To The Editor:

I recently saw your article "Did Ya Know..." mentioning some thens and nows.

I then remembered I had an article "Old Astoria Street Names" dated April 26, 1982 which was published in the Western Queens Gazette.

Enclosed you will find a photocopy of that article. (See page 18).

Ms. C. Cunningham,

Astoria

Wants More Districts

A copy of the following letter was received by the Gazette.

Dear [State] Senator [Joseph] Bruno,

I am writing you today as a board member of the Responsible Government Coalition (RGC) in support of a recent proposal made by Queens Councilmember Dennis Gallagher to expand the number of New York City Council seats from 51 to 53. The RGC is committed to responsive, and responsible representative government at all levels. Our mandate is to bring the people’s government closer to the taxpaying citizen. With this in mind Councilmember Gallagher’s proposal is worthy of consideration. I would ask you to refer this matter to the New York State Senate Elections Committee for appropriate consideration.

Ideally New York City Council Districts would also be co-terminus with New York City community board boundaries. This would make for more natural boundaries and considerable cost savings through obvious synergies. Representation closer to our communities would prove more responsive, more responsible and more understandable. The RGC is also notifying Governor [George] Pataki, [Assembly] Speaker [Sheldon] Silver, Mayor [Michael] Bloomberg and [Council] Speaker [Gifford] Miller in the hopes of fostering consideration for this thoughtful and citizen-friendly initiative.

Whatever your final determination, RGC extends its thanks to Councilmember Gallagher for a thoughtful pro-voter proposal.

Sincerely,

Nowell Denker

Responsible Government Coalition member

Via e-mail

Editor’s Note: Joseph Bruno is the state Senate majority leader. Council salaries are currently $90,000 a year; adding two more seats would increase, not decrease taxpayer costs.

Raps Cloning

To The Editor:

To clone or not to clone that is the question. Well, maybe it is not a question any more. It may have already occurred with the news on Friday [December 17] by a group called Clonaid, a quasi-religious sect that thinks humans are the cloned spawn of space aliens and have claimed that the Brave New World is here with the birth of a 7-pound baby girl named Eve.

Well maybe it’s true. We’ll just have to wait for the DNA tests to come through, but it seems the race is on. I don’t think even Aldous Huxley could have conceived that his idea of a Brave New World according to his book could have occurred in such a relative short span of time. Added to that, there are a number of groups working on this project of cloning all around the world. Another such group in Rome, headed by a fertility specialist, a Dr. Serverino Antinori, announced recently that one of its patients will give birth in January to a baby boy clone.

As a Catholic I’m deeply troubled and appalled over the turn of events. I’ve always believed in the sanctity of life and the family. I just wonder where will all this lead. In the end, are we not in reality playing God?

I find something else very troubling in that in cloning lesser species mutations have occurred plus rapid aging. The appalling desire of some to bring back their deceased children by cloning them I find grotesque and macabre.

Science has truly run amok and has brought us to this slippery slope. It is time to put the brakes on and call a halt. We are going too far and we must enact a ban on all human cloning, for we have truly stepped over the line and as a nation we must act now.

Sincerely yours,

Frederick R. Bedell Jr.

Little Neck

V Less Crowded

To The Editor:

The story concerning the V train contained some errors. I am a regular rider of the F and V trains from Continental Avenue to Rockefeller Center. The V train does not run through the 63rd Street tunnel. The V train offers a less crowded alternative to 23rd and Ely, Lexington and 53rd Street as well as Fifth Avenue. These stations are still serviced by two trains. In addition it gives those commuters who enter the system west of Roosevelt Avenue the opportunity to get to midtown without having to change trains at the crowded Queens Plaza station.

In addition, the reference to the E and F trains as "express" is absurd. A trip on the V or R local from Continental to Queens Plaza is shorter than either "express" train during rush hours.

Sincerely,

Steven Bellish

via e-mail

Parking Violations Hurt

A copy of the following letter was received by the Gazette.

Honorable Iris Weinshall

Department of Transportation

40 Worth Street

New York, NY 10013

Dear Commissioner Weinshall:

Many of our disabled community members have expressed strong concerns regarding the abuse of Handicapped Parking Only spaces available for the use of the handicapped. Handicapped parking zones have been legally established to help provide a better life quality for handicapped persons. Unfortunately, many of our citizens fail to observe parking regulations, thus taking away the rights, not only of handicapped members of our society, but by parking illegally in restricting parking zones, bus stops, etc., diminish the rights of all citizens.

New York City is undergoing a severe budgetary crisis. Our police department precincts have been downsized drastically. Understandably the limited staffing resources available to enforce NYC laws will have an adverse effect on citing parking violators. This does not mean that illegally parked vehicles should be allowed to escape the penalty of the law. Some other means need to be found to help resolve this serious situation. Properly painting and identifying restricted parking zones will go a long way in alleviating parking problems. Other communities have utilized the services of trained volunteers who would identify those parking scofflaws by placing/pasting a warning on their windshield. Handicapped citizens would be the first to volunteer.

The members of the NYC Council have been inordinately busy during their first year in office. They are acquiring a reputation for expedient efficiency. Needed legislation could quickly be made available. Together with the acknowledged expertise of the Department of Transportation and the NYC Police Department, a solution to this problem will hopefully emerge.

Sincerely,

Chet Szarejko, District Leader

Robert Rappo, Chair

Transportation Committee

Eastern Queens Democratic Club

No Response

A copy of the following letter was received by the Gazette.

Congressmember Joseph Crowley

82-11 37th Avenue

Jackson Heights, NY 11372

Dear Congressman Crowley:

One of our volunteers, Sol Resch, has asked us to write you with reference to our bowling alley appeal here at the St. Albans Veterans Affairs Campus.

Mr. Resch is an active member of the Voluntary Service Program here at St. Albans. He is a World War II Navy Veteran and has for many years been a great help in improving the quality of life for the unfortunate comrades here at St. Albans.

We have on the premises a six-lane bowling alley specially equipped for the wheelchair patients. This was built by the Navy some 50 years ago and is in need of repairs. We are trying to restore it for use of our patients here.

We are also seeking assistance from the AMF Corporation to make some repairs at no cost to us, AMF estimated the repairs to be in excess of $50,000 to complete the job.

The Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service (VAVS) Executive Committee joined Mr. Resch with this project and is seeking donors who have the means and the same sense of obligation to the disabled veterans that we as volunteers have. Can you help us to complete this restoration of the alleys?

We would be pleased to escort anyone interested through the premises and meet with hospital officials and patients before making a commitment.

Checks should be made out to the St. Albans VAVS Executive Committee Bowling Alley Fund and sent to our secretary at the address listed above. For additional information Mr. Resch can be reached at (718) 458-6089, or Bill V.J. LaMariana at (718) 526-1000 extension 2488.

In closing let me thank you from all our veteran patients for your kind consideration of this appeal.

Fraternally yours,

Bill V.J. LaMariana

Executive Secretary, St. Albans VAVS Executive Committee

Editor’s Note: According to Resch, response to date has been "minimal".