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Brooklyn Daily
To the editor,
Mute swans are still in danger of possibly being murdered, and I think it was in extremely poor taste to publish recipes for cooking and making meals out of these beautiful, wonderful birds (“Cooking with swan,” online March 6). Ugh!Sarah Vogel
Seagate
Loo-natics
To the editor,
Can someone please explain to me why public toilets have to be 20 feet up in the air? (“Brighton Beachers: Parks and pols pandering to one-percenters,” online March 26).
Exactly who does anyone think will be using these toilets in the middle of a super storm? Can’t those in charge of these facilities just lock the doors and go home should dangerous weather present itself?
If anyone gets in there after the doors are locked it’s their problem and responsibility. It’s time to stop babying people. Post a sign and be done with it. Sheesh.
Why worry about people who break the law? I certainly don’t.Diane Hunt
Bay Ridge
Coney’s future
To the editor,
I applaud the Brighton Beachers for coming out to a town hall meeting to complain that the city has neglected the Asser Levy Park in many years (“Change is on way for Asser Levy,” March 28).
Yes, we are aware that there needs to be a plan put in place to restore Asser Levy Park. As an educator and community education advocate in Coney Island, I love to talk to my students about Coney Island history. If you remember, Asser Levy Park is part of the Coney Island complex. Also, Coney Island is one of the earliest beach resorts and began attracting visitors after the construction of the Coney Island House in 1924.
Let’s talk about bringing back Asser Levy Park to the days when writers Washington Irving and Herman Melville, politicians Daniel Webster and Henry Clay, as well as P.T. Barnum and Jenny Lind enjoyed the facilities.
Moving forward, I would like to see a Brighton Beach-Coney Island Alliance formed that would work with the Parks Department. Then, I would like to see the development of an art-in-the-park program with the support of the city cultural affairs department. Finally, Asser Levy Park would be a great new home for the Coney Island Gardens. It’s time to build it up and bring it back to Coney Island.Scott Krivitsky
The writer is a teacher at PS 188 in Coney Island.
Maniac motorists
To the editor,
Two pedestrians were killed in Sheepshead Bay recently by women driving SUVs. This is no surprise.
The Russians in this neighborhood drive like maniacs, and when you confront them, they usually respond by giving you the middle finger. They have no regard for traffic rules or regulations.Andrew Feinstein
Sheepshead Bay
Bigoted menu
To the editor,
When I was a waiter, 45 years ago, I worked at Wolfy’s and then at Cookie’s restaurants in Brooklyn. No blacks were employed there until Al Sharpton — although a bigot, himself — formed picket lines, making blacks part of the workforce.
Some restaurants continue to hire only their own kind, today. Some Irish restaurants in the neighborhood still won’t hire you unless you are Irish, although they have no problem employing undocumented Mexicans as dishwashers. Do not seek employment at Chinese restaurants or supermarkets unless you are Chinese. And don’t try to work at Russian supermarkets or restaurants unless you are Russian. Al Sharpton, where are you?Bill Gee
Sheepshead Bay
Parade gay-sayers
To the editor,
History and tradition are not made for every individual’s convenience. Mayor DeBlasio was wrong when he chose not to march in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade because it excluded gays from marching with their banners.
The parade honors St. Patrick because he was able to get rid of the snakes from Ireland, from what I understand. It is unknown whether he was straight or gay. I haven’t heard about gays marching in the Puerto Rican Day Parade.
Gays have a parade of their own every year in Greenwich Village. We have to remember that not every day is gay day, or Labor Day, or Columbus Day, or Christmas Day, or New Year’s Day, or President’s Day.Elliott Abosh
Brighton Beach
Bail louts
To the editor,
We need new laws concerning bails, including no bail for gangs. We need useful and common-sense laws regarding this issue in every state.
I see no alternative but to take a stand against gangs — they are these menaces to our streets. Knowledgeable people must decide fairly the best penalties — and also the most helpful assistance — that offenders need in order to not be reckless to others. Some must remain supervised for all or most of their lives, depending on the severity of their violations.
It is a necessity to step forward, otherwise we will have a larger percentage of traumatized victims.
We have to be ardent in defending our rights to live in peaceful neighborhoods. The creation of new and appropriate laws can normalize humanity.Amy Kaye
Sheepshead Bay
Eva’s flub
To the editor,
Success Academy Charter Schools’ founder Eva Moskowitz contradicted herself on the news, recently. She now states that accusations that problem children are removed from charter schools are false.
Several months ago, she said the exact opposite. If charter schools are to be in the same buildings as public schools, they must be prepared to accept half the discipline problems that the public schools have. We will then see the wonders that Moskowitz can work with these children.
If Anne Bancroft were still alive, she could appear in “The Miracle Worker 2: The Eva Moskowitz Story.” An alternate title could be “Love Me or Leave Me.”
By the way, isn’t it a fire violation if learning areas become cramped in with too many students? The United federation of Teachers should call in the board of health and the fire department to remedy this situation.Ed Greenspan
Sheepshead Bay
Saudi SARS
To the editor,
Saudi Arabia says a man has died from a new respiratory virus related to severe acute respiratory syndrome, bringing to 64 the deaths in the kingdom at the center of the outbreak.
The health ministry said the latest victim was a chronically ill 86-year-old Saudi man who died in Riyadh soon after. The statement also says that five new cases of the virus have tested positive, bringing to 162 the number of people infected in the kingdom since September 2012.
The new virus is related to this disease, which killed around 800 people in a global outbreak in 2003. It belongs to a family of viruses that most often causes the common cold.
Let’s take the Saudi timeline and ask ourselves how many people from that country have been allowed into the U.S., and allowed to walk around freely on our soil, possibly to start an infection process.
Is it just paranoia on my part? Sorry, but it is bone chilling news to hear — from Maine (cough) to Mumbai (choke).
Name withheld upon request
City ‘scam’
To the editor,
Mayor DeBlasio reminds me of the cartoon character Wimpy, who famously said, “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today,” concerning his ongoing negotiations with various municipal unions, including the very powerful United Federation of Teachers, behind closed doors.
The worst kept secret in City Hall is the political quid pro quo owed not only by Mayor DeBlasio, but also Comptroller Scott Stringer, Public Advocate Letitia James, Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, and a majority of council members, to agency chairman Michael Mulgrew in exchange for his endorsement, volunteers, phone banks and campaign donations.
Mulgrew reminds me of the godfather. He has all the politicians in his pocket ready to do his bidding, regardless of the cost to students, parents, and taxpayers.
It is an old accounting trick being proposed by DeBlasio to balance budgets on paper this year as a means to “pay off” his political debts by carrying over payments to next year, or in this case over nine years! No city comptroller has ever approved such a long-term scam.
Larry Penner
Great Neck, N.Y.
Crime wave
To the editor,
I recently attended a special meeting at St. Joseph’s College on crime, auto break-ins, and theft (“Smash and nab,” March 14).
A local councilwoman and cops from the 88th Precinct spoke. Evidently, approximately 120 policemen service an area with multiple city housing developments, large apartment complexes, and public schools that is 1.5 square miles.
I have seen no uniformed patrolmen on the beat. One officer told us how a man living in the adjacent Ingersoll Housing Projects has been arrested 35 times and is a known drug addict. He will soon be re-released. Sadly, heroin again is on the rise. We seem beholden to a system unable to either keep this man in jail or better yet, rehabilitate him. It is believed he is likely responsible for nearly half of the more than 50 recent auto break-ins.
Further discussion revealed that a study on inadequate street lighting a few years ago revealed it fell way below average. Evidently, when a local college wanted to improve its lighting, the city prevented it, even though adequate light deters crime.
If I was a city policeman, I would wonder why I should bother to risk my own life to prevent crime in a system which acts as a revolving door? No one is being served. The perpetrator still has a drug problem, and the public spends more money on lawyers, judges and jails for what purpose? Where are our needed local police, on our local beat?
I finally left, after having our church burnt down in the tumultuous 1960s, our house repeatedly robbed, my grandmother mugged across the street from her home (suffering a broken hip and bed ridden till she died), as well as having two cars stolen. Our neighbor, a doctor responding to a late night call, bled to death in the street, after he was knifed in his car. No one called for help around the giant housing complex. His wife suffered a nervous breakdown and the family, like so many others, ran.
Health and safety is number one for us all. Our local public library is also shut. I see no uniformed police on a beat. I see no emergency units that you used to be able to pull, if witnessing a crime. No pay phones either. That combined with a plagued public school system makes me wonder how the city maintain its communities.Barbara Skinner
Staten Island