36 The QUEE NS Courier • june 20, 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:editorial@queenscourier.com ads@queenscourier.com queenscourier@queenscourier.com 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. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, AS WELL AS OP-ED PIECES IN NO WAY REFLECT THE PAPER’S POSITION. No such ad or any part thereof may be reproduced without prior permission of THE QUEENS COURIER. The publishers will not be responsible for any error in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Errors must be reported to THE QUEENS COURIER within five days of publication. Ad position cannot be guaranteed unless paid prior to publication. Schneps Communications assumes no liability for the content or reply to any ads. The advertiser assumes all liability for the content of and all replies. The advertiser agrees to hold The Quens Courier and its employees harmless from all cost, expenses, liabilities, and damages resulting from or caused by the publication or recording placed by the advertiser or any reply to any such advertisement. Rethink bill I am profoundly distressed and saddened over the introduction of a bill in New York that would ease restriction in state law on late-term abortions and expanding abortion access at all stages of gestation. To perform an abortion all the way to birth in my view is an egregious and nefarious act against the unborn. As a Catholic and as grand knight in the Knights of Columbus, I am opposed to this portion of the bill. I firmly believe in the sanctity of human life that I believe extends from conception to birth. Therefore I ask our New York State legislators to amend this portion of the bill that is purely barbaric. Frederick R. Bedell Jr. Glen Oaks Village Kudos for rescue The rescue of two window washers from their disabled rig at the Hearst Building in Manhattan is again another wonderful example of how excellent our Fire Department and EMS are! They completed the rescue within 90 minutes using exact precision and caution. Congratulations to all for a job well done. We are very glad that those workers were rescued without any injury. Again the Bravest of NY City are the best! John Amato Fresh Meadows Power line problem They’ve struck again, the tree manglers hired by Con Edison to “trim” trees near overhead power lines. Trees are being mutilated and disfigured. One large tree that I saw on 45th Avenue in Auburndale now has all of its branches only on one side of its trunk. It has been destabilized. During the next fierce storm, that tree is likely to keel over right onto a nearby house. The person living there has a big problem and she is aware of it. Con Ed, in its usual arrogant way, claims that they have to do it this way. They act like the trees belong to them. Apparently they have never heard of careful and sensitive pruning that would protect the power lines while retaining the shape and health of the trees. Their supervisors and public relations people need to act on and correct this outrageous situation. Street trees belong to all of us and they must be taken care of properly. Not only do the affected trees look ugly, but their survival is in jeopardy as well. Severe pruning opens up trees to disease and insect infestation. Property values are lowered as well. Our tree canopy is one of the reasons that our neighborhood is so desirable. When trees are lopsided or stressed in this way it makes a negative impact on curb appeal of any property. Perhaps the ultimate solution is to place all of the power lines underground, not only for aesthetic reasons, but also for safety reasons and the reduced chance of power failure due to storms year round. Henry Euler Bayside Missing the Scobee “Board approves variance for Scobee parking lot” (Terence M. Cullen, June 13) may be a losing bet for those considering opening up a new bank and dentist’s office. Within several blocks on Northern Boulevard in Little Neck are four other banks, three dentists’ offices and 20 additional vacant first- and second-floor storefronts. With the loss of both the Seville Diner (Douglaston) and Scobee Grill is the lack of a good neighborhood diner. Larry Penner VISIT QueensCourier.com TELL US WHAT YOU THINK... RED, WHITE & NYPD BLUE Officer Joseph Koch, 29, embodies “to protect and serve.” He was off duty on Father’s Day, enjoying a barbecue with his in-laws. But when he heard the plaintive cries of an 11-year-old boy trying to protect his mother from a violent attack, Koch immediately sprang into action. He ran to the boy’s South Road home, where he found the child’s mother, Chrissy Rodriguez, 34, reportedly being beaten by ex-boyfriend Jose Bernazard, 40 – despite her order of protection. The quick-thinking Koch, who identified himself as NYPD, was attacked by Bernazard, who struggled to get the officer’s gun. The weapon discharged, striking Koch in the left hand and Bernazard in the abdomen. The men, along with Rodriguez, were taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. Koch, who was listed in stable condition, is a true hero. He put his own safety on the line and ostensibly helped save Rodriguez’s life. But let’s not forget the heroics of her son. At only 11 years old, the boy had the guts to try to thwart the attack. Realizing he couldn’t overpower Bernazard, he then had the clarity of mind to get help. What he did at once astounds us and makes us proud. In our eyes, both Koch and the boy deserve commendations for averting a Father’s Day tragedy. TRAGIC END TO AMERICAN DREAM All he wanted to do was provide for his children. But Uro Orji Ama died in the most nightmarish of ways. The Nigerian-born cab driver died after being stabbed in the eye with an umbrella by a man he was dropping off. Now his five children – ranging in age from 13 to 24 – will have to live with relatives, forced to go through life knowing the tragic way their dad died. Nearly a week after the slaying, Shamel Allen, 28, was arrested and charged with manslaughter, according to reports. Though it won’t bring their father back, it seems, at least, that Ama’s children will get justice.
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