Take steps to protect horses and safety<\/p>\n
The Plains, Va.: Conservancy is about protecting nature, wildlife or historic places. It also means an area of protected land, or the official act of saving natural resources. Let\u2019s also talk about the vision of the designers of Central Park. The original paths were built for three types of traffic: pedestrians, horseback riders and horse-drawn carriages.<\/p>\n
To keep everyone safe, designers Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux built a system of tunnels, arches and bridges that let the paths cross without crashes. I don\u2019t believe Olmsted and Vaux placed an expiration date on the use of horses and carriages in the park. Again, the words conservation and preservation are important here! David Saltonstall, the Central Park Conservancy\u2019s vice president for government relations, policy & community affairs, claims that \u201cnostalgia cannot trump public safety,\u201d and said, \u201cWe have a public safety threat that needs to be mitigated.\u201d Yet, who was in charge of placing toxic yew plants along the carriage paths? Who was lax in announcing that Con Edison would be doing electrical work in the park and there could be danger of live wires?<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve repeatedly asked previous mayors, City Council members and Central Park to add updates for the health and safety of the horses, including hitching posts, awnings to protect from weather, misting fans, safe heaters in winter, and to give the carriage paths back to the horses exclusively. Problem solved.<\/p>\n
Mindy Pless<\/p>\n
Ride elsewhere<\/p>\n
East Elmhurst: To Voicer Robert K. Greco: I agree that bikes are not meant for the streets of NYC. You want to ride a bike, go to the parks around you. Bikes are a menace on the streets. City Hall has no clue when it comes to bikes in NYC.<\/p>\n
Gerson Fernandes<\/p>\n
Heat needed<\/p>\n
Paramus, N.J.: Heat storage is another zany MTA idea. Instead of storing this platform ambient heat underground for the winter<\/a>, just use it right now. Buildings need heat in the summer too, for domestic hot water, HVAC and absorption chillers. Con Edison could use this heat to preheat their billions of gallons of makeup water.<\/p>\n Walter Stevens<\/p>\n Senseless swipe<\/p>\n Carle Place, L.I.: An NYPD lieutenant pleads guilty to stealing a $275 crystal bauble<\/a> (probably $10 on eBay) from a yoga boutique he was working at in his off time. I\u2019d guess he was making well more than $200,000 annually after 30 years of service. For this he blows his career and his reputation? Is anyone ever satisfied with what they already have? How many lives have been ruined reaching for that extra dollar?<\/p>\n Rudy Rosenberg<\/p>\n Work to be done<\/p>\n Ridgefield, Conn.: President Trump, as we all know, took control of the Kennedy Center by firing its leadership and choosing his own \u201cYes, sir, we all love you, sir\u201d board. That new leadership, without Trump\u2019s knowledge (snicker), voted again to add his name<\/a> to the building\u2019s facade: \u201cThe John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump.\u201d Two key words are \u201crestored\u201d and \u201crenovated.\u201d If followed to the letter (pun intended), we all know they are past-tense verbs. Both words indicate the work is finished, but it\u2019s not. That means Trump\u2019s name can\u2019t be added to the facade until all restorations and renovations are completed \u2014 at least two years from the start of the work.<\/p>\n Michael Pickering<\/p>\n Intentional delays<\/p>\n