She’s N.Y.C. ambassador?
To The Editor:
Taylor Swift?… Are there no New York City songwriters or musicians who could write a song and be a face representing the city? There is no talent in New York City?
What is the message being sent to struggling or successful artists? Where are our politicians on this corporate insult to New York City talent? Where are the agencies that represent our local talent? What is the message to the average New Yorker?
Tell me de Blasio is different from Bloomberg. It is one thing to make New York City into a corporate mall filled with cookie-cutter corporate businesses. But now we have an individual with almost no relationship to New York City as the face and voice representing the city.
It is like we have lost our mind.
Clayton Patterson
Helped save St. Mark’s
To The Editor:
Re “Judith Edelman, 91, pioneering female architect” (obituary, Oct. 30):
Thanks for the wonderful remembrance of late architect Judith Edelman in your latest issue of The Villager. She and her husband played a major role in restoring St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery after the devastating fire in 1978 (not 1969 as stated in your article).
St. Mark’s is still going strong under the leadership of Reverend Winnie Varghese. I joined St. Mark’s in the aftermath of the fire and am still a parishioner there. Jimmy Fragosa, formerly part of the Youth Preservation Project sponsored by St. Mark’s, is our longtime sexton.
Katharine B. Wolpe
Who’s blurring the issue?
To The Editor:
Re “Famed actress’s cousin is charged in Stuy Town elevator attempted rape” and “Novel plan to save ‘dysfunctional’ former squat” (news articles, Oct. 23):
Lincoln Anderson made the link between the crime issue and the building on E. 13th St. because Juan Scott lived in this infamous building. Juan Scott has allegedly attempted to rape one woman and sexually abused two others recently in the neighborhood, and for this he is now in jail awaiting trial.
The building at 544 E. 13th St. was supposed to be completed as an H.D.F.C. for low-income people years ago, and UHAB has been unable to complete the task.
Aggressive and unfounded hate comments about Annie Wilson are inappropriate responses to these articles.
Trudy Silver
Charters are subversive
To The Editor:
Re “Some inconvenient truths about charter schools” (talking point, by Teresa Arboleda, Oct. 30):
Public education is part of our country’s grand democratic experiment. And it’s most successful. Sorry to see the charter school movement, along with decreased state funding, subvert free and equal public education for all.
A. S. Evans
Blighted by the lights
To The Editor:
Last week I noticed that Cemusa is installing LED signs at city bus stops. Since the Bloomberg/Quinn team started the sale of the public streets for the benefit of a few, it has only gotten worse. But now we are faced with the “Times Square-ization” of Greenwich Village. The light pollution and ugliness these signs create degrade our neighborhood.
Why now — if the Cemusa contract allowed this — since the contract has been in force for a period of years? We need to see the contract, so we can check to see what it allowed regarding illuminated signs.
John Wetherhold
Dad did his best
To The Editor:
Re “Blue Moon Johnny; I wasn’t my brother’s keeper” (talking point, by Jerry Tallmer, Oct. 23):
Despite all the damage done to him, our dad was a very decent, caring man, who tried his best. We just marked the 40th anniversary of his death and still miss him terribly.
Megan Tallmer
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