The Sept. 15 edition of the Manhasset Press included an article that the Patriots' Park would be dedicated "to all who were part of America's history." Does that include Hitler, the Ku Klux Klan, Hirohito, etc? The inscription on the memorial includes five reasons for the memorial: hopes, remembrances, appreciations, honors and thanks. It thus stands for nothing but a nondescript litany of excuses for having a memorial at all.

The notice by the Manhasset Park District in their announcement also stated that Patriots' Park was conceived as "a tribute to all who were part of America's history." It was not; it was conceived as a memorial to those who were lost in the 9/11 tragedy. But that idea was rejected by the people of our Manhasset village who contacted our State Senator Michael Balboni to not underwrite it with $50,000, it was changed to this new concept. Now where is the money coming from? Your taxes and mine.

So too, the memorial has been built on Nassau County property. This property has been leased by MPD it's true, but, and a big but, is that the lease is up next month! It was leased in 1995 for the purpose of preserving open spaces. If a new lease is negotiated, we will be saved but for how long - another year, two, five, a century? No one knows yet. We spent all that money on this memorial without knowing how long it will be kept as ours.

Another mystery is this. If you wanted to visit the "park," where would you park your car? The wrap around roads of this "park" are designated "No Parking" zones. Should you park in Staples lot, King Kullen lot, or Lord & Taylor lot? Even if permission were granted to park in the road east of the "park" on an occasion-by-occasion basis, what a sight that would be - just more cars to view on Shelter Rock Road.

The whole piece of land should have been left alone in the first place. It does nothing but clutter up another one of our lovely empty spaces. The old adage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!" certainly applied here.

What can we do now? What goes up, can come down.

Phyllis J. Clark