STRONG WORDS FROM A RETURNING HERO
Capt. Kevin Lynch writes about the Lighthouse
(Kevin Lynch - Baghdad, 2005)
The Point Blank Inbox gets some of the most incredible emails, most we can’t run. But we received this letter today and are grateful to have permission to publish it. The email is from a returning veteran of the war, a young man from Lido Beach. He has some very passionate – at times incendiary – words regarding the political football known as the Lighthouse Project.
Kevin Lynch was a commissioned officer in the United States Army Infantry. Before the end of his duty, he rose to the rank of captain. Kevin served with the 10th Mountain Division and the 2nd Ranger Battalion in his four combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. We salute him for his service to our country, and thank him for sharing his feelings on the Coliseum property issue.
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Chris,
I am a recently returned Iraq/Afghan war vet. I have been away from Long Island for a while, but I am no stranger to the Islanders or the Coliseum. My father has worked at the Coliseum as a part-time job since it opened and I also worked there while I was in high school before I left for college.
Your Blog has been awesome in allowing me to catch up with my Islanders and figure out where things went wrong. When one is overseas, the Armed Forces Network tries to play teams from all of the country, but I did not get to see my Isles much at all. So when I returned this summer I was a little lost in my knowledge of the state of the Isles. Your blog has helped me catch up.
I am a supporter of the Lighthouse Project. I recently listened to your interview on WFAN via the Lighthouse Project web site. I thought it was an excellent piece. The part that intrigued me is when you explained the minimal public funding that Charles Wang and his associates are asking for the project.
This brings me to my next point. Since Kate Murray does not have to foot the bill, Kate is being driven by some force to block this project. As an officer in the United States Military I unfortunately know all too well the intentions of U.S. politicians. Politicians are elected on contributions first, then votes – one of the ramifications of democracy mixed with capitalism. For better or worse, that is our democracy. I believe in it, and I fought for it.
The businesspeople who stand to lose from the Lighthouse Project are the owners of the land of Roosevelt Field. The retail space of the Lighthouse Project would take away business or at least compete with that Mall.
They are pulling Kate Murray’s chain: all of her claims that she is looking out for the people of Uniondale are bogus. The voters of Uniondale do not get Kate Murray elected. Any reasonable person knows that. The only way to get Kate Murray is to attack her where it hurts: bad press and the potential loss of contributions and then votes. The media needs to expose the owners of Roosevelt Field or whomever is pulling Kate Murray’s chain to block this project.
Kate Murray is getting the rap that Sheldon Silver of the New York State Legislature received from the failure of the Jets’ West-side stadium project. The force behind Silver was the Dolan family, owners of MSG, who stood to lose the most from a larger venue blocks away in midtown Manhattan.
Kate Murray and her intentions need to be exposed. The softballs thrown at her by the media must stop. Pick up the pace. Expose why she really does not want the project. It is all about the money.
I look forward to meeting you at the Point Blank event in RVC coming up on March 10th.
Kevin Lynch
Reaction.
85 Responses to STRONG WORDS FROM A RETURNING HERO
Capt. Kevin Lynch writes about the Lighthouse
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ken says:
Thank you for your service and very well written piece.
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What a great, honest piece of work. It is completely true that this situation is all about the money, and not about the “parameters required by law.” The nonsense about the environmental policies and specific parts of the plan that must be reviewed may be correct to some extent, however, if they really wanted to get this done, it would be done by now. We must search deeper! As Kevin said, we must search into whose interests lie with keeping the Lighthouse from passing. It is in this research that we will find where Murray’s true alliances lie.
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thank you for serving our country.i think my school actually sent this guy some food and stuff like that. you know support our troops. i remember by the name. either that or it was another soldier. anyway too true about murray. can’t wait till TOH night to rip her in chants. until then, newsday should be ripping her.
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Chris A says:
First off thank you for your service and second I couldn’t agree more now if we can find substantial evidence to prove it
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matty the usher says:
Kevin you need to be one of our speakers at the Feb. 10 town hall meeting if you get there. Preferably in uniform.
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Dally Mac says:
Wow what a tremendous piece. I’m a Canadian but that speech inspires me to say “god bless America.” I love my Islanders and enjoy making the rare trip down to see them, hopefully next time, there will be a completed project thanks to guys like you.
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Jim says:
You can check out who contributed to her campaign here:
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We can always assume $$$ and women are the root of all evil. Oh no, we are screwed…
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michael says:
glad this guy is on our side..
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Westfall says:
Capt Lynch – thank you for your service and for telling it as you see it. Unfortunately for most politicians the bottom line is “what will get me elected again”. Many thanks also to people like Chris for bringing this subject to the forefront.
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Neil says:
Oh, it’s on now, Kate!!
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in response to jim (msg #8) i learned a couple things.. 1. kate murray donated 800 dollars to her own campaign, and as a result, u may find out some other personal info. 2, COMM TO REELECT SENATOR BRUNO has given what i can see maybe the most of any single entity, 3, cablevision corp gave her 200 dollars in 2000 (not much money, possibly from charles dolan).
NOW, if you wikipedia who senator joseph bruno was, you find :
On January 23, 2009, Bruno was indicted on eight counts of corruption, including mail and wire fraud. The indictment accuses Bruno of defrauding New Yorkers from 1993 to 2006. During that period of time, Bruno was associated with a private consulting firm through which he received hundreds of thousands of dollars through contracts with state agencies.
interesting lady..
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tom says:
those connected w/ roosevelt field didn’t necessarily have to give her money for her campaign… but maybe they contacted her afterward and greased her slimy wheel.
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Let me say, first, that I would like to echo the message of thanks to Captain Lynch. It is the work of people like you that keep America great, safe, and the prosperous nation whose benefits we all enjoy.
I would like to furthermore state my agreement with your points. Ms. Murray is acting as any politician would act: not out of concern for her subjects, but of concern for her contributors, and of her own political future. As long as Ms. Murray is in office, the Lighthouse has faces an uphill challenge.
What we can do is simple. It’s not a matter of writing letters or making phone calls. What we need to do is find a challenger to Ms. Murray, and fund his campaign. In the current political climate, any Democrat has a built-in advantage, even in the traditionally Republican Town of Hempstead.
We need to make the Lighthouse Project the focal point of the campaign. If, by the beginning of the electoral cycle it hasn’t been resolved, and it looks like that is unlikely, we need to champion it as a populist cause. We need letters like this to reach not just the Islander fan, but the resident of Hempstead who could care less about hockey.
Mr. Wang, this is how you get popular support. Purchase a full page ad in Newsday, and let Captain Lynch write it. He is more eloquent, and holds more gravitas than any of your P.R. staff [no offense CB].
Good luck, and thanks again, Captain. Let’s hope we can reward your service with this small token. -
guerin13 says:
thank you for your service to our country kevin! and you’re absolutely right, it’s time to start playing hardball with murray. she must have alterior motives that need to be exposed. i’m not sure how to go about doing this but the next toh board meeting is on 2/10 at 7pm. it’s open to the public. maybe it’s time to contact the unions, who stand to gain a lot in the construction of the lighthouse project.
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HilbertSnipe says:
Thank you Kevin, for your contribution to both fights, but more importantly, the one overseas. As a political science/international relations student, I couldn’t agree with you more on your stance of politicians. What a well written piece. We all need to step it up… not just the media. It is not a longshot.
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Salvatore says:
excellent letter. I was thinking something similar. But I thought that Trump might have had something to do with. Roosevelt field makes much more sense. Everyone stand up, be heard, get all the info you need. Lets expose this, lets get this done.
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kevin 4 tours god bless, you are a hero drinks on me. lets galvanize the folks and get this done
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Daniel says:
wow great post. First I want to say thank you to Kevin for fighting for me, and everybody else in this wonderful country. You are a true hero. I know politics pretty well, I have done many internships for politicians, and it really turned me off to politics considering it was a career I wanted to pursue as an undergraduate. Chris, how many people visit this blog? And how many of them are of voting age who live in the town? Strength in numbers is what I am getting at. Something needs to be done to get this thing on track and as a group of people who live for the Islanders, I think us fans have a lot more to lose then the average Long Islander if the plan doesn’t go through and the team leaves the region.
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Ryan says:
Thank you Sir for your service to our wonderful country. We must unite and fight together to save our team. Remember We’re all ISLANDERS!!!!
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Darren says:
Hats off Kevin!
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rb says:
adding more retail space to the Coliseum area would not necessarily harm Roosevelt Field…in fact, it could actually increase consumer traffic at Roosevelt Field…it’s like putting two gas stations on opposite corners, both benefit
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mtrico says:
Kevin needs to run for office in the Town of Hempstead. Let’s get the campaign rolling now. And by the way, Kevin nailed it. As I stated previously, Murray is the sheldon Silver of Nassau County.
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VALENTINO says:
I see a lot of talk by all of us…but little action.
What are we going to do about the TOH? What are we going to do for the NY ISLANDERS?
Are we going to sit idle, read blogs, and hope for a positive outcome?
Or are we going to show these politicians that we care about this?
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Islander505 says:
GOD BLESS KEVIN AND EVERY OTHER LYNCH SERVING OUR COUNTRY
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blitz says:
Roosevelt Field is owned by Simon Malls aka “Simon Property Group, Inc. is an S&P 500 company and the largest public U.S. real estate company.
Simon is a fully integrated real estate company which operates from five retail real estate platforms: regional malls, Premium Outlet Centers®, The Mills®, community/lifestyle centers and international properties. It currently owns or has an interest in 386 properties comprising 262 million square feet of gross leasable area in North America, Europe and Asia.”
With economists predicting numerous mall failures this year and next plus the possibility that Simon could see reduced traffic at the ‘premier’ mall on LI – the Capt. may be onto something.
I have see Westfield engage in a dirty/ruthless campaign to stop the building of a premier shopping complex adjacent to one of their malls. They eventually lost.
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Strummer's Army says:
Amen, God Bless Kevin and all others serving our country!
It is obvious Ms. Murray has the interest of some other groups. Perhaps, she is showing her true intention by continually repeating her bogus offer of the Arena project only (makes no financial sense for Wang) because anythign else messes up her masters.
It sends me into a rage every time I read her stating that. CB has pointed out it isn’t her call, the county already approved the entire project (so she is against the county and Wang). She wants Wang to come in and redo the arena with all his own money and not get paid out by the bigger project to protect her masters.
She is a town politician, amazing the state and county can’t kick her big behind into high gear.
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Michael says:
I’m a 21 year old Islanders fan, I went to my first game in 1993 and have been going to 20+ games a year. All I can say is this needs to be done, these two sides need to meet in the middle and figure out a plan because i’ll never watch hockey again if the isles move.
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hextall72 says:
someone fwd this to newsday.. i just hope ruffling her feathers doesnt backfire on us..this can open a can of worms either for or against us..
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I had wondered about Roosevelt field all along. I agree with Kevin. There are other political strings being pulled.
Welcome home soldier. -
isles72 says:
thanks for your bravery kevin -you make us proud
not being from the area personally I’ve only read the lighthouse updates here and islandermania .it doesnt surprise me that whoever is greasing someones wheel is doing it behind the scenes while using politicians as their puppet .
its unfortunate that both sides cannot come to a compromise that benefits everyone
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Cain says:
Kevin, thank you for your service to our country. Very well written and interesting piece.
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19 Isle in NJ 22 says:
Kevin … Welcome Home!! .. and welcome to a different kind of fight. The fight for the Light House Project.
Kevin’s letter is another affirmation of politics. It’s been going on since … well … politics quite frankly. Can’t say I’m surprised … but I guess Kate might be sandbagging her support based on a “Show me the money!” attitude.
I wonder where Hofstra University stands on the Light House.
Also … if the company that owns the Roosevelt Field Mall is Simon Property Group … a real estate company … I can’t see how this would hurt them. First off … they’d see more traffic with more residents near by. More jobs in the area … more guests in the hotel … more people working locally … more lunch breaks at the mall … You guys get the point … I can go on.
The Light House Project may have some shops … but it is no way the scale of a mall. So how would the Roosevelt Field Mall hurt? Just looking at it from another perspective.
Drive safe today folks … ice n snow don’t mix well with drivers in a rush to no where.
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mw147 says:
This letter needs to be in Newsday. How about NHL.com also? Chris, with your contacts, can you make that happen?
This is someone who the politicians would HAVE to be respectful to. Trashing him would be be political suicide.
Capt. Lynch, thanks very much for your service to our country.
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MW147…Great idea.
Lets get this published in Newsday!If I was still living on the Island, I would be the first to buy the Captain a beer.
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"Dissillusioned Brian" in VA says:
Thanks for your service Capt. Lynch it is very much appreciated! Your email should be printed in Newsday.
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Dan from Westchester says:
Kevin – Thanks so much for your service to this country!
Very interesting and well – written argument. When it comes to our “beloved”
politicians – NOTHING would surprise this fan at all! -
Mike from Oceanside says:
Well said Kevin and thank you to CB for posting this.
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Kevin, thank you for your service and insight. I hope to see you on my blog and at the meetings advocating this strongly.
It’s definitely a possibility, though everyone I’ve spoken to says that the stores there will be more “lifestyle retail,” meaning they’re more geared toward the people that live there than a generic mall. I’m picturing more of an outdoor promenade with no big-box stores (which is becoming more of a rarity on Long Island – those big box stores seem to be mating or something…). You really never know, though, with the economy the way it is…
It could even be simpler than this, because this is an election year for both TOH Supervisor and County Executive. I don’t know the answer, but I do know that we need to keep the politicians’ feet to the fire at all times.
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art says:
CB thanks to kevin and thank you for this important piece. .there are many who are not aware that the 10th mountain division is based and trains in the adirondaks and therefore is a ‘new york state based federal entitiy. This fact makes Kevin’s brave service to his country even more topical to new yorkers and long islanders and could be part of any pr or paid publicity.
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Dmarie says:
Thank you both Kevin and CB for bringing us this read. And thank you Kevin for serving the Country! God Bless you!
I think we all knew it was political red tape, it’s a shame.
Well now we know for sure why there’s talk of taking the team eslewhere, and why it’s been so long since anything has come to pass. -
Marc from Troy says:
Thank you for your service, Kevin, and welcome back. Hopefully, this well-written letter is only the start of your involvement in supporting this project. I love the idea of having you – in uniform – speak at the upcoming town meeting. At the very least, please forward this letter to Newsday. This would be one “letter to the editor” that they would have no choice but to print.
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“If I was still living on the Island, I would be the first to buy the Captain a beer.”
Get on line C. Felix
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JPinVA says:
Capt. Lynch,
Thank you for your service to this country. It is greatly appreciated.Capt. Botta,
I undersand that this is a blog, and you are not subject to the rules of journalism. It’s some good speculation, but how about some facts.
Isn’t there any truth to the rumor that the town and county politicians may be trying to act in town’s best interest.
I know that is a far fetched idea.
Is there any way to contact the people who are doing the studies that are supposedly holding up the project? Maybe find out what their major concerns are.
By the way, the town may not be paying for a large percentage of this, but with a project of this magnitude they will have to support it for many many years to come.
I was, but am no longer a TOH resident. If I was still there I wouldn’t want ANYTHING built there without addressing the mass transit issues. I would think that Islander fans would be concerned with that as well.
Sorry if that sounds overly negative, but I just wanted to add a different perspective. -
thepolishprince says:
I grew up in the Village of Hempstead not five minutes from the NVMC and remember the parades down hempstead Turnpike to this day. I have not been a resident since my parents moved back in 1986 and I went away to school. I am now a happy resident of the Town of Huntington but I’m still a big fan of the team. For those of you not from the TOH and not familiar with the area surrounding NVMC rest assured it NEEDS the Lighthouse. The area especially south and west of NVMC could really use the improvement. The increased traffic would be an issue no doubt but can it be any worse than Old Country Rd near the Mall during rush hour?
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Captain Lynch: Thank you sir. Your service and committment are deeply appreciated though not always acknowledged.
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dose says:
Capt. Lynch’s comments are AWESOME! Finally someone who knows what’s going on presents the facts in a cogent and forceful manner. This has never been about little Kate Murray. It’s always been about those pulling her strings and which of them gets what. It’s how business and politics are done on LI, just as they were done 40+ years ago when the Cablevision empire was born and grew by way of a variety of …methods and tactics that in many cases continue to this day. I have major concerns as to whether the local media is motivated to expose the connection between Ms. Murray and those behind her.(Oh. Who owns Newsday now?). I also worry about whether Ms. Murray is strong enough to resist those forces and do the right thing once the real story is out there. Not to wax too poetic here, but as the Captain suggests, the road to the Lighthouse can best be paved if the powers at work here are themselves forced into the light. Once more, GREAT JOB CAPT. LYNCH!
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Mark says:
That was a spot on evaluation of the situation.
This obviously is what must be happening.
The only problem now is, is there even away around it? I hate to say it but I’m pretty much thinking No.
Thank you for your service, Kevin.
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D-Money says:
JP said “Is there any way to contact the people who are doing the studies that are supposedly holding up the project? Maybe find out what their major concerns are.”
Not sure you’re gonna get the info before the draft environmental impact statement goes out, but this is exactly what SHOULD be considered in any socioeconomic analysis. These analyses SHOULD look beyond the potential economic benefits of the project, and consider the possible negative effects, ultimately with a conclusion of the net effect.
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David says:
Just a reminder to the people saying “lets rip Kate a new one”. Yelling, swearing, name calling, etc. are sure ways to push her into a corner which will force her to come out fighting. But if we use tact when dealing with the situation, we will get our point across in a mature intelligent manner. Lets stick to the facts of the matter while moving forward.
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PeteZ says:
Found a contribution to Katie but nothing significant.
ROOSEVELT FIELD MALL
PO BOX 7033
INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46207 $550.00 28-MAR-06 KATE MURRAY FOR SUPERVISOR 2006 JULY PERIODIC B Supervisor N/A -
cgs878 says:
Kevin #53- Franzen will be odd man out. It’s been talked about for a few months.
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Dooks94 says:
You guys can rip Murray all you want. WE ARE NEVER GETTING A NEW ARENA. Just face it. We stuck with the Masoleum. It may get a face lift but thats it. The truth hurts and so will the future of this franchise
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Kevin Lynch says:
Thank you all for your kind words, although I have trouble labeling myself a hero of any sort. My friends and teammates that have lost their lives and those that are still there are heroes. Not a day goes by where I do not think about them. My country and you tax payers gave me a great education and I returned the favor with active service. I do not regret one day that I spent in the service of my country.
There were so many comments that I am not sure where to start:
1. I do not know for sure that the Simon Property Group, the owners of Roosevelt Field Mall, is the force pulling Kate Murray’s chains. I strongly feel they are since they could potentially lose market share, and they have the capitol to steamroll any local politician. In any event, Kate Murray’s intentions need to be revealed and I feel the media is letting her off the hook too easily.
2.I thought 19 Isle in NJ’s comment about the lighthouse actually bring more business to Roosevelt Field Mall is an interesting perspective. As for Hofstra, I can’t see why they are not getting on board. Lord knows it will help recruiting. As of now I am not sure where Hofstra takes their recruits when they arrive for their official visit. Imaging being able to take a recruit out for lunch in pedestrian mall of the lighthouse.
3.A number of comments brought up the mass transit issue. I have written the Lighthouse project numerous times concerning Mass Transit and have never seen a response. I do see that there will be a “trolley system” that will connect the lighthouse to the surrounding community. I feel that mass transit is essential to the success of this project. Currently the only option fans have it so drive to the Coliseum. This cripples the casual fan’s desire to go to an Islander game. The only problem is that mass transit requires heavy Government involvement, and in New York that means no progress.
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Thank you, Captain Lynch, for your service to our country and for being a participant in this wacky, weird world of NY Islanders.
I hope that many of our questions are answered in time. We need progress, not status-quo or, worse, regression. In this tough economic time, let’s hope that the local politicians take action after the environmental study is complete and approved.
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Kevin, your insight is very interesting to read. My mother is a full bird colonel in the US Army, so I certainly appreciate someone who is dedicated to helping ones country.
And David (post 54) I couldnt agree with you more. I hope that people realize the truth in what youre saying here.
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UIF says:
Don’t know if anyone talked about this, but I thought Logan’s “Insider” wrapup contained a pretty interesting little point:
“But while Witt is the only player to publicly question whether this system can work game in and game out at the NHL level, rest assured he has lots of company in the locker room.”
I wonder if Gordon recognizes this and is doing more to assure some of the skeptical players…or if those players might be the ones on the way out in March.
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Vlad from Brooklyn says:
Thank you, Cap. Lynch and CB! Finaly someone had guts to put the Real Reason of all the delays on the pointblank’s table. I hope more journalists read this piece and react to it in the rest of the media.
My respect goes to Kevin Lynch – the true son of LI. -
BeatleBailey says:
Regarding Mass transit the only solution I see would be a bus shuttle service from Mineola to the Lighthouse. “Lighthouse Express” bus could leave every 30 minutes from the intermodal facility the mta built a few years ago right across from the Mineola train station. I don’t ever see a light rail being built. Where would run? Too many villages would have to approve it. Just look at the proposed third track that the LIRR wants. There is opposition to that from every village/municipality that is impacted by it.
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Tom says:
This is a great thing. Fantastic letter by a true hero.
Unfortunately it won’t work. I’m not sure when she comes up for election, but my bet she doesn’t budge until then, IF she budges at all. Why should she budge, the people of Hempstead don’t seem to want it. She represents the people of the town. The town has spoken. OBVIOUSLY. She also knows Islander fans CAN’T vote her out. Islanders fan don’t live in hempstead. They live in Massapequa. So voting Kate out ain’t gonna happen.
Regardless of who does the kicking, screaming or whining, just like the other 29 teams in the NHL, Kate has no fear of the Islanders, nor should she. The Save the Spotted Owl Society is more fierce than Islander hockey!
Charles Wang’s inability to positively influence people got him kicked to the curb by CA & it will get the Isles kicked to KC.
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Isles_Goal says:
Dear Mr. Kevin Lynch,
Thank you for serving our Country. You are a true Hero!!
Also, Thank you for a real dose of reality regarding this whole project and, Kate Murray specifically. I think most people have believed this, however, these are the things that need to be exposed, especially through the media. Sending this letter to Chris was a great start.
Perhaps you can send this to Greg Logan, at Newsday, as well as the NY Post, Daily News and any other print media you can think of.
If Kate Murray needs to be exposed, the pressure needs to be relentless. Unfortunately Chris’ blog, although a great start, is not enough.
And Thank you Chris Botta for posting this. Great job!!!
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Why doesn’t someone ask Kate Murray what her alternative plan is to develop the area if not the lighthouse project? Also what does she think will happen to NVMC when the Islanders leave?
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Thank you Captain Lynch, for all you have done, Serving Our Country. Your letter was outstanding, extremly well written, and Right On. The NY Islander’s, The NY Islander’s Organization, The Great Fan’s of the NY Islander’s, and The People of Long Island, need and deserve, The Lighthouse Project to happen. Thanks again for everything you do Captain Lynch, Mark from NJ
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Rich says:
Thanks Captain. Now do we get defense in Hedman which we desperately need. Or do we get Tavares a once a decade type scorer. I would love Tavares but the Isles never do what the fan base or scouts project. They will go for Hedman believe it.
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Tom on Jan 28th, 2009 12:31:19 said:
Islanders fan don’t live in hempstead.Perhaps you’re not aware it is the TOWN of Hempstead involved in this issue, which includes not only Hempstead itself but the communities of Merrick, Baldwin, East Meadow, Bellmore, Long Beach, Garden City, Wantagh, Levittown, Westbury and 30 or 40 others I think.
I believe there a few Islanders in those places. -
It is unlikely reviewing her contributions will shed any light on who is pulling the strings. The real money and backroom deals are usually lucrative consulting jobs set up for after she leaves her current position or possibly a seat on a board while she is still in her current position. Also, it could be a pay to play deal which will allow her to set up friends or family up with lucrative deals or contracts.
It is only those type of backroom deals and quid pro quo arrangements that can explain why politicians will spend millions, sometimes their own money, to win a job that pays $150k.
I moved from Long Island a long time ago so I don’t know how corrupt local gov’t is but if it is anything like where I live now…NJ…we Isles fans are in trouble!
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Duff Beer says:
If Simon Malls and local businesses are bad for pushing their economic well being over a new development, why is Charles Wang good for pushing his economic well being?
If the stores at the RF Mall lose business, people lose jobs. Local businesses shut down due to lesser business. Why is Wang’s interest more important than the well being of the existing businesses already in place in this tough economy?
I say Wang has to scale it back for many reasons and should keep only the aspects that will NOT hurt existing business in the area.
Of course he could just build the arena and buy out SMG, which was supposed to be the plan in the first place.
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JayK says:
Duff Beer #69: If we’re going to start halting the construction of new business because they might hurt old businesses, we would never have allowed a single McDonald’s. Or Wal Mart. Or department store, because they might hurt all the small stores where you had to buy your clothes in the past. Or no Home Depot, so Bob’s hardware on Main Street could stay in business.
Your argument should be translated to read more like this: we know people might want to go to the business at the Lighthouse. Therefore, we have to make sure we don’t let them. We must force them to keep going to businesses that given a choice they’d prefer not to go to.
Following a policy like that would be one more step in Nassau’s economic downward plunge.
And this “supposed to be the plan” about buying out the lease: that was never a plan. That was a pipe dream by people who didn’t know the facts.
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SWebb62 says:
Excellent work, Kev.
RE: Mass Transit. Buses are great and all, but there are already train lines in place (I would guess from the Hempstead station)that are/were used to transfer the animals when the zoo came into town.
If Shea/Citi/FDIC Stadium has a temp stop on game days, why not re-active the lines with a shuttle?
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I’m no economic whiz, maybe I’m just a grapehead, but I’m not getting how the Lighthouse deal would necessarily cause a decline in biz at Roosevelt Field. Can someone explain?
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Roosevelt Field is a retail shopping destination. The Lighthouse is to have a few stores, but it’s not a mall is it?
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SWebb62: If I’m not mistaken, the line that goes off the Hempstead line and through Garden City where the circus trains travel is used once a year: for the circus. The good people of Garden City, who want to make sure we have shelves fully stocked with goods but don’t want to have to actually think about, you know, how those goods got there, used their political clout a few years ago to completely halt even the minimal traffic that was running on that line. They were willing willing to accept dispensation for Ringling Brothers.
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Dear Dunce: To understand, you’d have to understand Nassau County politics, a task beyond the reach of any mortal man or woman. But hey, it’s a good question!
OK, CB, I’m done now…no more!!
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Mikey says:
Duff Beer- this is not a zero sum game. Economic activity at the Lighthouse does not necessarily mean that sales will go down at other businesses. If the lighthouse can bring more people to the area for work, conferences, hockey games, concerts, etc., then I don’t see how the surrounding businesses will suffer. The lighthouse will GROW the economic pie, which helps everyone.
I don’t understand why some people think a dilapidated building surrounded by a sea of asphalt is good for long island. If the old suburbs want to stay relevant, they need to adapt to changing demographics and economic circumstances. Other suburban areas (northern VA, MD, etc.) are thriving because their leaders understand that many young people and retirees want walkable, vibrant neighborhoods with good transit access. TOH needs to wake up.
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mrlbem says:
Kevin,
Thank you for your service and dedication to protect our country. Forgive me if this is patronizing in any way, because this is taking a page ot two from some recent national political campaigns, but a vet like yourself getting behind the Lighthouse Project, getting very vocally behind the Project, could (1) add to the positive PR behind the project and (2) make the TOH obstructionists look very damn unpatriotic. You’ll of course have to decide how far you want to go playing the political card here, but why the hell not.
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we are all speculating about who is the influence behind kate murry’s shut down approach. perhaps it is simon realestate but if i was gambling on who is the force against the lighthouse and the islanders i’d point to the dolans and cablevision. my guess is that they would give up the rivalry (they would fill the garden for every game without us anyway) and have one less hockey presence in the metro are area.
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Another reason I think this development never happens & the Isles move, is IF this was really all about just some additional environmental studies & it was a dotting the i’s sort of thing, Wang you would think wang would go ahead w/the groundbreaking & start on the arena. But I think there’s MAJOR issues here.
I just want to know when the last game will be. That’ll be the next game of significance the Isles play.
I honestly thought Bates’ penalty shot was the beginning of new era. The new era starts in KC.
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A regular poster on Islandermania made a suggestion to see about getting some money for the Lighthouse from the stimulus package being rammed through Congress right now.
It’s a great idea. One of the things that they are looking for in the government package is projects that are “shovel ready”. This one is close enough to qualify.
Even if they don’t want to help with the Lighthouse directly, someone else presented the idea of the Feds getting involved with the light rail project. That could also be a good angle.
The only hitch is that, while New York state is Democratic in a big way, Nassau is still strongly Republican. The point man on this should be Tom Suozzi. He might be able to make a case as a Democratic County Executive in a Republican area. Let him be the hero. He has aspirations for higher office, and this could help him.
Chuck Schumer might be able to help also. He certainly has no aversion to getting his name in the papers.
Anyone have a connection to either of them?I think I will send e-mails to both of them anyway. Who knows what it might spur?
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Everybody take a breath.
Capt. Lynch – thank you again for your service, and I hope that if you want to continue the Lighthouse discussion you can click on my name and check out my site (plugged by CB below). The mass transit issue is obviously a problem, but I think the Lighthouse is going about it the right way. If you tie the Lighthouse to a specific transportation option, the whole project goes if that option is killed. If you approve the project, which will be constructed over the next 7 years, you make it imperative to find a solution and as mw147 #80 points out, a project of this size would attract federal money for mass transit improvements.
#79 – we’ve beaten this to death, but if you still don’t get it let me say it again. The development is meant to fund the Coliseum renovations, and the whole thing is tied together. Why would Wang spend $400 million on a new arena without a guarantee of getting that money back? Why would he build the new arena and take out his major piece of leverage (the team and the understood fact that this is it on Long Island if they can’t work it out)? Would you, in a negotiation, ask a prospective employer for a $100,000 salary and then tell them you’d accept $30,000? Of course not.
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Nick I agree, IF you read my post I was saying IF it was just a matter dotting i’s meaning everything WOULD be approved. Never mind lost in translation. But I suffice to say I know all about a stand alone arena. The Isles can’t attract flies w/just a new arena. I understand that.
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Gary says:
If Capt. Lynch would like to run against Kate Murray for her job, I will be happy to work as hard as I can to elect him and to defeat Kate Murray.
To Kate Murray I say: obstructionism, NIMBYism, stalling don’t make the grade for the Town of Hempstead, Nassau County and Long Island. Do everyone a favor. Lead, follow or GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY!
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Well Tom, I have been rightly made to look like an idiot whose eyes are failing him. I’m sorry for that.
I want to hope there are no major issues, but I also want to hope there are people out there who will hold politicians accountable for not serving the people’s best interests.
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BringBackNyles says:
I don’t get how the elected officials that sat and watched the racetrack and Old Country Road be zoned into mall after mall, to the point where it is so traffic choked it is not passable on December weekends, draw a quality of life line in the sand on a project being built on a parcel of land with direct parkway access?
Maybe we can open another Buy Buy baby or Hope Depot instead?
A very insightful look at what may be (see: most likely) reason for Murray’s stalling. Politics are always about special interests. Can they be disrupted? In this case, they need to be, or these Isles won’t be around.