Letters to the Rockville Centre Herald June 3, 2010

Disagrees with PBA on parade boycott

To the Editor:

I would like to clarify something reported in "Rockville Centre cops pull out of Memorial Day parade" (May 27-June 2).

It is true that members did not march this year, and that is an unfortunate decision that was made by the PBA, not the department and not by me. The Police Benevolent Association is the police union, and its president is elected by the membership of the union to negotiate collective bargaining agreements with the village.

Although I have been a proud member of the PBA for 24 years, I disagree with the leadership's decision on this matter and in an e-mail sent to all sworn officers, I made my feelings clear. And let me be clear to our residents: There is a distinction between the Police Department and the Police Benevolent Association. Memorial Day is a day to honor those who made the supreme sacrifice for our way of life. As Rockville Centre's top cop and a veteran myself, I will proudly march in the parade to honor those fallen warriors who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

As for future articles about the village police department, I would respectfully request that the Herald seek my thoughts before publishing how "the department" feels about any given issue. As commissioner, I speak for "the department."

Charles Gennario

Rockville Centre police commissioner

Shame on the PBA

To the Editor:

As a proud Vietnam veteran, I was appalled by the absence of the Rockville Centre police at the Memorial Day parade. I thought Memorial Day was a day to honor and remember those who gave their lives to this country, without any political comment. On Monday it appeared to be more of a statement in which contractual issues took precedence over the real significance of the holiday.

Among those who attended this national day of remembrance were former Commissioner Jack McKeon and retired Detective Kevin O'Toole, good friends of mine. I have to think that if these fine gentlemen and other recently retired officers were still active, cooler heads might have prevailed.

The presence and participation of the Fire Department, on the other hand, was amazing, admirable and much respected. Many thanks, also, to all the children who marched in the parade. They should be an example for those who didn't participate.

As a recent retiree and shop steward for 40 years with the phone company, you learn to pick your battles. The Rockville Centre PBA lost this battle. Again, shame on them.

Lawrence Schnabel

Rockville Centre

Save contract issues for another day

To the Editor:

So members of the Police Department did not march in the Memorial Day Parade due to an ongoing contract dispute regarding future wages and benefits. I wonder how many veterans we honor on this day would ever have declined to serve because they weren't happy with the pay scale and benefits as they prepared to put themselves in harm's way.

Memorial Day is not now, or ever, the time to make a statement about union contracts. This is a time to stand together and honor all those who made our freedom possible.

I see a front-page photo of four new police officers being sworn in in the summer issue of This Month in Rockville Centre. Did they, too, not be participate because they view our village's wage and benefit packages as substandard? Our village police officers have chosen to abandon the village they serve and march in parades in their own hometowns. I wonder, are those forces hiring?

We are proud of our police officers and grateful for the service they provide, but Memorial Day is the day to honor the veterans and all who served. Table your contract issues for another day.

Thomas Cahill

Rockville Centre

Police should have been ordered to march

To the Editor:

Mayor Mary Bossart and the police chief, who is a former Marine, should be ashamed of themselves. They should have ordered members of the police department to march in the parade. This holiday is to honor our fallen heroes who fought for our country. It's not the time to make a statement about anything other than patriotism.

John W. Ferrari

Rockville Centre

Park elsewhere, Wild Ginger

To the Editor:

The residents of North Forest Avenue, between Sunrise Highway and Merrick Road, and Vincent Street, would like to thank the village board for listening and accepting the petition of more than 60 of us who are seeking their help to relieve the problem of valet parking by the Wild Ginger restaurant on our block.

If anyone has come through the block during the evening hours, tried to park to visit a resident or drop someone off, you know what the problem is — one that has increased day by day. In addition, we have to listen to the beep-beep of the remotes being used by the valet parkers to locate one of the cars they parked end to end on both sides of the street.

We sincerely hope that pressure from residents and the village board will finally get Wild Ginger to honor the pledge it made when it sought permits to open the restaurant: that it would valet park in Field 12, on Sunrise Highway across from the restaurant.

Joan M. Sheppard

Rockville Centre