Letters to the Editor
On Leaf Blowers and Staying with The New York Times
Dear Editor,
I am writing in response to two letters published in the May 22 issue. First, in response to one from Rita Stewart entitled Start Leaf Blower Ban June 1, not May 1. I agree that May is a difficult time for those of us with allergies. Again this year I had to resort to antibiotics to address the relentless allergy attacks that turned into a sinus infection. However, unlike other years when the leaf blowers stirred up allergens and shot them in the air for me to inhale in the form of particulate matter, the air was much clearer after May 1.
Leaf blowers actually intensify the pollen problem, by blowing the "droppings" into little bits and sending them airborne, where they hang in the atmosphere until they settle down again. The blower creates a "temporary tidy" — it just displaces the stuff from the ground into the air where we are forced to breathe the pollen in (mixed with fecal matter, dust, pollution from exhaust and more) and then it all settles back down on the ground (so the blower doesn't actually get rid of it). Area physicians wrote and testified in support of a ban beginning May 1 for precisely this reason.
In response to Robert S. Cypher's letter regarding The New York Times, I am hopeful he speaks for a small minority. While The Times is not a perfect paper, it informs us and provides thoughtful, timely coverage on many topics. I either skim or read up to four newspapers a day, all of which have their own particular political leaning. Using these and other media resources (television, magazines, radio reports, etc.), however, I am able to develop an ever-evolving view of the most newsworthy current events. I found Mr. Cypher's letter inflammatory and hysterical — the same characteristics many news organizations (not including the Times) use to promote insipid content, cheapening much of the news we hear and read.
A democracy can only be successful if its citizens are well informed — having a multitude of good newspapers like The New York Times is an essential ingredient to that success. I will continue to be a loyal subscriber!
Sincerely,
Ashley Craig
Time for “Fantastic Four” to Get Respect And Support
Dear Editor,
Thank you, Rye Record, for so appropriately naming the four-citizen working group committed to ending the Board of Education’s most expensive misadventure ever. The entire Osborn Home litigation matter has been a cancer on our community and handled atrociously by the Board from its first salvo.
The fact that the litigation’s financial impact was apparently “buried” in the “Special Budget and Election Issue” mailer sent to voters just prior to the recent election appears to be nothing short of outright deception. This litigation is material ($8 million to date), has a clear past, current and future financial impact, and is totally obfuscated in this printed, widely-mailed presentation designed to inform voters. Outrageous.
“Fan Four” member and former Rye Mayor John Carey must recall when all Rye City residents were going to be asked to approve the construction of and then subsidize the annual operation of a Senior Living Center on the site of the John B. Rich & Sons Nursery on Milton Road – now a lovely (non-taxpaying) soccer field. Why didn’t we have to build it? Who ended up providing an alternate solution for our seniors that got us off the hook of supporting forever that proposed eyesore of motel-ish architecture with taxpayer-supported subsidies? And what kind of punishment would be fitting for any entity (such as The Osborn) that dared to do the City such a favor?
Long-term institutional memory runs thin in communities with high transitory ownership rates and it frequently allows those with predatory municipal litigation “products” — or in this case a tax certiorari ambush strategy — to flourish by exploiting weak, disconnected, constantly changing local leadership. And as we’re learning now, the fees extracted through these “products” are breathtaking and back-breaking to the taxpayers who are then told “oh yea and by the way, we’ve signed you up to pay the bills.”
So “God Speed,” Fantastic Four. I hope you can put an immediate end to these costly capers. Board of Ed: shame on you.
Sincerely,
Ted Carroll
Special Thanks to John Ambrose
Dear Editor,
The spirit of giving is alive and well in Rye. John Ambrose recently hosted 50 members of the Rye Association for the Handicapped at a free luncheon at his Seaside Johnnie’s restaurant. Such generosity, especially in these days of economic crisis, is extraordinary, and all the members of the association are deeply grateful to him and his staff.
Kudos to Mr. Ambrose — one fine gentleman!
Sincerely,
Board of Directors, Rye Association for the Handicapped
Responsible Drivers Needed
Dear Editor,
I have just returned from a walk in the parking lot that Rye Town Park becomes on weekends and want to express my deep concern over the safety of those in the park who actually use it for its intended recreational purposes. In past years, it was only holidays that brought so many cars to the park, and even then they were more orderly and slow-moving. This year, every nice weekend brings fleets of cars driving and parking all over the park, with far less organization, control and regard for safety.
While I dislike the use of a beautiful public park for parking generally, with the further decline in prudent control of the parking situation this year it is only a matter of time before a tragedy occurs in Rye Town Park. While most drivers respect the fact that they share the park, some do not – they drive around at high speeds and around blind corners with little regard to who might be in their path. Relying on the self-control of the majority of drivers is not a sensible or reasonable approach. It will take just one irresponsible driver to cause a tragedy in a public space that was not designed or configured for traffic control.
Just today a car pulled within two feet of me at high speed – he thought it was funny. The parking attendant, doing his best to maintain order, told me that he had already had to contend with several drivers with “big attitudes.” The juxtaposition of park-goers and cars is an accident in the making. Add high-speeds, dusk, liquor, “attitudes” and toddlers at play to the mix and you have a sure-fire recipe for disaster. It is only a matter of time.
The need for revenue in these difficult economic times does not justify disregarding the safety of families using the park for recreation, as was intended when the current park was established. I urge Rye Town and Rye City officials to exercise their public and personal responsibility to ensure appropriate and safe use of the park as a place of public recreation.
Sincerely,
Caroline Walker
Rye Town Park Is on The Clean-up Case
Dear Editor,
I want to thank Ms. Flosse for taking the time to send a letter regarding the condition of the beach at Rye Town. While I do not agree with every point in Ms. Flosse’s letter, I do agree that we need to do a better job.
As she noted in her letter, Rye Town Park’s maintenance staff cleans the beach every morning with the tractor-operated beach rake. They also empty all the garbage cans and pick up any litter. Our goal is to make the beach safe and clean for all patrons. Moreover, I would like to point out that this year we have added special blue bins for collecting recyclable cans and bottles (glass and plastic).
Ms. Flosse is also correct in noting that our procedures cannot get all the cigarette butts and other minute litter that gets left behind. However, we have recently adjusted the rake so that it goes deeper into the sand to remove more debris.
My concern is that we have not done a good enough job adapting our clean-up to the changing tides at the beach. Therefore, we are now directing our maintenance staff to carry out additional hand raking and pickup of any dirty areas during the day, paying particular attention to the change in tide. Throughout the day the lifeguards make public announcements reminding beach patrons to clean up all their litter.
People who feel that the Park should outlaw smoking on the beach should voice their opinion to the Rye Town Park Commission. The Commission is considering developing a policy on this issue.
We welcome other suggestions for ways to keep the beach clean, and we urge beach patrons to report any problems or violation of beach regulations to the lifeguards and other staff of Rye Town Park.
As with all park and beach regulations, we depend on the cooperation and goodwill of the public to help with enforcement of laws and the practice of basic common sense.
Sincerely,
Joseph Carvin, President Rye Town Park Commission
