Do you really expect people to take you seriously? And the Turd suit is running neck & neck with your name calling for those officials who you feel are not doing enough. What’s next — pulling ponytails on the playground???
Dear Concerned Citizen:
Sorry for the delay afterall it is the holidays. Once again, I am happy to answer your questions. With regard to your statement about “my sewage pit leaking”. The following is what I said and not what you twisted it to say “I do not use a composting or non-polluting system (I consider this to be one system you make reference to) in my home on the island. However, I do know that most of the homes, mine included, may be one of them that operates with an illegal sewage disposal system. Illegal because they were installed improperly and without approval after the code was written. Some of these systems are within ten feet of the shoreline. My system is not one of them, for if it were, I would not use my home. I as well as the Long Island Soundkeeper have requested that all the sewage disposal systems on Hen Island be flow and dye tested. (This includes my home). Any of the failing systems should be repaired or replaced and then approved as necessary.” For clarification, I said my home may be illegal because it may not have been approved. I have done flow tests and my system appears to be working along with the knowledge that it is the only system with any type of septic fields on Hen Island. It also operates in a soil base 10 feet above mean high tide. Again, if my system was polluting the Sound, I would not use my cottage, or I would have the system repaired before I did use it.
The city employee I speak of does not need to be named at this time. He, along with all the others that have been silenced by Mayor Otis in this cover-up, will be deposed in time. You cannot run from the inevitable. I believe that there are too many that have been silenced and that under oath we will see the domino effect which will lead us to those behind the cover-up. People are not going to risk perjury and tell the same lies, it is too complicated already. These depositions would have happened already if Health Commissioner Meyerson had not lied on letters submitted to the judge in the original case that was dismissed. See Link; https://healtheharbor.com/documents/MeyersonLipsmanEmail.pdf
It is my understanding that the 9th floor of the Westchester County Michaelian Office Building (administration floor) is furious with the letters Commissioner Meyerson has penned. They exhibit too much exposure for the County and Meyerson. See Link; https://healtheharbor.com/documents/meyerson'%20response%209-26-07.pdf
If you had read my previous post, you would have understood the piping plan that you make reference to. You have not read it accurately. It is not my suggestion to pipe the sewage. I don’t recommend it or endorse it. It was the City of Rye’s suggestion. They said that “it would be an easy fix”. I think that there are many other ways to fix the sewage problems that plague Hen Island. This brings me to your next question. Why would I do a feasibility study when I don’t own the island? However, I do agree with you that a feasibility study should be undertaken by the owners of Hen Island. This is the second step that should be taken after they finally admit that the sewage pits along the shores are polluting the Sound. After all, many are in a two feet water table. However I did conduct a perk test, Link below; https://healtheharbor.com/gallery/pages/sewage/sewage6.html and hired a certified geologist See Link;
https://healtheharbor.com/documents/Affidavit%20of%20Canavan%20final-Hen%20Island.rtf to conduct testing on Hen Island at my own expense. I also believe the Rye Zoning Board played a very important part in this cover-up. The feasibility study, along with an environmental impact statement, should have been required this past summer before Mr. Ederer, after lying to the ZBA, was allowed to dig a hole in the ground and install a new sewage pit on Hen Island. We at HEALtheHARBOR are in the process of producing a documentary on the zoning board’s irresponsible actions. It will be available for viewing shortly.
I hope this once again, has answered all of your concerns and questions. I look forward to your response and ask you again to put your name where your mouth is as I have done so over and over again. Are you afraid you may be called to tell the truth or be identified as Mr. Hen Islander?
Regards,
Ray Tartaglione
PS: To Concerned Citizen, Bucky Star, Adastar, Mike Johnson and Mayor Otis and anyone else that defends these polluters,
I encourage you to keep the questions coming, as you can see, the more you ask, the more this cover up is exposed. Thank you and Happy New Year. May this year bring much change.
I would like to hear what Otis, Plunkett and Shew have to say on the record in response to Mr. Tartaglione’s allegations.
Dear Wry Record,
My question to Mayor Otis and Mr. Plunkett is why was Mr. Ederer not prosecuted for lying to the zoning board on a public document? I believe the charge would be falsifying a public record. Instead of prosecuting Mr. Ederer the Zoning Board awarded him by approving his project on Hen Island. This past summer after the zoning board approved his project Mr. Ederer dug a hole and installed another sewage pit on Hen Island with no approvals. You will be able to view all of the above records including the actual footage from the zoning Board meeting in our upcoming documentary which should be available soon at our website http://www.HEALtheHARBOR.com
I wonder if any of these New York State Penal Laws are applicable.
§ 175.20 Tampering with public records in the second degree.
A person is guilty of tampering with public records in the second
degree when, knowing that he does not have the authority of anyone
entitled to grant it, he knowingly removes, mutilates, destroys,
conceals, makes a false entry in or falsely alters any record or other
written instrument filed with, deposited in, or otherwise constituting a
record of a public office or public servant.
Tampering with public records in the second degree is a Class A
misdemeanor.
§ 175.25 Tampering with public records in the first degree.
A person is guilty of tampering with public records in the first
degree when, knowing that he does not have the authority of anyone
entitled to grant it, and with intent to defraud, he knowingly removes,
mutilates, destroys, conceals, makes a false entry in or falsely alters
any record or other written instrument filed with, deposited in, or
otherwise constituting a record of a public office or public servant.
Tampering with public records in the first degree is a class D felony.
§ 175.30 Offering a false instrument for filing in the second degree.
A person is guilty of offering a false instrument for filing in the
second degree when, knowing that a written instrument contains a false
statement or false information, he offers or presents it to a public
office or public servant with the knowledge or belief that it will be
filed with, registered or recorded in or otherwise become a part of the
records of such public office or public servant.
Offering a false instrument for filing in the second degree is a class
A misdemeanor.
§ 175.35 Offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree.
A person is guilty of offering a false instrument for filing in the
first degree when, knowing that a written instrument contains a false
statement or false information, and with intent to defraud the state or
any political subdivision, public authority or public benefit
corporation of the state, he offers or presents it to a public office,
public servant, public authority or public benefit corporation with the
knowledge or belief that it will be filed with, registered or recorded
in or otherwise become a part of the records of such public office,
public servant, public authority or public benefit corporation.
Offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree is a class
E felony.
Dear Matthew:
I think Wilber is correct when he states that “Poppys” is a filthy, roach infested diner. My husband and I don’t like it either. But I agree with you Matthew as well. We don’t need an “upscale” replacement. Just a fine family place that is at least more modern and clean.
Mrs. Frank Reynolds, Rye
Matthew and Mr. Johnson, thank you for the link to the Greenwich sewer spill. It is very disconcerting that the Sound shore municipalities cannot prevent these environmental disasters from recurring on a continuous basis.
Mr. Tartaglione,thank you for finally responding to my questions.
If you have really flow tested your system and it does work properly, you would have no need for a composting toilet. However, your delay in providing that simple answer could indicate that you needed time to fabricate that response.
You state that your system “is the only system with any type of septic fields on Hen Island.” How do you know this? Did you install this system illegally as you accuse others of doing?
Your response regarding the sewer pipe system puts us in agreement on this matter. I mistakenly thought that you were advocating this solution. Installing city sewers on Hen Island would be madness.
I would be very interested in hearing your proposed solution for the sewage problem. Are you advocating composting toilets or septic systems or holding tanks, etc?
This forum offers us the opportunity to discuss solutions just as easily as pointing fingers.
Your allegations regarding illegal installations, falsified documents and cover ups are very extreme. Why would all of these diverse individuals and municipalities conspire in such a manner? You are accusing city employees, County employees and zoning board members of conspiracy. What would all of these diverse entities gain from this? Are you suggesting payoffs? Political favors? Any reward does not seem to match the associated risk.
§ 175.20 Tampering with public records in the second degree.
A person is guilty of tampering with public records in the second
degree when, knowing that he does not have the authority of anyone
entitled to grant it, he knowingly removes, mutilates, destroys,
conceals, makes a false entry in or falsely alters any record or other
written instrument filed with, deposited in, or otherwise constituting a
record of a public office or public servant.
Tampering with public records in the second degree is a Class A
misdemeanor.
§ 175.25 Tampering with public records in the first degree.
A person is guilty of tampering with public records in the first
degree when, knowing that he does not have the authority of anyone
entitled to grant it, and with intent to defraud, he knowingly removes,
mutilates, destroys, conceals, makes a false entry in or falsely alters
any record or other written instrument filed with, deposited in, or
otherwise constituting a record of a public office or public servant.
Tampering with public records in the first degree is a class D felony.
§ 175.30 Offering a false instrument for filing in the second degree.
A person is guilty of offering a false instrument for filing in the
second degree when, knowing that a written instrument contains a false
statement or false information, he offers or presents it to a public
office or public servant with the knowledge or belief that it will be
filed with, registered or recorded in or otherwise become a part of the
records of such public office or public servant.
Offering a false instrument for filing in the second degree is a class
A misdemeanor.
§ 175.35 Offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree.
A person is guilty of offering a false instrument for filing in the
first degree when, knowing that a written instrument contains a false
statement or false information, and with intent to defraud the state or
any political subdivision, public authority or public benefit
corporation of the state, he offers or presents it to a public office,
public servant, public authority or public benefit corporation with the
knowledge or belief that it will be filed with, registered or recorded
in or otherwise become a part of the records of such public office,
public servant, public authority or public benefit corporation.
Offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree is a class
E felony.
Dear CC,
I hope you don’t mind me calling you CC now that we are temporary allies. I didn’t realize I was under any time restraints to respond, after all, it is the holiday season and I’m sure you have as many family and social commitments that I have such as Christmas parties, New Year’s parties, office parties etc. I was also in the middle of producing our seasonal Mr. Floatie video “Rye’s Miracle on Purchase Street” which will be premiering on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. I am also busy with the ZBA documentary presently in the works. So my lack of timeliness is well justified, I am very busy. I can assure you that I have not delayed my response in order to make up some silly story about flow testing the septic system that services my cottage. I had the system flow tested about ten years ago during the reconstruction of my cottage. I was curious as to how these systems worked for so long without ever being emptied like conventional systems. When I opened it I found out why. It was just a 55 gallon drum with holes punched in the sides, sewage seeping into the ground and probably the aquifer below. Believing that this problem was exclusive to my cottage, I had it repaired at my expense. I added a few septic fields and connected them to the tank. It’s not illegal to repair a system, only illegal to install or remove one without a permit or approvals. Again the reason I say it may be illegal is dependent on the installation date pre or post the date of the health codes. I am not making any decisions or suggestions on what is the best fix for the sewage problems on Hen Island. I am just saying that they need to be fixed. I know the city has told me that a sewage line would be an easy fix. The expert I hired also suggested the same. Deputy Health Commissioner Meyerson made a few different suggestions to his boss as you can see from the e-mail. One of them was to install the sewage line from Greenhaven. See link https://healtheharbor.com/documents/MeyersonLipsmanEmail.pdf. Personally, I cannot see it being any more invasive then the dredging we are currently doing, but it really isn’t for me to say. I wouldn’t be so quick to make decisions for the Greenhaven Association; I would think they would prefer to have a pipe in the water as opposed to sewage. I suggest letting the experts make the decisions. I feel any combination of the above would solve the problem. Can I now assume that we are in agreement that there is a sewage problem on Hen Island?
I never pointed any fingers to whom may have caused the problem; I just pointed the finger at the people that enable code enforcement avoidance to continue along with the cover-up. This leads me to your last question about why? I don’t believe it has anything to do directly with payoffs for money. I do believe that Mr. Ederer lied to the ZBA, the building department and the health department because he wanted to build his little place in the sun, the least expensive way possible, with no regard for the health and safety of the people or the environment. So in his case, it was about money. Money that was allowed to stay in his pocket as he disregarded Mother Nature and the safety of his neighbors to build his home. The zoning board, the health department and the building department helped to make that happen. They just closed their eyes. Now here is my theory about the City of Rye. The City of Rye has not held Hen Island residents to any of the same building health or safety codes since the inception of the codes. Previous administrations were not aware of what was taking place on Hen Island this administration is. I believe that they are not willing to admit that for fear that they may be held responsible or liable. This administration also seems to have a pattern of not accepting responsibility when they make mistakes. Take a look at the Schubert wetlands issue and the problems they have been neglecting in the Wainwright neighborhood (another fire last month similar to the one on Hen Island in 06) even the documents posted by Why Record. There is something gravely wrong with this picture. I would have never believed a municipality would ignore these issues, many that are life threatening situations. Personally I don’t care who is responsible just make it safe and non- polluting and let’s get on with our lives. It takes more energy to hide all of this than it does to start fixing it. Believe me, none of us including myself want to see Mr. Floatie running around Rye but I assure you he is not going away. Political favors, I believe yes definitely. Conspiracy I don’t know, I am not a prosecutor. But let’s see what happens when Mr. Floatie hits the fan. I believe most are just following instructions from a boss that is not sure how to get out of this mess. I think the mayor thought I would just walk away with my tail between my legs after they said there are no problems on Hen Island. He was wrong once again. As for the employees either way they know what they are doing is wrong and at some point they will be held accountable for their actions even though they are just following instructions. We agree again on your last comment “Any reward does not seem to match the associated risks.” So CC, now that we are aligned, are you willing to do some volunteer work for HEALtheHARBOR.com? We can use some help setting up the toilet bowl race on Purchase Street this coming summer season. BTW If the city doesn’t give us permission to have the race on Purchase Street, we will call it a toilet boat race and have it around Hen Island, a more appropriate location.
Mr. Tartaglione, I do not agree with you that there is a sewage problem on Hen Island. I do not know if a problem exists or not. I do know that if such a problem did exist, it would be insignificant. We only agree that a pipeline does not seem to be the solution.
However, it is well documented that an enormous problem exists with municipal sewer plants that continue to dump MILLIONS OF GALLONS of raw sewage into the Sound year after year. Your continuing dismissal of this real and significant problem in favor of a problem that may not exist or is insignificant at best brings your motivation into question.