Letter: New vineyard in Northport angers neighbors

New vineyard angers neighbors

Your Dec. 24 news story “Toasting a new vineyard” quotes Del Vino Vineyards owner Frederick Giachetti as saying, “We’ve had just an overwhelming response from the neighbors and the community that everybody’s very, very happy.”

The opposite is true.

On the grounds of his new vineyard in Northport, in a neighborhood of private homes, Giachetti has built a bar with a party room for catering. His boast about closing at 10 p.m. while he could stay open until 11 demonstrates his hubris. His threat to stay open later in the summer illustrates his disdain for his neighbors, especially when you consider that many Long Island vineyards close their tasting rooms at 5 or 6 p.m.

He is very much aware that we are unhappy with what he’s done. We’ve been forced to permanently cede privacy, property values and a peaceful lifestyle for the disruption of a business built where no business should be.

For him to say we neighbors are “very, very happy” is an insult to everyone affected. He’s very, very aware we are not.

Larry Brittan, Northport

Politics and causes of problems at border

Elected officials should not put politics before patriotism. No better examples of this corruption are Democratic congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer [“A showdown over a shutdown and a wall,” News, Dec. 12]. They insist that building a border wall would be ineffective, but they are not stupid, and they know that merely looking at the positive impact of a wall — such as the one Israel built at its border with Egypt — can prove its effectiveness.

They are simply thinking about elections and not thinking about the good of our country. They will not work with our president to enhance security. Shame on them.

Mike Brody, East Hills

Historically, walls were built to keep enemies out. The people from Central America seeking asylum are not our enemies or barbarians at the door. Many are fathers, mothers and children fleeing poverty and drug-induced violence of their homeland. No wall will help alleviate these problems.

We in the United States share some culpability in the development and perpetuation of this dilemma. We consume illegal drugs from countries south of our border, and many guns seized there are smuggled from the United States. Our appetite for drugs and our profit-driven motivation to produce and sell guns contribute to the violence in that region, and to our immigration problem.

Instead of demonizing our southern neighbors, we should pursue policies that address our own shortcomings to improve economic and political conditions to the south. President Donald Trump’s wall is a political gimmick that will only delay the implementation of more sensible policies.

Bob DeCostanzo, East Islip