I am writing to endorse Patty Katz for the position of Water Pollution Control Commissioner in Great Neck. I have known Patty for 15 years and have never known anyone more dedicated to protecting our precious resources and environment here on Long Island.
For the past several years, I have had the privilege of serving with Ms. Katz on the Green Committee of Reach Out America. Patty was the chairwoman of this committee, and she approached every challenge we took on with admirable enthusiasm and passion. But, she is not just a talker, she is a doer. As committee members, we would toss around all sorts of ideas for solutions to problems and Patty would develop a plan of action. Whether it was to contact our congressman, gather names for a petition or speak at a meeting, Patty was always the one who got it done. She knew, or took it upon herself to find out, who to call and what to say to accomplish our goals. She knew how to rally the forces to make posters, collect signatures or make our presence known at public meetings.
And, get things done, she did! She was responsible for getting the Great Neck Plaza and Great Neck Park District to start a recycling program. She alerted residents to the dangers of the PSEG telephone poles coated with pentachlorophenol, a toxic wood preservative that presents serious health hazards when touched. She headed up a group to go to a public hearing on the proposal to develop the Port Ambrose Liquefied Natural Gas facility off the shore of Long Beach. At this hearing, she spoke most eloquently on the behalf of citizens who care deeply about the quality and safety of our ocean and beaches. As a result of the speeches given by Patty and other environmentally concerned citizens, the Port Ambrose project was defeated.
With Patty Katz’s energy, intelligence and passion, I believe she is just getting started. There is no one I would trust more with the safety of our water than Patty Katz. I urge you to step forward and vote for her to be our next Water Pollution Control Commissioner on Dec. 13. If you live on the north side, voting is at the Great Neck House on Arrandale Avenue. South voters go to the Great Neck Social Center on Grace Avenue and Gilchrist.
—Leslie Hirschhorn
