Letters To The Editor

Why Front Page?

To the Editor:

I cannot believe your headline front page article about alleged rape charges against "A resident of Garden City" Your paper in most cases does not report criminal activity that takes place in the Village!! Why do you see fit to report on the front page of a "charge"?

Dennis J. Armstrong

"Irresponsible"

To the Editor:

Has the Garden City News become so tabloid as to be considered in the same category as The National Enquirer or The Star? A Garden City student at Duke was arrested for a sensational crime that has been reported nationally. For a local newspaper to report on this crime (4/21/06) as you did is within your right and responsibility.

I have rarely seen you publish the names of arrested defendants, i.e. your "The Office Cat" column of 4/21/06, 'Mineola woman stole', 'Uniondale woman stole', 'Roslyn Estates woman arrested for DWI', 'Fresh Meadows man arrested for DWI', 'Franklin Square woman stole', etc. Lets be consistent publish everyone's name, or protect their innocence until convicted.

Where you really stepped over the line was when you published the Garden City's teenager's home address on your front page. That borders on being reckless and is irresponsible. Do we need to incite or encourage, vigilantes, vandals, or troublemakers to come into our village (with maps in hand and the address you provided) to seek revenge? Use your head.

You are wrong, very wrong!

John R. Brooks

Editor's Note: We published the name of the street on which the suspect lives, not his address.

Cruel Decision

To the Editor:

Like many residents, we were surprised to pick up a copy of the News on Friday and find that you chose to lead with the alleged Duke Lacrosse rape story's connection to Garden City. Not only was this not news by time your paper was published, but your decision to include the location of the Finnerty family's home in the story was downright cruel. We do not know the Finnerty family, but whatever Collin Finnerty and his co-defendant may or may not have done (and your editorial on the story noted the dubious nature of the charges leveled against them in a politically charged atmosphere) their families are innocent of any wrongdoing and deserve whatever remaining privacy they enjoy. You helped take that away from them.

The national media has reported extensively on the poor behavior of some members of the Duke Lacrosse team prior to the events of the night in question. The facts reveal that many were known throughout Duke and Durham for their excessive drinking, loutish behavior, and disturbing the peace -- why it almost sounds like Garden City. Your paper has barely covered similar behavior on the part of some of our own teens, instead one must read the Letters to the Editor column to get a sense of how wide-spread the problem is and how seriously it is affecting the quality of life in our community.

The Duke story is a tragedy for all involved regardless of how it ends. Had some of the Lacrosse players been disciplined sooner for the lesser infractions of drinking and public urination, two of their teammates would likely not be facing rape charges today. Instead the adults in charge chose to look the other way and some players assumed they could do whatever they pleased without repercussion to the point of thinking it was okay to hire two strippers to perform at an alcohol-fueled party.

Let's hope that the parents of those Garden City youths who spend their weekends getting drunk, vandalizing private property, and disrespecting our police wake up and realize that something equally tragic could happen here. This paper can play a role in stemming the growing tide of dangerously bad teen behavior in our community by reporting honestly and regularly on it and not leaving that responsibility to letter-writers.

Linda and Michael Ryan

Give Them A Break

To the Editor:

I arrived home after work Friday night and, as usual, reached for the Garden City News, only to find that the lead article was "Resident Charged in Duke Rape Case." The information contained in the article was hardly "news," as the story had been reported, ad nauseum, in newspapers and television all week long. Although I do not know the Finnertys, as a fifteen-year resident of the Village, and a subscriber to the Garden City News for a like number of years, I was sickened to see that article in our community newspaper. What were you thinking? Did you think we all had not yet read the national and local press and watched television all week? What was the purpose of the article? Surely not to inform. Every parent of a college-age or college-bound child can relate to Collin's parents, and the pain that they are going through. Give them a break, and your prayers.

Colette M. Landers

PTA Supports Budget

To the Editor:

The PTA executive committee has carefully reviewed all elements of the proposed 2006-2007 school district budget. As advocates for the children, as well as taxpayers, we are aware of the difficulty involved in developing a budget that continues to fund existing programs and address important educational issues in a fiscally responsible manner. We recognize that as we go forward we are confronted with escalating costs of health insurance, utilities, accounting fees, and unfunded state and federal mandates with minimal state aid. We face a future clouded by rising costs and limited resources, yet our children face a future that demands more and more of them. As a school community we must prepare them to meet these challenges while spending tax dollars prudently.

PTA supports the District's proposed budget for 2006-2007. Our organization believes that the Board of Education and the Administration are committed to improving all programs, providing systematic curriculum review and enhancement, and the development and supervision of all staff members. We understand why the proposed budget provides for a reasonable fund balance, as well as why it includes anticipated funding for contract negotiations with the three separate bargaining units. However, we ask the Administration and Board to be mindful of how these funds are ultimately allocated.

We urge the Board and Administration to continue to monitor student enrollment and the implications for class size at all levels. We believe that adherence to district guidelines for class size significantly impacts student learning. This is a primary concern of our constituency.

We support the District's proposal to institute 6-12 Curriculum Coordinators in core subject areas as well as Special Education, Guidance, and Music/Fine Arts. We will, however, be watchful that these positions in fact result in the improvements in curriculum and instruction that they were designed to achieve. It is imperative that any new district employee in one of these supervisory positions be supported by a well-orchestrated transition plan. In addition, we hope that the entire teaching staff continues to be supported by training, mentoring and meaningful staff development.

We urge the District to continue the line-by-line review of actual expenditures that began with the preparation of the 2006-2007 proposed budget.

We support the District in its efforts to: carefully review all programs, increase accountability for all district employees, improve student learning, effectively assess student achievement, and re-examine our organizational structure. In short, we implore the careful consideration of all spending.

We urge the community to stay informed of important budget issues and we will continue to work toward the successful passage of the budget. GC PTA reminds all eligible residents to VOTE on Tuesday, May 16th.

In closing, we want to thank the district for the comprehensive manner in which the budget material was prepared. Presentations were organized, easy to understand and demonstrated a commitment to open communication between district and taxpayer.

Sincerely,

Jeanine Swartz

President, GC PTA

Field Purchase Essential

To the Editor:

The PTA executive committee has an additional statement regarding the purchase and renovation of the Middle School fields.

We have been aware for several years of the ongoing negotiations between the school district and the Cathedral of the Incarnation for the purchase of these fields.

As a school district the purchase of these fields is essential to the day-to-day operation of the Middle School physical education programs as well as enabling the school district to remain in compliance with New York State law. In addition, there are major safety concerns if the district no longer has use of these fields and our middle school students have to hold their physical education classes, intramural and/or interscholastic athletics across Stewart Avenue on the fields of St. Paul's for an indefinite period of time.

The community as a whole will also benefit from this purchase through the continued usage by the village recreation department and other local athletic groups. These fields are used frequently during non-school hours. The sale of these fields to an outside group would result in further development, added traffic and loss of precious green space.

We believe it's important for the community to know that the purchase of the fields has been carefully planned, is incorporated in the current budget and will not result in any further increase to the budget.

For these reasons we commend the district for its prudent negotiations and support the passage of the bond referendum on Tuesday, May 16th.

Sincerely,

Jeanine Swartz

President, GC PTA