Free school meals, a museum, tax assessments and rising prices

Preserve free meals for hungry kids

Kudos to Rachel Sabella and Randi Shubin Dresner for their cogent views on extending the pandemic waivers to ensure food in the summer for Long Island and New York youth ["Preserve free meals for hungry students," Opinion, March 7]. I share that opinion as a dietitian and a grandfather.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture needs to extend the waiver authority for the 2022-23 school year based on supply-chain disruptions and labor shortages. Nutrition programs are our greatest asset for our youth.

National school meals began in response to the insidious malnutrition during World War II. In 1995, the World Food Day theme was that hunger is widespread, persistent and unacceptable. In 2022, let’s make hunger history. Healthy school meals for all.

— John A. Krakowski, Flanders

The writer is a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Will food be served in new museum?

A choice: a museum versus feeding the hungry. Do we not have a conscience? History is important, but not at $1.3 million, only to be used for archival facts and pictures that we already can see in the library ["1847 barn to be part of history museum," Our Towns, March 7].

It’s time to move forward. A sense of community means helping people. I hope this museum will serve more than just a historical purpose, which the Three Village Historical Society has in mind embracing the present and future. We have needy families who can’t get food in the summer as noted in "Preserve free meals for hungry students" in the same day’s newspaper. Can the barn be a food distribution point?

I hope that besides historical facts and pictures, we’ll see displays of accomplishments and contributions of the area’s students and adults. That is community pride, and it creates a positive self-image. Use the space for cultural events, budding teenage artists and musicians, and for volunteer needs. I hope all this is the society’s intention.

— Ellen Hynes, South Huntington

Higher prices show corporations’ greed

During the pandemic, businesses went crazy and added a fee for credit cards, but, like gas stations, some said they’d give a discount for cash ["Advice on how to save money at the gas pump," News, March 9]. Some corporations raised prices because the pandemic caused a revenue shortfall thus the need for higher prices, while some employees have been working from home, saving them money. Now, some have added a surcharge to get relief from the impacts of COVID-19. I wonder how many of these businesses got a COVID bailout.

Who can I get a surcharge from to get relief for the higher prices I’m enduring?

— Paul Spina, Calverton

Betting ads must end before it’s too late

The NFL’s announced banishment of a player for gambling is ludicrous ["Ridley’s gamble returns a 1-year suspension," Sports, March 8]. Weekly games are barraged with advertisements urging viewers to make wagers, even as the games are progressing. Sports networks highlight game-time odds and offer websites where one can place a bet.

This advertising has to be nipped in the bud much like tobacco and, supposedly, alcohol was.

The long-term negative impact of the promotion of gambling can only be deleterious to those who participate, and, I would bet, will seriously impact the future of generations of our children.

— William R. Kearns, East Quogue

Time to replace Nassau review system

Now is the time to replace Nassau County’s subjective real estate assessment system with one that is based simply on personal income ["Phillips begins audit of Nassau reassessment," News, Feb. 16].

Anything is better than the current tax system. It seems that the county and its residents are constantly getting the short end of the stick with the annual shell game of "what’s that house worth?"

The only people making out on the deal are those in the tax assessment challenge industry.

— John Napolitano, Williston Park

For seniors on a limited budget and newlyweds looking to buy a house, Nassau County is beyond reach due to the inflated taxes.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman won largely on his promise to lower taxes, and now it’s time for him to follow through on that promise.

— Angelo Vetrano, Floral Park