WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES JULY 29, 2021 13
LETTERS
AND COMMENTS
A SOURCE OF PRIDE: THE OLYMPICS’
AMERICAN IMMIGRANT REPRESENTATION
The Olympics have begun in Tokyo, Japan. Now
Eddy Alvarez was the American fl ag bearer along
with basketball star Sue Bird for team USA. Eddy
Alvarez’s statement at the event gave me much
hope and pride when he said, “Just to get the honor
to represent the United States of America, to hold
the fl ag — the symbol of liberty, of freedom — my
family came over from Cuba in search of opportunity,
and if it wasn’t for them doing that,
I wouldn’t be in that position that I am now.”
Many immigrants have come over here for just
that reason. These immigrants have made America
what it is today: a land of promise, freedom and
opportunity. Now back in the early 1960s in Queens
Village, an immigrant named Maria and her three
sons had moved up the block from us. They had left
Cuba when Castro and his government took over
and Maria’s husband was killed in the takeover.
Maria, who became a good friend of my
mother Teresa, would oft en babysit me when my
mother had things to do. Maria would oft en tell
me how thankful she was to God that she was
to be living in America and to be free. As to the
Cuban people with all their hardships they are
saying, “No tenemos miedo” (We are not afraid).
And to Eddy Alvarez, make America proud.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr., Bellerose
A farewell message from
Congress must provide undocumented
people the the outgoing path to citizenship MTA chair they’ve and CEO.
earned
BY PATRICK FOYE
W ith my time as MTA Chair and CEO
coming to a close, I want to take the opportunity
in this fi nal column to thank
you, our valued customers, for trusting us and
riding with us over the last four years. It has been
an honor to lead this critical agency – one that affects
the daily lives of millions of New Yorkers.
Transit is not only the circulatory system of this
region fueling its economic engine, but also a great
equalizer, helping to improve equity and access by
connecting our customers to job and educational
opportunities, social and cultural activities, health
care and more.
As the region’s recovery continues and I move
on to lead the Empire State Development Corporation,
I know the MTA will continue to be there for
New Yorkers, as it has always been. There will be
new leadership, but the mission remains the same.
Simply put, our customers and dedicated workers
are the lifeblood of our system and our primary
focus, as they have been for 117 years.
The importance of transit has only been heightened
by the pandemic. I am proud to have led the
MTA at a time when New Yorkers needed safe and
reliable public transportation more than ever. In
the darkest days of COVID, the MTA carried doctors,
nurses, police offi cers, fi refi ghters, sanitation
workers, grocery and delivery workers, our own
transit heroes, and so many more so they could
show up to perform their essential duties and pull
us through this unprecedented crisis.
SNAPS
CHILL OUT WITH TO-GO ICE
OP-ED
PHOTO COURTESY OF F.E. SCANLON
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The dedicated men and women at every level of the
MTA, from our heroic workers on the front lines and
smart and tireless staff at agency offices to our partners
in labor, are the definition of public servants. They’ve
shown the nation and the world what it means to be New
York Tough, and I am humbled by their hard work and
determination.
It’s thanks to them that we faced the greatest challenge
in MTA history and came out rising to recovery
on the other side. The same goes for the brave men and
women of the MTAPD and NYPD’s Transit Bureau.
It was a tremendously moving capstone to
my tenure to celebrate these colleagues at the
Hometown Heroes ticker tape parade earlier this
month. Riding the vintage 1903 wooden train up
the Canyon of Heroes was a poignant moment that
I will always cherish. It brought to mind the service
and sacrifi ce shown by all, but especially by the 168
members of the MTA family lost to COVID. I will
never forget them.
Now you can do your part by coming back to the
system—a system that is safe, affordable, and open
24/7 to get you where you need to go. We’ve seen ridership
begin to rise significantly and expect to make
further gains in September as businesses bring back
more employees, tourists return as Broadway fully
reopens and students come back to in-person classes.
So again, a sincere thank you. This isn’t really
goodbye–I’ll still be out there riding the rails as a commuter
as I’ve done for years – but it is the start of a new
chapter. I look forward to seeing you in transit.
Patrick Foye is the outgoing chair and CEO of the
MTA.
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