When the letter from "A. Miller" appeared in the June 26 edition of the Manhasset Press, I was immediately offended. Not only did I feel it contained a series of misstatements and cheap shots, utilization of what appears to be a pseudonym ("A. Miller" - get it? The writer is implying that it could be - although I truly doubt it - one of the many members of the Miller family who, along with others, have contributed so much to lacrosse in Manhasset) was pathetic. If any issue is sufficiently important that it warrants publicizing one's view before the entire community, then any writer should have the intestinal fortitude at least to attach an identifiable and full name to a letter to the editor. Therefore, I challenge "A. Miller" to come out of hiding and write again to the Press telling everyone your actual name.

Happily, Coach Bob Rule has already replied to "A. Miller" and very ably rebutted the letter's criticisms. Therefore, that left only one other major point which needs to be made. Nothing disappoints me more in people than when they evidence gross ingratitude. Consequently, I was absolutely sickened when someone used the pages of the Manhasset Press to attack Manhasset lacrosse coaches Alan Lowe and Bob Rule. These two men have given virtually their entire adult lives - three decades of service - to educate and mentor our children. Both are outstanding citizens - exemplary educators and world-class athletes themselves. Each has been awarded the highest of honors in their chosen sport - Division I College All-Americans and selection to the Lacrosse Hall of Fame. And as coaches, what a record. Over 450 victories (fifth in New York State history), seven Nassau County titles (along with a total of 15 appearances in the county finals), five times the Long Island champs (out of seven appearances), three Downstate crowns which led to playing in three state finals and the ultimate jewel, the 1995 New York State Championship. To put it in statistical terms - the average season for Manhasset Varsity Lacrosse under coaches Lowe and Rule has meant 15 victories and appearing in the Nassau County Championship game. Most schools would be thrilled to accomplish that result once a decade. Does "A. Miller" really believe all this success has been accomplished without passion? And since "A. Miller" is a self-proclaimed expert on basic coaching, let's see if "A. Miller" is also learned about basic decency and meets my challenge: "A. Miller" - you have insulted and unfairly impugned the integrity of two great men. Abandon your cowardly shield of anonymity and tell all of us who you are.

Arthur C. Kaminsky

Last week's edition of the Manhasset Press and the Great Neck Record, contained three full page ads which were critical of the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire District. Although they were clearly motivated by a desire for commercial gain, I feel that the statements made deserve rebuttal.

I have been a member of the fire service in Great Neck for 39 years and have served as the chief instructor and now deputy superintendent of the Nassau County Fire Service Academy for more than 22 years. I believe that I am at least as qualified as Brian Kenny in evaluating the fire protection, not just in Manhasset-Lakeville, but in all of Nassau County.

Mr. Kenny's proposal for a centralized, commercially run fire department with minimum staffing and equipment is woefully flawed. The idea of protecting an area the size of Manhasset-Lakeville with only three pumpers and 14 firefighters is totally inadequate. The standard response in New York City to a structure fire is three pumpers, two ladder trucks and 28 firefighters, including a chief. Mr. Kenny makes no provision for multiple calls which occur regularly, especially during storms. OSHA regulations and standards of the National Fire Protection Association require that personnel be withheld from firefighting as a safety crew at working fires, thus reducing the number of people available for fire suppression. His system would collapse during a major fire. He also makes no mention of how he would provide the emergency medical services which requires extensive fire department resources.

However, his concept is not new. Experience has shown that it doesn't work. In the mid-1990s a village in Westchester County contracted with a private corporation for fire protection in an arrangement similar to that suggested by Mr. Kenny. The system worked fine until there was a serious fire and firefighting resources were far from sufficient. Fortunately, nobody was injured, but someone's house burned to the ground and the contract was terminated shortly thereafter.

In Brian Kenny's advertisements compressed air foam (CAF) is touted as the salvation to firefighting. It is true that CAF has been around for many years, but it just hasn't proven its value. If it were as good as Mr. Kenny would have us believe, it would already be in widespread use, including large cities. It's not. While fire suppression additives do have their place at times, they must never be considered as a replacement for firefighters. This was proven in New York City in the 1970s.

While I question Mr. Kenny's concepts and motives, I do agree that he has identified some problems. The fact that the volunteer members of the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department are sent to more than 1,800 false alarms each year is outrageous. And, many are repeat offenders. The answer is relentless enforcement of existing Nassau County laws which were designed to prevent alarm system malfunctions. The number of true emergencies is not overwhelming for volunteer firefighters.

On July 10, The Great Neck Record reported in detail on the problem caused by abuse of the ambulance service in Great Neck. This problem abounds across Long Island. In more than half of the calls our fire and medical volunteers actually are providing outpatient care and transportation, not emergency medical services. These non-emergency calls come non-stop and are a major cause of burn-out.

Then there are the members. Over the last two years (possibly as a result of September 11, 2001) the Nassau County Fire Service Academy has trained record numbers of recruit firefighters, including many from Manhasset-Lakeville. The problem is that our young members can't afford to live here. We have known this for years. Now we are finally seeing that elected officials recognize this problem, not just for volunteer firefighters, but for all young middle class families. Hopefully, meaningful solutions will be found. Affordable housing for working class people is essential to the future of Long Island, including our volunteer firefighters and medics.

The Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department is an effective, well-run organization. An average response time of 6.7 minutes is excellent, especially given the large area of their district. Without question, they have the same challenges that are faced today by every fire department on Long Island. But there are many things that can and should be done before the pockets of private enterprise start getting filled with taxpayers's dollars.

Robert A. Lincoln Jr.

At the July 16 Manhasset Park District Public Hearing, packed with the commissioner's friends, promises were made during that hearing to the writer, and those present, that the following morning she would be able to go to the MPD office and pick up the following:

1) a copy of their charter (their source of authority to do the things they do);

2) a copy of an appraisal supporting the price of $2 million for the 7.2 acres of Macy's land they wish to condemn; and

3) the ever-elusive "engineer's report" that had been requested under the Freedom of Information Law since Feb. 6, 2003.

I called on them the next day, July 17, only to hear that I must once again request same by filling out FOIL forms again and waiting a week for a reply. I did so immediately on Feb. 18 only to hear from them a week later that I must wait for them to collect all the information, period. I wrote back to them to let them know the law again and that they should have included the date by which I would receive the information. I then, July 31, received the following:

1) A copy of a Nassau County Civil Divisions Act which in reading through P.319.3 "Powers" I found the only power they have is to "park cars" i.e., they were a District for Parking cars, not a district for parks for recreations. If they have any further information, I would appreciate receiving it.

2) The appraisal they used as a foundation for thinking that they could condemn the 7.2 acres for $2 million, is shaky at best. One, the appraiser stated that they could not get a copy of the survey. (How did we get it? We went to 240 Old Country Road, the County Clerk's office and asked for it and got it.) Two, the appraiser believes one can access the property from Northern Boulevard. Well, you might be able to but only if you fly over Macy's property. It is at least four blocks away from Northern Blvd. Three, the appraiser took pictures of what they believed to be the property, but which is really Whitney Pond Park! Fourth, the appraiser states that the property is "level" ground. Even the part of the secret engineer's report we heard about at the hearing said there are three levels, two perhaps having 10 degree slopes! Fifth, the appraiser does not mention that the property is within a Special Groundwater Protection Area, nor does she mention that there are Wetlands within feet of the property! Sixth, the land is not accessible even using Community Drive East unless Macy's grants an easement to access the property - and do you think they would once our MPD condemns their land?

3) The third item I FOILed for that day was the ever elusive "engineer's report," the one that has identified all vacant lands within the MPD boundaries. I was handed 13 pages of material which anyone can get from public records and exactly what they had given me before, not what was promised at the Public Hearing. I was charged 25 cents per page for something I had already paid for. I stopped my check, and made out a new one less the charge for the duplicate material and sent the duplicate "report" back to the MPD.

So, to date, we still have not received the full "charter" from where the MPD gets their authority to do the things they do and we have not received the publicly-promised full complete Draft Engineer's Report for which your and my taxes paid $25,000. Another FOIL was also filed, this one for the Minutes of that Public Hearing on July 16. We, to date, have not heard when we might expect to receive them as required by the law. Is it the public be damned, full speed ahead? Perhaps another hearing should be held in September.

Phyllis J. Clark

I own a house directly 10 feet from the 7.2-acre property being discussed by the Manhasset Park District for condemnation and for the building of ball fields. My property is on the Macy's property line. I, personally, will be harmed irrevocably if this condemnation by the MPD goes forward. One question, why was I, as an adjacent property owner, not noticed that a Public Hearing was to take place on July 16? I was noticed by Greentree that they were having a Public Hearing on Aug. 14 for a much, much less intrusive change in that property's use. It is a matter of class vs. tackiness, I guess.

If this new grandiose plan goes forward, how will I and all Terrace Manor residents protect ourselves and our quality of life from the fumes and noise and lights of a parking lot and other buildings being built on sloping property. All the carbon monoxide from any proposed parking lot and buildings with air conditioners on their roofs would be deadly to our neighborhood. The noise of screaming children, car doors closing, engines starting up, buses bellowing out brake noise and boom boxes blasting all hours of the day and night - all of these rise up and reverberate from this valley to our homes. At present we hear the trains coming and going from Manhasset train station, especially on a foggy day or night and we have the lights pouring into our homes from the Manhasset High School Walsh Field's new stadium lights - up until midnight some evenings - four o'clock in the morning on July 31 - after we were promised by the school administration that the lights would go out at 9 p.m.! We have Macy's at one end, Filene's complex with the new King Kullen at the other, the schools and church and lots of commercial shops up and down Northern Boulevard between Community Drive and Brinkerhoff Lane - all spewing carbon monoxide which rises to our homes which are at higher levels. And now, the side of our community where we get our fresh air and oxygen from the plant life, you are trying to take from us. Clearing this land of all the trees and foliage would be an environmental mistake!

We are sure that after our MPD gets finished denuding this parcel of property from all its trees, we will begin to hear the traffic passing all day and night from the expressway. At present those trees absorb carbon monoxide and give off oxygen needed to combat fumes from various parking lots. If we do not allow this ball field project to go forward, we will protect not only our water supply which we get from aquifers beneath this property, but the wildlife that reside there also. At the MPD Public Hearing we understand a father went to the microphone and asked: "Which is more important an egret or a little girl wanting to play ball." Oh, please, the little girl has a father who probably belongs to a country club where she can do much more than play ball. We ask which is more important a little girl wanting to play baseball once a week or 151 residents of Terrace Manor wanting to preserve a 24/7 quality of life? Manhasset will only continue to be identified by its beauty and open space, if this property and its adjacent Greentree's acreage- all of which is part of the North Hills Groundwater Protection Area - is left alone. A lot of little ball fields, asphalted over parking lots, and whatever else man may come up with to destroy this beautiful piece of God's Earth will destroy Terrace Manor for good. Leave it alone, we'll all be better for it in the end.

Charles Dunn

William Spencer