Mastic Beach Village Hall is shown in a photo taken...

Mastic Beach Village Hall is shown in a photo taken on Jan. 8, 2015. Credit: Ed Betz

I feel badly for the residents of the Village of Mastic Beach, but they knew what they were getting into when they incorporated in 2010 [“Ex-mayors help with budget hole,” News, April 15]. In fact, they called me before incorporating. In 1990, I led a campaign to dissolve the 2-year-old incorporated Village of Pine Valley in Southampton Town.

This article is reminiscent of the Pine Valley meetings when lots of residents showed up, and Southampton police were called to keep the peace. One Pine Valley board member even punched another member, giving him a black eye.

It took us almost two years to dissolve Pine Valley. We wrote dozens of letters to newspapers, local politicians and anyone else we thought could help us. When the vote to dissolve came, residents approved it 165-142.

Jim Dreeben, Riverhead

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