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Let There Be Light I recently had to take an "N" Train during night hours and was shocked at how dark and dirty the road and MTA Structure under the Ditmars train station is. Then I realized why. There are at least six large light fixtures up the center of the road between Ditmars Boulevard and 23rd Avenue. I don’t know who’s responsibility this is to illuminate this section of Rockaway but it needs to be done to cut down on traffic accidents and make walking down this road, used by thousands of "N" train customers, safer. Thank you Robert J. Cannon Astoria Missing Library To The Editor: As a reader of the Queens Gazette, I have seen the list of librarys and have yet to see our library in Middle Village listed. How come you have left us out? Sincerely yours, Joseph Batja Middle Village P.S. Please keep us listed as to where Carol Sudhalter and the Astoria Band is playing. I love her and her music. Dear Mr. Batja: In January when we started featuring a more complete listing of library’s and their events, your libraries may not have had a current listing in the document we were provided. Since then, however, we have been adding locations and events. The Middle Village branch will be included in the upcoming months. P.S. We too like Carol Sudhalter and her music very much. Speak Out On AIDS To The Editor: As the race for U.S. Senate between Hillary Clinton and Rick Lazio continues, the lack of meaningful discussion about HIV/AIDS is disturbing.New York state is the epicenter of the AIDS epidemic—we have more AIDS cases and more HIV infections than any other state in the country, and the rates of infection among women, people of color, homeless people and intravenous drug users are soaring. According to New York State Department of Health data, Queens County alone has 15,991 people diagnosed with AIDS and many more are HIV-positive. We need our U.S. Senator to keep HIV/AIDS on the front burner, demonstrating strong concerns and smart policies on this important issue. The Hillary Clinton website at www.hillary2000.org has only one reference to HIV/AIDS, a quick mention in one speech about the need for "research funds to prevent and cure cancer, AIDS and other diseases." The Rick Lazio website at www.lazio.com doesn’t mention HIV/AIDS at all. Neither candidate has raised the issue in their recent speeches and public appearances, much less come up with a battle plan against AIDS in our state. New Yorkers living with HIV and AIDS, together with their families, friends and advocates, want the candidates to speak out. We need to know in detail what they will do to fight AIDS and help people living with HIV/AIDS, including those who are homeless, chemically dependent,mentally ill and active drug users. It’s time for Hillary Clinton and Rick Lazio to speak out on HIV/AIDS in our state. We’re waiting to hear them and won’t back either candidate until they speak up and speak out on this important issue. Cathy Murphy Astoria Neighbor’s Keeper? To The Editor: I wasn’t sure who to send this to , but I just wanted to let some steam off—not at you. I’m having trouble dealing with a few issues and I would like your opinion, so here it is. Recently I bought a pool for my kids to keep them at home instead of at the beaches where disease can be contracted in the water, ( i.e. pinkeye, urination in the water or jellyfish or anything). Well, it has been brought to my attention that a simple small six feet pool needs a fence around it. I can see the point as I watch and protect my children, as being raised in the south, very family oriented, and I can now see the point of having to install a fence around it and get a permit for this small pool. The fence alone would be about $300, the pool was $120, and the permit is another $50, and then there’s something after that. I have been sitting here thinking that the reason for all this is that parents simply don’t bother to watch their own children in their own yards so we seem to have to be baby-sitters for all the children who might wander in our yards. Shame on some parents nowadays. I am 47 and husband is 54 I would think that we would have a right to relax in our own yard, with our own kids but that doesn’t seem to be the case any more. Now, I can see the need for all the children’s protection agencies and laws to protect these small children from abuse, especially in this society nowadays. It all just makes me sick to think of the money having to be wasted and the towns that have to watch over people to make sure we install fences, have permits, spend extra money and all to make sure they (other people’s children) don’t get into someone’s yard and hurt themselves so therefore those parents can sue the owners of that property and towns also. All I can say is that I am truly ashamed to live in this society. My car was damaged by a man last year because he didn’t see it he said. He even admitted to the state police that he was taking some kind of drug. The highest figure to fix it was $6000. He of, course, had no license, no insurance, no registration, stolen plates off another car and is still walking around to this day. I still have all the papers on this accident. It was reported to the police and they did do something, they seized the car. That’s it. So you can tell I have to watch out for others at all times because they sure don’t know how to take care of themselves. I would rather live elsewhere than this state that says you need to have a license (not true), so right now I have no interest in justice in America. The worst thing is, what do I tell my children about justice in America? Is this fair? Mary Ann Bolling Laurel, N.Y. School Vouchers To The Editor: For years I have been advocating for the need to adopt and advance a number of school reforms. Often I’ve done so on this very page. That is why I was especially pleased to hear Archbishop (Edward) Egan lend his highly respected voice to the fight to bring school choice vouchers to New York City. Besides being a moral leader held in esteem by millions of Roman Catholics, the Archbishop is also an acknowledged education expert who is widely credited with turning around many parochial schools. The Archbishop’s focus on a parents’ right to direct the formation of he child’s moral character is clearly well founded and his stark identification of the fact that public schools are not value neutral (as if there could even be such a thing) is right on target. His viewpoint adds a new dimension to this important public interest debate that affects the future of all of our children. I hope the politicians will at least take a moment or two to consider it given the ever apparent downward spiraling of standards, both academic and moral, in our schools and in our society at large. Others who support vouchers and school choice have focused on the need to empower parents, to catalyze parental participation, to interject competition and choice. Some have even suggested that vouchers can serve to equalize disparities between the affluent whose offspring attend elite private academies and those of the middle class and the working poor who by and large must attend declining public schools. Others have felt it worthy of note that few of our elected officials or even high level public education establishment members send their children to the very public schools they continually defend. Ergo, do as I say not as I do? As a father and as the husband of a great public school teacher I believe all the more that changes as well as additional assistance and additional options are needed. This doesn’t take away from the fact that the vast majority of public school teachers I’ve encountered are caring, competent professionals. It also doesn’t vitiate the need for new reforms and initiatives. We can always do better. This is New York City! Does it make any sense that we are less progressive on this point than Milwaukee, Cleveland and California? We should embrace expansion of the School Choice Scholarship Foundation and School Vouchers and Charter Schools. Members of the education establishment should not have any reason to fear empowerment of parents or competition. We should at least be willing to try a pilot program to explore the advantages and disadvantages. This is, after all, about the future of our children. Sincerely, State Committeeman Vince Tabone, Esq. Representing Astoria, Long Island City & Jackson Heights Mine Of Non-Information To The Editor: Since I was concerned about the spraying which was to take place during last week [July 23rd], I had called the borough president’s office to ask if there would be leaflets given out letting people know about the time and place. People are busy working or doing whatever they do and sometimes do not pay attention to the media or forget. They referred me to the Department of Health hotline which was a recording of information. I needed to simply ask a question about distributing leaflets and/or posting notices around. Icalled the borough president’s office and told them I wanted to speak to someone and they gave me a phone number of one of the departments in the mayor’s office (212) 442-9666. From that number I was referred to another department who then referred me to another department and so on. After about speaking to five different people simply to find out about whether leaflets would be given out or posted and explained that there are tourists in the city who are running around, going to the theater, coming out of restaurants at about the time that spraying might begin, I was told that they did not think that leaflets would be given out or posted. And that is how New York City does not run. Adele Bender Flushing Why Shorter Pool Hours? To The Editor: Why do the Manhattan outdoor pools have longer hours than our Astoria Pool. While the Manhattan pools, John Jay at 77th Street and the Asher Levy at 23rd Street, have the same afternoon hours, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. as the Astor Pool; but the difference is with the morning and evening sessions. The Manhattan pools have weekday adult lap swiming 7 to 9 a.m. and 7 to 8:30 p.m. from July 4th to Labor Day, while our Astoria Pool only has the morning session from July 4th through the first week of August. Last year I wrote to our representatives but this was not corrected. Hopefully this will be corrected for future years. Sincerely Name Withheld By Request |
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