Good to see The Advocate column ("Where there's dense smoke there's ire," Jan. 13) address the long-standing smoke issue at the Lichak residence in East Nassau.
As mayor from 2004 to 2012, I continually urged our board to take action under our existing, and then strengthened, smoke regulations. Again and again, the board refused in spite of my warnings they were establishing a record of not enforcing our law. The hope seemed to be the Lichaks would resort to litigation, allowing the board to abdicate its responsibility.
Having led the successful Nassau Union of Concerned Citizens fight against the Lane Quarry proposal with the state Department of Environmental Conservation, I'm no stranger to the agency's failings. Here, however, we have the village founded in part on "small responsive government." As a charter member of that government, I accepted the reality that standing up for your constituents and the law could bring criticism or take you out of office. For Trustee Adam Acquario to now demand another governmental agency do what he could have done with me is the height of hypocrisy.
Given the ease of election to the Village Board, this also is a compelling and tragic lesson of civic disengagement by constituents who could have been part of the solution.
ROBERT L. HENRICKSON
East Nassau