At my request, the Army Corps of Engineers has sent me a compact disk (CD) titled “Supplemental Remedial Investigation of the Upland Area Final Report.” For those of us who speak English, this refers to the testing conducted on Fort Totten to determine the levels of mercury and other toxic contaminants.
The document on the CD contains 725 pages of tables, graphs, maps, diagrams and chemical evaluations. If there was something they did not want the public to see, this report would be the perfect hiding place.
It should also be noted that this report does not deal with the 49.5 acres of Fort Totten already being used as a park. I tried reading the document, but I may just wait until they make it into a movie.
Warren Schreiber
President, Bay Terrace
Community Alliance
Penny-wise And Pound Foolish
I am writing regarding the disruptions caused to students because of the Department of Education’s (DOE) changes to bus routes. While the DOE claims the changes were made to save $12 million, one must wonder if the turmoil to our children’s routines is worth the money. Examples of extra time on the school bus, reliance on public transportation, and members of the same household being treated differently, and other hardships abound.
If children truly come first and getting them to school on time and pursuant to a routine is important, I believe that $12 million is insignificant in a $15 billion budget. Even if the plan has merit, it would make more sense to begin this cost saving plan at the beginning of the school year instead of in its middle - less disruptions, more cost savings. The timing of the change and the serious bussing disruptions also will distract parents and other members of the education community and the media from properly evaluating the recently-announced mayoral reforms.
This change and its bad consequences are yet another example of the DOE embarking on a major change without seeking and respecting the viewpoints of parents, guardians and others with a vested interest in the education system. May I suggest that if the DOE would utilize these viewpoints, its policies would more likely be successful and acceptable. For these reasons, the DOE must re-evaluate this new bus scheme and stop its harsh consequences.
Rob Caloras, President
Community District Education
Council 26
Reducing Class Sizes A Must
The City Council delegation from Queens, along with Council Speaker Christine Quinn, recently hosted a “Community Conversation” at York College to gather input on how to spend the city’s budget surplus dollars this year.
While I am sure that the Speaker and the Council delegates gained important information through this forum, I believe that there are residents who remain concerned that major unresolved issues still exist.
The issue of reducing class sizes is one of these unresolved issues, as many schools still operate with 30-35 students in each classroom. Some of our elected officials even used the topic as a platform for their recent campaigns. During the days leading up to that election, the City Council presented a resolution recognizing that New York City’s public schools are in, “dire need of smaller class sizes and have the largest class size in the state, exceeding statewide averages by 10% to 60%.” Resolution 1119 goes on to point out that New York State’s highest court, found that there was, “measurable proof … that New York City schools have excessive class sizes, and that class size affects learning.”
We can do this now through increased construction of new school spaces and considering other alternatives that would reduce the number of students to a comfortable number between 17 to 20 per classroom.
Deepmalya Ghosh
Fresh Meadows
Thanks For A Special Day
I want to thank you [The Queens Courier] and Christie & Co. for choosing my mother, Patricia Coffey, as one of the winners for your makeover contest. I haven’t seen my mother with a huge smile on her face in a long time. She enjoyed being pampered on Wed., January 31.
I have made a promise to my mother that if she quits smoking, once a month she and I will go get pampered and she loved that idea. I loved her new look and so does the rest of the family.
The family and I thank you for making it a special day for our mother.
P.S. She never received the dozen roses that were mentioned on the entry form that I filled out.
Tracy Dunn
Editor’s Note: By the time you read this letter, your mother will have her roses.
Letter Of Thanks From Iraq
IRAQ - Just want to say hi. I have been working a lot in the past few months, and I have been studying hard for the board to get my sergeant rank. I will be getting some R & R soon, so that will be nice to spend some time with the family and friends at home.
Mr. Waxman’s class that he is helping with sent me some Christmas cards during the holidays. I have plans to spend some time and go to the school and say thank you to them. It was very nice of them to send support to us over here during that special time of year.
This is not the first time that I have been far from family and friends or been in a war zone, and it will not be my last since I signed up for another six years, but every time I get a card not only from people that know me, but the ones who have never met me, it is special.
When I received the cards from the class, they came at the best time. I don’t receive a lot of mail and it was during the holiday season so to get their thoughtful letter just made my job a whole lot easier.
Samuel Williams Jr.
Jamaica
