In response to the recent letter advocating the building of a mall on the Cerro Wire site ("Supports Mall at Cerro Wire Site," Letters to the Editor, March 10, 2006). I wish to state an opposing view. Please keep sending in those cards and letters in opposition. We need another mall in Nassau County like we need another country to go to war with.

Presently, in Hicksville there are close to 25 vacant stores. Many have been that way for over a year and then they build 12 more on South Broadway that are all vacant since they were built almost a year ago. It's become a blight on the neighborhood.

How many stores do we need? Storeowners can't find qualified help as it is. More and more stores are putting in self-serve checkouts. You are lucky if you can get an actual live person to check you out. When you find one, there are 20 people ahead of you.

We have two nearby malls, the Broadway Mall and Walt Whitman Mall. Another mall so close would take away from the present malls that are trying to survive. The people that live in the "impact" area should be allowed to have the last word as they are going to have to live next to whatever is built there. If there is a demand for a high-end mall, build it near their neighborhood. There will be less driving and pollution.

The development of this last open land need not be done to benefit the majority of Nassau County residents. I applaud Supervisor John Venditto for supporting the residents who live in that neighborhood. Please continue to support him and the local residents.

(Editor's Note: Owen Magee is an ex-chief and member of the Hicksville Fire Department.)