OPINIONS

Letters to the Editor: East Rockaway, Lynbrook

July 28-August 3, 2016

Posted

Thank you for honoring my father

To the Editor:
I wanted to thank the Village of Lynbrook for the love, support, and honor they showed to the Becker family after the death of my beloved father, former mayor Francis X. Becker. It meant so much to feel the kindness and compassion from friends and people whom I have never met.
A special thanks goes to Perry Funeral Home, which beautifully organized everything needed for my father’s final arrangements. We were so touched to see Mayor Bill Hendrick, his board members and other local dignitaries show their respect to my dad and our family by attending the wake services and the funeral. It was overwhelming to see the Lynbrook Fire Department’s beautiful display of the American flag outside St. Raymond’s Catholic Church in East Rockaway during the funeral. Lynbrook Police Department treated each one of us with dignity, and we were so thankful for their care and expertise as they directed the traffic for the procession.

It was also inspiring to be present at my father’s graveside as the U.S. Military Honor Guard played taps and folded the flag in such a respectful way for the country that he loved and served. Lastly, thank you to the people of Lynbrook for loving my father and supporting his family during his lifetime and this time of great loss.
My father lived in Lynbrook his entire life — more than 90 years. He and my mother raised 12 children there, and he served as its mayor for 14 years, before becoming a Supreme Court judge. He showed his love for God by being a faithful member of St. Raymond’s Church for more than 50 years. He loved to drive me around Lynbrook and point out the beautifully landscaped homes, and the different places that meant so much to him. My children and I were blessed to be with him at home during his final days — we would sing “God Bless America,” and he would join in with us.
Even during his last moments on this earth, Lynbrook was on his heart as he would say with great passion, “Lynbrook, USA, the Village that leads the way!”

Anne Elizabeth Phillips
Guyton, Ga.

Reducing our carbon footprint

To the Editor:
New York’s latest heat wave of the summer arrived last week as temperatures soared into the 90s. Across the area, people looked for ways to beat the heat. 
Hitting the pool and turning on the air-conditioner are always popular choices. But considering that scientists continue to warn us about global warming, we need to dig deeper. We’re in control here. By slashing pollution in New York and across the world, we can prevent these kinds of heat waves from growing even more frequent and severe.
So let’s take ambitious statewide action to protect our climate. Gov. Andrew Cuomo should strengthen the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to accelerate our progress in cleaning up carbon pollution from power plants, while increasing the amount of power we get from clean, renewable energy sources. New York should take the lead in the fight against climate change. Ultimately, we should build a zero-emission electricity system that does not put our climate or our communities at risk. 
If we work together, we can beat the heat and minimize the impacts of global warming. 

Heather Leibowitz
Director, Environment
New York