32 The QUEE NS Courier • august 7, 2014 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com editorial Go to www.queenscourier.com and search “Identify This letters IDENTIFY THIS PLACE Place” to find out where this is LET THE CHILDREN STAY Although I generally support the strict enforcement of American immigration and naturalization laws, I believe that all children, as in the present situation of this massive influx of children from Central America, should be permitted to live in the United States and be processed for legal residence and citizenship status on humanitarian grounds as refugees. Since the majority of the children are Roman Catholics, efforts should be coordinated between the federal government and the Catholic Church to clothe, feed, house and educate these children. We have the words of Jesus, “Let the children come to me and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Luke 18: 16). Every unaccompanied child who crosses our borders must be allowed to stay. This is a humanitarian, Christian and bipartisan issue. Joseph N. Manago Briarwood MTA SERVICE A BARGAIN The State of the Subways Report Card issued by the Straphangers Campaign is flawed. MTA services continue to be one of the best bargains in town. Since the 1950s, the average cost of riding either the bus or subway has gone up at a lower rate than either the consumer price index or inflation. The MetroCard introduced in 1996 affords a free transfer between bus and subway. Prior to this, riders had to pay two full fares. Virtually no one pays $2.50 for a single ride. Most users purchase either a weekly or monthly pass, which further reduces the cost per ride. Many employers offer transit checks, which pay even more of your costs. The actual cost per ride is actually lower which translates to much higher value than what is reported by the Straphangers Campaign. Larry Penner Great Neck COME CLEAN, GOV. CUOMO The question most concerned New Yorkers are asking is what Governor Andrew Cuomo did in connection with the now defunct Moreland Commission. The job, to my understanding, was to root out corruption on the state level. So why did the governor end the Moreland commission’s work? Added to that, what is the governor afraid of? Now U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, according to reports, is threatening to look into a possible cover-up in connection to obstruction of justice or tampering with witnesses. In the end Governor Cuomo needs to come clean, for inquiring minds need to know before election. So please, Governor Cuomo, do the right thing for the people who put you into office based on your promise to root out corruption. Frederick R. Bedell Jr. Glen Oaks AVELLA GETS HER VOTE I’ve been a Queens resident for 35 years and ever since Tony Avella became my state senator, I have seen dramatic improvements in our parks and school systems. Tony has been able to allocate $1.5 million to schools for critically needed renovations and $705,000 to after-school programs. This allows every school in the district to receive extra funding and maintain an after-school program. P.S. 26 used their funding to renovate a run-down auditorium. Overall, Tony has allocated $1.5 million to parks in our district in Queens alone. To name a few, this includes $450,000 to Little Bay Park, $275,000 to Dermody Triangle Park and $450,000 to Glen Oaks Park. On top of all of this, Tony fought tirelessly to obtain more parkland for Udall Cove Park. Facts are facts: Tony has delivered for our community and is also a strong advocate for issues affecting animals. This is why I will be voting for Tony Avella in the upcoming election. Edita Birnkrant Fresh Meadows VISIT QueensCourier.com FOR MORE STORIES ARTS FOR ALL We might not know much about art, but we know what we like. And we very much like the fusion of art and coffee at Norma’s Café in Ridgewood. The wholesale homegrown appreciation of — and participation in — the arts can only be a boon for the borough’s burgeoning scene. We have great and growing arts institutions here, the Queens Museum, the Museum of the Moving Image, MoMA PS1 and so many others. Their reach and prestige will grow as the grassroots arts scene accelerates throughout the borough. We wish Norma’s venture well and we hope to see many others like it throughout the borough. AHOY, DRAGON BOATS! The annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival embarks this weekend and we are very excited. The annual event at Flushing Meadows Corona Park is a festival of color and sound and taste and physical exertion by the crews, many of which are on their maiden voyage on Meadow Lake. A great time is guaranteed and the price is right — free. We urge our readers to visit the festival (details are in a special section in this paper) and we wish all the race participants fair weather and good luck. SLOW ZONES CAN BENEFIT ALL The city is expanding its use of Slow Zones to reduce traffic fatalities under Mayor de Blasio’s “Vision Zero” plan. Stretches of Roosevelt and Metropolitan avenues will soon see speed limits reduced to 25 mph in hope of preventing pedestrian deaths. Northern and Queens boulevards have already seen speeds reduced. Let us be plainly understood: we are in favor of anything that reduces death. We hope too that the plan helps traffic flow so that motorists and small businesses along these routes can also benefit. THE QUEENS Victoria Schneps-Yunis Joshua A. Schneps Bob Brennan William J. Gorta Amy Amato-Sanchez Nirmal Singh Graziella Zerilli Stephen Reina Ron Torina, Jennifer Decio, Cheryl Gallagher Liam La Guerre, Cristabelle Tumola, Angy Altamirano Katrina Medoff, Eric Jankiewicz, Salvatore Licata Cliff Kasden, Samantha Sohmer, Elizabeth Aloni Cristabelle Tumola Demetra Plagakis 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 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 2014 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.
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