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FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com THE COURIER SUN • DECEMBER 22, 2016 19 oped A LOOK BACK This 1960s picture provided to us by Christopher Shields of Bayside shows the Bay Terrace Jewish Center under construction. Located on 209th Street, the center not only serves the spiritual needs of the faithful, but also is home to various community functions including a local theater group. Send us your historic pictures of Queens by emailing editorial@qns.com or by mail to A Look Back, c/o The Queens Courier, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361. All mailed pictures will be carefully returned to you. letters & comments SENIOR TAX BREAK DOESN’T OFFER MUCH RELIEF I call to your attention that many seniors will not be eligible for the Senior Citizen Homeowner Exemption on their real estate taxes. The reason being the change in the basis to determine your total income from your federal adjusted income, which had been the basis in the last several years. Social Security full payment, including deduction for Medicare Part B, is also a new basis for the exemption instead of the taxable portion of Social Security. IRA distributions are not included, however, IRA and annuity earnings and interest (including that which is non-taxable) is included. The total income allowable for qualification for the exemption is $37,399 or less. Once more, it appears that the seniors living in New York City do not matter to our city government! M.P. McKenna, Bellerose TELL US HOW YOU REALLY FEEL ABOUT TRUMP SUPPORTERS... For those of you who supported Trump and the idea of playing around and reducing and changing Social Security and Medicare: You do realize that you are taking money and healthcare away from grandma and grandpa just because you hated Hillary and shouted Benghazi, right? Really taking money from your grandparents? Shame on all you self-centered children. Stew Frimer. Forest Hills LAWMAKER FORGETS ABOUT TRANSIT ‘ESCAPE CLAUSE’ State Senator Tony Avella has forgotten his transit history when promising to introduce legislation in January that would transfer control of the agency’s subway and bus divisions from the state-run MTA to the city. Avella, other elected officials, MTA management and board members have long forgotten that buried within the 1953 master agreement between the city of New York and NYC Transit is an escape clause. New York City has the legal right at any time to take back control of its assets. This includes the subway and bus systems. Larry Penner, Great Neck COMMITTED TO PRESERVING A RESTFUL, HISTORIC PLACE During the last 10 years, the Olde Towne of Flushing Burial Ground Conservancy has worked to make sure that the burial ground on 46th Avenue between 164th and 165th streets is maintained, that appropriate signage is installed at all of the gates leading into this cemetery, and that fitting memorial stones are erected at the site in order to honor the approximate 1,000 souls resting there. Unfortunately, headstones were removed and destroyed nearly 80 years ago by the city of New York in an act of indifference and intolerance. A playground and wading pool were built over the cemetery in the 1930s, disturbing graves. Bones were dug up during excavation and the remains were treated with great disrespect and dishonor. Most buried there are Native Americans and African Americans. Many were buried in this cemetery when their lives were taken during the epidemics of the 1800s. A large percent of the interred are children. Today, the site is a beautiful, peaceful and meditative area, however, for the Conservancy, there is still much to accomplish, including placement of memorial stones. The Conservancy will be reviewing New York City Parks and New York City Design Commission plans for memorial stones in January 2017. We are thankful to Queens Borough President Melinda Katz and former Borough President Helen Marshall for setting aside funds for the memorial stones. Mandingo Osceola Tshaka and Robbie Garrison, co-chairs, Olde Towne of Flushing Burial Ground Conservancy Tired of the hatred, let’s wish for peace BY EILEEN MILLER I am a lifelong New Yorker and an American. I love New York. I believe in my town. Here if you fall down, someone will always come to help, because that’s the kind of people we are. We accept everyone and all beliefs. We live with all types of nationalities and religions and we accept others for who they are. We are the majority! Every religion and race has its bad side; we cannot let a few hateful people cause us to condemn any religion or race. We all share the same blood, organs and breath, no matter where you’re from or what you believe. The stories we read are from a few people who are angry and hateful. We usually see the negative and bad because it is simply more interesting than the good. If you needed a blood transfusion or organs to survive after a car accident, would you ask about the religion or race of the person who is giving you life? Would you refuse a kidney or possible a heart transplant if the donor happened to be of a different religion or color? Here are a few things to keep in mind about religion. Christianity, Judaism and Islam have many commonalities. The main one is the 10 commandments. Christians, Jews and Muslims all share very similar commandments about love and respect for one another. Nowhere is it said to love only your own kind. These values were all brought from other countries, by our decedents for us to practice as Americans. I was taught to love one another, not a specific type or group of people. The seventh day is the day of rest or Sabbath — Sunday for Christians, Saturday for Jews and Friday for Muslims. As a Catholic growing up, I would wear a veil on my head while going to church. Our sisters wear a similar covering over their head just as the Muslim women wear the hijab. Jewish people also wear yarmulkes and veils on their head. These coverings show reverence and respect of God. Love and kindness takes less energy than hate! Conserve your energy and learn to love. If you don’t like someone’s religion, just move on with your own religion, but above all, please just breathe! Let’s not be afraid to educate one another on the aspects of our own religion, since they are all meant for kindness, respect, compassion and love. When an officer is killed in New York, we all reflect and become heartbroken, because we all know that he or she is one of us: just a human being with hopes and dreams as Americans. We stand together without regard for each other’s religion or race. No one has ever left this world alive; we are only here for a short time. Let’s not waste this time since time is not promised to any of us. This is my holiday wish. Eileen Miller, a Bayside Hills resident, is a registered nurse practitioner and a New York State chaplain. A LOOK BACK


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