History Made As Greenport Board Adopts 'Welcoming Community' Designation

GREENPORT, NY — History was made in Greenport Village Thursday night as, before a standing room only crowd that packed the firehouse, trustees voted unanimously 5 to 0 to declare Greenport a "welcoming community."

During a time when the nation is rife with acrimony over the raging immigration issue, the designation means that Greenport has openly declared itself a place that welcomes all and celebrates the diversity of those who live in the village.

The vote came after some debate on the proposal, which was pitched by Trustee Doug Roberts at last week's village board work session — but was a decision lauded by a large segment of the community who took to the podium and said it will earn the village a forever legacy as a group of men and women who stood firmly and with conviction on "the right side of history."

The line of speakers was long Thursday night, a large majority pouring their hearts into pleas with the village board to adopt the resolution.

Former Greenport Mayor David Kapell was first up at the podium. He said the resolution "dances around a very serious challenge for the village but doesn't hit the nail on the head."

Nearly 20 percent of all village residents, Kapell said, are "under threat of deportation" after President Donald Trump's new executive orders. In addition, Kapell said, "75 percent of kids in the Greenport school come from these families."

Of the immigrants, he said, "The vast majority are decent, hardworking people trying to make a life for themselves, their family, their children. Their labor is the backbone of the village and North Fork economy. Without them, the village economy will tank and the school will be forced to close."

The village, Kapell said, did not create the problem; it is, he said, the result of a dysfunctional immigration system "that works as well as a screen door on a submarine."

While he said he agreed the border needs to be secured and criminals must go, to lose 20 percent of the village's population and 75 percent of the children in the school district, "would be an unmitigated disaster for our village."

Kapell called on Trump, Congress and Senate to enact comprehensive immigration reform.

Kathryn Quigley said the issue was critical. "It's not often that things are happening in the federal government that so directly affect our small little community here in Greenport. This resolution is symbolic, but symbols have a lot of power."

She read a statement from her husband David, who reflected on the things he's never had to fear: "That my children wouldn't have a parent to put them to bed, that my elderly mother or father would be ripped from the life they've been living for 30 years. That when I leave in the morning, it might be the last time I see my wife. That rushing to the hospital brought with it the added danger of deportation. . .or that my children might be taunted for the color of their skin." He said, while some may consider the resolution a token gesture, they should ask themselves if they have ever felt those fears.

Resident suggests others report "obstruction of justice"

Resident Robert Kehl disagreed. "I still don't believe this village should have to draft any resolution to declare the Village of Greenport a welcoming village. If you are here legally, you are always welcome."

He then held up a sign with a phone number, where residents could call and "report an obstruction of justice as far as immigration laws, employers that employ illegal aliens, anyone renting to illegal aliens, and aiding and abetting, and this includes the clergy." His comments were met with a noticeable outcry from the crowd assembled.

"Make sure you mention Doug Roberts by name," Kehl said. "We want to make sure Mr. Roberts gets all the credit he deserves."

Outpouring of support

Resident Dinni Gordon said some of the opposition expressed at the work session seemed to be based on the assumption that to declare the village a welcoming community would suggest a previous attitude "that we weren't welcoming. I see a much more affirmative purpose. As a nation, we're in a very anxious time."

The federal government, she said, has announced a "dragnet that will inevitably sweep up" neighbors, colleagues, employees and employers. "We can't reject the mandates of local and national law enforcement and this resolution is not trying to do that. But we can send a message to vulnerable residents that we appreciate their contributions and are concerned about their future."

Immigration attorney Chris Worth said he saw someone waving a flag in Greenport and running. Of the flag, he said, "You know what it means to me now? It means Trump. It means get rid of the immigrants. That is the symbol of our country."

His remarks sparked anger among Greenport residents who said the individual was a part of the community, a member of the military, and the flag represented not only the president but the history of the nation and all the lives lost, represented in its stripes. He later apologized for losing his temper and said no dialogue is possible if anger overcomes civility.

Greenport resident Margaret Cowden said she was attracted initially to Greenport by its diversity.

"The Statue of Liberty has always been a welcoming image to me," she said. "I'm deeply concerned by the voices in this country that seem to want to extinguish that flame of welcome."

Robin Goodman of Orient said not only was the resolution a symbolic gesture, but anecdotal evidence suggests that welcoming communities experience economic benefits.

"I don't see what Greenport could stand to lose," she said. "While it doesn't imply that it hasn't been a welcoming community beforehand, voting it down would send a message that it's not, and wouldn't be, in the future."

Liz Smith of Greenport added, "This is beyond immigration. Words matter. What makes me upset is the words 'us' and 'them.' It's hateful." She added, "Stop the hate speech because ultimately what unites us is far more than what divides us."

Greenport's Penelope Rudder added, "We need to prioritize the human beings. It's the human beings that are going to create the sustainable life here. We need to open our hearts up, because this is our village's heart, these human beings. I don't think the heart of the matter, in anything, should be left as an assumption." She added that she'd looked up the definition of the word "fear," and the exact opposite was "trust."

Ellen Neff of Greenport said the historical perspective needs to be considered. She herself has Irish and German roots and her ancestors found similarly unsettling times in the 1880s. New immigration law, she said, "will come." Greenport, she said, is diverse. "It's a good place to be and it's not ever going to be just one kind of place."

"This goes both ways"

Greenport resident Chatty Allen, a school bus driver, said she was upset by Worth's remark about the flag. "I'm not a Trump supporter. I don't agree with what he's doing. But to have one of my kids — he's not biologically mine, but he's one of my kids — carrying the American flag and have negativity shown at him . . . yet you have people here feeling they are the ones being attacked. This goes both ways." Near tears, Allen said she was born and raised in Greenport.

"Greenport has welcomed everyone. Why do we have to have a resolution or a proclamation? And then it turns into me, being a white female, against someone of color. That's not what Greenport is, but that's what this resolution has brought out. People like me are afraid to speak out because if we say something, we are racist and hateful," Allen said.

She reminded that Greenport cannot be a sanctuary city because it does not have its own police department.

The proposed resolution, Allen believes, has divided the community.

Teresa Taylor of Greenport, meanwhile, said that in the early 1900s, Italian immigrants were called "wops," which stood for "without papers." She said she and others who feel safe have been "lucky to have been blessed by the birth lottery and not much more than that. Our ancestors were not all legal. Not just the legal should be blessed. Immigrants should be loved, and I hope that this resolution will reflect that sense of love for each other."

Greenport resident Arthur Tasker eloquently quoted Martin Neimoller, a Protestant pastor who spoke out against Hitler and wrote the famous words, "First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."

Sonia Spar, co-chair of the Southold Anti-Bias Task Force, said the more individuals get to know one another "the less bias, hatred and prejudice, because we see them as humans."

She added, "We need to understand the direct connection between the language we use and the environment we live in. Words matter."

Southold Town and ABTF, she said, are working to foster respect and civility. "Prejudice and bias leads to hatred. Hatred, left unchecked leads to hateful action." Not good, in a country where hate crimes are still on the rise, she said.

Greenport, she added, is a destination marked by diversity, not just by Latino immigrants but by the "LGBTQ community, Muslims, refugees, and Jewish" residents. "People coming need to make sure our core values are respected. I am more and more scared when I see Confederate flags on motorcycles. This is a positive message, taking a stand when hatred is going unchecked," Spar said.

A village divided

Peter Harris said two grandparents immigrated to America from Poland and were treated like "second class citizens. The thing that bothers me the most when we supposedly have upstanding citizens that rent, and are putting two, three, four families in a single family home, lining their own pockets. And Greenport has to be a welcoming community? Welcoming for what? To make a buck."

Greenport resident Bill Wright said the issue of security hadn't been discussed. There are many illegal immigrants in the United States that haven't been properly vetted, he said.

"I have no hatred for anyone. Welcome to America. But we need to give the current administration a chance to deal with it, because no other administration has been willing to; they've just passed the buck. We need to give the administration in Washington a chance to deal with this so we can come together and have a reasonable solution."

Not all immigrants are Latino, said Mattituck's Art Tillman, also the Southold Town Democratic Committee Chair. He said he's Czech, and he knows many Polish immigrants who are also terrified they will be deported. He said individuals need to take their fundamental faith, the faith they were brought up with, "and take it into the world."

Of the resolution, he said, "Jesus said if you have a candle, don't hide it under a bushel. Let the world see."

Others urged the board to vote with their hearts.

Sag Harbor's Minerva Perez, executive director of Organizacion Latino-Americana, or OLA, does diversity training with the Southampton Town Police.

She shared a heartfelt story about an Latino teen who wants to be a Navy SEAL and then, come home to serve in the East Hampton Town Police Department.

"This is our future. These children want to do nothing but be American, to serve and die for our country — whether their parents are undocumented or not," she said.

To the board, she said, "There is bravery in this room, even to have this conversation is brave. I want to take this back to the South Fork, as a model."

Voices of opposition

Greenport's Joanne McEntee said most of those speaking were not Greenport residents, or do not regularly attend village meetings.

She said there are criminals in the village, people who have come into the country illegally; she also brought up MS-13 gangs and said the resolution does not address illegal immigrants that have committed crimes.

She said homeowners were bearing the heavy weight of taxes for the large percentage of schoolchildren enrolled whose parents are in the country illegally.

Of Trump, she said, "He may not be what we like, or what you don't like, but he is our president. We've all accepted presidents in the past and we need to accept the president as he is today. The biggest issue here tonight is not immigrants. The biggest issue is illegal immigrants," she said.

And, she said, her kids make less working in restaurants on the books than illegal immigrants paid in cash. She also urged the board not to make Greenport "a dumping ground," as it was in past years.

"History is going to remember us"

Susan Dingle, also a member of the Southold ABTF, said she was moved by the outpouring and courage in the room Thursday night.

"You have before you a great opportunity to share the loving heart of Greenport with the wider world. We need your example," Dingle said. By adopting the resolution, Greenport would be serving as an example for other municipalities, she said.

Carolyn Peabody, of the Southold ABTF said she agreed with others who had spoken. "History is going to remember us. We would really want to be on the side of supporting people, human life, in doing the right thing."

Historic vote

Before the vote, Trustee Mary Bess Phillips said she was happy Roberts' initial wording was changed a bit — the words "foreign born" were changed to now just say "all Greenport residents" — to reflect the true spirit of "what we are in the Village of Greeenport. We are Greenport. We are all in it together and we all take care of each other."

Roberts said he was happy with Mayor George Hubbard's edits and said he, himself, was welcomed to Greenport from Northport 10 years ago.

"My goal was not 'we' and 'they', but 'us.' Not 'us and them,' just 'us,' my neighbors," Roberts said. "The resolution was not intended to say to any of you that you haven't welcomed people. It's about asking you to join in a symbolic statement."

Trustee Julia Robins said she was honored to be able to vote. "Somebody said to do the right thing. This is what's in my heart. I pray for this community to heal. I pray for this community to heal. I hope we can come together."

The vote passed unanimously

After the vote, Roberts told Patch, "It was a great night to be a Greenporter. I ended up hugging about 10 or 12 people I barely knew last night after the meeting. That's what being a true Greenporter is all about. Thank you to everyone for coming out, and thank you to Mayor Hubbard for his leadership and ability to bring us all together."

Photos screenshots from televised Greenport Village board meeting.