Letters to the editor

Volume One, Issue 25, March 9 - 15, 2007

Abundant after-school programs

To The Editor:
Re “Residents educate police at Quinn forum” (news article, March 2):

While we don’t dispute that city youth, particularly those of color and those who live in public housing, are harassed by police, we at Hudson Guild do take issue with Fulton Houses resident Miguel Acevedo’s statement that there’s no place for these young adults to go, particularly his claim that there are no after-school programs.

John Lovejoy Elliott founded Hudson Guild 112 years ago to provide recreational and educational activities for Chelsea youth. We continue this focus on youth, offering after-school, evening and Saturday programming for elementary, middle and high school age youth at four West Chelsea locations—including the Fulton Center—and at the O’Henry Learning Center at 333 W. 17th St., located steps away from the Fulton Houses.

Hudson Guild is far from the only organization offering programming—most of it free—to Chelsea’s youth. High-quality programs for a variety of age groups and interests can be found at the Chelsea Recreation Center, the McBurney YMCA’s “Virtual Y” at P.S. 33, Urban Dove and at many school-run programs throughout the neighborhood

Offering after-school programming, however, doesn’t address all the challenges posed by the city’s disconnected youth, the 200,000 16–24-year-olds who neither attend school nor have a job. Finding ways to connect with this population is one of Hudson Guild’s top priorities going forward, as it is for many other social service agencies, and we welcome input as we study ways to reach this population.

Brian Saber
Saber is executive director of Hudson Guild

Reservations about McNally

To The Editor:
Re “McNally vows to boycott hotel till billboard’s down” (news article, Feb. 28):

Interesting to see Keith McNally bearing a sign at the Gansevoort billboard protest. I recall a McNally New York Times interview in which McNally promised a working-class restaurant where the local meatpacking employees could lunch. Need I say more? Yes. With the opening of Pastis, McNally was at the forefront of the gentrification/Sohoization of our beloved neighborhood. What’s the difference between a giant billboard on top of an already-giant eyesore of a hotel and the billboard that spans the corner of Ninth Ave. and Little W. 12th St. that is Pastis? Give us a break, McNally!

Jackie DeCarlo

Hooked on Pier 40 as is

To The Editor:
I have lived in the Village for many years, and have been using Pier 40 for recreation, along with my family, especially for fishing. If Pier 40 becomes a mega-entertainment complex, it most certainly will not be a park anymore. As someone who has spent many happy hours fishing at the pier, I vote solidly for The People’s Pier project.

Matt Umanov