Thanks To Supporters

To the Editor:

The Community Agreement candidates wish to thank all of their supporters who helped them clarify and communicate the issues that were central to this week’s Village Trustee and Mayoral election. We especially thank the volunteers from the Property Owners’ Associations who worked so hard to uphold the principles of our unique form of Village governance. Most important, we are grateful for the support of our friends and neighbors who studied the issues, came to the polls and selected us to represent them.

We also would like to acknowledge our opponents, who cared enough about the Village to extend meaningful thought, time and effort to raise concerns about the direction and scope of Village finances and services. We are pleased by their indication of continuing interest and invite their ongoing participation at future meetings of the Property Owners’ Associations and the Board of Trustees.

Donald Brudie

John DeMaro

Dennis Donnelly

Lawrence Quinn

Andrew Cavanaugh

Admin Costs Should Be Reduced

To the Editor:

We recognize that the Board of Education has addressed many of the concerns of our members which we have conveyed to you through e-mails and conversations, and appreciate your willingness to listen and work with the PTA throughout the budget process.

Based on significant feedback from our parent community, we are still encouraging you to make reductions in the Central Administration, including clerical and business administrative positions, before making cuts and reductions that directly impact students both in and out of the classroom.

Preservation of our children’s entire school experience is imperative, from the size of their class and their teacher’s ability to differentiate to their after school activities. As we are all well aware, cuts to the student extra-curricular activities, such as, JVB sports, clubs and rec nights, was a hard hit to our students last year. We will find it difficult to support similar cuts this year without the consolidation of responsibilities at the Central Administration level.

We will continue to follow the budget process and represent the parent community at budget meetings.

The Executive Committee of the PTA

Recycle, Re-use,

 Re-step

To the Editor:

My name is Jacqueline Cosgrove, I am a Girl Scout, and I am currently working on my Gold Award. For my project I am recycling wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and crutches that will be donated to United Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County, St. Anne’s Church, and Met Council of The Bronx. My project will help alleviate the burden of purchasing these costly items for people in need. Some people may not have health insurance to cover the cost of these basic aids in mobility. My project will also exemplify the need to recycle and keep our environment free from objects that can be reused. If you have any of these items and can donate them, please contact me at recyclerestep@aol.com or at 516-741-4355 with any questions or concerns.

Drop off dates for these items are March 23 and 24 from 3:00 to 7:00 P.M. at 168 Meadbrook Road, Garden City, NY 11530. Thank you so much for helping those in need.

Jacqueline Cosgrove

Gold Award Project

To the Editor:

I am compiling “Books in a Bag” for my Gold Award project. Each “Book in a Bag” or backpack will contain a book, corresponding audio book and puzzles and games to accompany each story. I am donating these backpacks to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island and the Interfaith Nutritional Network’s emergency shelters. During interviews with social workers, or time spent with their families in emergency shelters, children will have my books in a bag to enjoy and to ease potentially stressful situations.

I will be collecting books to donate to Big Brothers Big Sister of Long Island and the Interfaith Nutritional Network along with my Books in a Bag backpacks. If you would like to donate books appropriate for children between the ages of 6 and 16 years old, please contact me at lcondulis@gmail.com to arrange a pickup of the books, or you may drop them at any time before March 25th at 112 Weyford Terrace. Thank you for your help with my Gold Award project!

Dana Condulis,

Ambassador Girl

Scout Troop 1443.

TMA Fundraiser

For SEPTA

To The Editor:

On Sunday, March 7 th , the Garden City Mens Association held a wine tasting fundraiser at Walkstreet restaurant. The profits were donated to the Garden City Special Education Parent Teacher Association.

The event started with a cocktail hour followed by a 3 course dinner with selected wines for each course. Walkstreet did an outstanding job from the hor d’oeuvres, the presentation and choices of the food, the congeniality and efficiency of the waiter staff, to the chocolate wine with dessert (this author’s favorite). A great time was had by all.

On behalf of SEPTA I would like to formally thank Paul McDougal, TMA President, Bob Basel, Coordinator of this fundraiser, and all the members of The Mens Association for all they do for every child in Garden City.

Mary Lou Keating

GC SEPTA President

Outstanding Production

To The Editor:

Last week-end’s production of The Sound of Music at the Senior High School was a truly outstanding production. A cast of 38 students assisted by a 24 piece orchestra joined force with those unsung heroes of the theatre ... the backstage crew ... to create a truly memorable evening. After many weeks of rehearsal, these dedicated young men and women managed to breathe new and sparkling life into this often-seen and too familiar musical.

Kudos, as well, to Jeanne Kennedy (Director) and Stephen Mayo (Producer and Vocal Director).

I look forward to next year’s productions.

Salvatore Catania

Shoe Drive Thanks

To The Editor:

Thank you to all the members of the community who have donated shoes to our Soles4Souls Shoe Drive. Your thoughtful and generous donations are greatly appreciated. Each pair of shoes donated makes a difference in our quest to help the millions of people worldwide who do not have footwear.

Soles4Souls accepts all types of shoes; athletic, running, dress, sandals, pumps, heels, work boots, cleats, flipflops, and all children’s shoes. Donated shoes can be in any condition - new or worn. They will be cleaned and distributed to the needy in the United States and over 125 countries.

The Shoe Drive continues through the end of March. Special thanks to Kings Super Market, Key Food Marketplace on 7 th Street, and Stop and Shop in West Hempstead for allowing us to place collection boxes inside. Shoes can also be dropped off in the box on the front porch of the residence at 8 Nassau Blvd.

Thank you again for your contribution. To learn that over 300 million children and millions of adults do not have shoes in this day and age is astonishing. Thank you for helping us make a difference - one pair at a time.

Patrick Niebler -

GCHS Class 2012

Franklin Dickinson -

GCHS Class 2012

Catherine Dickinson -

GCHS Class 2012

Good Intentions?

To The Editor:

It was written for the benefit of earlier generations that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. In 2011, a newer mantra for today’s generations is that the same road has led us all to the precipice of economic ruin. Perhaps nowhere is any political battle fought more tenaciously than by those elected public officials who desire to remain in their elected offices - (offering up junky promises to impose “caps” on taxes instead of meaningful roll-backs) - while they grapple to preserve the status quo.

John T. Harris

Spain’s Health Plan: ‘Myth Or Reality’

To the Editor:

Often, I read in the press as well as heard commentaries on TV, that the European Health System, leaves a great deal to be desired as far as true, good, dedicated care is concerned. In fact, it was and still being said that in comparison to the US, that system (systems) is nothing other than a poor intent/attempt to imitate, copy, although very unsuccessfully, the ‘soundness’ and ‘strength’ of our Medicare and Medicaid Plans.

Those statements. could not be further from reality, from the honest truth. Surely, nothing introduced and designed, by humane imagination and tenacity, despite its greatness in many cases, can or will be ‘absolutely’ perfect, everlasting. Descartes, in his famous Encyclopédie Philosophique, wrote: ‘La perfection humane n’existe pas. Ca est seulement une illusion transitoire’. (Human perfection does not exist. That is only a transitory illusion). However, my recent personal experience, while in Madrid, opened a wide, expansive window of reflection, thorough comparison and detailed analysis.

On February 14th, two days after my arrival, I felt quite dizzy, weak, and nauseous. My sister and brother-in-law who were waiting for me downstairs, at the hotel lobby, observed, quite concerned, my paleness and blurred speech. After few inquisitive questions, it was decided to quickly visit the nearest ‘Ambulatory’ where the doctor, after a brief examination, immediately decided to send me to the nearest hospital, the Gregorio Marañón, located two short blocks from the doctor’s office. I was quickly assigned a cubicle in the Urgency Aerea, given a hospital gown and helped to undress. (At that moment, I become just another patient, dressed like all others, no distinction, no preference. A doctor and a nurse were at my side almost instantly to do a check-up, ask relevant questions, extract blood, take my body temperature, blood pressure and heart beat. A manual colonoscopy was also performed. Within two hours or less, I was taken by wheelchair to an operating room where two doctors proceeded to perform an endoscopy. They sealed a broken bleeding vein in the ‘duodeno’.

After successfully accomplishing the task, I was sent to the Intensive Care Unit where I stayed for the next five days plus another 3 in a ‘recuperating’ facility. I cannot truly describe the superb, humane, excellent attentio and treatment received by doctors, nurses, and each and every member of the Hospital. Even the cleaning ladies, day or night, asked about my well being with a compassionate tone, friendly and reassuring smile. The doctors, visited me daily and kept my sisters fully informed, in situ, in my room. Even the meals were very good. Ah, I almost forgot. The two doctors and three, yes, three, nurses who helped and was later told, did save my life, were all females. Later, I was told that in the medical profession, in Spain, the female to male ratio is 75 to 25%. (Dr. Elena, a truly beautiful lady-doctor present during the procedure, firmly held my hand and with soothing words of encouragement, wiped the perspiration from my front head. The pain was hell but her words and presence was heaven. Very nonchalantly I just used the words ‘saved my life’ but that is exactly what they did. It was subsequently confirmed by other doctors, included my brother in law, my personal physician, as well as the gastrointestinal director and my own cardiologist in Long Island where I reside. They all read the final report issued by the hospital in Madrid and fully agreed that they did an exceptional job, truly magnificent. Using the words of the local doctors: ‘We would have done exactly the same procedure’.

Frankly, I dislike making comparisons in such a delicate complex and long, long debated theme as Health Care but I just cannot accept the MYTH that health care here, in the United States, is great or even fair as many lobbyists and politicians try to tell us. I personally believe that such misguided ‘statement’ is nothing more than plain material ambition, avarice, unparallel greed and dishonesty on the part of ‘interested’ and protectionist parties.

I came to this country 56 years ago because it was the greatest country on earth (and it still is) but.... the health care subject needs drastic improvement, serious and honest attention, more humanity and less material obsession. It is incomprehensible, immoral, obscene, that in such a great country, honorable, abundant in material goods, exemplary character and good deeds, it is tolerated that millions of their children and needed people, remain without insurance or health protection of any kind.

By the way, and just for the records, the total cost for the procedures, doctors fees, tubes, serum, intravenous, transfusions, hospital stay, medicines, etc. etc. came to the astronomical amount of Euros: 0,000.00 which in dollar equivalent is: $0,000.00. Although I am an American citizen for over half a century, the fact that I am a born Spaniard, gives me the right to have the Sanitation Card, good for the entire EU. I do have the ‘Sanitation Card’ just like any other Spaniard or permanent resident at an annual cost of E 0,00 - $0,00. Last but certainly not least, and although I already mentioned it that as a matter of principle I dislike unsubstantiated, vain comparisons, in this instance and for the records, I will mention that during the month of January, I was hospitalized, admitted, in one local hospital in Long Island during an absurdly ‘lengthy’ period of 24 and 1/2 hours. The bill sent to Aetna Medicare, my insurer, by the Hospital, was $13,132.39!

No surgical procedures of any kind were done, except blood tests, a cardiogram plus an X-Ray of the chest and the wearing of a monitor. Doctors’ fees not included. Their bills are still are coming. Even the cleaning lady did not say hello. As a final thought, I should add that the EU and specially Spain, although well intentioned in their efforts to keep the actual health care mechanism in place, at the same levels of excellence, it will be quite difficult due to the present economic crisis. It will be quite difficult and substantial changes will and must be introduced although the present governing body as well as the opposing parties are well intentioned, committed and very determined to keep a strong and sustainable health care program for each and everyone in need. Once again, in my final closing I wish to say: Thank you, Hospital Gregorio Marañón for saving my life, for treating me with love and respect. Thank you from the bottom of my now repaired and working veins and other functioning organs.

Antonio Moreno.