UN role in Ukraine and Gilgo Beach improvements

UN must prove it's a 'peacekeeper'

The UN is basically a peacekeeping organization “Zelenskyy at UN accuses Russia of crimes,” News, April 6]. After witnessing unquestionable war-crime atrocities in Ukraine, the UN should immediately take action to verify this massacring of civilians and at least take a figurative vote to expel Russia from its organization. This action would shed light on which members have a conscience and backbone, and which members deny reality.

If this organization fails to deal with a member who obviously disregards the rights of its neighbors to exist, how can the UN claim to be a “peacekeeping” organization?

Jerry Reilly, Lindenhurst

It's time to upgrade Gilgo Beach park

A tip of the hat to State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid and George Gorman, regional director of Long Island State Parks, for navigating the removal of the old U.S. Coast Guard Station and placement of 800,000 cubic yards of sand at Gilgo Beach State Park in Babylon Town ["Gilgo Beach project makes room for four-wheelers," News, April 1].

Now is the time to commence with upgrading Gilgo to a first-tier state park, a unique home to tens of thousands of recreational vehicle users for fishing and surfing.

Gilgo requires certain amenities that will make it safer and more user friendly. The first should be a review of ways that vehicles can enter and leave the park. The short ramp that runs alongside the park is dangerous as cars barrel along Ocean Parkway.

The park requires a tire-pumping station to stop vehicles from lining up alongside the parkway to self-inflate or deflate tires. This is dangerous and should be managed. Parks should entertain making solar-powered electricity available for users as well as considering self-contained, environmentally safe bathrooms. Security issues are always problematic. The needs are not because of anyone's negligence. It is due to the park's growth in popularity. Gilgo should be managed as a major park. Its time has come.

Wayne R. Horsley, Babylon

The writer is a former regional director of Long Island State Parks.