Thanks for that voice, and the memories<\/p>\n
Huntington, L.I.: The poignant and jarring back-page headline on May 5, \u201cThe Voice goes quiet<\/a>,\u201d commemorating John Sterling as the Yankees broadcaster and his legendary 35-year run and streak of 5,060 consecutive games was quite a tribute, and deservedly so. While New York City has spawned many broadcast legends, Sterling made the founding fathers proud of his contributions to his craft and to millions of listeners.<\/p>\n Whether it was Red Barber or Vin Scully from Ebbets Field, Mel Allen or Frank Messer from Yankee Stadium, Bob Murphy or Lindsey Nelson from Shea Stadium, or Marty Glickman and Marv Albert from Madison Square Garden, they all painted a word picture for us in their own inimitable styles. While John had his critics, he was always informative, always had great recall of Yankees history laced into his broadcasts, and was always entertaining as a broadcaster. No surprise, he loved Broadway and the theater, and he embellished drama and pathos into his craft.<\/p>\n Those gifted voices, like John with his \u201cpipes,\u201d brought us there like Picasso painting a picture. Those pictures and sounds made highways enjoyable and hours at red lights bearable. Hopefully, future generations will pay homage to Shakespeare\u2019s \u201clend me your ears\u201d as an ode to gifted voices telling us stories like Sterling\u2019s: \u201cIt is high, it is far,\u201d he is gone, but not forgotten. Thanks for the memories.<\/p>\n Chris Karalekas<\/p>\n In need of a savior<\/p>\n Ballston Spa, N.Y.: Based on recent data from the National Kidney Foundation, there are approximately 8,200 people residing in New York State who are waiting for a kidney transplant. One of these is my brother Bill (William), who lives in Chester. He has displayed his paintings, mostly of randomly chosen properties in Orange County, at various locations in Chester and Warwick. Unfortunately, after battling Type 1 diabetes for 50 years, Bill is now in need of a kidney transplant, and his immediate family members (including myself and my sister) are unable to be a donor. If anyone is interested in becoming a donor, Bill\u2019s story is available on the National Kidney Registry website.<\/p>\n Chris Jordan<\/p>\n Skipped a beat<\/p>\n Manhattan: Dear Sunday drivers: If you found my heart where it leapt out of my throat onto the Major Deegan Expressway, please contact LiveOnNY. I am a registered organ donor. And, yes, you are never too old to be an organ donor.<\/p>\n Susan A. Stark<\/p>\n Shift the description<\/p>\n Bronx: Please stop referring to Judea and Samaria (as it was known under the British Mandate) as \u201coccupied territory\u201d in your articles. During the 1948 war when Israel was fighting for its life, the kingdom of Trans-Jordan seized the area, an action recognized only by the U.K. and Pakistan. During the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel seized the area from present-day Jordan (its reconstituted name) for using it to fire into Israel, killing many Israeli civilians. Thus, the neutral \u201cdisputed territory\u201d is more appropriate.<\/p>\n Arye Barkai<\/p>\n They\u2019re not us<\/p>\n Brooklyn: Voicer Nick Di Pasquale is angry about Gov. Hochul\u2019s pied-\u00e0-terre tax<\/a> because \u201cwe don\u2019t have a money tree in our backyard\u201d and \u201cour taxes are already the highest in the U.S.\u201d If someone is so rich that they can afford both a primary home outside New York and a second home worth $5 million or more in NYC, they might as well have a money tree. They can certainly afford this small additional tax! Also, pied-\u00e0-terre owners do not live in NYC, so there\u2019s no \u201cour\u201d in \u201cour taxes.\u201d They\u2019re not New Yorkers. Don\u2019t cry for the ultra-rich from out of town. Care about ordinary New Yorkers struggling with skyrocketing gas, housing, food and healthcare prices.<\/p>\n Trudi Rosenblum<\/p>\n Not your concern<\/p>\n Bronx: To Voicer Nick Di Pasquale: Why are you alarmed regarding Hochul imposing taxes on second homes? I doubt it will affect 90% of people who own second homes unless that home is worth more than $5 million and is a non-primary residence. Relax, breathe and change the channel.<\/p>\n Lydia Milnar<\/p>\n Lose-lose scenario<\/p>\n Ridgewood, N.J.: President Trump is now faced with two unacceptable options: escalate U.S. military attacks on Iran or fall into Iran\u2019s delaying tactics. He may be forced to reach an agreement that does not achieve the reason for war \u2014 regime change and the elimination of their enriched uranium.<\/p>\n Ed Houlihan<\/p>\n Poorly run<\/p>\n Congers, N.Y.: To Voicer John Sasko, who believes the Republican Party is the answer to all of life\u2019s problems: Sorry, but I have to use the F-word here: facts. Of the states that receive more in federal aid than they pay into the federal government, most are run by Republicans. In other words, those red states are among the poorer states in our country. So, the GOP is hardly the Narcan he believes it to be. And yes, you can verify this information if you want, but we all know how MAGA hates the F-word.<\/p>\n Beth Friscino<\/p>\n Think bigger<\/p>\n Ottawa, Ontario: I\u2019m glad to know that Vivek Ramaswamy is doing well in the upcoming Ohio governor\u2019s election, but I feel strongly that he could be a running mate in the U.S. presidential election in 2028 on a JD Vance ticket. They knew each other well in law school, and each other\u2019s families, and that makes a good team, in my opinion. Also, remember that they\u2019re both more or less in the same age group, another plus in their favor.<\/p>\n Anant Nagpur<\/p>\n Undigested data<\/p>\n White Plains, N.Y.: Voicer Nick Guariglia misreads my comments. He starts by quoting me out of context, omits my \u201cseems\u201d and states that I concede that Tom Von Essen (\u201cBattery storage is safe in New York<\/a>,\u201d op-ed, May 3) \u201cpresents his case well,\u201d which I did not. That\u2019s why I went on to undermine Von Essen\u2019s contentions. That\u2019s what \u201cseems\u201d usually leads to: a contrary position to what is \u201cseemed.\u201d And I question the data his opinion relies on. Missing is who performed the inspections, who was interviewed and at how many facilities. Most NYCers know that government agencies massage data to arrive at a desired result to achieve favorable reporting. Massaging could be misreporting or underreporting. A fire may have several causes \u2014 battery issues and electronics misuse might both be causes, but only one is listed as \u201cthe\u201d cause such that the others are ignored in the reporting.<\/p>\n Chris Lee<\/p>\n Not allowed<\/p>\n