Freedomland
needed access
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, O BTR CTOBER 4-10, 2019 13
BTR letters & comments
Dear editor,
“Co-op City thrilling
‘Freedomland’ history preserved”
(Alex Mitchell ---
September 27) was a great
trip down memory lane. The
Freedomland theme park
was a 60s Big Apple slice of
America. It was a great place
to learn about past history of
our nation. As a child, a remember
that admission to
the Freedomland Amusement
Park required use of a
pure silver dollar. I managed
to save several silver dollars
not knowing what a great investment
they would make decades
later. I still have many
fond childhood memories of
visiting Freedomland in the
Bronx along with mini amusement
parks such as Adventurers
Inn in Flushing, Queens
and Kiddy City in Douglaston,
Queens which have also come
Allerton Ave.
needs a BID
(The following letter is addressed
to the Allerton business
community re the effort to start
a business improvement district.)
Dear Allerton Avenue
Community,
In recent weeks I have
seen on social media and local
newspapers reports about
a proposed business improvement
district for the Allerton
Avenue section of the Bronx.
As a long time once business
owner and still property
owner in the area I would like
to voice my opinion.
I have experience in two
BIDs, Throggs Neck, Morris
Park where I serve as
secretary of the board. It is
vital that all merchants, residents
and commercial property
owners are educated on
how a bid is created and how
a strong executive board can
run a successful BID such as
Westchester Square.
Property owners must
agree by a vote if a BID is necessary.
Now we all have our
opinions and vested interests,
but if any neighborhood
could benefi t from a bid it’s Allerton.
We strongly feel that
a BID movement would enhance
efforts to address concerns
such as security, sanitation
and beautifi cation of our
local area.
By selecting the right executive
board and hiring a BID
manager, the voice of the Allerton
Avenue would only be
stronger. Our elected offi cials,
government and city agencies
will hear our needs and most
importantly they’ll be able to
provide grants, funds that
would be put back into our
neighborhood.
Merchants and residents
would benefi t highly. Is there
a cost?? Yes … it’s an investment
and any successful business
owner will tell you…
you must spend money if you
want your business to succeed.
Make no mistake we are
responsible to reinvest in our
neighborhood and a formation
of a BID is certainly a step in
the right direction.
Peter Spoto Jr. and
Anthony Casabianca
Partinico Realty
ICE would increase
detentions if new
jails are built
(The following letter was
sent to Speaker Johnson and
members of the City Council)
We are writing with serious
concerns regarding the
safety of New York City’s immigrant
population, particularly
the undocumented immigrant
community. Legal
experts and immigration advocates
have expressed fears
that Mayor de Blasio’s new
Borough Based Jails (BBJs),
sited within our communities,
particularly communities
of color in Chinatown
and Mott Haven, will provide
ICE offi cers with even
more opportunities to track
or detain undocumented
immigrants who are either
incarcerated in these new
jails, entering or exiting
court appearances, or visiting
incarcerated friends
or family members in these
new jails. The public areas
touted by the city for visitors
and the new technologies,
such as facial recognition,
and the sharing of data are
just a few factors that need
to be addressed before you
vote on the BBJs plan.
The number of immigrants
detained by ICE in
jails throughout the New
York City area more than
doubled since Donald Trump
became president. Obviously,
this stems from the
anti-immigrant tone set by
the Trump Administration,
which has empowered ICE
to increase use of shameful
tactics that include close
surveillance of individuals
who happen to be near sites
associated with the criminal
justice system, such as
courts and jails, including
here in Chinatown.
If additional jails are
built within the boroughs,
there is no doubt that ICE
surveillance around these
locations will increase accordingly,
putting not only
the well-being of undocumented
New Yorkers at risk,
but also the emotional security
of other immigrants, as
well as the incarcerated and
their families.
The BBJs plan has not
been well-thought out, since
its inception, and there remains
many questions and
unintended consequences.
Without clear plans and
safeguards in place, any
benefi ts associated with
housing incarcerated New
Yorkers closer to their families
will be negated by the
fact that any undocumented
family members visiting
them will be more likely to
be tracked or detained by
ICE offi cials. In a city that
claims to pride itself on being
a place of sanctuary for
undocumented individuals,
this is unacceptable.
Mayor de Blasio has not
laid out a clear plan to explain
how undocumented
New Yorkers will be adequately
protected from ICE
surveillance and detention
under his BBJs proposal.
And as far as we know, the
City Council has not yet formally
addressed this issue.
This is why the Council must
pause, declare that it will
not approve the mayor’s proposal
to build new jails and
demand answers about how
it will not make it easier for
ICE to track or detain undocumented
immigrants in New
York City, and negatively impact
our general immigrant
population. We look forward
to your response.
Boroughs United, Inc
Diego Beekman Mutual
Housing Association,
HDFC, et al.
How unique: a
2-party debate
Dear editor,
It was an interesting and
important op-ed article written
by Frank J. Spotorno seeking
the Republican and Conservative
nomination for the
14th C.D. The article was an
Road diets
don’t work
Dear editor,
What is the purpose of a
road diet? Is it to force people
to slow down? Is it to avoid
automobile and bicycle accidents?
In my opinion, it doesn’t do
either. Road diets don’t stop
accidents from occurring. It
surely won’t prevent reckless
drivers from slowing down.
What does? Putting speed
bumps in places that are dangerous
like roads that have
curves (like by St. Raymond’s
Cemetery), forcing drivers
to slow down, and installing
speed cameras that run 24/7,
so that you can record those
reckless drivers who don’t
slow down – no matter what
time it is.
Nancy Torres
exercise in political correctness
to describe the weak efforts
of Alexandria Ocasio
Cortez. It also reminded us
that there are more than two
political parties in NY.
Sportorno, if nominated,
could challenge Ms. Ocasio to
a realistic debate. Wow, how
unique, a two-party debate.
Joseph Malave
and gone decades ago.
One reason the Freedomland
Amusement Park went
out of business was the lack
of access via public transportation
access. The second was
that it was only able to be open
May thru October.
Why didn’t elected offi cials
and transportation experts of
that generation after Freedomland
Amusement Park closed
ever consider extending the
#6 subway line beyond the Pelham
Bay Park Station terminal
to directly into Co-op City?
Imagine how many thousands
of Co-op City residents would
have benefi ted by a one trip
subway ride versus having a
two-trip bus to subway commute?.
Larry Penner