Op-Ed Letters to the Editor
Smartest guy
in the room
To The Editor:
Re “Draft punked: C.B. 2
outraged at Pier 40 legislation”
(news article, May 30):
Tobi Bergman has been a
gift to our community. He got
so many things done for us and
stopped so many things from
being done to us. At meetings,
he was often the smartest
person in the room and
always had our best interest in
mind. While he may be done
tirelessly volunteering for us (I
hope not), he will never stop
working for our better tomorrow.
Thank you, sir. It’s been
an honor.
John Paul DeVerna
Stop the insanity
on Pier 40
To The Editor:
Re “Public forum on Pier 40
and its future” (news article,
May 23):
You don’t have to be a genius
to see where this is going.
Another Amazon and Hudson
Yards fi asco for all of us and
a windfall for bankers and developers.
The Hudson River
Park Friends are dominated by
hedge-fund owners, bankers
and developers. Duh?
I live in the neighborhood
and was at Pier 40 the day before
the public hearing. There
wasn’t a single sign that I could
see announcing the event.
This must not be done behind
closed doors.
Pier 40 is a public space.
Public spaces don’t have to be
self-supporting. What insanity!
The city and state gave
away $6 billion for the Hudson
Yards monstrosity. They can
now fund a replacement for
this pier that is designed for
the nearby communities and
the millions of city residents
and visitors who will use it.
Any politician who supports
privatizing Pier 40 will need a
new job soon.
Bruce G. Trigg
Schooled her
on musical bus
To The Editor:
Re “Rockin’ counterculture
bus is a real trip” (arts article,
Elizabeth St. Garden in September
2016. He recently resigned from
the all-volunteer board, feeling local politicians
are ignoring its carefully considered position
on Pier 40. Along with development, parks was one of
Bergman’s signature issues on Board 2. He was previously
the C.B. 2 Parks Committee chairperson. Earlier
in his career, he ran Central Park’s operations.
May 30):
Great article. I saw this
bus, its jubilant performers,
even the parents, a few weeks
back just north of Washington
Square Park and I was wondering
what it was all about.
Joyfully, now I know.
Darlene Nation
Double standard
on vaccines
To The Editor:
Re “Push to end measles
religious exemptions” (Health
article, May 30):
If, according to our local
politicians, otherwise healthy
but unvaccinated legal residents
of this country pose a
deadly threat to fellow citizens,
then what about the thousands
of unexamined children and
adults who are encouraged to
ignore our immigration laws
and seek sanctuary in big population
centers like New York
City?
Where is the concern and/
or outrage by our local elected
offi cials over the health risks
created by this out-of-control
situation?
FILE
PHOTO BY
TEQUILA MINSKY
Tobi Bergman,
then-C.B. 2 chairperson,
at a rally to save the
It feels like one big fat double
standard. You either support
public health and safety
or you don’t.
When my son was at the
age for shots, the doctor tried
to save time, I guess, and prescribed
fi ve instead of three at
one appointment. The nurse
— on her own — stopped it
because she said, “It will make
your baby very sick.”
The closest I ever came to
losing my son was when he
became deathly ill after one
round of shots. The “one size
fi ts all” theory never works.
God bless nurses and doctors
who can afford to tell the
truth.
Martha Danziger
E-mail letters, not longer
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edit letters for space, grammar,
clarity and libel. Anonymous
letters will not be published.
Not going to the dogs
on Gansevoort, Pr. 40
BY LYNN PACIFICO
When I took
the Gans
e v o o r t
Peninsula survey, I
was perplexed since
nine out of 10 of the
schematics we did at
the Gansevoort design
charrette included a
dog run. But a dog run
was not included as an
option in the online
survey — not mentioned
anywhere.
The survey asks
what we do in the park
and lists a few options,
but nothing to do with
dogs — the largest single
user group of parks
PHOTO BY TEQUILA MINSKY
At least dogs still have the
Dachs Fest in Washington
Square Park, above, but the
writer says four-footed locals
have been losing ground.
in New York City. In
the “other” option, I put “dog walking”; but when I went over
the survey before submitting it, my answer to that question
had been changed to “walking” — “dog” having somehow
been left out. I wrote to the fi eld operations responsible for
the survey about this but have not heard back.
A dog run also wasn’t included in the charrette feedback information
we received at the May Community Board 2 Parks
Committee meeting. Shouldn’t it be that the community spoke
and it wants four things with the dog run included? Why was
a dog run excluded everywhere?
No wonder I was told that not many dog owners answered
the Pier 40 survey — it was also rigged. When I asked why
a dog run wasn’t included for Pier 40, the rep from “Pier 40
for All” (an inaccurate name!) suggested that I rally the dog
owners.
For 25 years, the dog community has lobbied, gone to countless
meetings, gathered thousands of names on petitions, and
won 16 resolutions in support from C.B. 2 and local elected
offi cials. I am so disillusioned with this community process
that I no longer rally dog owners for anything, but continue
alone. Why waste anyone else’s time? This is a dog (not) and
pony show and would be a joke if it wasn’t for the fact that
taxpaying dog owners continue to be left out.
The youth-league sports people keep harping on how they
are building community, but it doesn’t seem to matter that the
community of dog owners that used J.J. Walker Field was destroyed
when we were locked out of that fi eld. When passing
the fi eld and asking where the players are from, half the time
I’m told they are from outside of our community.
Dogs are a fi eld sport: How do you play Frisbee with them
at the Leroy St. run? Not only does the Leroy run not take
the place of what we lost, it is injuring our dogs. My Pax has
gone lame from running on its asphalt surface and we are
beginning the expensive vet process of X-rays, etc. She is in
pain and often falls going up steps, smashing her head into
the steps when her legs fail. She is my partner, so when she
suffers so do I.
None of the old dog-walking community uses the Leroy St.
run. I miss standing in the old fi eld and watching the changes
in nature through the year. I miss having a decent place to go
and play with my dog. I miss my community. I miss an honest
response to community needs.
Pacifi co is president, Dog Owners Action Committee
Schneps Media TVG June 6, 2019 13
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