Just Sayin': Blowers creating a dust-up

Over a recent weekend, I found the air filled with dust wherever I went on Long Island. What was the cause of this pollution? In a word, gardeners. They were using high-powered blowers.

These gardeners find it quicker to blow out leaves and grass clippings to the street gutters rather than sweeping them. Not only do they fill the atmosphere with dust, but they also leave pebbles and other trash. The landscape workers never wear masks, from what I have seen, and they must be damaging their lungs and those of passersby.

The Environmental Protection Agency and politicians should consider this matter. It will give plenty of business to pulmonary and eye doctors. The pollution I experienced was so severe it affected my sight.

Lawrence E. Worters, Merrick

Wall of fallen in Hicksville, too

Newsday recently provided excellent coverage of the police memorial wall at the New York City Police Department headquarters in Manhattan ["Wall of the fallen," News, May 8]. But right here on Long Island, we have a memorial wall dedicated to law enforcement officers from our state who die in the line of duty.

Their names are etched onto a marble wall that stands in front of the headquarters building of the New York State Fraternal Order of Police at West John Street and Newbridge Road in Hicksville.

Our list of fallen heroes begins with a constable who died in 1791 and has 1,408 names. Each first Saturday of May, the surviving families of these heroes are invited to a memorial ceremony. Each may place a rose in front of their loved one's name. This is a spectacular event.

Gerald Ente, Woodbury

Editor's note: The writer is the chief surgeon for the New York State Fraternal Order of Police.

Need property tax reductions

My property taxes have gone up every year, and don't get me started on the portion representing my school tax increases!

With technological advancements, there must be a computer program that could identify senior citizens and families with no children attending school, so they could cease paying school taxes.

The Basic STAR exemption and the Enhanced STAR exemption for senior citizens are just not enough assistance in this economy.

Chris Viola-Weiss, Oceanside