Re: the Oct. 26 article "Trustees Spar Over Appointments," I am admittedly biased, but when Mayor Galante appointed Andrea Kauffman to be an alternate member of the Historic District Board almost two years ago, she must have felt that Andrea would be a competent and hardworking member of the board. At that time we were apolitical but active members of the community.

After Mayor Galante suspected that Andrea voted for Craig Westergard the last time she ran for mayor, Andrea became persona non grata and was passed over not once, but twice when permanent seats became available. Please Mayor Galante, tell us why alternate positions on these boards exist if not to train and prepare individuals for when openings arise. It was not as if these two positions were filled with architects or builders.

For the mayor to say that there are "... no litmus tests or political paybacks associated with the appointees whom I recommend ..." is the height of hypocrisy. While we are under no illusions that political appointees cross their sponsors at their own peril, the mayor could at least be honest and admit that she only wants board members whose loyalty (and votes) she can count on 100 percent. Everyone knows that if Andrea were the chairwoman of the Clocktower Party instead of the Roslyn Community Party, she would have been sworn in last week.

Michael Kauffman