Letter to the Editor
As a former Yonkers Public Schools teacher who made respect for others through exposure a goal in my classes, I am appalled and disgusted at the behavior of the basketball players who blatantly used antisemitic remarks against the players from the Leffel School.
My question? Why isn’t antisemitism being addressed universally in the. Yonkers public schools.
I feel strongly that the horrific behavior of the students involved Must Not continue. It is the job of all those who have contact with the students to keep them all safe and to be respectful to others.
After I retired, the district ran an amazing program I was involved with which was about the Holocaust. It taught understanding and respect for those who are different and who learned so much from horrific experiences they went through.
As a Jewish teacher in a district where there are so few Jewish children it is so important for students to learn, understand and respect others.
If this behavior is allowed to continue, Jews today-who will be next?
WR Hollander
White Plains
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Letter to the Editor:
We noted those substantial raises for the Mayor & the Council members.
We noted the the Mayor’s salary had not increased for (20) years.
Look!
“FIRST PAY RAISE FOR YONKERS CITY COUNCIL IN 10 YEARS & FOR MAYOR IN 20 YEARS, UNDER REVIEW”
AND! Look.
“Value of $1 from 2003 to 2023
$1 in 2003 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $1.67 today, an increase of $0.67 over 20 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 2.59% per yearbetween 2003 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 66.88%.”
This means that today’s prices are 1.67 times as high as average prices since 2003, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index. A dollar today only buys 59.880% of what it could buy back then.”
Let me write this about that “raise”. It was long overdue.
Mayor Spano has done a terrific job putting our city on the map. Our population is finally increasing. Housing, new retail stores, a major film studio, etc., have evolved under his leadership. My wife and I were down at the YoFi Festival recently. It was a grand success. The new construction by the Library is most impressive! Etc.! Etc.!
And, if you haven’t noticed, we are also having a rip roaring inflation going on. In addition, with higher gross income….Uncle Sam is there with his large hand out!
Q.E.D. (Q.E.D. is an acronym for the Latin phrase quod erat demonstrandum, a fancy way to show off you just logically proved something.)
Happy New Year to all
Hilary Duncanson/Yonkers
Letter to the Editor: WESTCHESTER RISING
We are proud that New York State has become the tenth state to enact a ban on wildlife killing contests.
Wildlife killing contests aren’t hunting – they are bizarre, gruesome spectacles giving prizes to the largest number of massacres in a set time period. ‘Traditional’ hunters like Jim Posewitz, the president of the Hunter’s Institute, are against these ‘contests,’ saying such contests create poor public relations for hunters. Ed Nuse, former executive director of International Hunting Education, said, ‘We don’t like true hunting to be mixed up with such contests for money and prizes.’ There are hunting shows on TV, but not the killing contests – gotta go underground to view them. The public would be too appalled to see our wildlife – including crows, squirrels and rabbits – suffering and dying in piles like they’re trash.
They are not trash. They are not illegal immigrants, they are not criminals, they are not merely moving paper targets at the carnival. The days of saying ‘it’s just an animal’ are over. Youtube has shown us animal’s intelligence and sentience. Those who defend these contests by saying the prizes ‘benefit’ various charities can in fact reach into their wallets and make donations right now, from their hearts – no killing is necessary.
This is a great country; greatness doesn’t come by eagerly and pointlessly slaughtering and piling up dead and dying innocent beings to win a prize. Thank you, New York State, for being leaders in wisdom and compassion for the profoundly voiceless.
Kiley Blackman, Tuckahoe
Founder, Animal Defenders of Westchester
www.ADOW.org
