Too Important

To Demolish

To the Editor:

As the region's leading advocate for historic places on Long Island, the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities (SPLIA) is dismayed to learn that the Garden City Board of Trustees is advancing a resolution to demolish St. Paul's School. Such an action will not benefit the public in any meaningful way, and is tantamount to abandoning responsibility for what should be considered a community asset.

Since 2003, the Village Board has floated demolition as an option for this remarkable building. This suggests a lack of commitment on the part of Village leadership and an unwillingness to develop long-range planning for the task of rehabilitation. In the Mayor's Committee on St. Paul's Report of July 2008, what is described under the option of mothballing (really stabilization) is not a "waste of time and money" as suggested by the report. In reality it is Phase I of a long-range plan, which, as described in Appendix Six of the Report, would provide a new roof and gutter system, repointing for the brick façade, and repair of structural masonry, windows, and doors. This would bring the building very close to a useable state, opening it to new partnerships and greater possibilities for reuse.

St. Paul's School (built in 1883) is not a unique preservation challenge, and it certainly is not the most financially demanding. Projects such as the Eldridge Street Synagogue and the Seventh Regiment Park Avenue Armory in New York City, and the Montauk Playhouse on Long Island, all seemed daunting at first and could be described as lost causes. Each required dedicated supporters and long-range planning. The synagogue, built in 1887, abandoned for 50 years, and featuring spectacular interior wall decoration took twenty years to restore. The Playhouse project, largely supported by the Town of East Hampton and begun in the late1990s, opened to the public in 2006 with Phase II of the larger restoration plan still pending. And the Armory, built in 1877-81 with extravagant interior finishes, is less than half way to completion but is still enjoyed by the public during events. Complex preservation projects such as these and many others were not dismissed by bottom-line economic evaluation. Instead, they were developed through dedication, cooperation, inventive thinking, and a willingness to ride out the long haul.

St. Paul's School is significant enough to deserve the same special treatment. It is a National Register listed landmark, a magnificent architectural achievement, and a memorial to Alexander T Stewart, the founder of Garden City. It is central to the cultural identity of the Village and, along with the Garden City Cathedral, it is one of the few remaining substantial structures that distinguishes Garden City from all other places. St. Paul's was purchased in 1993 to serve the community, and for the last five years a lot of time and energy has been spent exploring ways to reuse the building. Garden City cannot give up just because AvalonBay was not the right developer. St. Paul's School is too important. It cannot be demolished - Not now, not ever.

Alexandra Parsons Wolfe

Director of Preservation Services

Reconsider Proposal

To the Editor:

The Bad News: As the architect for the Eskar submission for St Paul's, I offered to EAT MY HAT IN MACY'S WINDOW if one, just one, fair-minded resident thought my scheme was not better for Garden City than the Avalon Bay scheme. Because nobody seems to think so, Garden City will not be treated to the spectacle of my hat eating.

The Good News: Our scheme was rejected because the developer lacked local experience. This is a fault that is easily correctible in a global village. The scheme included the following:

1. Not having had local experience, we didn't know enough to NOT pay taxes.

We have always expected to pay taxes, not PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) but actual taxes. After speaking to the Village Tax Assessor we estimated our taxes to be as follows: Luxury Apartments: 67,495 X $5/SF = $337,475

Townhouse Taxes: $11,200,000 x 0.02 x0.37 = $ 82,880

Total Annual Taxes-$420,255

We also offered the following ground lease payment:

Ground Lease:- $250,000.

Therefore our total annual payment to the village is: $670,255

We naturally expect that taxes go up through the years, but have no preconditions about the success of our investment. We will simply owe the Village the legal taxes each year.

2. We do not require and have not asked for any subsidy from the Village.

3. The important spaces of the South Wing on the first floor and the chapel are to be renovated and designated for Community use.

4. We will renovate St Paul's School in accordance with the Federal Tax Incentive Program. Willingness to use the program assures a superior quality of completion.

5. We have offered a ground lease that will pay the Village $250,000 per year. We have asked for the right to buy the ground lease after five years for $5,000,000. This figure is based on the reasonable and ordinary value of a ground lease. We thought it would appeal to the town, but if not, we are content to keep paying the annual rent and allow ownership to rest with the Village.

6. We plan to build 46 luxury rental apartments and 8 middle-income apartments within the existing space of St Paul's School. No expansion of the building itself is planned, but our proposal does include ten new townhouses in the rear of the property. The middle-income apartments (for Village employees) were planned as an inducement for the Village; a Senior Center or Village administrative offices can easily be substituted if the Village prefers that use.

7. 75% of the rental apartments will be marketed for people over 55 without school-age children.

8. We plan to use geothermal energy for heating and air-conditioning to eliminate the pollution and cost of fossil fuels.

9. We have engaged one of the leading lighting consultants in the world to ensure sensitive interior and exterior lighting.

10. All the required parking is underground, except for Townhouse parking, which will be enclosed within the individual townhouses.

Now that the Village has sensibly voted against the Avalon Bay scheme, it can move to adopt our scheme. My client is still interested and will be happy to meet with Village officials. I would very much appreciate hearing from residents who are interested in our proposal.

Bernard Marson

"Sponsor A Family" Thanks You

To the Editor:

Last weekend, St. Joseph's Church completed our 2008 "Sponsor a Family" program. Because of the generosity of so many people, we were able to provide Thanksgiving dinners for more than 250 families, Christmas gifts and dinner for 150 families from Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Parish in Roosevelt, and another 75 Christmas dinners for Our Lady of Loretto Parish in Hempstead. We are so grateful to all of you who made the effort during this busy time of year to remember those who are less fortunate, and put into practice the true meaning of this holy season. We are especially heartened by this generosity in light of the personal and financial difficulties that many are facing at this time. We urge you to remember that the food pantries in these two parishes, and all across Long Island, are always in need of donations.

We also want to thank all the parishioners who helped us in running this program - many of you volunteered to stuff envelopes, make phone calls, or deliver and distribute several thousand bags of gifts and groceries. Dozens of Confirmation candidates were with us on each of the delivery days, loading groceries and gifts into cars to be transported to the receiving parishes, and we have a core group of loyal volunteers who brave the cold weather every year working in the school parking lot. The St. Joseph's School Religious Education staff provides us with the administrative support essential to successfully manage this program. We want to especially recognize and thank Sr. Marie Flaherty, director of St. Joseph's Human Services, for her leadership and her example of compassion and kindness. She is a true inspiration.

Each of us working on this program feels truly blessed to know that there are so many generous and giving people in our village. Thank you so very much!

Lita Reilly and Pat DiMattia

A Lady Tells All

I have been a center of the Duvall Village scene longer than anyone. However, I now hear even good friends describe my wrap as tattered with gentle fraying at the seams. One newspaper writer had the audacity to describe me as "down at the heels". But I'm still upright, still willing to contribute. However, recently a neighbor right here in Duvall raised the spectre of doing me in. Yes, ending my days. And today I am fearful.

I am of good stock. Whispers tell me my first name Theold might come from an ancient Norse family. Of course everyone in Duvall boasts they are direct heirs of William the Conqueror or Brian Boru or Charlemagne. I think they jest. My last name may track a long line of educators named Skoole. They may have been German and later, English, nobles starring in Academia. I would like to think so. The man responsible for me was Hiram Baron Skoole. Around Duvall children always called him Hi.

Not many people today remember how I once sparkled under morning suns, draped in muted crimson with lovely white striping stretching to matted green at my feet. Proud passersby describe me as having a "Victorian" look. Those days I bubbled surrounded by shouting, impish boys. I fed them, embraced them and taught them gentlemanly behavior. Even taught some, wearing knickers, white gloves and briefly shined shoes, proper ballroom dances.

I even went so far as to train some of my boys in rudiments of warfare when those terrible skills were necessary to protect our community and our women. If I'm not able to do all that today, there still remains my obligation to contribute.

I enclosed those precious children in a holy place within me and taught them about the Almighty, what was right, what was wrong. Children cherished me and I caressed them. Excuse my puffing, but many did grow to be fine representatives of our little world. They carried the ethos of our families far and wide. Numbers?

There were hundreds, more likely thousands of cherubic faces, all with unkempt blond, red and auburn locks as I recall. I always say, "By their deeds you will know them." It all took place right here on my gracious grounds abutting Hampton Court.

The Court remains a striking four lane village entry passage fit for processions. Late afternoons, when I gaze on the magnificent oaks stretching down our boulevard I recall the man himself, Winchester Winchester Hampton. Yes, two Winchesters. That's because he had a Winchester on his mother's side and a Winchester on his father's side. People jest saying he was like John Wayne in that respect. That's a terrible joke. Employees called him W.W.

W.W. erected the beautiful homes encircling me. And I blush to tell you he was the man who brought children into my life. But recently a day came when they were gone.

Alone for the first time, I trembled. Men and women poked me, examined what I call my innards to report on signs of life. Friends whisper there are good people in Duvall who still love me, admire me, and will help me once more do what I was put on earth for-to help people who need special care.

This dated raiment sags now. My once fashionable black beret, tilted perhaps but so comforting in the rain, needs touch ups occasionally. However, there are still handsome courtiers who would woo me. I hear about them-rich men across America who plan to reshape me into a heartwarming spirit of a new Duvall. Perhaps you hear them confide their glamorous plans to restyle me, buy me glittering furnishings, wrap me in luxury and introduce me to new friends. I can handle that.

Evenings a gentleman meanders east along the Court. I peek at him standing near the corner under a yellowing lamplight. After a few minutes he salutes and goes his way. Now tomorrow, as the famous lady said, is another day.

Early in the morning I will be examined. Men will open me and check my lower body. They will search for damage and if they find something failing they will carve away the faulty bit. I'm afraid they will find more and then more. In the end...sorry, I better not go there. But it appears to be a fact that I will soon be leaving this tree-lined Eden that I love.

Please remember me. Tell your children and grandchildren that you once heard the Lady of Hampton Court whisper. Today is Tuesday. Tomorrow will be a bad day, but on Thursday newspapers will give you a report on my condition.

Look in Newsday, our local newspaper. I might be on Page One. I know I won't be in the Obituary column. You might try the Real Estate Section. Look under "New Construction".

R. A. Benack

Time For Self Examination

To the Editor:

The horrible tragedy that took place last week at Wal-Mart left most civilized people shocked and dismayed. What has become of society when Christmas shoppers, in order to save money, could stampede into a store and in the process kill the young man who was opening the door? We all shook our heads in disbelief and wagged our tongues about the declension of human behavior and civility. It seemed incomprehensible that such a thing could happen and even worse that it happened at Christmas time. After all, didn't Jesus come to show us how to live and love?

As I could not get the thought out of my head, I began to think about times when I was on line waiting patiently to get into a movie, a show or a sporting event and someone "cut in the line" before me and how upset I became. Or how I felt when driving in a parking lot, looking for a place to park making sure nobody got that spot before I did. If you are honest with yourself you will probably admit to having similar feelings yourself. There is something in our human nature that makes our heart race a little, our blood pressure rise and our face flush when these situations occur. After all, you were there first and nobody has the right to get ahead of you.

The Bible says that this feeling is common to men and women; it says this is the nature we are born with, it calls this nature sin. Many people view themselves as basically good, and feel contempt when they see the depravity in others. To be sure there are some occasions when this depravity, in all its gruesome and horrifying light is seen more intensely in other people. What is not so easily seen is that sin and depravity in some way or another has contaminated us all. Yes that includes the well meaning, ethically motivated, philanthropic of society who believe they are "good".

The reason Jesus came is not because we are basically good and to show us how to live and love. The reason Jesus came is because we are basically sinful and He came to save us from our sins. That is the meaning of Christmas, for it says, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord'. Lk.2:10.

Jesus is the Savior, not the example. At this Christmas season, during the hustle and bustle that vies for our attention, stop and reexamine yourself to see if you need the Savior too.

James W. LaRocca

Ethics Code Needed

To The Editor:

In late August 2008, I was advised that our Village Attorney was working on a new improved Code of Ethics in the spirit of the Nassau County Code of Ethics.

I am now informed in December 2008 by our Village Attorney that he was never furnished the necessary guidelines for him to write a Code of Ethics. Apparently there are some who think that volunteers should not be subject to a Code of Ethics and others who think that the scope of a Code of Ethics should be limited.

The last time that the officers of WPOA were newly elected, I delivered a copy of the Code of Ethics adopted by the Village of Lynbrook for the Villages consideration. It is an excellent one. It has not been adopted. Meanwhile we are left with a Code of Ethics with "no teeth" which does not even do away with nepotism. All other levels of government in New York, i.e. the State, and the County have passed strict Codes of Ethics. Why not Garden City? According to the Financial Times even large corporations such as Walmart, General Electric and Pepsi Co "have launched a drive to improve ethical standards in business in an attempt to stop the decline in Corporate Americas public standing and that unethical behavior was on the rise in Corporate America. It is also obviously on the rise in government as evidenced by the doings of the Governor of Illinois and must be challenged. What do you think?

Joseph A. Calamari

Thanks For Help

To the Editor:

Please help us publicly thank the Garden City Fire Department for their swift and thorough help in putting out a fire in my basement, while simultaneously trying to find a pet cat who had hidden herself in the house.

(Stewy was safe and came out in her own good time just as the firemen assured me she would.) We were extremely aware and appreciative of the danger these men and women were putting themselves in on our behalf and just want them to know how much we thank them for their speedy appearance and conscientious work.

Barbara and Dennis Bengels

Holiday Greetings

To the Editor:

With the holiday season upon us comes the time for peace, reflection and for giving thanks. Writing on behalf of all the employees of the Incorporated Village of Garden City and our families, I extend to each of the residents of Garden City and your families our very best wishes for a Merry Christmas.

We look forward to a fruitful, productive and Happy New Year in the hope that 2009 will bring peace to the world and good health and happiness to each of you and your loved ones.

Robert L. Schoelle, Jr.

Village Administrator