A Fond Farewell

To the Editor:

Herman Bader was better known as “Uncle Herman” at Grimaldi’s of Garden City. He was not only a fixture at Grimaldi’s but the patriarch of the establishment, its owners, employees and the “regulars” who together formed what I like to refer to as the Grimaldi’s Family.

Uncle Herman was a mentor to Grimaldi’s owner Russ Cioli and instrumental in bringing this unique spot to the Village of Garden City. It was only fitting that his ninetieth birthday party was held at Grimaldi’s where the invitation-only event, complete with a belly dancer for entertainment, resulted in a standing room only crowd to honor this distinguished gentleman.

Whether he was sitting at the bar pontificating, at “his” table noshing on the best brick oven pizza on Long Island or taking a nap in a chair outside, Uncle Herman and his signature hat were as integral a part of Grimaldi’s as the dough used to make the pizza.

He was a talker, he was a listener and he lived and loved life to the fullest for over nine decades. Uncle Herman demanded your attention and he commanded your respect. His lifetime of business and philanthropic achievements were impressive. His love of children and desire to help people demonstrated the warmth and size of his heart.

Herman Bader was a truly unique character and learned individual who adopted the truly unique Grimaldi’s to both hang and wear his hat. He kept his mind sharp to the very end and most people would do well to learn what he had forgotten. Uncle Herman would often spontaneously break into song and had a special affinity for “Give My Regards to Broadway” and “Old Man River.”

Herman Bader passed away on November 9, 2009 but his legacy will surely live on. Grimaldi’s manager Dean “Deano” LaLima put it best when he described Uncle Herman as a “young soul who embraced life in ways that we can only aspire to.” I join Deano, Russ and the entire Grimaldi’s Family in bidding a fond farewell to “Old Man River” but am sure that Uncle Herman will be immortalized in the memories of all those whose lives he touched.

Craig G. Biscone

Student Support Lacking

To the Editor:

Attending the first playoff game last Friday afternoon at Warren King field, I simply deplored the lack of support for a squad and team that may go down as the best Garden City has ever produced.

As a lifelong resident, a father of five graduates, and a scrub ninth grade player on Warren Kings first squad, I resent the width and depth of the chasm separating the athletes from the students. I guess I am as guilty as any other father by pushing my boys to their limits in one sport or another, and I know there has always been a social separation of some sort: however, I was not prepared to accept as fact that the high school student body does not really support their peers on the athletic fields or gyms for the winter sports.

In the late 40s and early 50s there were parades to Village Hall on Seventh St. from Stratford Ave. field after a victory. Basketball moved the home games from the current middle school gym to Adelphi to try and accommodate the crowd. Student athletes are in demand the world over. Even in our school, there are not many. They are the elite. We all recognize it. I am told the ordinary athletes act elitist, but in my view generally fail to meet this mark. The students know it and react accordingly.

I believe we have more students involved in interscholastic sports then ever before. The annual award banquets show it and the programs, not attendance, show it. Why they fail to actively support their peers in other sports is is a good question. Have we, as parents simply taught them to act like kings and queens of the hill? Conversely, are the students not involved in the grueling daily practices simply eating sour grapes, and turning their backs on their peers.

I just hope, I can find better support for our current Champions from their peers for the rest of these play-offs come what may.

Bob Paisley GCHS 43’

Keep Garden City Clean

To the Editor:

Please keep Garden City clean! Since November 4 was Election day there was no rubbish pick up scheduled for that week, however many residents put their rubbish to the curb on Tuesday night for Wednesday pick up. It is understandable to make that mistake but to then leave the trash out for the entire week, curbside to blow around the street or to just be an eyesore to the neighborhood is just plain inconsiderate. For the elderly who may have struggled to put the rubbish out perhaps it is understandable, but for the rest of you - shame on you! There will be several more holidays in the near future so please check the sanitation schedule or read the Mayor’s Report in this paper for the latest updates. Let’s not turn Garden City into Garbage City!

Steve Ilardi

Exercise In Futility

To the Editor:

With the room filled to capacity and people standing in the hall, those in attendance at last week’s BOT meeting to protest newly imposed, exorbitant parking fees were seemingly treated to an exercise in futility. With over 50 letters submitted and pages of signatures on a petition to protest new parking taxes imposed on only certain businesses in our village, it was evident the Board of Trustees had made up their minds. They ignored pleas from employees at 520 Franklin Ave (Garden City Medical Center) that it is not safe to cross Franklin Avenue during rush hours. Many workers arrive and leave work when it is dark, and they carry supplies for their offices. This is so unnecessary to risk one’s safety, when a parking lot is adjacent to the building where they work. Attorneys working at offices on Old Country Rd were very vocal in their outrage as well. However, the BOT simply suggests that if you cannot afford the $150 fee per year, or feel it is unjust, simply park somewhere else and walk. You must pay to park even if you work part time, even if you are not guaranteed a spot in the lot, even if you rented an office in the building 20 years ago with the promise of free parking for you and your employees. Too bad for you. Pay up.

They ignored that fact that as of last week’s meeting there were only 65 parking permits issued for 520 Franklin Avenue, as opposed to over 300 hundred issued at the same time last year. People just cannot afford it in this economy. The BOT are not applying the “fees” equally to all Garden City businesses. While this may have achieved a benefit to open up parking spaces in the lot, they are spaces that must remain unused, and if you park there without paying the $150 per year fee, you will be ticketed. Unsuspecting patients and visitors to our building, as well as members of St. Joseph’s Church will be ticketed. This is no way to raise money for our village. Garden City looses good will, again. Gains the reputation of being arrogant again, and chalks up another notch in ignoring the wishes of the residents yet again.

To single out only certain businesses for this new tax is wrong. To exempt all of the retail businesses in town from the tax is wrong. To ignore the safety of residents and employees is wrong. To compare the fees commuters on the LIRR pay for parking with employees working here in our village is wrong. Again, it was said that those who park near the railroads have to pay, why shouldn’t we? The members of the BOT who choose to work in the city take revenue out of GC. We keep it here in the village, by utilizing other businesses in the village during the course of the day. We even subsidize your rides to Manhattan in the form of the new Metropolitan Commuter tax that was recently imposed on small businesses, whether or not we utilize the railroad. How much more unfair can this get! While I do not advocate for the institution of parking fees for retail businesses in the village, I am simply pointing out the injustice with regard to the only two parking lots being targeted. Reconfiguring the lot at Fair Ct. is not a solution.

The mayor was dismissive in his attitude towards those in attendance, asking where we were when parking was discussed years ago during an “ugly time in our village”. I was there Mr. Rothschild, and to hint at the suggestion that residents would have favored destroying homes to significantly enlarge a parking lot is laughable. Can the BOT ignore the fact that tenants will think of leaving their offices in Garden City when the leases expire? I do hope the BOT takes the words of one of the attorneys working in the buildings serviced by the lot on Fair Ct, (also chosen for this new tax) to heart. To paraphrase, it costs an attorney only a filing fee and a few hours of personal time to initiate a lawsuit against the village to defend our rights. The cost to the village of simply defending the action will most certainly well exceed the fees the village hopes to gain. Is this really the path our trustees wish to embark upon?

Elizabeth Colantonio, RN

Send Another Message

To The Editor:

The recent review by the New York State Conference of Mayors (NYCOM) of the State consolidation bill aimed at villages and special districts shows that the Albany politicians that voted for this are just as clueless as the Washington politicians that voted for an almost 2009 page health care bill that no one read.

These are the same Albany politicians that voted for the MTA payroll tax that is killing jobs across Long Island. These are the same Albany politicians that voted to raise taxes by a whopping $8 billion in just one year; sapping the life of our economy. These are the same Albany politicians that want to cut $686 million in school aid in the middle of the school year without any sign of mandate relief. These are the same Albany politicians that voted to increase state spending by an astounding $10 million, killing private initiative and industry.

We the people sent a message on November 3rd to the local out of touch, tax and spend politicians. On November 2, 2010, we the people need to vote out the clueless, out of touch, tax and spend Albany politicians that voted for all of the above.

Edward W. Powers

New Hyde Park

Ask A Veteran

To the Editor:

President Obama’s 2009 Veterans Day proclamation asked all Americans “to support this day with commemorative expressions and programs.” Does diversity awareness training accomplish this? Education Research Advocacy Support to Eliminate (ERASE) Racism chose Veterans Day to solicit student participation for their “Students Partnering to Achieve Racial Equality” program. ERASE Racism’s website (www.eraseracismny.org) lists the Garden City School District and the Waldorf School as participants.

On Veterans Day, President Obama did not call for Garden City schools to “build student awareness and appreciation for diversity” as a means “to recognize the valor and sacrifice of our veterans.” While ERASE Racism believes that their program “will provide an added dimension of purpose and service on a ‘day off’,” please ask a veteran.

Robert A. Germino

Fort Hood Attack

To the Editor:

Because of the danger of terrorist attacks the Long Island Rail Road has posted signs in their trains and stations reading, “ If You See Something, Say Something”. The attack at Fort Hood was carried out by a U.S. Army Officer with a known history of questionable, disturbing behavior. I think the U.S. Army has misinterpreted the military slogan, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.

John R. Brooks

Job Security ... Being-A-Mom

To the Editor:

With all the headlines about rising unemployment and underemployment hitting us on a daily basis, I thought I would share with you my experience with the most underrated job out there.

Almost 6 years ago our daughter, entered our lives. At that time I decided to leave my work in the financial industry to embark on a most amazing new career, called “Stay-At-Home-Mom”.

Granted that our financial situation allowed me to make this choice, it has been the most rewarding, educational, social and emotional time of my life. To see Kylie’s smile and energy brighten the family’s days has been the reward of everyday’s hard work. To learn and find out about all the programs, health services, public institutions involved in raising a child is the most education I have had in a long time. To finally meet our neighbors (which, by the way, hardly ever happened while I was working) and many other moms and families, as well as discover our beautiful village of Garden City was a treat long overdue. And the emotional roller coaster over hurt feelings, insecurities as well as moments of indescribable joy has been making it a rich process of maturing.

Overall, I can only say that being a stay-at-home-mom has truly brought me into the social fabric of our family, our neighborhood and our community. While we all strive to be “professionally/financially” successful, there is something to be said for managing the business called “FAMILY”. Everybody profits! Lastly, I just would like to applaud the network of moms that I have been experiencing here in Garden City. It has been so vital to making my new “career” so dynamic and fun. Thank you to all the moms out there!

So, all in all, not such a bad job choice being a stay-at-home-mom. And, in the end, our work at home will hopefully make the stress and hardships of this economy a little bit more bearable.

Doris Brunning

Pelosi’s Puppet

To the Editor:

When I vote, I expect that person to represent me, and her district, not San Francisco or a Socialist agenda! Reviewing her record, I doubt very much Rep. McCarthy represents the views of her constituents! Having held no public “Town Hall” meetings with McCarthy, how shall we know? Given her voting record, let’s call her “Pelosi’s Puppet”!

In lieu of any public meetings with her electors, perhaps Representative McCarthy could supply her constituents with answers to the following through her ‘franking’ privileges:

Did you fully read the “Stimu-less” bill before casting your vote? You voted for it!

Did you fully read the “Cap & Tax” bill before casting your vote? You voted for it! (The Democrats in Nassau enacted their 3.5% energy tax.)

Did you fully read the “Obamacare” bill before casting your vote? You voted for it!

I sent McCarthy’s office an earlier email asking if she had. I got no response. Maybe you, especially her supporters, could contact her office (516-739-3008) and see if she read the bills before voting on them. I doubt it!

Where does one begin to justify the attempt by the Democrats to gain control of one-sixth of our economy by the Government? Government failures include the Post Office, Amtrak, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, TARP and ‘Cars for Clunkers’ to name a few, all domestic. Let’s throw the United Nations as an easy foreign failure, at least to the majority of Americans! One could go on, and on and on...Yet, we should trust them with our healthcare?

Under all the proposals I’ve seen, “enforcement” (read taxation) begins immediately 2010, but the “benefits” only start in 2013 (when you decimate Medicare), after the 2012 elections. How convenient for your election effort! It improves their farcical budget balancing charade.

If the Healthcare improvements are so important, why won’t you support their imposition in 2010? Do you fear constituent retaliation when they realize what you support?

Under all the proposals, the Government is exempt, the Executive, Legislative (that’s you) and Judicial branches. Will you support legislation requiring all branches of the Government live under the ‘minimum’ legislative requirements you expect of those required to pay? No Government Exemptions From Their Legislative Tyranny!

I, and your overburdened, freedom loving, taxpaying constituents, await your response, if Nancy let’s you.

A Disgusted 4th Congressional District Voter,

Thomas P. Brosnan