A house divided
To The Editor:
In response to the article printed in your 7−2 issue, it is sad how the Manhattan Beach Community Group (MBCG) is using your paper to fuel more animosity in the community, rather than trying to make some sort of attempt to unify it.
The group’s response was posted on its website (www.manhattanbeachbrooklyn.org), rather than addressing the possibility of having a meeting to discuss the difference amongst the groups.
The president indicates how he would welcome anyone’s money in order to join his group. Is he really concerned for the community, or is he just concerned about getting lost members back in order for the MBCG to look good again? Maybe, there is a reason why over 200 residents are members of the Manhattan Beach Neighborhood Association (MBNA).
And why did they re−name the title of your original article from “Manhattan Beach scuttlebutt: feuding civics look to regroup” to “MBNA WANTS TO COME BACK?”
This is a blatant misuse of your newspaper insight on the community’s needs and concerns. It seems Ira Zalcman and the MBCG leaders are again looking to fuel a fire rather than put one out. And as per Mr. Zalcman’s reference to the current situation in Albany, at least in Albany they are talking to each other!
In the MBCG website comments, it also states how having two groups is not best for the community, and how issues concerning the community could be better resolved if there were only one group. Yet, the article does not list one primary concern which the MBCG has seemed to ignore lately – security! Why does it not list this issue as a concern? It once supported the private security service in Manhattan Beach. Why has that stopped? Many MBCG members once belonged to the patrol. Why has that stopped? Are they not concerned if there are muggings, house break−ins, auto break−ins, etc.?
Maybe its members would be if the MBCG would actually tell them the facts about crime, they would rather have everyone believe that crime doesn’t exist in Manhattan Beach. Is this how Mr. Zalcman believes he is helping the community??
If they would put their efforts into reaching out to neighbors and residents to support the private patrol service (which has assisted the NYPD numerous times in apprehending or preventing crimes in the past), then Manhattan Beach would not have to cut back on security manpower hours. The group could use its website to encourage many more residents to join as members to fund the patrol, but it would rather spend time being concerned about upcoming anniversaries, which is more of a glorification than anything else.
Your article has opened many more eyes as to why Manhattan Beach needs to have a group in charge that can address issues, and not skirt them.
Thanks for your continued concern.
Edmond Dweck
President
Manhattan Beach Neighborhood Association, Inc.
A bad catch
To The Editor:
It is almost two decades now that I have made Bay Ridge my home, and what has grown increasingly disturbing to me and fellow Bay Ridgites is the undisputable fact that the area down by the Shore Road promenade, where I regularly jog, has become horribly filthy.
Specifically, this problem is directly attributable to the scores of fishermen, congregating to sloppily fish there. Whether its mutilated fish−heads, or fish−tails; fish−blood−stained wood−blocks lying about with accompanying rusted knifes; remnants of decaying pieces of (live) bait, like raw chicken cutlets, left behind; or rolls of tangled−up fishing−wire scattered amidst the promenade on the ground, something really must be done about this ever−growing problem. Furthermore, I’ve noticed waste products that were carelessly discarded by fisherman, which is highly non−eco−friendly and attracts rodents and insects, such as empty food containers, beerâ„soda cans and plastic six−pack holders, to name a few items, most of which can cause harm to sea−life, too.
Yet another nuisance the Shore Road promenade fisherman are continually causing is that they purposely line up and place their fishing poles so far into the walkingâ„jogging path that its clearly interfering with walkersâ„joggers right of path and can, or will, inevitably cause someone to trip over the polls and get badly hurt (if that has not happened already).
Finally, Mayor Bloomberg and Senator Golden, if you are out there reading this letter (and I hope you both do), please consider imposing a monetary−fine, or stepping−up more police presence to foot−patrol the Shore Road promenade; that would truly be a tremendous help to Bay Ridge.
E.C. Seltzer
Bay Ridge
Here’s lookin’ at you
To The Editor:
I noticed that your other columnists have their picture in the paper by their column, except for Shavana Abruzzo [A Britisher’s View].
Is there a reason for this?
Carolyn Quadarella
Gettysburg, PA
Shavana Abruzzo responds:
Dear Ms. Quadarella,
Good day to you.
