Over 60...And Getting Younger: July 28, 2011

The Other Cape (Part II)

Walking down Main Street in Rockport, Massachusetts, we viewed a quaint seaside community. The shops are filled with art items, ice cream, fudge, summer clothing, craft jewelry, and oceanview seafood restaurants. Miles of scenic beaches and wooded glades are nearby.

Next we visited Gloucester, MA, known as America’s oldest seaport. Along the coast we viewed the patina-clad fisherman statue at the helm of his ship. We also spied a statue of a waiting wife with two children beside her, watching for the fisherman’s ship to come in.

Sports Entertainment Destination Center Will Jumpstart Nassau’s Hurting Economy

On August 1, Nassau County residents have an opportunity to create over 3,000 new permanent jobs, over 1,500 construction jobs and generate $400 million in tax relief for homeowners. How? It’s simple. Residents can vote in a special election, at their normal polling locations, whether they wish to receive these economic benefits that accompany the creation of a sports-entertainment destination center at the site of Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The plan authorizes the County to move forward with building a new sports-entertainment arena, baseball stadium and other improvements to the area.

Over 60...And Getting Younger: July 21, 2011

The Other Cape

Cape Cod is what most people think of when you speak of the coast of Massachusetts. Cape Cod is south of Boston, but the other cape is north of Boston. It is Cape Ann; check it out on a map.

My niece Robin lives in Rockport, M.A., a truly maritime and touristy New England town. We left on the Bold Bus Line from 34th Street and 8th Avenue. The Red Bus headed up 10th Avenue in Manhattan, and I felt like a tourist. I don’t remember anything about 10th Avenue; it was full of shops and restaurants, similar, but not quite like 9th Avenue. Brand new, sparkling high-rise buildings could be seen all along the Hudson River.

From Long Island Wins: July 21, 2011

A Different Kind of Muslim Challenge

As I was getting ready to leave for an educational delegation to Turkey in late June, it was easy to understand why I was getting excited. I was ready to see the grandeur of the Hagia Sofia and watch the Whirling Dervishes in awe as they spun around in religious devotion.

But the best part of the delegation was the stunning welcome and kindness we received when visiting the homes of Turkish families. We visited three different homes, and each time, we were met with an effusive reception. Our hosts explained Turkish customs and culture in the way that only a local could do.

Over 60…And Getting Younger: July 14, 2011

Times Change!

When I was growing up in the East Bronx in the 1940s and 1950s, the Major League Baseball All-Star game was a grand and glorious time. New York City had three teams before two of them moved to the West Coast.

The American League Yankee fans rooted for their representatives and the National League Dodger and Giant fans (united for the first time) rooted for their guys. The arguments were heated, and everyone tuned in their radios on game day. Even Boston had two teams, the Red Sox and the Boston Braves. It was in the era of a total of 16 teams- eight American League and eight National League. There were no teams west of the Mississippi River. Today, there are 30 teams in major league baseball.

Letter: In Favor of Nassau Coliseum Plan

On August 1, 2011, Nassau County voters will have the opportunity to vote on a positive plan for saving the New York Islanders with a new arena, bringing a minor league baseball stadium to Nassau County, creating jobs and bolstering Nassau County’s economy generally. This is an easy choice to make, and I will be voting yes.

What could be bad about a modern new arena that will be a home for the Islanders till 2045 and a minor league ballpark (is it too much to hope that it will house a Mets farm team?) that will spur reasonable development of the entire Nassau hub and create a guaranteed steady revenue stream for hard-pressed Nassau taxpayers? Remember, the monies due to the county will be based entirely on revenue, regardless of profits. That makes the deal a perfect scenario for taxpayers.

Over 60…And Getting Younger: July 7, 2011

Faithful Old Cars

A tennis buddy of mine told me this week that he is getting rid of his old car. “It has 150,000 miles on the odometer, but in all these years it never gave me any trouble.”

I remarked immediately, “How can you get rid of your old pal so easily?” He sort of winced and just shrugged his shoulders in an “I don’t really know,” attitude.

Letter: An Open Letter To the POB Community

The Concerned Citizens of the Plainview-Old Bethpage Community cordially invite you to the official opening of the “9-11 Memorial Garden” and viewing of the World Trade Center Artifact at the Town Park on the corner of Old Country Road and Hope Drive in Plainview, on Sunday, July 10 at 12:15 p.m. Join us in paying tribute to all who have been touched by the tragedy of 9-11, and help us thank our partners in this project, the Town of Oyster Bay and the Port Authority of NYNJ for making this possible.

Carol Meschkow, President
Concerned Citizens of the Plainview-Old Bethpage Community

 

Over 60…And Getting Younger: June 30, 2011

My Friend John

It was 1962 and I was 27 years old when I first met my lifelong pal John. I had just opened my first and only dental practice on Parsons Boulevard and 89th Avenue in Jamaica. I was fresh out of the army and in my naïveté, I went to meet the local dentists who were close to my office. I thought it was the professional procedure to follow.

Letter: Supporting Campaign Finance Bill

The League of Women Voters of Nassau County joins the LWV of New York State and NYPIRG (New York Public Interest Research group) in supporting Assembly Bill A8367, which would enact the Comptroller Campaign Finance Reform Act, to provide for public financing of elections for this statewide office.