By Kenneth Kowald
What do we remember of 1989, the year Steven Blank, the editor and publisher of these newspapers, began his work?
Edward Koch was completing his third term and looking for a fourth – something no mayor had ever been able to accomplish before. And he didn't accomplish it. David Dinkins became mayor that November.
In Queens, we were still reeling from the scandals involving then Borough President Donald Manes, which culminated with his suicide in the mid-'80s. Slowly but surely, the new borough president, Claire Shulman, was putting us back on the right track. We thought well enough of her to re-elect her again and again until term limits stepped in and ended her time in office, but she continues to be an important figure in borough life.
The vice president, George W. H. Bush, had been elected president in November 1988. The Gulf War and a bad recession were not even on the horizon in 1989. The latter served to help defeat Bush 1 when he ran against Bill Clinton in 1992. Today we are still involved in the aftermath of the Gulf War, with it would seem no end in sight.
The Dinkins era was marked by many problems, not the least of which was a high crime rate and a perception on the part of many that the city was out of control. But it was under Dinkins and the then and now Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, a graduate of St. John's University, that the turnaround began. Today, thanks to those very important early efforts and those that followed, New York City is the safest large metropolis in the United States and one of the safest in the world – despite the threat of terrorism.
The reign of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, we may tend to forget, was not all adulation for his eight years. Indeed, the prospect of the end of his mayoralty was something to which many looked forward. But even those who considered him in a dim light admitted that on Sept. 11, 2001 and thereafter he rose to the occasion and led the city very well. Let us hope that his future actions will not tarnish his current reputation.
And to numerous city residents, Giuliani's successor, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, seems aloof and distant. But if you examine the record with some objectivity – if that is ever possible in politics - I believe you will find him involved, sensitive and intelligent about what can and cannot be done by government in this city. Could we ask for more?
In Queens, some of what has happened in the last 15 years can be instructive: We have added more transportation connections to Manhattan; the private bus services have gotten so bad that the MTA is taking over them, and let us hope for the best; and McMansions – legal or not – have been sprouting up everywhere, leading to proposed zoning regulations that are long overdue to control overbuilding and overcrowding.
Our schools have become more overcrowded, but there are signs (or is it just a desperate hope?) that things are improving in public education. Non-profit organizations, which are a vital part of Queens life, have struggled through two recessions, but thanks to great staffs and volunteers, they are alive and well. You can see it at the Queens Botanical Garden, the New York Hall of Science, the Queens Farm Museum, the Alley Pond Environmental Center and many others.
Queens has become the most diverse county in the country. And the Queens Library has the highest circulation rate of any in the United States.
As for the TimesLedger Newspapers, you who read them know what Steve has done over these 15 years, recording these and other events in our world. You can see his and his staff's accomplishments every week, and their work has been recognized again and again by their peers in the business.
I met Steve when he and I were active in the Queens Lung Association (the Christmas Seal organization) about a decade ago. He was a young man (he still is!) who showed dedication to the Queens community through his civic work and in his business. One example in his professional life has been the series of stories about the hungry in Queens, an unfortunately ever-present problem, which the reports have helped keep in the forefront of our attention.
I can find only one problem with Steve over the years, but for that I can forgive him: He asked me to be a columnist for the TimesLedger Newspapers last year. Despite the madness of this idea, for me it has been a pleasure.
Bravo to Steve and his staff on their 15th anniversary! May they have many more years of well-deserved success.
