Brooklyn: Candy Schulman’s lovely July 19 op-ed, “An ode to librarians as they come under siege,” struck a poignant note with me. It took me back to a time nearly 22 years ago when I was under relentless financial hardship. I had lost my job and was trying to find another one, and my friends had relocated to other states and had no communication with me. My world was shutting down and I thought I might end up homeless. Just under my skin was boundless fear. There was a good chance I would ultimately find myself sleeping in a subway car or, even worse, outside in the snow during New York’s harsh winters, becoming one of life’s forgotten casualties.
I sought solace at my local library and its librarians shored up my sagging spirit. They helped me brush up on my job-hunting skills and offered encouragement so I could successfully continue with my job search. They became friends, advisers, teachers — beacons of light, thereby affording me a chance to dream about a happier existence.
Little by little, the library became a democratic, energetic, magical place that helped rein in my unhappiness, indecision and fear, and revived my curiosity, sense of wonder and appreciation for life around me. If the library represented a meaningful future, the librarians were the reason I had a chance to attain it — and I did. Vasilios Vasilounis
A temple for all. (Mark Lennihan/AP)
Oak Ridge, N.J.: Some advice to Voicer Anna Olsen: You’re 80, taking 17 pills and in pretty good shape, damn near got plowed by a cyclist and the copper just shook his head — now’s the time to get the hell out of Manhattan. It ain’t going to get any better. Jim Heimbuch
Levittown, L.I.: You had a story printed on Sept. 5, 1925, that was about my grandmother, Mary Moore. She was being evicted from her home on Christopher St. because her rent was five days late. I was never fortunate enough to meet Mary and, as fate would have it, worked just a few blocks from there in the 1970s. Because I was able to look up the story, read it and see the photos, I now know where my grandmother lived. I want to come to that address on Christopher St. and sit on the same stoop where my grandmother’s possessions were placed in 1925. With so many people facing eviction these days, I find it ironic how easily someone was put out on the street in the 1920s. Constance I. Moore
Hallandale Beach, Fla.: Rest in peace, Rebecca Balding. We will always remember you from “Charmed.” You were terrific and this is a loss for the show and acting fandom. My condolences to her family and friends. Paul Bacon
Woodside: Isn’t it a bit hypocritical of the Archdiocese of New York to let Ivana Trump’s funeral be in a Catholic church? She was married and divorced four times. Any non-celebrity Catholic who was married, divorced and remarried would have been told no. Tom Rice
Brooklyn: We’re hot and we’re definitely bothered by Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie’s failure to take action on climate change. As New York City broils, Speaker Heastie must call a special legislative session to pass the Build Public Renewables Act. This bill will ramp up our production of solar and wind power and is essential to meeting New York’s climate goals. Heastie must not fiddle while our city burns. Eric Weltman
Paramus, N.J.: President Biden has proposed offshore wind farms for the Gulf of Mexico. Alas, there are no proposals for offshore windmills at Rehoboth Beach, Del., Hyannis, Mass., or Martha’s Vineyard? Offshore windmill systems are located in extremely inhospitable marine environments, with pitch and roll, hurricanes, nor’easters and saltwater corrosion, and are therefore very costly when compared to domestically furnished land-based wind farms. The companies that furnish these offshore systems are foreign-owned. The United States’ land-based wind belt runs from North Dakota to Texas. Using it makes so much more sense than offshore wind, which is ruinously costly and inflationary and creates NIMBYism. It’s a real zany idea! Walt Stevens
Woodside: Summer heat and humidity are very hard on horses, particularly working ones who suffer greatly. On Wednesday, the carriage horse heat suspension was lifted when several of the weather tracking services indicated that it was more than 90 degrees — one reading was 93, feeling like 100. This is an absurd system and a more ridiculous law, which states that the business will be suspended when the temperature is 90 degrees or at least 85 but the total humidity added to that must be at least 150. This method is nothing new but is clearly at the extreme end of the scale. A horse sweats but his/her efficiency of cooling decreases between 130 and 150. So why does the law go to the far end of the scale, favoring the drivers, not the horses? I have a better idea: Just shut them down permanently. They’ve done it in both Chicago and Montreal with no transitioning to electric carriages. Enough is enough! Marie Richardson
Flushing: Many have read of the Ice Age when the world was destroyed by ice. We face global warming with the melting of the ice at the poles. Heat and fire are ravaging Spain and Germany. My aunt told me when I was a kid: Next, this world will be destroyed by fire. Look at California and other places. Charles J. Lercara
Providence, R.I.: In reference to “Masks could make return” (July 21): It’s not so hard to wear a mask / It really isn’t much to ask / With COVID cases on the rise / An unmasked face is quite unwise. Felicia Nimue Ackerman
Toms River N.J.: People with guns are going around shooting and killing, and people are complaining about Sesame Street characters not behaving to their liking. What’s next, Santa getting in trouble for saying ho-ho-ho because certain people take offense at the word? What happens when he does not drop off the right toy? I hope the Easter Bunny has enough eggs in the right colors to please everyone. God bless America! Jeffrey Baer
Yonkers: While Paul R. Townsend’s op-ed (”Why can’t defendants depose accusers?” July 21) has merit, watching several recent cases on Court TV showed the truth to be irrelevant to both prosecutors and defense attorneys. The guest analysts on both sides stated that their purpose is to sway the jury to vote in their favor. Basically, their job is to win. In one or two cases, I forget which, the state law allowed the jury to ask judge-vetted questions of the witness on the stand in a quest for the real facts — the truth — not necessarily the show put on by the litigators. All state and federal laws need to allow jury questioning of witnesses to get to the real truth to guarantee true justice for the people and the accused. Mark Bloom
Staten Island: Everyone is complaining about the comic strip “Red & Rover” missing from the page, but no one is mentioning the fact that “Jump Start” is on vacation. It went down south to the bottom of the page. It’s probably nice down there at this time of year. Victor R. Stanwick
Glen Ridge, N.J.: All week you state that the “Jump Start” comic strip is on vacation, yet there it is every day. Don’t you mean “Red & Rover”? Hire new proofreaders. Francine Ferrara
Brooklyn: For several days running, the comics page has printed the notice at the top that “Jump Start” is on vacation, yet it has been running in the bottom spot where the delightful “Red & Rover” usually is, despite annoyed letters from Voicers. Have all your editors and proofreaders gone MIA as they jumped ship for the N.Y. Post? James D. Young
Coral Springs, Fla.: To the reporters, editors, etc. of the Daily News, two things: Hunter Biden had a laptop and the U.S. used to have a southern border. Discuss! Darryl Easton
Copyright © 2021, New York Daily News
Copyright © 2021, New York Daily News