FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM DECEMBER 21, 2017 • THE QUEENS COURIER 29
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letters & comments
Street work truly never
ends in Queens; there’s
always some road somewhere
in the borough
where improvements
are made. This 1938
photo is evidence of it,
as you can see part of
79th Avenue near 88th
Street in Glendale being
dug up at left. The large
building at right is P.S.
113, which continues to
educate students today.
Send us your historic
photos of Queens by
email to editorial@qns.
com (subject: A Look
Back) or mail printed pictures
to A Look Back, The
Queens Courier, 38-15
Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY
11361. All mailed pictures
will be carefully
returned to you.
Food for Thought
BY ASSEMBLYWOMAN NILY ROZIC
It’s the most wonderful
time of the
year … for some.
With the holiday
season upon us it’s
only natural to get
enveloped in the
giving mood. It’s
an opportunity to
refl ect, set new goals, and appreciate all
that we have. As families across the state
prepare to dig into holiday feasts, let’s
remember that there are many in our
community who are still struggling.
Hunger is a widespread problem here
in New York, where 1 in 5 children struggle
with food insecurity, according to
the hunger-relief organization Feeding
America. Th ese children and their families
– 1.4 million New Yorkers – are at further
risk from federal cuts to vital programs
that help low-income Americans put food
on the table.
For instance, earlier this year, the
Trump administration released a proposed
budget that slashes federal funding
for food stamps by nearly $200 billion
over the next 10 years. Th e Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
helps 1 in 5 New Yorkers buy nutritious
food; cuts would force millions of families
to turn to food pantries to meet their basic
needs. As the federal government decreases
funding, it is up to advocates and lawmakers
to make anti-hunger programs
priorities in state and local budgets rather
than an aft erthought.
Fortunately, New York is continuously
at the forefront of fi ghting poverty,
combating inequality, and creating more
opportunity. Earlier this year, the State
Assembly fought to create a 25 percent
tax credit on qualifi ed food donations
that farms make to food banks. We also
made it easier for school districts and colleges/
universities to donate excess food to
local community organizations, food pantries
and soup kitchens. Our annual state
budget continues to support food pantries
and coup kitchens through an investment
of more than $30 million for the
Hunger Prevention Nutrition Assistance
Program.
Even with all these eff orts, there is still
more work to do. Local pantries are oft en
struggling to keep up with the growing
demand, but we can make the diff erence.
Let’s commit to extending the spirit of giving
by volunteering our time or donating
money and healthy foods to a food pantry.
Our eff orts can go a long way in helping
others this holiday season. To fi nd
a food pantry or soup kitchen near you,
visit http://foodhelp.nyc/emergency-assistance
en/. If you are interested in getting
more information about local food pantries
in Queens, please contact my district
offi ce. Our community is stronger when
we step up and look out for one another.
Assemblywoman Rozic represents
the 25th Assembly District cover parts
of Bayside, Flushing, Fresh Meadows,
Jamaica and Little Neck..
GIVING THANKS
FOR CHRISTMAS
Christmas is a time for caring, sharing
and giving. It is a time we travel to
visit friends and relatives and exchanging
presents. But I feel it is a time to recognize
members of our communities
who do things for others and some who
go the extra mile to help those in the
most of need.
We also need to applaud our police,
fi refi ghters and EMS workers who do
their best to save lives and property not
only during the holidays, but all year
long. Th ey risk their lives protecting all
of us. If you see any of these tell them
thank you for a job well done.
Also let’s not forget our brave men
and women in the military who are
serving our country and protecting us
all world-wide. Please say a pray this
Christmas for our heroes and that God
will keep them safe as they do for all of
us year round.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.,
Glen Oaks Village
HAPPY THAT TORTOISE
THIEF FACED JUSTICE
I was pleased to hear that the man
charged with stealing Millenium, the
African spurred tortoise from Alley
Pond Environmental Center (“APEC”)
pleaded guilty to charges on Dec. 7.
Millenium is a valuable, beloved animal
and a big draw for visitors to APEC.
A possible deterrent to future theft
is to attach on his shell a GPS tracking
device which would emit a warning
sound to a home station if the
tortoise wandered away or was taken
from APEC. Cameras connected to a
DVR could implement security surveillance
enabling volunteers to download
APEC’s DVR IP address to their cellphones
and view the tortoise at any
given moment on a 24/7 basis.
Dorothy Philipps, Forest Hills
STATE SHOULD STOP
BEING A TAX GRINCH
Regarding the alleged booze baron
from Flushing arrested for trying to
smuggle untaxed alcohol from New
Hampshire: Th is is just another attempt
by New York and other states to halt
the free purchase of out-of-state items
and then charge usurious taxes to justify
their existence.
Years ago they sent agents to a New
Jersey Ikea and put fl yers on New York
state plated cars telling them that, if
they bought items in New Jersey and
brought them to New York, they would
owe New York state use tax (same rate
at sales tax).
Interstate commerce is relegated to the
U.S. government. States have no business
engaged in such a practice. In my
view, it’s illegal and needs to be stopped.
QNS member Steven Katz
STRONG RESPONSE TO
A STRONG EDITORIAL
I am a Democrat and Kirsten
Gillibrand is my senator, however the
USA Today editorial (“Will Trump lows
ever hit rock bottom?”, Dec. 12) is below
the dignity of any self-respecting national
publication. Now USA Today appears
in a worse light than Trump!
It behooves a newspaper to respect
the Offi ce of President even if it doesn’t
want to show respect to the president
himself. Obviously, the editor did not
listen to his mother when she was “educating”
him when he was growing up!
Unlike other celebrities who have
admitted their guilt or paid their accusers
to keep them quiet, the accusations
against President Trump are still allegations.
In order to respect the due process
of law, Gillibrand can request a
Congressional investigation or direct the
accusers to seek legal advice and bring
the case to court.
Jacques Hakim, Bayside
Editor’s note: For the sake of preventing
“fake news” from spreading, this letter
requires a clarifying response. First,
the USA Today editorial was published
aft er the president commented on Twitter
that Senator Gillibrand was “someone
who would come to my offi ce ‘begging’
for campaign contributions not so long
ago (and would do anything for them).”
Gillibrand later called Trump’s tweet “a
sexist smear” for reasons obvious to anyone
who read the president’s comment.
Th e editorial was written, according to
USA Today, by members of its editorial
board — not a lone, male editor.
Gillibrand has called for Trump to
resign the presidency over the sexual
abuse allegations against him, but she
has also called for those allegations to
be “fully investigated,” as CNN reported.
Finally, in an age where some attempt
to confuse dissent with disloyalty, we
should be reminded of something: While
it behooves a newspaper to be respectful
to everyone, in this country, newspapers
— and all of us as American citizens
— are permitted to speak and write critically
of the president. Neither Congress
nor the president shall make or enforce
any laws abridging such rights as protected
under the First Amendment of the
Constitution.
Robert Pozarycki, Editor-in-Chief
Email your letters to editorial@qns.
com (Subject: Letter to the Editor) or
leave a comment to any of our stories
at QNS.com. All letters are subject to
editing. Names will be withheld upon
request, but anonymous letters will not
be considered for publication. Th e views
expressed in all letters and comments
are not necessarily those of this publication
or its staff .
A LOOK BACK