Letters To The Editor

Letters from readers are invited and should be sent by regular mail to Times Newsweekly, P.O. Box 860299, Ridgewood, N.Y. 11386- 0299 or by e-mail to info@timesnewsweekly. com. All letters must be accompanied by the writer's full name and address, which will be withheld upon request. Anonymous letters will not be considered for publication. All letters are subject to editing. The opinions expressed in each letter are not necessarily those of the Times Newsweekly.

Barking on dog park plan Dear Editor:

Over the last several months, I have been following the articles related to the ongoing battle over a dog park at Juniper Valley Park.

I moved to Middle Village several years ago. My wife and I had determined that Middle Village would be the ideal community in which to raise our four children. I am currently paying over $8,000 in tuition at Christ the King High School and $6,000+ at Our Lady of Hope, not to mention $4,400 in real estate taxes.

Middle Village is a constantly evolving neighborhood, and has become very transient, with new businesses, new residents, new construction, and more importantly younger families that are keeping this community in business. It's the new money in Middle Village that is keeping the schools and several local establishments afloat.

The Juniper Park Civic Association, Community Board 5 members and smaller committees affiliated need to realize their old school mentality no longer applies to the quality and characteristics of Middle Village today! This is not 1942. These small tightly knit committees fought 7/11 and lost, fought Walgreens' and lost, and St. Saviour's and lost, now recently the Maspeth School? This neighborhood has changed and continues to change, regardless of the noise being made by these "committees" so to speak!

I also own a dog, and just like my children, he too deserves the right to be able to exercise in the park, the park that we as residents are pouring our hard earn tax dollars into year after year. Why are we the residents banished from exercising our freedom of rights?

I am of Asian descent and my wife is African-American. When reading last months news, comments made at the meeting held on April 20 by Lorraine Sciulli were upsetting. "We are afraid of what it will bring," she said.

What does that actually mean? Are the high taxes and tuitions due to my the color of my skin and/or culture? Race, sex, culture should not be a factor for these committees to base their decisions. This is considered "racism;" it's offensive and extremely inappropriate.

These comments are discriminatory to the various races of more then just a handful of Middle Village residents, home owners and business owners. Andy and Julie Wi Middle Village

Appeal to stop library cuts

Queens Library is facing unprecedented budgets cuts that will devastate library service unless funding is restored. The proposed city budget slashes our operating funds by nearly $20 million. If sustained, these cuts would reduce the hours that Queens Libraries will be open to the public with programs and services severely curtailed. All community libraries could be closed on weekends with some libraries open only two or three days a week. We must not let this happen!

More than three million people used Queens Library's computers last year. They borrowed 23 million free books, DVDs, and music CDs. Thousands of school children came in for homework help every day. Tens of thousands used the library to search for a new or better job and thousands learned to speak English. Half a million people attended free programs for education and entertainment.

These services are invaluable, and in today's economic climate libraries, are more important than ever. This is the worst possible time to scale back on these critical programs and services. That is why we must do everything we can to let our friends in government know how important libraries are to the people of Queens and ask them for their support in restoring Queens Library's budget.

The City Council and the Mayor will negotiate the final budget during the next several weeks. Your voice right now in support of libraries can make the difference.

Please contact your city elected officials and let them know you want libraries to remain open. Go to www.savequeenslibrary.org and sign the electronic petition. Better yet: come in to any Queens Library and sign the Save the Library petition.

I know that by raising our voices together in support of the life-enhancing role libraries play in every community, we can keep library doors open for all. Thomas W. Galante Library Director Queens Borough Public Library