Rockville Centre Letters to the Editor June 24, 2010

Congratulations, South Side High

To the Editor:

I am so proud of South Side High School for being named one of America's Best High Schools for 2010 by Newsweek magazine.

They have a reputation for stellar academics, extracurricular activities and athletic programs which can only happen with top-notch administrators, faculty and students. They have received this honor several times in the past decade, and year after year, they continue to get even better.

Congratulations to South Side's principal, Dr. Carol Burris, and to Superintendent Dr. William Johnson for this achievement.

Rep. Carolyn McCarthy

4th Congressional District

Ban on certain breeds is ridiculous

To the Editor:

Now I know why I voted for Ed Oppenheimer for village trustee: He's the only sane trustee in this village that I have lived in for 55 years. I thought I'd seen and heard just about everything, but this latest decision banning residents from becoming new owners of Rottweilers and pit bulls is not only insane but ridiculous and paranoid.

Dogs are generally not vicious, but their owners can be. We've had eight golden retrievers in 30 years. They are known to be very lovely dogs and great around kids. But I can tell you that if I wanted to, I could have trained them to be brutal.

What we need to do is very simple. We need to allow people to continue to own these breeds in our village and vote the mayor and the trustees (except for Ed) out of office. If they're making decisions like this, can you imagine what else they may be cooking up? These amateurs should stay out of village politics and maybe consider working for the White House because I swear, if I saw this on the TV news, I'd immediately think that this came from the incompetent administration in Washington.

The pit bulls and Rottweilers I've met have been some of the sweetest and nicest animals that I've ever met. I would actually prefer that they be our trustees instead of what we have now. If only they could talk!

Burton Diamond

Rockville Centre

Breed-specific laws don't get intended results

To the Editor:

The members of the Rockville Centre Board of Trustees would have been wise to do a little research on Rottweilers, pit bulls, breed-specific legislation and litigation before voting to institute a law that goes against both research and a New York state statute.

The effect will amount to punishment for responsible pet owners and little else.

I used to be one of the ignorant people who feared certain breeds of dogs, particularly pit bulls, until I attempted to save one from starvation and ultimate euthanasia in Oklahoma City in 2006. I realized that my neighbor no longer appeared to be living next door, yet there was a young pit bull dog chained to a tree in his back yard. I feared the dog and she feared me. She growled when I brought food and water to her, so I steered clear of her.

After three weeks, I determined that the owner did not intend to come back to get her. I called Animal Welfare and they took her to a shelter. Unknown to me, Oklahoma City had been euthanizing all pit bulls and pit bull mixes that came into the city animal shelter if their owners did not claim them. This policy went against a state statute that prohibited municipalities from passing breed-specific laws. People who wanted to adopt a bully-type dog grumbled, but no one challenged it.

As soon as I learned what would happen to my former neighbor's dog, I tried to get a permanent injunction to stop her euthanasia and adopt her myself. I visited her several times at the shelter, and she proved to be a very gentle and loving dog who quickly grew attached to me at the shelter. She would have made a wonderful pet. But the district court sided with the city, and she was killed — simply because she was born a breed that ignorant people fear.

My heart was broken, but I knew there were other hearts breaking and countless other dogs dying every day. Being in a position to perhaps change that, I felt compelled to try. I found an attorney who agreed to file an appeal with the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The attorney had serious doubts about our success because the reason for my original action had been to save a life that was now gone. But because the lower court's ruling was in conflict with existing state statute, we proceeded.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court reversed the lower court's ruling. This resulted in Oklahoma City and a number of other Oklahoma municipalities changing their unjust, discriminatory policies. It rightly did away with breed bans in Oklahoma.

Breed-specific laws are unjust and abusive to responsible pet owners. Moreover, research demonstrates that they don't work. When laws hold the irresponsibly raised animal's owner accountable; when laws address bad ownership and not the animal, desired results begin to appear. This is what the village board needs to learn.

Karen Louise Lewis

Former Lynbrook resident

Muskogee, Okla.

Mayor's sitting on her hands

To the Editor:

The Patrolmen's Benevolent Association doesn't let the Rockville Centre police force march in the Memorial Day parade. The trade union posts a rat in front of Village Hall and the mayor sits on her hands. If Mayors Harry Lister or Donald Browne were still here, believe me, that rat never would have been put up!

John W. Ferrari

Rockville Centre

Save those spaces

To the Editor:

I'm a member of Sportset and go to the gym quite often. There are five or six parking spaces behind the police station that are free and unmetered, with a 2-hour limit. Every once in a while I manage to get a space, which is a nice break.

I don't mind putting money in a meter, but when the police use these parking spaces, it isn't right. They can use any number of parking spaces that are available around the police station (same for the "brownies," who also use these spots). And yesterday, as I rode by, the police Command Van took up not just one, but two of these spots.

I hope the police will consider using other spots and giving residents a freebie once in a while.

Janice Meyers

Rockville Centre