WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES DECEMBER 6, 2018 13
LETTERS AND COMMENTS
REMEMBERING A
DEAR FRIEND
It’s been a year now since my dear
friend Harry Weymer passed away
around Christmas last year from brain
cancer. We had known each other for
over 50 years. We fi rst met when we
both attended Grace Lutheran Day
School in Queens Village when we
were both in third grade.
Harry and I were both in the Boy
Scouts and sang in the church choir
at Grace Lutheran Church. We also
played parts in various Christmas
plays and in one of them we were both
wise men.
When my mother passed away in
1963, Harry got the word and came
over the very same day to tell me how
sorry he was. I will never forget his
compassion.
In 1964 we both attended the World’s
Fair and learn what the future had for
us and that the possibilities were limitless.
Harry and I attended diff erent
high schools but got together oft en
and rode our bikes and went on many
adventures. We rode to many parts of
Queens and into Nassau.
Aft er high school Harry attended
Cortland College and one spring break,
he invited me up; we had a great fun
fi lled weekend with concerts and a
beer bash off campus. I later went
into the U.S. Navy and Harry went
onto Europe to further his education.
He later became a teacher and ended
up teaching in Ithaca until he retired.
We lost touch but reconnected aft er
almost 40 years when he found me on
Facebook.
Harry and his wife Melania lived in
Ithaca but in the last three years we
kept connected by phone and emails
and on Facebook and short visits
when he would drive down with his
wife. We talked about many of our
great teachers and including our
choir master. We also talked about our
health issues, where I was recovering
from an aggressive prostate cancer
and Harry with brain cancer. Mine
went into remission and Harry’s didn’t.
I received an email and a posting
on Facebook by his sister, who lives in
Mineola, that Harry had passed away.
That brought me much sadness but I
was very thankful we reconnected. Yet
I still miss Harry as another Christmas
passes by.
All I can say if I could to Harry is,
“Thanks for the memories.” I will never
forget you.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.,
Glen Oaks Village
WHY CAN’T NYC
RESIDENTS SHOP AT
WALMART?
Once again this holiday season,
out-of-work, part-time, single-income,
poor, senior, working and middle-class
residents looking for reasonable
priced holiday gift s had to pay more.
This is thanks to elected offi cials who
believe they know what is best for you.
Polls of ordinary New Yorkers continue
resulting year aft er year and
now decade aft er decade to support the
right of Walmart to open stores in the
Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan
and Staten Island.
Residents in the other 57 counties
outside of NYC within New York state
have had the option of shopping or not
shopping at Walmart for decades. The
same is true for virtually every other
city and state. Only NYC is behind the
times.
NYC residents continue to be denied
the opportunity to shop at Walmart
due to excuses made by politicians
such as Mayor Bill de Blasio, Comptroller
Scott Stringer, City Council
Speaker Corey Johnson, most members
of the City Council along with
numerous fellow liberal Democratic
Party elected offi cials and their union
allies. Many other Democratic State
Assembly, State Senate and Congress
members also oppose Walmart opening
stores within their respective
legislative districts, boroughs or any
place in NYC.
They feel that we should oppose
Walmart because of substandard
salaries and unfair competition they
would provide against smaller stores.
Construction of a new Walmart
can provide work for construction
contractors and their employees.
Once opened, there are employment
opportunities for many workers.
Many New Yorkers including
students, housewives, heads of single
family households, senior citizens
and others currently out of work along
with those who have given up looking
could fi nd employment.
The city would benefi t by millions
in sales, payroll and real-estate tax
revenue which could help fund essential
municipal services everyone
desires.
Walmart is the nation’s largest
private sector employer with over
1,200,000 employees and growing
each year. Starting pay averages several
dollars above the minimum wage
for new employees around the nation.
Promotional opportunities including
training for higher paying managerial
positions are common. They also off er
health care and other benefi ts.
It is time to allow Walmart the
opportunity to compete in the NYC
marketplace as well!
Larry Penner, Great Neck
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for publication. The views
expressed in all letters and comments
are not necessarily those of this newspaper
or its staff.
SNAPS
GEARING UP FOR
CHRISTMAS ON
MYRTLE AVENUE
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY HRIDAY
TULADHAR
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