Letters to the Editor — July 10

Revolutionary War ceremony worth visiting

To the Editor:

The heat and baking sun were good excuses to skip the July 3 ceremony in Pound Ridge marking the new Revolutionary War plaque outside Conant Hall, but I’m glad I didn’t.I got there just in time for the 4 p.m. start. The parking lot was full, and people gathered on the lawn and under a canopy set up for shade. I guessed that there were about 40 people there. They strolled in and out of the Pound Ridge Museum, which was cool and offered cold drinks.Four Continental Army soldiers clad in blue woolen coats and white britches — a father-and-sons team of reenactors, I was told — waited under a shade tree. For civilians, the wardrobe was World Cup jerseys, summer dresses, T-shirts, and baseball caps.With no fanfare, Joanne Mineo, president of the Pound Ridge Historical Society, delivered short remarks about Pound Ridge and the Revolutionary War. The town supervisor was equally concise. The reenactors then mustered on the driveway and fired a musket in salute. The ceremony over, people perused the 106 names on the plaque, which was set in a boulder near other plaques commemorating residents who served in other wars. The number of names that appeared on more than one plaque was remarkable — Marshall, Scofield, Wood, and Lockwood among others. I cooled off in the museum for a few minutes and then looked at a new sign and map just outside the front door that showed the hamlet’s historic buildings. As historic districts go, the hamlet is a tough place to visit. There are no sidewalks, and even cars driving the 30-mph speed limit seem to be going too fast for the comfort of pedestrians. 

But you can park in back, and the knoll with the sign and map, the museum, and now the Revolutionary War plaque gives a one-of-a-kind perspective on Pound Ridge and its past that the heat and haze of a July afternoon couldn’t obscure. It’s a tiny cluster of history, as evocative as it is unpretentious. And the July 3 event itself, modest as it was, was close to perfect.

Tom Andersen

Pound Ridge

Supervisor says Scotts Corners Water District protects public health, businesses 

To the Editor:

Recent criticism of the Scotts Corners Water District overlooks the decades of extensive review, public process, and documented water quality issues that led the town to pursue this important public health infrastructure project.

First, I understand and respect that no property owner wants to face additional costs, particularly residents on fixed incomes. That concern is real and has been central to the Town Board’s discussions. However, we must also consider the long-term health, environmental, and economic needs of the entire district and town.

Unlike most residential properties in Pound Ridge, these smaller commercial parcels do not have the same separation between private wells and septic systems. Over time, documented groundwater concerns, including emerging contaminants such as PFAS, have shown that relying indefinitely on individual wells is not a sustainable solution.

This project was not rushed. It followed years of engineering analysis, environmental review, public meetings, a district referendum, review by the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation, and approval by the State Comptroller’s Office. New York state also awarded Pound Ridge a $7.6 million Water Infrastructure Improvement Act grant covering 70% of eligible construction costs, funding awarded only after extensive review.

We also need to recognize that delays have a cost. Construction, labor, materials, and financing rarely become less expensive with time. We have seen locally how rising costs can impact important infrastructure projects, including the Pound Ridge Fire Station project. Additional delays could increase costs for the very property owners we are working to protect and potentially jeopardize this extraordinary funding opportunity.

Responsible government requires careful review, and that has occurred. But it also requires action.

Doing nothing does not remove contaminants from wells or solve infrastructure challenges created generations ago.

The Scotts Corners Water District is about protecting public health, supporting local businesses, and ensuring the heart of Pound Ridge remains strong for decades to come.

Kevin Hansan

Pound Ridge town supervisor