I know why the Patriots lost - they prematurely applied for a trademark “19 & 0.”
Victor Maltsev
Rego Park
Little Bay Park Comfort Station
Thursday night, January 31, at a Community Board 7 (CB 7) Parks Committee meeting, the final plans for the long awaited Little Bay Park Comfort Station were presented by representatives of the Department of Parks & Recreation.
The comfort station exterior will be a combination red brick intended to match the buildings on Fort Totten and a glazed, aqua colored brick to represent the bay.
Work on the $1.3 million facility is expected to begin in the fall/winter of 2008 and take approximately 12 months to complete.
The Bay Terrace Community Alliance (BTCA) was at one time the lone voice calling for the construction of this facility. Thanks to the BTCA’s relentless efforts, a Comfort Station in Little Bay Park will soon be a reality.
By working together, nothing is out of reach. Thanks to everyone for their help and support.
Warren Schreiber
President, Bay Terrace
Community Alliance, Inc.
First amendment violation?
As a longtime resident of Astoria, I was disturbed by the behavior I witnessed at the January 15 meeting of Community Board 1. At that meeting, representatives from the Mayor’s office made a presentation regarding PlaNYC, including a segment on congestion pricing. The community board and its chair attempted to silence, and intimidate the proponents of the plan, including those who are residents of the area.
Informational fliers explaining the transportation improvements that congestion pricing will bring to Astoria were confiscated by a board member because the flier did not conform to her (and the board’s) opinion of the plan. Residents supporting congestion pricing were ignored, and were repeatedly interrupted by the chair and board members when they were eventually allowed to speak. Conversely, opponents of congestion pricing had the run of the room, were not kept to time limits and were allowed to rail against the plan.
Our democracy depends upon bodies such as the community boards to hear all opinions, whether the people running those boards like those opinions or not. Community Board 1’s behavior that night was unacceptable. Rather than setting the stage for a respectful discussion, our community board moved towards silencing and intimidating the voices of the community.
Eddie Hernandez
Astoria
Suffer the children
Contrary to what the Mayor so flippantly said, 1.75 percent is not easy to find in a school’s budget in the middle of the school year. It is so nice to hear a billionaire advise schools, already on tight, fixed budgets, that these cuts can be made with ease.
Most District 26 schools only get tax levy money and not one school in our district has the money to spare. All money has been earmarked for programs and those programs have instructors who must be paid.
At a school with a 1 million dollar budget, the cut is about $17,500 and that pays for a part-time program director or two. Of course, the programs that are most likely to be cut are the non-test related ones, like art, music, team sports, etc. The ones that parents are so desperate to keep so our children do not become little test taking robots that are completely turned off to education.
It is even possible that the Department of Education (DOE) could save more than 1.75 percent if it would fire some consultants, end its test obsession and stop re-organizing the school system.
Finally, Chancellor Klein and Mayor Bloomberg may close the budget gap by taking money from schools that have been held harmless under the “fair funding” or weighted funding formula. These schools have received money that was not allocated under the new budget formula, but would have been received under the old formula.
About 23 schools in District 26 have received an average of $150,000 this year under this hold harmless provision. This Administration has only promised to keep this provision for two years and it would be too easy for this allotment to be cut because of the current economic downturn.
I understand that the city and state are not receiving expected revenues this year. However, after many years of litigation, the New York Court of Appeals ruled that our city’s public schools have not been properly funded for many years and ordered increases in our schools’ budgets.
Given this history and the immediate detrimental impact on our children’s education, the Mayor must reconsider his announced cuts and find another way to close the budget gap.
Robert Caloras,
President, Community District
Education Council 26
Point well taken
I must be the only person who thinks the Manhattan congestion plan will turn the city into a ghost town. Yes, the tax/penalty/surcharge/toll will reduce traffic in Manhattan, both vehicular and human. Add to that, the increase in gas prices and MTA fares.
The cost of goods and services in Manhattan will have to increase. Many will no longer consider the city as desirable, to live and shop, as it once was and will leave. That will leave Mayor Mike and others with seven figure incomes to be the sole humans on the once beautiful island. Eventually, even the pigeons and rats will leave.
Michael Greening
East Elmhurst
Anticipating Pope’s visit
As a Catholic, I am very excited about Pope Benedict XVI’s upcoming visit to New York. I hope and pray that his visit serves as a catalyst for many Catholics to return to the church and as an inspiration to non-Catholics as well.
I also hope the Holy Father will help the assembled masses take their faith more seriously. I believe true faith is not based on what is made of wood and stone but true faith is based on that inner faith that dwells in each one of us. It is that true faith that generates love for one another. Pope Benedict XVI’s visit will convey this message, which I believe, will be his greatest gift to all of us.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.
Bellerose
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