Letters to the Editor

Independence and integrity

To the Editor:

Independence and integrity have been the hallmarks of East Rockaway government for the 35 years that I have lived in the village. These qualities are currently under assault by the candidates of the Pride Party — a party that now seems to be merely an offshoot of the East Rockaway Republican Party — where if you do what you’re told, you can get ahead.

Their mayoral candidate, sitting Trustee Francis Lenehan, is criticizing decisions that he himself voted for, as though he had nothing to do with those decisions. Of course, in his multitude of mailings, he doesn’t even attempt to explain his change of heart. Leadership is made of sterner stuff.

In contrast, Deputy Mayor Richard Meagher, mayoral candidate of the newly formed Freedom Party, has not run away from his votes and can now point proudly to the results of a recent independent audit of the village’s finances. The audit culminated in high praise from the auditors for the strong financial condition the village now enjoys. That praise stems from the work of the people that the village employed, such as its village administrator. As the saying goes, you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.

Freedom Party trustee candidates Bobby Klose and Harry Levitt are doing their best to get their messages out. I can barely remember the names of Pride Party trustee candidates, although that Party seems to have unlimited resources. Perhaps they have no experience or qualities worthy of mention.

In the final analysis, it’s all about East Rockaway.

James F. Rooney, East Rockaway

Rooney is a former East Rockaway village justice.

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Vote for my dad

To the Editor:

I was just 5 years old the first time my father became chief of the East Rockaway Fire Department. When he would leave to go on calls, I would always be disappointed and wonder why he was always leaving me to go in his chief’s car. His second time as chief, I was 18 years old and a senior in high school. This time, instead of watching him leave, I would join him, and was able to see firsthand how he led the other firefighters. It was amazing being able to witness so many incredible things that my father did, including saving a baby’s life.