32 The QUEE NS Courier • MAY 16, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com editorial letters THE QUEENS Victoria Schneps-Yunis Joshua A. Schneps Bob Brennan Tonia N. Cimino Amy Amato-Sanchez Nirmal Singh Graziella Zerilli Stephen Reina Ron Torina, Jennifer Decio, Cheryl Gallagher Melisa Chan, Terence Cullen, Cristabelle Tumola Maggie Hayes, Angy Altamirano Cliff Kasden, Samantha Sohmer, Elizabeth Aloni Cristabelle Tumola Bill Krese Jan DiGeronimo Maria Romero Louise Cavaliere Celeste Alamin Maria Valencia Daphne Fortunate Victoria Schneps-Yunis Joshua A. Schneps Publisher & E ditor Co-Publisher Associate Publisher Editor-In-Chief VP, Events, Web & Social Media Art Director Assistant to Publisher Assistant Art Director Artists Staff Reporters Contributing Reporters Web Editor Editorial Cartoonist Director, Business Developm ent Events Manager Senior Acc ount Executive Classified Manager Controller Office Manager President & CEO Vice President Schneps Communications, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361 718-224-5863 • Fax 718-224-5441 website: www.queenscourier.com e-mail:[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Entire Contents Copyright 2013 by The Queens Courier All letters sent to THE QUEENS COURIER should be brief and are subject to condensing. Writers should include a full address and home and office telephone numbers, where available, as well as affiliation, indicating special interest. Anonymous letters are not printed. Name withheld on request. 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House of horrors I would like to praise restaurant dishwasher Charles Ramsey who helped to rescue kidnap victims Michelle Knight, Gina DeJesus, Amanda Berry and Amanda’s six-year-old daughter from the unspeakable house of horrors. These girls suffered egregious and nefarious acts of depravity under the alleged hands of kidnappers who need to be put away for the rest of their lives. As for Charles Ramsey, he did what the Cleveland police failed to do and that was to act and end the suffering of these poor abused young girls. Now for that he deserves to be called a real American hero. And as for these poor girls I pray for their healing from this most painful experience. There are thousands more children who are missing across the country so let’s all keep our eyes and ears open. If we see something, we should do something. Frederick R. Bedell Jr. Glen Oaks Village Community board’s proposal Your article “Bayside residents oppose school in place of Keil Bros Garden Center” fails to mention the solution long recommended by the community board, and restated by its Education Committee at the meeting. That is the return of P.S. 130 to District 26 use for the children that currently live in its zone. P.S. 130 (Francis Lewis Boulevard at 42nd Avenue) is a school in District 26, and a former District 26 school that is currently used by District 25 as a magnet school. Kids are bused to it from around District 25, while local kids who could walk to the school are bused out to P.S. 31, P.S. 159 and P.S. 162, helping to cause overcrowding at these schools. It is that overcrowding that is the rationale for a new school. In addition, the cost of all this busing is enormous and unnecessary, and is a blight on the neighborhood. The use of P.S. 130 by District 25 derives from an old and temporary demographic condition, and should come to an end. Some years ago when CB11 looked into this we did a study that revealed two things. The schools to which the District 25 kids would otherwise go were less crowded than the schools to which the kids living near P.S. 130 were bused. Also, the cost of all this busing approached the entire budget of P.S. 130 itself, about $1 million at the time. You have reported on what the Community Board opposes without reporting on what the Community Board proposes. You have therefore told only a part of the story. Melvyn Meer Community Board member and member of its Education Committee Bayside Preserve the republic If our children are being taught that America embodies no worthwhile principles to defend, no values to cherish, no traditions to preserve, then our republic is truly in jeopardy. Academia, the education establishment and most educators do not believe America’s values and principles are exceptional. Curriculum guides and textbooks characterize America as a country that is destroying the planet, oppresses the poor and whose culture is no better than any other and is need of remediation. It is time to recall, reexamine, and reaffirm who we are and what it is we have others wish to take from us. Ed Konecnik Flushing Pay tribute Memorial Day in my book is not just another day off for backyard barbecuing. In my opinion Memorial Day is a time to remember, all those who gave their lives to protect the freedoms we enjoy. This Memorial Day, I find myself thinking what it means to be an American. The answer is crystal clear, and that is the pride to live in a county that allows us our personal freedom to express ourselves and speak our minds. These freedoms come with great personal sacrifice for those who leave family, friends and jobs to serve the greater good. I myself served during the Vietnam era. Although I never saw combat, I had friends who did and who died serving their country. So please honor Memorial Day by honoring those who gave their lives for what we all hold most dear. You can do this by attending parades in your local communities and saluting those who served our country so well. I also ask you to display the flag of our country at your homes and businesses. You can also call those veterans you know and tell them thanks for serving and keeping us free from tyranny. Frederick R. Bedell Jr. Glen Oaks Village NIMBY Not in my back yard (NIMBY). That was the message Bayside residents sent to school officials at a recent meeting. Community Board 11 voted against a controversial proposal to build an elementary school in the place of Keil Bros Garden Center and Nursery after enraged residents who live near the 210-11 48th Avenue site vehemently opposed it. Residents said the 416-seat school would destroy their quality of life, worsen parking and traffic congestion and lead to dangerous crossing conditions for students. Really? With some schools so overcrowded that classes are being held in space originally meant for libraries or music, we have to wonder–are these people putting the needs of our children first? According to Community Board 11, there are 21 elementary schools in the district. Local educators say the majority of them are heavily congested, with registration growing every year. But some residents apparently feel there is plenty of classroom space. “This area is saturated with schools, and we can’t stand it anymore,” said Mandingo Tshaka. The numbers don’t lie, and a new school would help alleviate the overcrowding– and keep District 26 one of the most desirable school districts in the borough. The community board’s recommendation to bring P.S. 130–which has mostly served students from District 25 for at least two decades–back to District 26 has long been deemed unviable by education officials. So why, we ask, are people so opposed to the clear solution? Last week’s meeting grew so contentious that a male and female resident verbally threatened two School Construction Authority (SCA) officials, prompting Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott to express his “extreme dismay” at their actions. Though we understand–and respect–the feelings of area home and business owners, we urge everyone to put the needs of our children above all else. After all, a good education is the key to the success of our future generations. Family fun coming soon Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is one of the gems of our borough, boasting art along with cultural and educational institutions. Soon, an amusement park will be added. Fantasy Forest, a new family attraction, has opened the majority of its five rides, which include a train and the borough’s only roller coaster. The small theme park will also feature the historic Flushing Meadows Carousel as the center of its allure, and will have family fun for everyone. With its grand opening slated for May 25, the attraction will be yet another reason Queens is a “destination location.”
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