WHEN ONE FIRE ISLAND community is in trouble, all of us are in trouble. So when things hit the fan in Fire Island Pines over Fourth of July Weekend, I knew that our publication had to respond – not with the shaming and exploitation that so many media outlets indulged in, but with compassion for the many residents who love where they live, and have done the right thing all along.I’ve witnessed similar incidents where I live on Fire Island this summer, and have friends in nearby communities who have the same laments. Fire Island Pines simply drew the short straw. However this summer such behavior is not only annoying, but also dangerous. We all must be more responsible neighbors, visitors and hosts.In this issue reporter Laura Schmidt examines what went wrong, and how things might be done better. On our website, Mariana Dominguez explores how the ferry companies that service Fire Island are contending with this subject – where are they getting it right, and where is there room for improvement? On the topic of things that are unmasked, Emma Boskovski strips away facades as she continues with her “Fallen Idols of Fire Island” series. Then there is Hugh O’Brien who briefly set aside his Saltaire columnist mask to bring us “FiFlix,” something new that we hope you will enjoy.Victor Hugo once famously wrote, “Virtue has a veil, vice a mask.” In some other context, this may be true. Yet under present circumstances everyday heroes really do wear masksWHEN ONE FIRE ISLAND community is in trouble, all of us are in trouble. So when things hit the fan in Fire Island Pines over Fourth of July Weekend, I knew that our publication had to respond – not with the shaming and exploitation that so many media outlets indulged in, but with compassion for the many residents who love where they live, and have done the right thing all along.I’ve witnessed similar incidents where I live on Fire Island this summer, and have friends in nearby communities who have the same laments. Fire Island Pines simply drew the short straw. However this summer such behavior is not only annoying, but also dangerous. We all must be more responsible neighbors, visitors and hosts.In this issue reporter Laura Schmidt examines what went wrong, and how things might be done better. On our website, Mariana Dominguez explores how the ferry companies that service Fire Island are contending with this subject – where are they getting it right, and where is there room for improvement? On the topic of things that are unmasked, Emma Boskovski strips away facades as she continues with her “Fallen Idols of Fire Island” series. Then there is Hugh O’Brien who briefly set aside his Saltaire columnist mask to bring us “FiFlix,” something new that we hope you will enjoy.Victor Hugo once famously wrote, “Virtue has a veil, vice a mask.” In some other context, this may be true. Yet under present circumstances everyday heroes really do wear masks
