Comments on: Sands Point Preserve is Being Destroyed by the Group Entrusted to Protect It

By: Movie Girl

Movie Girl — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 17:48:15 +0000

I worked on the set of ‘Running Wilde’ and personally saw wildlife trappers leaving cages with raccoons in the woods. I saw them putting raccoons in a white van. When I called the D.E.C they said Wildlife trappers kill ‘humanely trapped’ raccoons by either drowning them, shooting them in the head, or breaking their backs!
I also saw over a period of months the beautiful ancient copper Beech tree’s roots being run over hundreds of times with payloaders, and roots being covered by Fill, as well as posts being driven into the roots. Did you not think this would kill a tree…I think done intentionally. The tree did not fall down in a storm.
The reporter for the Press did honest reporting and I can’t believe the letter to the editor. It’s all lies. I saw what happened with my own eyes.

By: Debbie

Debbie — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 17:20:54 +0000

“The human spirit needs places where nature has not rearranged by the hand of man”

By: Andrew

Andrew — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 22:17:31 +0000

Wow, that’s terrible to destroy wildlife. I sure hope some of it survives (I doubt that). It’s really nasty for someone to just swing a giant ax at a very old tree that might have hundreds of animals depending on it for shelter. Some people just think about their own money and profit and don’t think about what their leaving to the future generations or the wildlife that he/she could be killing.

By: Michael Patrick Nelson

Michael Patrick Nelson — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 18:13:08 +0000

Truth:

Mrs. Hagedorn’s letter to the editor will be published in next week’s print edition of the Long Island Press, on stands Nov. 25.

Best,

Ed.

By: Truth

Truth — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 16:22:47 +0000

I heard Karli Hagedorn wrote a response to the editor last week? Where is it? Why have you not published it? Very unprofessional.

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 04:52:47 +0000

I just send a prayer that the beautiful and rare place we all love, the Sands Point Preserve stops being the ground for destruction and hatreds and becomes an enlightened place that is a hub and nationwide model of culture, wildlife and nature PRESERVATION, a place of goodness, as it was originally intended to be by Harry Guggenheim. The poor man is probably rolling in his grave.

By: Tweedle Dumb

Tweedle Dumb — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 00:06:06 +0000

The idea that this story is planted sounds like the kind of spin that the Friends do best. The County would live up to its obligations if the Preserve would benefit from this Friends group. While the county may not have done great things at the Preserve, the did less harm over the years than the Friends have done in one.

While it is inconceivable that the Friends would do such terrible things, the current Board is very different than the group that originated the idea of a better run Preserve.

By: HB

HB — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 23:47:30 +0000

Those who have stood up for truth and brought the facts to light are to be commended. One need only to visit the Preserve to see the destruction and know this reporter has told the truth. The County took too long to get rid of the Friends. All the money collected by Friends should be used to repair the damage they have done.

By: Alan

Alan — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 18:22:27 +0000

Very poor, one sided, libelous reporting. Did the reporter talk to any residents of the preserve? Maybe he should have to get a first hand idea of what really happens on the preserve. The current staff who are responsbile for maintaining the grounds are excellent. They are courteous and concerned. The reporter makes it out as if they are 4-wheeling throughout the preserve and chopping down things with no thoughts. The preserve has never looked as good as it does now. Keep up the good work and don’t listen to inflamatory, mean spirited, vendetta driven drivel.

By: Tweedle Dee

Tweedle Dee — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 15:59:59 +0000

Who planted this story? Seems to me it’s just a ploy so the county has an excuse not to cough up the $340K to run the place. It’s no secret that Mangano ain’t got the bread to fund the 2011 budget for mandatory expenses, let alone soft costs like the Preserve.

By: Alexandre Marcondes Machado

Alexandre Marcondes Machado — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 00:01:24 +0000

This is very sad.Is necessary to stop this destruccion, so that many peoples posts your
comments…

By: v

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 19:16:57 +0000

First I want everyone to understand that for a property of this size with as many buildings, it would be impossible for any group to run it to the state it should be.
It would take hundreds of millions of dollars and a full time team of experts . In that light I would like to commend “The Friends” on the progress they have made.
The County is so far stretched that them running the property again may cause more harm. The only suitable use for the property I see is a university. It is the perfect setting for a public research facility which specializes in “green tech” and coastal environmental research. This would allow it to still be used as a park but at the same time providing ,jobs, income , grants and exhibits.

By: grace

grace — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:24:38 +0000

This is horrible!!!We have laws to protect nature and wild life.The County needs to take control of the Preserve Now!Hunting animals in a nature Preserve?Are these people nuts?This is still County property.Why did the County allow this to happen?

By: Nature Lover

Nature Lover — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 17:08:31 +0000

The county did its job. They did not break any agreements, nor did they break the law. Giving caretakers a break on rent is very commonplace and no big deal. However, treating a public preserve as if you are landscaping your private estate is. Caretakers and former friends who are willing to speak up, especially within such a close knit community should be commended.
Unfortunately, no amount of miracle-gro will ever be able to repair the damage done to that lovely beech tree, and I for one, will never be able to use that product again. Let’s hope that mistakes of this kind will be avoided in the future.

By: jtaf02

jtaf02 — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 20:10:15 +0000

I can understand that fact that there is two sides to every story and this one of course is no exception. However to those of you who criticize the reporter or the story itself for shoddy reporting may want to step back for a second. Regardless…you cannot disagree with a photo of a worker swinging a sledge hammer at a tree or photos of tree stumps in a place that is supposed to be a haven for nature. The real problem does not rest in WHY this happened but THAT it happened. The why is just red tape and politics the fact is that neither my children or my grandchildren will live to see this place restored to what it once was.

By: Tori Unger

Tori Unger — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 04:46:14 +0000

Shameful,faulty reporting. Do not believe everything you read is true! I can see the comments! I go often the the Preserve and is bucolic, very well tended. The reporter certainly didnt do his due diligence. This article is libelous.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 04:45:43 +0000

By the way,
this is NOT SENSATIONALIST! I have personally witnessed these things happening at the Preserve…Unbelievable. County museum workers should be hired and put in place like before…people who cared for the place and live there like before. There WAS a time when Sands Point really was a unique entity as a museum facility and had an obviously devoted staff who knew and ran the place. Saw it for years firsthand…they really gave a lot of themselves with shoestring budgets to work with.
Some people obviously put their reputations and perhaps safety on the line with this article, people who have been at the Preserve for years, to get these facts out to the public…very brave of them. Kudos to them.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 04:38:31 +0000

I’m so happy to read on Ed Mangano’s Facebook page that the County is officially kicking the Friends out as of January 1st!!!! BRAVO!!!!
Can’t wait. I hope someone puts up a plaque honoring that beautiful old tree and plants a new one RIGHT IN THE SAME SPOT!

By: I care

I care — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 01:04:59 +0000

Why are you guys only posting comments that support your reporter’s one sided crap? I know many people who posted critical comments that you guys didn’t post. What’s up with that?

By: Alex Rupp

Alex Rupp — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:59:29 +0000

Jolanta was voted off the board by a majority of the board. The major removal of trees occurred when Jolanta was one of the leaders of the board! Did she tell you that?? Alison Hubbard was fired after she refused to come to work (of course she expected to be paid almost 30 dollars per hour). She was caught releasing raccoons that were humanely trapped inside the building. I bet she placed that trap outside. Did she tell you that? I know what I think – sour grapes.