As symbol and real estate, Freedom Tower makes no sense
To the Editor:
I cannot understand why Governor Pataki continues to insist on building the Freedom Tower, which makes no sense on so many levels:
It is supposed to be a symbol of freedom, to those who would attack the U.S. Might I suggest that if anyone needs to see a symbol of freedom, they can take a 100-or-so-yard walk over to the Hudson River and look at the Statue of Liberty, the most recognized symbol of freedom anywhere in the world.
Secondly, this tower is going to be an economic white elephant. It is acknowledged by all concerned that the tower's developer won't be able to find commercial tenants, as it will be such a high-risk target. Therefore the plan is to fill the building with city and state workers. To be honest, if I were a city or state worker and there were the slightest suggestion that I was going to be moved to the tower, I'd be onto my union in the morning. And I suspect that it will be a cold day in hell before the unions allow their members to be guinea pigs in this flight of fancy.
Thirdly, building this tower is putting our community at risk of further terrorist attacks. This community suffered enough on Sept. 11. If the governor wants the tower that badly, let him build it in his own backyard in Albany.
And finally, I suspect I am not alone as someone who disliked the twin towers when they stood (except at night, when the office lights were on), as they totally dwarfed our community. This community is now very different from when the WTC was first built, with a large and growing population, and a building on the scale of the proposed Freedom Tower (one-and-a-half times as high as the old towers), will once again dwarf our neighborhood.
Liam Lacey
Tribeca Film Festival must stay Downtown
To the Editor:
In your article about the Tribeca Film Festival in the April Trib, Peter Scarlet [the festival's executive director] says of the festival's expansion outside of Tribeca: "In a way we're serving other neighborhoods now. But this is still where we're rooted and where I hope we're always going to be."
I was disappointed to notice that according to the Tribeca Film Festival film guide, over 50 percent of the screenings will take place in the Village and Uptown. I thought that part of the mission of the Tribeca Film Festival was to bring business and vitality to Downtown.
It would be great if you could cover more of this angle and determine more details on why the festival has moved from Downtown. I suspect that the Tribeca Film Festival has a deal with Loews theaters? This year, the festival is using only two of the theaters at Battery Park Regal Cinemas, while in past years all 11 theaters were used.
Thank you for your coverage.
Jen Tidball
Listen to the call of the waterfront
To the Editor:
You walk outside after a long winter's nap. Spring is in the air. Two things pull at you. First is Central Park or another park on our island. You want to see the flowers and buds on the trees. Second is the waterfront. You want to stand on the water's edge and look out over the railing.
Why do so many people flock to the waterfront in spring?
Perhaps it is the calming and soothing effect of water. Water, moving water, water with sound, all help to induce a contemplative trance in people.
Perhaps it is the restorative properties of water. It symbolizes rebirth. It washes away past cares. It is the essential building block of life.
Or perhaps it is what water has meant to humans for thousands of years. As the winter ice melted, the first ships of spring set off for travel and adventure.
If the sea is part of your genetic makeup, you hear the waterfront call you every spring. Come down. Hop on a boat. Make yourself whole.
You can do this right here in Manhattan. Every year, more and more New Yorkers discover the beauty of sailing in New York Harbor, or just taking a ride on the ferry or another boat. I am trying to lure you out of your apartment and lead you down to the waterfront.
Information about the 2006 Teen Sailing Program, for which we offer some scholarships, is now at www.NYHarborSailing.com. Plus there will be free boat rides for kids this summer on Lil Toot. See www.ProjectCityKids.com.
So this spring, listen to your inner voice. Listen to the call of the sea. Cast off from shore and your new adventure begins.
Michael W. Fortenbaugh
New York Harbor Sailing Foundatio
Trib wins top awards at press convention
The Tribeca Trib's associate editor, Barry Owens, garnered major awards from the New York State Press Association at the group's annual convention, held April 14 and 15 in Saratoga Springs. Owens was a second-place winner in the Writer of the Year category. "[His] conversational style is easy to read, well-sourced," the judge wrote. "Even the planning story is easy to read."
Owens' story on Mike Patel, a news dealer on Broadway, was named best feature story, and his profile of Jae Jarrell, owner of a vintage apparel and furniture store in northern Tribeca, won third place in the same category, the competition's most competitive. Owens' piece about vendors selling counterfeit goods out of residential buildings took second place as best news story.
The Trib also won awards in two photography categories. Editor Carl Glassman took third place for his sports feature photo of Downtown Little League players, and his pictures of the "Bodies" exhibit at the South Street Seaport earned a third-place award for best feature photography. "Gets honors for sheer 'creepy' factor," the judges wrote
