(transcribed)

 (Ed: this was written during the Gaffney Administration)

To: Suffolk County Public Works Department   December 7, 2002
From: John and Milly Krut - Oakdale, NY 11769

Subject: Dredging the Grand Canal Idle Hour/Oakdale

My wife and I have lived in the Idle Hour community since 1969 and have been involved in various community activities associated with our schools, swim club, brownies, girl scouts, Oakdale beautification and many other activities over our 33 years in this community.

In 1980, we moved from our first house on Middlesex Avenue to our current house on Connetquot Drive, which is on the Grand Canal.  At that time our children were 11, 9 and 6 years old, as were many of the children in this area at that time.

Living on the canal at that time was very different than it is today.  In 1980 our children and others were able to swim in the canal.  We fished off our dock for snappers and perch, and blue claw crabs.  At night, the canal came alive with eels, and when a boat came through, the water remained clean.

Today it's a very different story.  If you were to go in the water you would be covered with mud and silt.  The snappers and perch are gone.  The crabs grow to about 2" in diameter and die.  The eels are gone and when boats come through, the canal becomes dark, muddy and it smells.

The area we live in also has become stagnant and shallow, and at low tide there is mud where it used to be water.

I don't see where we have a choice but to dredge.  If we don't, this canal will be nothing but a street drain and mosquito pit within the next ten years.

Also, having a public meeting to discuss this issue at 9:30am on any weekday is extremely disrespectful to most of us who have to go to work everyday.  This type of meeting should be convenient for the average taxpayer and should have been scheduled in the evening.

Please dredge the canal and stop wasting our money!

Thank you

John and Milly Krut