Entire city impacted by nightly fireworks
Why didn’t you use or mention the councilman’s neighborhood’s name who complained in your June 17 article (“Summertime means fireworks – and headaches”) instead of always going back to Hamilton Hill for “bad things?”
My neighborhood, Union Street, Central Park, Eastern Parkway, Plymouth, Bedford Road etc., is being bombed every night, most of the night, since May.
Many other areas in our city have also complained. Next time, could you use pictures (old or new) from the rest of our city that’s being bombed.
Diane Sanders Hombach
Schenectady
Proud to stand for equality, fairness
My voice is small, my walk unsteady. Within a year, I will pass my 80th birthday. I am not much good at marching or holding up signs in the hot sun. I am considered too vulnerable to mill about in crowds. But I am moved, honored and proud of all those who make their voices heard and their steps count for justice.
I am of sound mind, contribute dollars and call my congressman.
I read newspapers. I vote. But right now, I also feel the need to stand for something big and immediately important.
Equality and fairness matter. Kindness and respect matter. Black lives matter. I want to publicly sign my name to all of that.
Carole deForest
Duanesburg
Where does statue removal ever end?
I was disappointed to read of the order to remove Philip Schuyler’s statue in front of Albany’s City Hall. Yes, he was a slave holder. Regrettably, that was the order of the day. Where do we go from here? Who’s next? George Washington, Thomas Jefferson? They were slave holders.
Mary Lou Moskov
Glenville
Let peers join police misconduct reviews
To the front-end law enforcers, I want to say “Thank You” and offer an alternative to defunding the police.
Donnelly Corp., a supplier of automotive components in Holland, Mich., uses a model to address an employee’s questionable work record that places the review and disciplinary actions in the hands of peers, where a panel of fellow employees shares in the decision making.
Derek Chauvin, the police officer who had his knee on George Floyd’s neck for over 8 minutes, had 18 prior complaints against him in a 19-year career, a record that erodes trust and damages the good reputation of the many good police officers that keep our streets safe.
I am suggesting that the police unions across the United States pool their resources and adopt a similar model used by Donnelly in reviewing complaints on a police officer’s alleged abuse of wearing a badge.
By having fellow officers share in the process, they can help weed out the bad, restore trust and safeguard their good reputation, a win for the citizens and a win for the police officers.
Frank Coleman
Scotia
Seniors need help accessing internet
Where do the senior citizens go to get online when the library is closed? We need help and information, but maybe we don’t have smart phones and can’t afford the internet and count on the computers at our local library when we use the internet.
We give school kids free internet and iPads, but the libraries have been closed to the senior citizens.
The unemployed get an extra $600 a week, but the seniors get nothing. We watch the news and all the local news stations say go online for more information. Without the libraries, we can’t do it.
We made this country what it is today by working 45 years, but aren’t getting help now when we need it.
Eric Utermark
Ballston Spa
Categories: Letters to the Editor, Opinion
