A storm victim’s happy ending
Manhattan: Almost 10 years ago, I was in Gonzales, La., to help with the many orphaned animals left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. An elderly couple, Skeet and Jessie, came to our staging area in search of their border collie mix, Nikki. Jessie had just left the hospital where she had been during the storm.
Skeet told me that he and Nikki had fled their home on the east side of New Orleans as it quickly filled with water. When a rescue boat came, it wouldn’t allow Skeet to bring Nikki with him. He reluctantly found a dry patch of land, put down some food and water and let her go. She was wearing a collar and he prayed they would someday be reunited.
I was so touched by their story, I promised to search for Nikki on the Internet when I got back to New York City. They sent me a photo of a black dog in a dark corner that was taken five years earlier. It wasn’t much to go by.
I went through dozens of rescue sites listing lost Katrina dogs. I finally saw a large, black dog that had been taken to the Birmingham SPCA. To my total amazement, I got a call from Skeet saying, “That’s my Nikki!” Skeet and Jessie drove to the SPCA, and they were reunited with their dog.
Recently, I called Skeet. Jessie and Nikki had since died. He has another rescue dog, although he tells me no one could ever replace his Nikki. The moral of the story: Believe in miracles and never give up on a beloved and loyal friend. Elaine Sloan
Why not a charter newspaper?
Manhattan: Your newspaper seems to love charter schools even more than it loves carriage horses (“The new New Orleans,” editorial, Aug. 29). You praise the recovery in New Orleans, including the fact that there are no public schools anymore, only charter schools — which are corporate-run, hire untrained, inexperienced teachers and answer to no one. If it’s such a great model, why not follow it in your own newspaper? Hire the most inexperienced journalists, editors and typesetters you can find . If the readers are given the wrong information and your credibility suffers as a result — well, by your own standards, why should it matter? Miriam Applebaum
Borderline insanity
Somerset, N.J.: Re “The toxic wave Trump’s surfing” (column, Sept. 2): Bill Hammond gives us the same dribble that Donald Trump said all illegals are murderers and rapists. Trump did not say that. Hammond notes that studies show that “immigrants, both legal and illegal, are substantially less likely to commit crimes than native-born Americans.” Please, sir, tell us where you got this information. Just look at parts of California, Arizona and Texas, where immigrants are 20% of the population and 40% to 50% of the inmates. They were jailed unfairly, I’m sure. Peter Provenzale
Deafening silence
Kings Park, L.I.: Re ” ‘Birth’ quakes” (Sept. 2): Several years ago, Donald Trump was the outspoken leader of the birther movement against President Obama. He insisted the President was born in a foreign country and wanted to see Obama’s birth certificate. Now, he’s very quiet about it, although there is a Republican candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, who was actually born in Calgary, Canada. Where are the birthers now to yell and scream at Cruz to produce his birth certificate? Barbara Grosswald
Waiting for an invite
Tarrytown, N.Y.: I’m assuming that President Obama will be honoring, at the White House, the three brave Americans who subdued the terrorist on the train in France, as he did with American deserter Bowe Bergdahl’s parents. Let’s see! Carol Culkin
History lesson
Manhattan: I notice none of the conservatives citing Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement of Adolf Hitler — in mockery of Obama (of whom I’m no fan) — ever bothers to include that Chamberlain was head of the Conservative Party of England. Gee, I wonder why that is? Look it up, everyone: It was the right wing that appeased Hitler, while the left wing denounced him. Shauna Erlbaum
A question of faith
Carlstadt, N.J.: Re “Anti-gay Ky. clerk is also 4-time wife” (Sept. 2): The county clerk has been ordered by the federal courts to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. She has refused due to her religious beliefs, but the courts say: Too bad, issue the licenses. A few years back, our military changed its rules to allow nontraditional, nonstandard military headdress for individuals who claimed that not wearing such headdress would violate their religious beliefs. Do I see a bit of hypocrisy here? Are we held in contempt only when our religious beliefs are Christian and not those of another religion? Mike Byrnes
Boycott the boycotters
Brooklyn: The United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America voted last week to call for a boycott of Israel over its so-called apartheid policies. These idiots are so ignorant. Let’s examine Israel’s “apartheid”: There have been 77 Palestinians in the Israeli parliament, past and present. The former Miss Israel was an Arab Palestinian. Thousands of Palestinians are enrolled in Israeli universities. There are tens of thousands of Palestinian professionals in Israel. I can go on and on. I propose we boycott the boycotters. Let’s demand that they relinquish everything they own that was invented by a Jewish or Israeli person or company. Steve Lehrer
What a waste
Brooklyn: It was interesting to read “Munch better lunches” (Aug. 29), about how schoolkids are getting healthier meals. When I was in the PTA, I saw first-hand that all of the kids would throw away complete trays of food — even the pizza, which you would think they would like. The hot-lunch program is a failure and a huge waste of taxpayer money. Replace it with a cold-lunch program — with sandwiches , a bag of chips and an apple — or brown-bag it. Then, maybe schools will have the funds necessary for what is really important — learning! Marilyn Pescatore
In need of a pink slip
Ridgewood: Why is Police Officer Justin Delmonico not facing termination from the NYPD (“Not so sharp,” Aug. 28)? His abuse of his badge, false arrests and perjury would, in a normal city where public-sector unions do not control everything, mean his imminent separation from public employment. He’s a bad cop. Where is Commissioner Bill Bratton on this? Hope I don’t get arrested next. Kelly Grey
Double standard?
Whitestone: I seem to be confused. A black man known for his racial rants kills two white people on live TV — and the victims’ parents are speaking out about guns, not race? A black man basically executes a white deputy sheriff and the outrage is about guns, not race? Stella McGuire
Let’s hear it for the girls
Manhattan: Re “How New York City is preparing girls for our STEM-focused future” (NYDailyNews.com, Aug. 28): STEM is one of the key pillars of our “whole girl” approach to learning, and it is working. Through our Summer Tech Camp and year-round classes, the students in our five New York City all-girls public schools are creating their own apps, including one that teaches people Spanish, and an award-winning app that teaches kids about the perils of junk food. With the opportunity for hands-on experiential learning, today’s girls will be tomorrow’s tech leaders. Laura Rebell Gross, Young Women’s Leadership Network
Building slowdown
Brooklyn: It took eight years to dig four blocks to extend the No. 7 to 11th Ave (“The little engine that could,” editorial, Sept. 1)? Wow. The first subway station was built in 1904. By 1948, if you look at a historic MTA map, more than 90% of the system was finished, including a few Els . Those great engineers, laborers and politicians built over 800 miles of track in less than 44 years . In the last 50 years, the only magnificent infrastructure built was the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, and oh, yeah, the bike lane on Prospect Park West. Bill Brown
Beastly behavior
Pittsburgh: Many of us were offended when Michael Vick was involved in violence against dogs in a ring. But when he is involved in concussion-inducing violence against men on a field, people pay for the best seats in the house. We should remember that human beings are the pinnacle of God’s creation, and that the brain is the pinnacle of the human body. This means nobody has the right to damage it — not even before the whistle and between the lines. Joseph Carducci
