I found Mrs. Landau's recent letter to be interesting from a number of perspectives.

Firstly, during the East Williston School Board meeting of June 17, I heard quite clearly what Mrs. Landau and others said. At no time did I hear anyone question the board about the right of a board member to contact a PTO representative in the matter of a candidate's endorsement. If the incident that Mrs. Landau refers to in her letter did occur, the PTO Representative should have either clarified this with the board member or with the entire board. Is Mrs. Landau speaking on behalf of someone else in order to create divisiveness and discord in our community which has worked together cooperatively and cordially over the last three years?

Secondly, Mrs. Landau finally acknowledges some of the tactics used in the campaigns of candidates that she has supported and worked for. I would like to remind her and inform the community of other campaign tactics that have been used by the group she apparently supports, which she neglected to mention.

To refresh her memory concerning the following additional tactics were employed by her group:

* Campaign literature, which was distributed in support of candidates, was removed from the property of residents. This was done by individuals who opposed their candidacies. I have yet to hear or read anything which condemns such tactics.

* An attempt was made in the past to portray a candidate as being anti-Semitic. This is interesting since the candidate's husband happens to be Jewish.

* A meeting regarding the building of a fourth school was scheduled to be held at the Shelter Rock Library to which a select group of people had been invited. A large segment was not only excluded, but even turned away. Why? When the use of the library was denied since the meeting was not open to the public, the meeting was subsequently moved to the Roslyn Country Club. I consider this an unacceptable tactic.

* An attempt was made to give the impression that two board members were puppets of a political machine. What political machine?

* Campaign literature was being distributed in an envelope marked "Important - East Williston School District Information Enclosed." This was rather deceptive. It leads people to surmise that it was official school business being disseminated by either the board or the superintendent. It clearly had nothing to do with the board or the superintendent.

* Names were listed on campaign literature/advertisements supporting candidates without the consent of the individuals.

The fundamental fact remains that the tactics she feels are unbecoming under any circumstances are the ones employed by people she evidently supports. Mrs. Landau in an earlier letter wrote about divisiveness. Mrs. Landau should realize that the ongoing tactics that she and I have enumerated employed by her candidates, contribute toward the divisiveness within the community.

I had hoped that we could work cooperatively, but that which has transpired makes this appear to be an unreachable goal.

Julius Cohen