A Trustee Candidate Makes Final Appeal To Voters

I am a candidate for , running under the Democratic and Working Family Party lines.

I have been endorsed by Dan's Papers, , , and The Gay and Lesbian Democrats of Suffolk County. I hold a bachelors degree in Environmental Studies from Stony Brook University, with minors in both Marine Science and Sustainability Studies. I graduated summa cum laude, and earned the H. Lee Dennison Valedictorian award for the class of 2010. I will complete my masters degree in Marine Conservation and Policy after just two more courses. I also hold a degree in Women’s Studies. A PADI certified rescue diver, I was awarded the Women Divers Hall of Fame Scholarship in Marine Conservation, due in part to the Fishing Line Recycling Program I implemented for East Hampton last summer.

I have lived on the East End since 1973 and graduated from Hampton Bays High School in 1982. Since childhood, I enjoyed swimming, fishing, clamming, boating, and exploring the woodlands, ponds, and coastal areas of the Hamptons. My Mom kept goats, chickens, turkeys, and even a pig! She taught me to respect the planet as well as the importance of the connections we have with nature. My brothers and I built forts in the woods and made boats out of whatever floated. We often fished off Montauk, (but not in our homemade boats) or anywhere we could, for that matter. The East End was our playground.

A few years ago, I won second place in the second annual Montauk Mercury Grand Slam in the black sea bass category. Today I tend to a large organic garden and am a beekeeper! I work for LTV as a videographer and have been the person behind the camera for close to 200 Town Board, Planning Board, and Zoning Board of Appeals meetings. I have a good idea of the happenings at Town Hall and beyond. Sometimes, I drive on the beach, and I have taught two of my children responsible beach driving as well.

My husband and I married in 1987 and celebrated our honeymoon in Montauk! We built our home in Springs in 2000 and our four children attended . Three, so far, have graduated from . My children have learned from and benefited by the lifestyle I practiced and taught them. They respect the environment and our natural resources. Stewardship of these resources will keep them intact for generations to come, and this is my mission.

We must maintain an ecological balance on land and in our coastal waters, as well as fierce protection of our ground water. East Hampton must become a town that works toward a sustainable future, so that the future will be able to enjoy what we have today. I know how to integrate environmental, economic, and social values in decision-making and environmental stewardship. If elected, I will be a valuable addition to the Trustees and a proactive force in protecting our environment. I believe that as East Hampton residents, we must maintain access to our natural resources, and we must keep our assets viable for future generations. This includes unencumbered beach access and preservation of hunting and fishing rights.

I am concerned about marine pollution emanating from wastewater, stormwater, and other contaminants. I am interested in enhancing shellfish aquaculture for commercial and recreational harvest and pollution mitigation. Community oyster gardens is something I think should be implemented for East Hampton residents. Seaweed restoration for habitat enhancement and pollution control is a top priority. We should encourage restoration of alewives and menhaden (both important filter feeding forage fish) and of course, the winter flounder. 

The Trustees should have representation on and input to the MS4 program (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System). The Town must come up with a plan by the spring of 2012 to satisfy certain water quality requirements under the Clean Water Act, and the current participants (to my knowledge) are all town employees. Why haven’t the Trustees been involved in this process that was started in 2009? Stormwater is commonly diverted into our coastal water-bodies and is a concern for water quality. 

I am also interested in solid waste management issues, which directly affect our economy, natural resources, environmental quality, and marine debris as well. Conservation groups and local SCUBA clubs, or even Fire Department dive teams, could participate in underwater clean ups to help rid marine debris from our coastal waters and  bottom-lands. I want to bring the Fishing for Energy program to Montauk. Fishing gear that is derelict, unusable, or recovered while at sea can be disposed of FREE of charge by the Montauk fishing community and be carted away to a waste-to-energy facility at no cost. This will help the fishers, the community, and the marine environment. Even thought the Trustees have no jurisdiction in Montauk, our waters are connected, and what affects Montauk affects all of East Hampton.

I would like to see the Trustees teach local schoolchildren how and why they can become involved with mariculture and coastal water issues, the historic significance of Trustees of East Hampton, public policy, and other community issues with which the Trustees are responsible. In the end, the children are those for whom the Trustees are managing the commons. They are our future constituents and leaders. This is, after all, not our grandfathers East Hampton- but our children’s East Hampton.

Please vote for me for Town Trustee!

Sincerely,

Deborah Klughers