Hails Sanitation Dept. To The Editor:

I wanted to take a few moments to salute the women and men of the New York City Department of Sanitation who are stationed and work in the Little Neck/Douglaston section of Northeast Queens. They should be commended on their dedication, concern and politeness.

As a life-long resident of Little Neck, I thought it important to note how decisive they were in salting and plowing, not once but several times. They worked all night so that we, the residents of Little Neck and Douglaston, could use the roads in an emergency.

My daughter is an employee of Homeland Security. Thanks to the excellent job by our Sanitation [workers], she was able to report to work on time Sunday morning—despite almost two feet of snow having fallen—to keep our country safe.

I thank all of you for your tireless dedication. Truly, a job well done! Marie Proto Little Neck Cheers For Sanit. Dept. To The Editor:

This is in regard to last weekend’s blizzard that was recorded to be the biggest on record with a snowfall of 26.9 inches which surpassed the storm of 1947, when they had 26.4 inches. Mayor Mike Bloomberg had gotten on top of the storm with his Department of Sanitation Commissioner John J. Doherty and his Sanitation workers. Speaking at a salt facility he said, “The city has put out 2,500 pieces of snow removing equipment which includes plows and salt spreaders and putting out 200,000 tons of salt in all five boroughs and more than 2,500 workers on the job working 12 hour shifts.” I can attest to that, for I left my apartment at 10 a.m. Sunday morning in the storm to get a few things for my wife, Eva, and our elderly downstairs neighbor, Josephine, and walked a few blocks to the convenience store on 248th Street and Union Turnpike and could see Sanitation trucks had cleared Union Turnpike and Commonwealth Boulevard. At the store I had run into a few Sanitation workers trying to get some breakfast and spoke to one who told me they had been out since Saturday night clearing the streets. These guys in my book were doing a real terrific job, trying their best to clear the streets and trying to make the streets safe and passable. That’s why I was a little upset when I read in various newspapers during the week that there were people complaining their streets weren’t done. All I can say [is] you have to understand there are 6,300 miles of city streets and roads to plow, which is about the distance between New York to Los Angeles and back. That’s quit an enormous task and [they] do the best they can for this city.

Furthermore, I remember a bad snowstorm in 1969 when then Mayor John Lindsay was not on the ball for that storm and left Queens residents buried for days. I was then working my first full time job at Mays Department Store in Jamaica on 168th Street and lived in Queens Village. The problem was the streets were not clear and there were no buses and if I didn’t come to work I didn’t get paid, so I had to walk from 213th Street and 102nd Avenue to 168th Street and Jamaica Avenue and back for days and that was not a lot of fun.

Today things are different. We have a mayor who’s on the ball. Although things were not perfect, he promised and delivered mostly clean streets by Monday’s commute following this record-breaking storm. The real hero though must go to all 2,500 plus Sanitation workers who worked their butts off to clear the streets. I further think we should all write to the Sanitation Commissioner John J. Doherty and tell his workers [that] all New Yorkers are proud of his workers for a job well done, for they deserve our respect and praise. Sincerely Yours, Frederick R. Bedell Bellerose

Three Articles Hit Home To The Editor:

How delighted I was to read about three pieces of legislation that would improve the quality of our lives. That were wonderfully written about in your February 8, 2006 issue of the Gazette!

I support Councilman [Peter] Vallone [Jr.] when he proposes the security camera for Lower Manhattan. We need to be protected and this part of our city is the most vulnerable. The attack on 9/11 that [showed] Lower Manhattan to be most vulnerable. Privacy is important, but to save and spare life and property is more important. There are security cameras in banks and in other public places and to promote safety is [necessary].

I am glad that there will be more money to help pay the heating bills for the elderly and for the poor. Heat during the cold winter months is a necessity and we must have that. That is not a luxury, but a necessity. The inability to pay the added passalong costs for heating does not warrant illness, death and serious consequences such as burst pipes. Thus the extra payment will protect the safety and life and property of our city and state.

Also, the Medicare Part D prescription plan is really chaotic. I am glad that our government will help pay for the cost that seniors and disabled cannot pay. Medication is a must and not a luxury and nobody must go without due to inability to pay. Here again, enhancement of health and protection of human life is most important.

Bea Blass has made a difference in our world and to the Astoria community. She has been a gem. Her memory will be a blessing. Let us use her as a role model and be inspired to continue to make our community a better place, just as she has done during her life. The obituary written in the Gazette of February 8 was wonderful and described Bea so aptly. I was proud to know her and to love her. She was a gem of a friend and a privilege to be part of my world. Cynthia Groopman Long Island City

Remembering Joan To The Editor:

Her name was Joan. That’s all we knew. But every Saturday when we met for dinner at a restaurant in Woodside, she was there, sitting alone at the same table, wearing a most delightful hat. Each week we looked forward to getting a glimpse of her latest chapeau.

I understand that Joan ate at Donovan’s every night for the past 30 years. This was her family. After leaving the restaurant, someone would call to see if she arrived home safely, and if she didn’t show up, they called to check on her.

We never spoke to Joan, and except for a passing nod, we knew nothing of her, except that she was truly a lady. Her occasional glance over at our table when our group would burst out in laughter at some silly joke was all she knew of us.

One recent Saturday evening, Joan was not there. At her table was a vase filled with a beautiful arrangement of red roses and white baby’s breath—a tribute to her spirit, and to those at Donovan’s who had thought enough to remember her in such a special way. They are contemplating placing a plaque over “her” table. Respectfully submitted, Janet Collins Jackson Heights