Letters
Christmas Past To The Editor:

Christmas is almost here and there is much for most of us to do, gifts to buy and to wrap, a few more cards to send out, even a few more decorations to put up. It is also a time to reflect about troubles in the world, like the ongoing war in Iraq and more people dying, not to mention terrorist attacks on innocent people. We can’t help but wonder about the message of the season which is, “peace on earth and good will towards men,” yet where is it?

It is in times like these that I think a lot of us perhaps reflect on a gentler time in our past. I for one, found myself thinking about Christmas when I was young and America was not so troubled. Which takes me back to 1957 where we were in the Cold War and I didn’t care nor understand such things for I was eight years old. I was living in a house on 213th Street in Queens Village. There was my mother and father, two blind boarders my mother took care of, plus a cat named Patty and a small Irish terrier named Taffy.

We didn’t have a lot of money, but we always had a good Christmas. It was always full of love and sharing and plenty of music especially during the holidays, for my mother loved music, and often said, music was tonic for the soul.

We had a tradition, like a lot of families do, to go out a few days before Christmas and buy a live Christmas tree. The night my father and I were about to go for the tree my father’s car wouldn’t start. It was a cold, crisp night with snow falling pretty heavily and leaving a nice blanket of the white stuff on the ground.

My father had an idea so my mother wouldn’t be disappointed. We would take my sled to the place where they sold Christmas trees, about a half a mile from the house on Jamaica Avenue and Francis Lewis Boulevard. When we got there, my father picked out this beautiful 6-foot tree. He tied it on top of my sled and we took it home though the snow. We get it back to the house where my mother had a special place in our living room across from the fireplace for our Christmas tree. Our job was done once it was in place and put in its stand so my mother could decorate the tree, which she did with much love and dedication to every detail.

It was a time when kindness and love seemed to bounce from house to house and neighbors would greet each other with a Merry Christmas. Christmas carolers would sing from house to house, churches would be teeming with worshippers. I remember myself singing in the choir at Grace Lutheran Church in Queens Village, Christmas Eve and being in a Christmas pageant where I played a shepherd the week before.

I think Christmas meant a lot back then and was not so commercial. I just can’t help but wonder if that kind of Christmas might return. The picture-perfect Christmas maybe was laced with imperfections but it was, I think, better then. I can’t help but wonder if America could return to family values and goodness and live out the true meaning of Christmas which is, “peace on earth and good will toward men.”

Sincerely yours,

Frederick R. Bedell Jr.

Bellerose

2 Great Ideas In 1 Issue

To The Editor:

How delighted and pleased I was to read in the pages of the December 14 Gazette two outstanding articles that enhanced the positive side of life. I am glad that there is the raising of political voices concerning the need for affordable housing in Western Queens. So many working people cannot afford to pay high rents and Western Queens is convenient to Manhattan, only 15 minutes away from there with cars and public transit. To make our community thrive, we must have younger families and single people who can afford to live here.

In addition, veterans’ reduction in taxes is a great idea. The veterans gave their all to our country, protected it and preserved freedom in times of war, and a wonderful giveback or reward to them is [a] property tax reduction.

Thanks to the political figures who care for these groups of people and thanks to the Gazette for publishing this wonderful newspaper.

In the spirit of the holiday season, we must give, improve the quality of life and reward all as well as to unite all people, the young, the elderly, the middle aged, the veterans and the disabled by improving their quality of life.

Cynthia Groopman

Long Island City

Gazette Helps Locals

To The Editor:

It is the season for all of us to count our blessings, so one of the most important things, that I must do, is thank you and the incredible staff of your newspaper for the exposure that assisted me and my Hellenic Census Committee to attain the recognition by the federal government of the Greek language on selected federal forms plus other accomplishments between 1998 and 2000.

I earnestly am optimistic that the extraordinary people of Astoria realize that the Western Queens Gazette is a journalistic diamond, compared to the Queens Chronicle which on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2005 on page six, insinuated that Astoria be known as Japan Town! If the reporter [Jennifer Phillips) who wrote the story [Japantown In Long Island City? Local Visionary Wants One], was a reader of the Gazette , she’d know the Greeks are 45 percent of Astoria’s population, the Italians 30 percent, and 116 other ethnics comprise the remaining 25 percent.

Athan John Christodoulou

Chairman

U.S. 2010 Census Hellenic Steering Committee of N.Y. State

Astoria

Holiday Greetings For All

To The Editor:

Fred Bedell's comments in the 12/8 issue about the Meaning of the Holiday stir up the perennial debate as to what to call this time of the year. While I deplore the phrase Merry Xmas, (it should be Merry Christmas), there is nothing wrong with the secular comment[s] of Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings, as it is for ALL people.

He says that Merry Christmas and Happy Chankukah [are] adequate; well, what about those that are not Christian or not Jewish? There are Islamic, Buddhist, Hindus, etc. as well as non believers. This world is NOT made up of just Christians and Jews, as he leads us to believe. God’s love is for all people.

Let’s admit it; Christmas has been commercialized and secularized for years. Some people take offense to the statement “Merry Christmas” by saying, “Oh, I don’t celebrate Christmas”!

Happy Holidays and Seasons Greetings [are] appropriate for everyone.

John Ngai

Rego Park

Rezoning Answers

To The Editor:

Being a member of Community Board 11, I was present at the last board meeting on December 5.

Among some of the community residents present that night, there appeared to be a lack of understanding of some of the basic concepts of the contextual rezoning plan now set to be enacted in Douglaston and Little Neck and how to obtain information regarding those concepts.

It is unfortunate that some people are still confused about the rezoning. I do believe that there has been a lot of misinformation and untruths disseminated around the communities regarding rezoning. These scare tactics cause fear among some people that they will be unable to expand their homes or that they will lose value in their homes when rezoning plans are passed in their area. I also have continually heard the allegation that most houses will be out of compliance under the new R2A designation implying that homeowners will need to do something to get in compliance. This is not the case.

Some people claim that they have not been told enough about rezoning. This puzzles me since many of the local civic associations have presented programs and discussions regarding rezoning. John Young, Queens Chair of City Planning, and his staff have appeared on numerous occasions at different forums in various communities to discuss the rezoning plans for those particular areas. I have been at meetings and heard Councilman [Tony] Avella and urban planner Paul Graziano as well as other community leaders address concerns on this issue.

The reporters at the local papers have been carrying articles for the past couple of years regarding rezoning. They all have been doing a good job of informing the community. The past campaign for City Council in the 19th District focused in on this issue too.

Community Board 11 as well as the other community boards have held hearings on different rezoning initiatives for the various communities. There have been countless opportunities to hear experts in the field as well as ask questions about zoning matters. Information is available online as well.

One of my colleagues on the board, who is an engineer, said at the meeting that residents should listen to professionals like architects regarding rezoning matters. I believe we should hear all points of view; however, we should remember that certain professionals like architects, engineers and builders, do have a bias in favor of development. Many of these people find changes to more protective zoning threatening to their livelihood.

I would urge all residents interested in the rezoning issue to continue to attend appropriate civic and community board meetings in order to get all the facts regarding this most important community matter. Read your local papers as well. Contact your elected officials if you have questions.

Contextual rezoning together with other measures will help curb overdevelopment of our neighborhoods and improve the quality of life for all residents, while maintaining our property values.

Henry Euler

Bayside