44 The QUEE NS Courier • DECEMBER 11, 2014 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com editorial letters IDENTIFY THIS PLACE Go to www.queenscourier.com and search “Identify This Place” to find out where this is THE QUEENS Victoria Schneps-Yunis Joshua A. Schneps Bob Brennan Tom Topousis 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 www.queenscourier.com editorial e-mail: editorial@queenscourier.com for advertising e-mail: ads@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. Herman Badillo remembered Herman Badillo worked tirelessly for the benefit of many during his long career as a congressman and as a deputy mayor. He was a true professional and a gentleman. He will be missed. He always spoke his mind and let everyone know his position on all of the issues that affected his constituents. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife and family. John Amato Fresh Meadows Keep those who serve our country in thoughts this Christmas Christmas is fast approaching and there’s much more to do. There are last minute cards to send out and a few last minute presents to wrap and a few more decorations to hang up. I think though we should take time out and think of our brave men and women serving our country in far away lands in a attempt to preserve all that we hold most dear. It is truly most difficult for them this Christmas season and especially so for their children who will be missing mothers and fathers most dearly. Let’s therefore remember to keep them in our prayers in their most difficult of times. Let us also keep in our prayers all those who are trying to get home to their families this Christmas. And may they all get home safe and sound to their love ones who are anxiously awaiting for their love ones to return. I know how difficult a chore that can be. I was in the U.S. Navy in 1974 and had to travel a day before Christmas from Great Lakes, Ill., and had to battle a snow storm and a car accident and had to hitch awhile but finally made it back to New York for Christmas Eve. I had two sons named Tommy and Bobby and I always tried to keep my promises to them and could not fail them on this most important day. I had brought them two special presents which I told them I had gotten from Santa Claus when I was at the North Pole and Santa told me to give it to them. Which I did as they gave me a big kiss and a hug, and that made the trip a most worthwhile adventure indeed. So let’s keep them all in our prayers. And finally in closing let me say, “Keep Christ in Christmas because Jesus is the reason for the season.” Frederick R. Bedell Jr. Glen Oaks Village R.I.P. Dasher the Rottweiler Having read the story your newspaper did about Dasher, the female Rottweiler who was euthanized because she was not responding to treatment, I felt such sorrow. Dasher was rescued by a humane firefighter who thoughtfully brought her to an animal shelter. I wonder how the heartless person or persons who abandoned her can live with themselves. Edward Riecks Howard Beach Congrats, new Courier editor Congratulations Tom Topousis (“Courier welcomes new editor-in-chief,” The Queens Courier Staff — Dec. 4). Newspapers have to deal with increasing costs for newsprint, delivery and distribution along with reduced advertising revenues and declining readership due to competition from the Internet and other new information sources. These financial challenges on maintaining the bottom line has also resulted in fewer resources being devoted to investigative reporting and a greater reliance on wire service stories. As a result, original newspaper content continues to shrink. This puts even more pressure on the remaining reporters assigned to various departments. There is intense competition among international, national, state, business, sports, entertainment and other sections of newspapers. It is becoming more difficult to provide real detailed coverage of Queens local, neighborhood-based news. While daily papers concentrate on international, national, statewide, business, sports and entertainment news, weekly newspapers such as our own Queens Courier and others fill the void for coverage of local community news. Local neighbors need to continuing supporting all our weekly community newspapers. Patronize their advertisers; they provide the necessary revenues to help keep them in business. Let them know you saw their ad. This helps keep our neighbors employed and the local economy growing. In the marketplace of ideas, let us hope there continues to be room for everyone including The Queens Courier and many others. Larry Penner Great Neck CAMERAS FOR COPS We support the de Blasio administration’s pilot program to test the use of body cameras on NYPD officers, including a trial run at Jamaica’s 103rd Precinct. In the wake of controversial grand jury rulings over the use of deadly force by police, including the case of Eric Garner in Staten Island, the potential benefits of outfitting officers with cameras could protect both citizens and police officers alike. Outfitted with cameras, police officers will have a verifiable record of their interaction with the public and with those suspected of committing a crime. The small percentage of officers who might abuse their powers would also have cause to think twice if there is a video record of their actions. In the end, body cameras for police officers assigned to keep our city’s streets safe — a job they do incredibly well — could provide one very important step forward in establishing greater confidence between minority communities in the city and the NYPD. Think of what might have happened in Ferguson, Mo., had officer Darren Wilson been wearing a body camera during his fatal encounter with Michael Brown. Rather than relying on divergent accounts of the shooting, investigators would have had a video record. Here at home, the NYPD is testing the use of cameras in six precincts at a cost of $50,000 for the initial program. It’s a wise investment by any measure. SUPPORT THE QUEENS COURIER’S TOY DRIVE Once again, The Queens Courier is trying to put smiles on the faces of needy children this holiday season collecting toys for youngsters at the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Queens. The club has asked for donations of toys for 83 girls and 83 boys between the ages of 5 and 10. Donations can be dropped off at the Courier’s offices at 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, at branches of the Flushing Bank or at Christie Salon & Co. in the Bay Terrace Shopping Center. If you can’t get to those locations, there are many other groups around the city collecting toys for needy kids.
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