New York Liberty forward Tina Charles defends Washington Mystics guard...

New York Liberty forward Tina Charles defends Washington Mystics guard Elena Delle Donne during a WNBA basketball game at Westchester County Center on July 21. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke

Millions of sharks die in our fisheries

Injuries suffered by shark-attack victims may be alarming, but they provide only a glimpse into the terrifying ordeal that billions of sea animals experience when they are pierced with sharp hooks or crushed in nets and dragged out of their natural environment, suffocated for sport or taste [“DEC confirms boy was bitten by shark,” News, July 20].

According to the Florida Museum’s International Shark Attack File, on average only six fatalities are attributable to unprovoked shark attacks worldwide each year. By contrast, about 100 million sharks and rays are killed every year by fisheries. Fishing, including shark tournaments like those out of Montauk and Freeport, not only devastate our oceans, but the blood in the water attracts exactly the type of unwanted conflicts beachgoers would like to avoid.

Before their next meals, I hope readers will remember that unlike sharks, humans are not natural carnivores, and we have a choice not to partake in fish or the flesh of any other animal.

John Di Leonardo, Malverne

Editor’s note: The writer is an anthrozoologist and president of Long Island Orchestrating for Nature, an advocacy organization.

Fewer town flyers in the mail this year

It seems that former Town of Hempstead Supervisor Anthony Santino is considering his legacy these days, in light of recent items in Newsday. In “S&P upgrades bond rating” [News, June 19], he takes credit for the town’s improved bond rating. Then in a July 27 letter, “Water testing move helped save money,” he takes credit for closing the town’s water testing lab, which was recently reopened. He even had the audacity to take a swipe at Supervisor Laura Gillen for a photo-op.

I can tell you that the town flyers coming to my mailbox have decreased significantly since Santino left office at the end of 2017. He was the poster child of photo-ops. His sudden concern for taxpayers also will be offset by his true legacy: the disgraceful transfers and promotions of numerous employees and the no-layoff clause he pushed through the partisan town board in his last meeting in December. This is what the taxpayers will remember.

Robert Demarco, Wantagh

Hoops star is a great example for all

What a great story about Liberty basketball player Tina Charles [“A beacon of light for Liberty,” Sports, July 22].

This woman donates her full salary to needy causes and is an icon to be followed in all sports.

You don’t need to donate your whole salary; just do things to make an impact with your celebrity. It will go a long way.

Lisa Gloffke, Levittown

MTA board member looks at greater good

I read with interest the suggestion by Suffolk County’s MTA board member that the agency should think twice before raising some Long Island Rail Road fares [“MTA official: Spare Suffolk,” News, July 26].

Mitchell Pally said at a Metropolitan Transportation Authority board meeting that Suffolk commuters unfairly pay more because of their distance from New York City, but come from an area with a lower average incomes.

I don’t think there is much simpler math than saying that the people on the train (or bus or anything else) for a longer time incur the most costs and therefore should pay the most. Taxis, buses, Uber, etc., all run on this principle.

However I applaud Pally for his position, because it represents a much more appropriate way to view these things, one that is based on its effects on society as a whole, not simple math.

Aaron Stein, Babylon

Librarians’ expertise is invaluable

I was absolutely flabbergasted while reading the July 25 news story “Defending libraries,” in which Professor Panos Mourdoukoutas of LIU Post says public libraries should be closed and replaced by Amazon bookstores.

As an avid nurse researcher who holds a PhD, I could not conduct the level of professional-literature scrutiny necessary for my work by simply going to Amazon.

At libraries, professionals with master’s degrees in library science shepherd me through a maze of databases and websites to identify the most timely and pertinent scholarly sources. They also have helped me obtain difficult-to-secure source materials.

If an academic such as myself relies so heavily on this support, imagine how much more these services are needed by students and the intellectually curious public. Libraries, whether school based or public, provide these services.

Although I frequently also use Amazon and believe it is a great asset, it cannot replace the one-on-one guidance of the professional librarian.

Lois Biggin Moylan,

West Hempstead

Editor’s note: The writer is a professor of nursing at Molloy College.

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