Julie Amper
Julie Amper moved to Mattituck ten years ago to "escape suburbia" and has been involved in trying to prevent its spread to the North Fork ever since. A full-time children's book editor, she has volunteered her time to the North Fork Environmental Council (former board member), to the Mattituck Historical Society, and the Wildlife Preservation Center, hoping to help preserve some of what makes the North Fork so special.
“To me, Sustainable Southold means preserving and protecting the little bit of heaven I call home, keeping it safe from destructive elements--from pollutants to developers--and ensuring that it remains a healthy, beautiful, idyllic haven for generations to come.”
Marie Domenici
After a career on Wall Street, Marie moved to Mattituck and served as a staff member of the North Fork Environmental Council and State Assemblyman Marc Alessi’s office. Marie’s passion for promoting renewable energy led to her current position at Green Logic, a firm specializing in alternative energy solutions. In addition, she serves as the chairwoman of Southold Town’s Renewable Energy Committee and as a member of the Southold Town Tax Council. She is a former member of Southold Town Storm Water Run-Off Committee, a former member of Mattituck Cutchogue SD Health, Safety Committee & Technology Committee and a former trustee for Mattituck Laurel Historical Society.
“My definition of sustainability: is being a steward of the air, land & water. What we do in our day to day lives should never have a negative impact on our fragile environment. We need to consider the importance of recycling in our everyday lives. Recycle our homes, cars, clothing, etc. We live in such a throwaway society and we need to rethink how we live our lives. The goal should be to preserve open space and not build on every parcel of land until farmland becomes nothing more than a memory or a photo! We need to educate those who have no concept of harvesting resources. To quote Robert Gillman, editor of In Context magazine, 'do onto future generations as you would have them do unto you!'"
Hazel Kahan
Hazel is an artist, writer and activist who lives in Mattituck. She is the host of Tidings with Hazel Kahan, a monthly radio show that airs on WPKN.
“Sustainability means that we take out no more from the earth than it can replenish itself or than we can put back into it. Otherwise, we are destroying the balance of the resources that sustain us.”
Howard Meinke
Howard Meinke has been a part-time and then full-time Southolder since 1936. Howard, a graduate of the University of Michigan, worked as an engineer at Fairchild Guided Missiles and AVCO Corp. and then as a general contractor/builder for 30 years.
After retirement, Howard moved vigorously into the North Fork Environmental Council, where he served as Vice President and then President. Promoting sound environmental practices and sustainability have been his interests since retirement.
Anne Murray
Anne Murray is a former journalist who lives in East Marion. She serves on the board of the East Marion Community Association and the Land Use Committee of the North Fork Environmental Council.
“To me, sustainability means that we must ensure that we replenish our resources in order to ensure their survival for future generations.”
Debbie O’Kane
Debbie O’Kane summered on the North Fork as a child and has lived here full-time since 1993. Debbie chose to work as an environmental advocate after realizing that within her own lifetime certain aspects of North Fork living seem to have disappeared forever. Her daughter, Claire, would probably never know the tickle of a blowfish gently bumping against a leg or the glimmering blue sparkle of scallops so abundant in our bays not long ago. Debbie joined the staff of the North Fork Environmental Council in 1996 and served as Executive Director from 1999 to 2004.
“Sustainability-- a big word for a very simple concept. It’s all about finding balance. The natural world seems to have perfected the art of achieving balance, yet we humans still have a huge learning curve when it comes to achieving this balance. 'Don’t use more than you need to …don’t bite off more than you can chew. . .' These adages help to steer us in the right direction. To be sustainable means to live ever mindful that we cannot continue to deplete resources without severe consequences. We must focus on what’s renewable, recyclable--making decisions about what we can use less of and what we can live without. We must plan so that future generations can continue to enjoy life on this earth.”
Gwynn Schroeder
Gwynn is an environmentalist and activist who served as a staff member of the North Fork Environmental Council for several years. As a child, she spent summers at her grandparents’ home on the North Fork. She has been a resident of Cutchogue since attending High School in Mattituck.
“Sustainability means treading lightly, recognizing that resources are limited and using only what you need to ensure that all inhabitants of the planet, as well as future generations, can also live.”
Frank Wills
Frank has been a Mattituck resident since 1962 when he designed and built his own house. An engineer who worked in the mining metal business for many years, Frank now runs a small company involved in arranging for the recovery of metals from by-products. On the environmental side, Frank joined the Sierra Club in 1959, the NFEC in 1975, the Nature Conservancy in 1979, and Greenpeace in1982. He is a frequent attendee at Town meetings and is Stakeholder for Mattituck.
“To me sustainability equates to maintaining what we have out here landwise, water wise, and ski wise. i.,e. Save What’s Left. We should define at what level of growth we stand to permanently lose what we have out here. That should translate into part of a master plan that limits how many new homes can be built and what zoning changes are needed to meet that goal."
