Rockville Centre Letters to the Editor

Aug. 18-24, 2016

Posted

Too many basketball hoops

To the Editor:

Marc Wieman makes a very good point in his letter “To hoop or not to hoop” (Aug. 11-17). My wife and I drove around Rockville Centre last week, and I was wrong when I stated a few weeks ago that there were at least 100 basketball poles facing the streets in our town. I would estimate that there are many hundreds of these things dotting our roadways, some one after another on the same street.

And what’s interesting is that no one seems to use them. We didn’t see one kid or adult, in the middle of the day on a weekend, shooting baskets or playing a pickup game. The hoops just sit there, ruining the look of our town that we have worked so hard and pay so much tax to reside in.

A few weeks ago, I called the mayor’s office to find out when the next board of trustees meeting was, and explained why I wanted to attend. I received a message back that it would be in a few days, but it would be very short, so there wouldn’t be time to discuss the matter. It’s obvious to me that our elected officials need to do something about this issue. There’s another meeting on Sept. 6, and I’m going to make it a point to be there.

As Mr. Wieman wrote, either repeal the code or enforce it. Repealing it would set a horrible precedent. Enforcing it is the only sensible thing to do. There’s an old saying: You give your hand, they want your arm. As I’ve said before, what’s next? Should we allow anything to be placed on the curbs and curb grass in front of people’s homes and just let it sit there? The hoops are dangerous, they’re not attractive and they aren’t being used, generally. And this is coming from a fervent basketball fan and player of the game.

Burton Diamond

Rockville Centre

Thanks for sharing, John O’Connell

To the Editor:

I read John O’Connell’s op-ed piece, “I’m blessed to have learned some lessons” (Aug. 11-17), last Friday afternoon, before I left work, and its positivity and hopefulness got my weekend off to such a pleasant and relaxed start. I had to let John know how sorry I am about his cancer diagnosis and how delighted I am that his most recent tests are all clear and that his prognosis is a good one.

Finally, I wanted to say thank you. His words touched my heart.

Many people feel sorry for themselves or turn bitter when they receive the kind of news he did. Having been fortunate and blessed to this point in my life, I don’t know what I would feel if confronted with such startling and frightening news. Perhaps my reaction would be one of despair.

I would hope, though, that I would learn, as John did, to recognize what truly matters and appreciate the love and support of friends and family, the skill of the medical community that treated me, and the kindness in small acts, gestures or smiles that can lift the heart and spirit in a time of challenge. I thank him for letting me, and all readers, into that very personal place from which his piece arose.

My very best wishes to John. May he keep receiving great news, and may he continue to make a difference by sharing his insights and opinions with Herald readers.

Alison Walsh

Valley Stream