A well-deserved salute
To The Editor:
Re “Village doyenne Doris Diether turns 90! Feted by friends at Judson bash” (news article, Jan. 17):
What a magnificent and well-deserved salute to Doris Diether, a mainstay of Greenwich Village and and our resident expert on zoning. It was a pleasure working with her in the late ’70s on Community Board 2’s Zoning Committee and following her exploits thereafter with my good friend and her fan, the late Ed Gold.
Diane Lebedeff
Garden is irreplaceable
To The Editor:
Re “What is Margaret Chin thinking? Save the garden!” (viewpoint, by Donna Schaper, Jan. 17):
The voice of the community to preserve Elizabeth St. Garden remains loud and clear! Do not divide the community, pitting needs of open space and community gardens against low-income housing. The community deserves both for a thriving sustainable life. There are alternative sites for housing.
The Elizabeth St. Garden is an irreplaceable asset free of cost to the city that should remain in perpetuity serving the local community and public. It is recognized around the world as a treasured landmark and promoted as one of the must-see sites in Soho/Nolita.
The magnificent garden and open space once developed will never be reclaimed and the housing has other site options. The proposed low-income senior housing is capped at 40 years and then could go market rate, thus serving these needs and a small group of seniors for a generation. The garden’s preservation would serve community and public forever.
Felicia Young Young is founder/executive director, Earth Celebrations
Just don’t hit me!
To The Editor:
Re “Advocacy group pedals ‘bike mayor’ for New York” (news article, Jan. 17):
Just watch out when I’m crossing the street. I don’t want to get hit by a bicycle!
Frankly, far too many bikes and far too many irresponsible riders seem to be on our Village streets.
Sylvia Rackow
Marcus doesn’t speak for us
To The Editor:
Re “An open letter to City Council Speaker Corey Johnson” (Viewpoint, by David Marcus, Jan. 10):
David Marcus is not a member of the 14th St. Coalition Steering Committee and has not been involved with the Coalition for some time. We want to be clear, his “Open Letter to Council Speaker Johnson” reflects his personal views, and not those of the Coalition.
Elissa Stein and Judy Pesin Stein and Pesin are members, 14th St. Coalition Steering Committee
Streets aren’t for cars
To The Editor:
Re “An open letter to City Council Speaker Corey Johnson” (Viewpoint, by David Marcus, Jan. 10):
Sorry to disappoint you, David Marcus. This neighborhood is full of people who live here, raise our children here, prosper and grow every day without private motor vehicles. Enough with this rhetoric about “other people” and “nonresident Transportation Alternatives.”
Twenty-four percent of the people who live in Community Board 2 own vehicles. In other words, 76 percent of the people do not own motor vehicles. Streets are for people, not a way to move motor vehicles across town, not space to store private motor vehicles, but a place where people can use nonpolluting, quiet, efficient ways to go across town.
Choresh Wald
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