Letters: Make crossing at Islip station safer
I've been a Long Island Rail Road commuter for nearly 35 years. The Long Island Rail Road has done little to keep the pedestrian crossing at the Islip train station safe ["LIRR wants to close 'dangerous' crossing," News, Nov. 18].
Pedestrian gates have never been installed, although there are bells and flashing lights. One can easily trip or twist an ankle in the divots and potholes at the crossing.
The railroad proposes construction of a walkway directing pedestrians to Nassau Avenue.
One would have to walk 200 feet from the parking lot or platform to Nassau Avenue, cross the tracks, and walk another 200 feet back. That would be a hardship for the elderly or anyone with a disability.
I take exception to this sentence in the story: "Some residents have opposed the LIRR's plan, because it would inconvenience them in accessing the station platform from a parking lot on the other side of the tracks."
Closing the crossing is a bad option; making it safe is the right thing to do.
Kathy Ewart, East Islip
Don't blame all for terrorism by a few
I read "Muslims condemn attack" [News, Nov. 21], and I agree that we cannot blame all Muslims for the terrible atrocities happening now and committed by a small group that claims it is acting in the name of Islam.
Imagine how frightening it is for the 99.9 percent of Muslims who are good and honest people, to be blamed for what these others have done? It's not fair to them, and we should all know this and band together.
Marla Posillico, Oakdale
To help neutralize the Islamic State group's recruiting propaganda on social media, the United States should flood the Internet with appeals to the consciences of friends and relatives of suspected jihadis to inform local authorities .
I suspect many relatives secretly agonize over this issue, and such encouragement may just sway them to do the right thing to save lives.
Howard Benjamin, Albertson
Solar is good, but not if we lose forests
Destroying acres of trees to supply clean energy is wrong . Spare the trees and their surroundings. Better we should cut back on energy use to save the trees.
Solar power is a Band-Aid that pushes the real issue to the back burner. The real issue is the amount of electricity each of us uses.
Tom Stock, Babylon
What sort of twisted logic would allow for clear-cutting 44 acres to install a solar array?
Trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the atmosphere, which helps make this planet habitable. Solar power is a good thing but not at the expense of deforestation.
Find some other place to put the solar panels, please.
Hank Baumann, Wantagh
I agree that we should not be hasty in building solar sites . Instead, we need to plan the best spots for them, instead of haphazardly cutting down acres of wooded land. We should think of preserving that land, not selling it off to developers. Put solar sites in places that have already been developed but are no longer in use.
How about building solar sites on now-defunct shopping malls or business quads? There are plenty of them on Long Island.
Jeanne Klein, Williston Park
Don't exaggerate Narcan's benefits
It's important to emphasize that the opioid antagonist drug Narcan, or naloxone, will only effectively reverse an overdose caused by drugs in the opioid category such as heroin ["Saved by school nurse," News, Nov. 19].
There is no evidence that Narcan will reverse the life-threatening effects of overdose caused by any other category of drugs, including synthetic marijuana. The public should not view Narcan as an antidote against all drug overdoses.
Art Flescher, Hauppauge
Editor's note: The writer is the director of Suffolk County Community Mental Hygiene Services.
