Woo! Do the bump(s)!
To The Editor:
Re “New E.V. slow zone, with 20 m.p.h. limit, is fast approaching” (news article, July 24):
The speed bumps will be launching platforms for skateboarders and may screw up snow removal. But over all, for an old codger like me with poor sight and hearing, the 20-mile-per-hour zone could be a lifesaver.
Richard Kopperdahl
Original people so rare
To The Editor:
Re “Vivien Leone, heiress, arts patron who lived large” (obituary, July 24):
Mary Reinholz does a good job here of writing about this art patron. It always seems that when someone like this dies, she was the last one like that.
Original, interesting people are rare, and one worries there won’t be any more such people as time goes on. Hopefully, that’s not the case.
Lionel Rolfe
Key feminist contributor
To The Editor:
Re “Vivien Leone, heiress, arts patron who lived large” (obituary, July 24):
Vivien was at the 1972 Democratic Convention during the early, passionate years of the feminist movement. McGovern, the candidate, spoke to supporters, listing all he would do to help women — but said nothing about abortion rights, the big issue of the time. I stood up and asked him why. I don’t remember his answer. But Vivien did, and she wrote about it in the Village Voice.
Years later, I interviewed her for the Schlesinger Library’s History of NOW project, though Vivien had never been a NOW member, as far as I knew.
So her bio is at the famous Schlesinger Library in Boston. And she deserves to be there since she made many great contributions to the feminist movement.
Jacqui Ceballos
Chop out tree benches
To The Editor:
Re “C.B. 2 is taking a stand on illegal tree benches” (news article, July 24):
I believe there have been complaints about Café Habana, as well, although it wasn’t mentioned in your article. They seem particularly egregious in their co-option of public space. The busy sidewalk there is narrow and they not only have enormous tree benches up, but they generally pile up bags and bags of reeking garbage on the sidewalk hours before they close for business.
They also “host” an in-street bicycle corral that is supposedly for public use. But the fact of the matter is that every time I pass by it, it is filled with their private delivery bikes.
It’s an uncomfortable place to pass by: filthy, noisy, smelly, constraining.
Kudos to Community Board 2 for finally taking action on tree benches.
Lora Tenenbaum
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