The campaign in one of our special district elections got out of hand this year, the first time that we have seen such an occurrence in our years in Manhasset. It is a well-known fact that tempers get heated during campaigns for any office. People say and do things that they later regret. It is understandable that people seize almost any club with which to strike out at an opponent but there are limits. Brian Kenny's candidacy for the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire/Water District was controversial for a number of reasons but his devotion to the department is a proven fact. More importantly, some of the issues that he raised during his brief campaign are issues that need to be addressed. Those of us who have lived in the district for a long time remember the rush to Firehouse Number One on Bayview Avenue when a fire alarm sounded. Like it or not, the climate has changed and reasonable people should be able to search for solutions together. From all reports, the behavior of a number of individuals at the Dec. 2 meeting was uncivil, if not uncivilized. Mr. Kenny was a messenger with unwelcome news but "shooting the messenger" never made unwelcome news go away. Mr. Kenny's candidacy has ended but the issues he raised remain. We wish the District good luck in its search for solutions to acknowledged problems.

E.F.B.