Singer family tradition
To The Editor:
Re “Will new cracks in facade break old P.S. 64 stalemate?” (news article, thevillager.com, Feb. 8):
I offered to buy the Boys Club on 10th St. and Avenue A and lease it to the City of New York but they weren’t interested. “No need for a community center,” they said.
My family is from the Lower East Side. My great-grandfather, Louis Singer, gave up his land and building for his nonprofit named Home of Old Israel, which provided free housing, meals and services for the aged, and gave it to New York City in 1929, so they could build Gouverneur Hospital. Then Louis purchased the old Beth Israel Hospital for the Home of Old Israel.
In 1965, Jacob Singer, my grandfather, gave up the property so the city could build the LaGuardia Houses. Jacob moved the Home to a 1,100-unit apartment complex he built in Far Rockaway called Seagirt Village. In the 1970s the family merged the Home into JASA (Jewish Association Serving the Aging).
The Singer family works with government when it is legitimate. The City of New York has a major need for affordable student housing, and we had The Cooper Union college and Adelphi University with signed leases. The city response was there were no assurances the building would be a dorm. Fake News is Alive in the East Village. The city wants to give the building to Aaron Sosnick, who has paid millions to local politicians and nonprofits to be against the dorm so he can build a dorm. See the history at www.oldps64.com .
Gregg Singer
Gansevoort park process
To The Editor:
Re “Designer picked for park (with beach) at Gansevoort” (news article, Feb. 7):
We hope that the community is as excited as we are to have selected a world-class landscape architect for Gansevoort Peninsula, which we think will be one of the great public spaces in the city when it’s finished in 2022.
But before anything is designed, we’re eager to start meeting with community members to hear what they would like to see in the park. We know there will be lots of opinions about our “beach,” in particular — and we’re excited to hear them! Then we’ll work with our engineers and designers to come up with a feasible design that’s responsive to what we’ve heard from the community, sensitive to the environment, and which protects the peninsula from erosion.
And finally, just for clarity’s sake, while the New York Post elected to reference the Citizens Water Quality Testing Program in its Gansevoort coverage, the Hudson River Park Trust has not made any references to the Citizens Water Quality Testing Program in any of its press materials or reporter conversations around the Gansevoort design or beach announcements.
We look forward to hearing from the community as the design process unfolds.
Madelyn Wils
Wils is president and C.E.O., Hudson River Park Trust
Joe, please reconsider!
To The Editor:
Re “Say it ain’t so, Trader Joe’s! Ending deliveries” (news article, thevillage.com, Feb. 7):
A friend called to spread the news that our favorite supermarket chain known for its super selection, and “low markup” pricing has decided to stop delivery service.
Well, I am a senior and am in a wheelchair (also have limited income) and I shop at this wonderful store once every few weeks. I have an aide with me and we fill a shopping cart piled high (both the top and bottom of cart) with several weeks’ supply of frozen food and other essentials, which at any other supermarket would cost many dollars more. Until now we paid a nominal fee for delivery. Carrying that amount of food would be impossible, and making many trips for smaller amounts of supplies would be difficult.
I have a friend who had two knee surgeries and lives in a fifth-floor walk-up. She shops at this store and also is most upset by the decision to halt deliveries. There are many of us who depend on this store and rely on their great prices and wonderful selection but need delivery service. So how about it, Joe?
Gloria Sukenick
What about ‘Wilentz Way’?
To The Editor:
Re “Bad trip for ‘Hendrix Way’; Co-naming experience fizzles” (news article, thevillager.com, Feb. 9):
How about Wilentz Way, for the brothers that owned the legendary 8th St. Book Shop? They truly represent the spirit of Eighth St. and the Village.
Timothy McDarrah
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