| Issue #30, October 20, 2006 |
Breaking News
Kramnik Wins
For those following the World Champion Chess Match held in Elista, Republic of Kalmykia, Russia, during the last two weeks, here is what finally happened. Vladimir Kramnik, of Russia, confused and depressed after being locked out of his bathroom by the Host Committee after a bogus complaint that he was cheating by Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria was acted upon, lost his lead late in the match, then recovered enough to bring it to a conclusion as a tie, six points to six, which threw the event into a speed chess overtime.
All four speed chess matches were played in one hectic day. Kramnik won the first, Topalov the second, there were then two ties, and in the final match, Topalov made a bad move and Kramnik beat him, final score 8 1/2 to 7 1/2. Kramnik is now the undisputed champion of chess.
Trap Ban
Following the death of a local pet dog who stepped into a bear trap earlier this year, East Hampton Town Board held a hearing on the ban of body-gripping traps on any and all Town-owned properties. The hearing occurred Thursday, Oct. 19th at 7:30 p.m. in East Hampton Town Hall. If adopted, East Hampton will join Southampton and other local towns in the eradication of these deadly traps from publicly accessible land.
Land Purchase
The acquisition of two of four waterfront parcels of land in Shinnecock is bittersweet for many. In a heated debate last week, Southampton Town declared that they would use Community Preservation Funds to purchase 4.8 acres of sacred Shinnecock Indian land at a cost of $5.8 million. The argument comes about because many feel that the Town’s quick actions to preserve these properties will undercut Suffolk County’s attempts to acquire the entire 13 acres of undeveloped land. County Legislator Jay Schneiderman said that acquiring the other two parcels could take up to a year and while the Town can purchase land at fair market value, the County could not pay more than the appraised value of the land. He also mentioned that currently there was no commitment from the County legislature to purchase the land.
Jewish Center Results
It was possibly the best voter turnout in Jewish Center of the Hamptons’ history. Whether this will put to rest the inner turmoil of the East Hampton congregation is still to be seen. For over a year the Jewish Center has been divided between those who support the Board’s decision to not renew Rabbi David Gelfand’s contract and The Committee to Save the Jewish Center of the Hamptons, who looked to reinstate him (though it is now a moot point as Gelfand has moved on to Temple Israel of the City of New York).
Before the election, seven positions, including the chairmanship, were offered to The Committee to Save the Jewish Center, but the offer was refused because even with those seven spots, the Committee would still consist of the minority on the new board. They didn’t want a piece, they wanted the whole pie (or at least the majority).
There were 17 spots out of a total 25 up for grabs. A slate of seven officers and ten individual Board of Trustee positions were on the ballot. It was the shot The Committee was looking for. If they could fill all these places, they would have the majority, they would have the power.
But this wouldn’t be the case. Out of the 670 voters who participated in the elections, 350 votes were counted for the slate that was favored by the board that did not renew the Rabbi’s contract last year. 320 votes came in for the slate that was supported by The Committee. The winning officers consists of Linda Heller Kamm as president; Richard Adrian, Sherwood Schwarz, Carol Wenig as vice presidents; Stanley Baumblatt as treasure; Charlotte Sasso as secretary; and Leonard Ackerman as chairman.
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