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24 The Courier sun • september 18, 2014 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com editorial letters SCHOOL ZONE CAMERAS A RIP-OFF NYC recently announced the installation of more than 100 speed cameras in school zones to insure “pedestrian safety.” However, this is a game that politicians are playing to earn more income on the backs of harassed motorists. If the city was truly interested in motorists slowing down around schools they would install “school” traffic signs in the area of schools to ensure that motorists slow down. Instead the city will be mailing $50 violation notices to motorists caught “on camera” speeding over 10 mph in a 30 mph speed zone. The motorist takes it on the chin once again! Stephen Liebman Bayside, NY TEACHERS RIGHT TO WEAR NYPD SHIRTS The recent uproar regarding teachers wearing shirts with logos supporting the police is totally ridiculous! They have every right to show support for the police, and who is the UFT to tell them that they cannot? There always has been unity between the PBA and the UFT. That should continue, despite Michael Mulgrew marching in the demonstration regarding police actions in the death of Eric Garner and causing strained relations with the PBA. We have the best teachers and police in the whole country right here in New York City. Thank you to all of them for their dedication and professionalism. John Amato Fresh Meadows INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A STRONGER AMERICA Regardless of the political divide that has ended Congressional action on so many issues confronting the nation, failing to fund infrastructure development is punishing America. Without repairing, renewing and building the highways, tunnels and bridges that make commerce possible, the country cannot grow, expanding possibilities for our citizens. President Eisenhower marveled at the Nazi use of infrastructure that made possible their ability to war on against overwhelming odds. When he gained the presidency, Eisenhower called upon Congress to copy what the Germans had achieved. That is why America enjoys the interstate highways that have served and invigorated expansion of our commerce worldwide. Every dollar spent on infrastructure returns to the government and the benefit of the economy multiple times. The logic for refusing to fund infrastructure cannot be found within the economics, rather in the political calculations of the opponents. The polarization of American politics with its overt hatreds is and will continue to be an internal threat to the nation’s security. It weakens America at home and therefore overseas, raising the hopes of enemies and terrorists. In the absence of accepting compromise over dogma the future for the U.S. seems bleak. Edward Horn Baldwin FLUSHING TOWN HALL CHALLENGE As The Courier reported, Flushing Town Hall has been presented with a significant challenge this season, one that I hope your readers will help us to meet. It’s not every day that an institutional supporter presents such an offer to us. An anonymous donor – a supporter of the arts – recently approached us through one of our board members. The donor’s offer: if our nonprofit can raise $35,000 in new donations by February 2015, the donor will contribute another $35,000. The donor’s hope is that this challenge will motivate others to open their wallets and hearts, thereby enabling our gem to be brighter than ever, enriching the culture of this diverse community. This is a challenge we’re excited to take on. I invite – no, encourage – your readers to help us by visiting flushingtownhall. org/35challenge to contribute. Every dollar will help preserve the work of the Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts, which has been part of the fabric of the borough for 35 years (thus the “35” in the challenge). Each year, FCCA presents an array of high quality arts and educational programs at Flushing Town Hall with a focus on global arts for a global community. The contributions we receive this season are vital to preserving not only our operations and programs but our role in preserving our historic landmark building, dating to 1862. We’re confident that people – from Queens and beyond – who have enjoyed Flushing Town Hall over the years will step up to the plate and pitch in. Ellen Kodadek Executive and Artistic Director, Flushing Town Hall sun WWW.COURIERSUN.COM 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 Warren Susman 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 Sales fax: 718-631-3498 website: www.couriersun.com e-mail:editorial@queenscourier.com ads@queenscourier.com queenscourier@queenscourier.com Entire Contents Copyright 2014 by The Courier Sun All letters sent to THE COURIER SUN 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. No such ad or any part thereof may be reproduced without prior permission of THE COURIER SUN. 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 COURIER S UN within five days of publication. Ad position cannot be guaranteed unless paid prior to publication. VIctoria Media Services 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 Courier SUN 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. IDENTIFY THIS PLACE Go to www.queenscourier.com and search “Identify This Place” to find out where this is ARBOREAL UPHEAVAL I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. Joyce Kilmer wrote that just over 100 years ago. Soon, the poetry will be drowned out by chainsaws in Howard Beach as hundreds of Sandy-damaged trees are cut down and replaced by saplings. We are saddened, of course, to see great, mighty and aged trees cut down, but we understand the Parks Department has little choice. The trees can soon become a menace rather than an inspiration, a threat to people and property as they weaken and die. Sadly, the trees have been left to rot for too long already. We acknowledge the necessity of the deforestation of Howard Beach, but we look forward to a new crop of trees for the neighborhood. A BUMP IN THE ROAD Several, actually. Juniper Boulevard North has finally gotten a series of speed bumps to slow down the dangerous and noisy racing along the north side of Juniper Valley Park. For too long the street has been a drag strip for anyone who wanted to open up the throttle and roar away at high speed. So kudos to the Department of Transportation (DOT) for responding with long-sought traffic calming measures. And now, the south side. The community board is hoping for a traffic signal on the south side of the park to slow things down. We wish them good luck, but it will take more than that since the DOT shot them down once before. We’re sure the DOT will give the matter a fair hearing and we are encouraged to hear that a speed bump is on offer should the plea for a traffic signal fail. We’re all for safety — for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers — and slowing things down along a park’s border will surely promote that aim. ON THE SHELF We are saddened by the news that Tom Galante, president of the Queens Library, has been suspended by the agency’s board of trustees. We’ve opined on the board and the political machinations before, so we’ll skip the gory details, but suffice it to say that this is hardly the considered judgment of an independent board, but a long-sought, predetermined political outcome that has very little to do with the library itself. In the midst of the purge of the library board and the library’s president, yet another award came in, this one a Best Practices Award from the New York Library Association’s Public Libraries Section. We’re not certain that Tom Galante has done anything wrong; in fact, we know he’s done a lot of things right — as do his peers by evidence of the award. We hope the suspension is lifted soon and Tom can get back to running what he has made into the best library system in the country.


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