Leaf blowers, 2024 resolutions, reparations, Hunter Biden, good-news stories

Mull usage times for workers’ leaf blowers

I appreciate residents’ objections to the loud din all day long generated by gas-powered leaf blowers during gardening months [“Rules mulled for gas leaf blowers,” Our Towns, Jan. 9]. I also agree that the proposed ban in Greenport does not go far enough. Enforcement of time-of-day usage may be a good concession.

I am a residential owner and use an electric rechargeable leaf blower. I have to wear noise-muting headphones whenever I use it to prevent damage to my hearing. It can be heard inside houses that immediately surround mine.

A gas blower ban addresses air and noise pollution, but the decibel levels of rechargeable blowers are deleterious to hearing as well. Blowers are an important part of professional landscapers’ jobs. We must find a way to protect these hardworking landscapers’ ability to do their job to support themselves and their families without a total ban.

— Stan Feinberg, Wantagh

A friend helped get a ban on gas leaf blowers in a nearby state. His assessment is that the landscapers, despite a lot of pre-ban complaining, quickly converted to electric blowers. They are cost-competitive and eliminate the expense and hassle of gas and oil. Some landscapers there buy extra battery packs and recharge multiple batteries overnight or even outfit their field vehicles with chargers.

— Mark Langholz, Brightwaters

Start resolutions anytime, but slowly

Still pondering New Year’s resolutions? The easiest way to keep New Year’s resolutions is not to make any [“How to keep resolutions,” News, Jan. 1].

Losing weight, stopping smoking and exercising more might require a huge lifestyle change. Such changes can start any month of the year and not necessarily on one appointed day. The experts are correct when they recommend starting slowly and taking small steps.

Inevitably, we regress. But that should not discourage us from attempting the challenge. If we go backward, it’s just a step. It’s much easier to recover from a small failure than a big one. So, make resolutions for the new year, but go slowly and commit to a lifestyle change.

If you missed the first two weeks of January, no worries! You can start anytime.

— Carl Vinas, Huntington

New Yorkers paid a price in Civil War

Many New York soldiers died in the Civil War fighting for the Union army whose victory resulted in freedom for many in slavery [“Reparation funds can be better used,” Letters, Dec. 27]. Does Gov. Kathy Hochul realize that? Now, she’s considering having reparations paid by New Yorkers. One of my ancestors fought in that army. No New Yorker should have to pay a cent more of our overtaxed dollars for reparations.

— Kevin Mullen, Holtsville

Subpoena shows GOP’s hypocrisy

It’s hard to understand how Republicans who will vote on contempt charges against Hunter Biden for defying a congressional subpoena can be taken seriously [“Contempt charges advance,” News, Jan. 11].

Do they not remember all the subpoenas that Republicans never responded to relating to the Jan. 6 insurrection? The hypocrisy is infuriating. Hunter Biden wanted a public hearing rather than one behind closed doors. This way, his words could not be twisted.

We deserve to have a House Oversight and Accountability Committee and a Judiciary Committee accountable for themselves before they expect it of others.

— Brenda Ferrante, Lindenhurst

Good information that’s worth repeating

Toward the end of the editorial “Help make a better 2024” Opinion, Jan. 1], an excellent point was made that I’d like to repeat for readers who may not have read that far down:

“Take responsibility for information you gather and share, check sources, and think carefully about what’s true and what’s not, especially as technology floods social media with deep fakes and misinformation.”

— Robert Capraro, Oakland Gardens

Run joyful stories, not about a fraudster

Let’s put a lid on one of these topics, once and for all.

In the Christmas edition, the cover story about the recovery of 3-year-old Lovely Toney from a gunshot wound was a joy to read [“Bouncing back,” News, Dec. 25].

The very next story, “ ‘Christmas miracle,’ ” captured my heart as well, about the kindness of strangers. Farmingdale and some of its businesses helped a homeless woman who had suffered a brain injury after being hit by a truck.

However, several pages later, I saw a long piece, “Examining Santos’ term by the numbers.” This one wasted ink and space. This unethical, fraudulent liar, former Rep. George Santos, simply has no place anymore in the news. Does anyone still care about what he does and how he lives? I did not read a single word and was not interested in his “numbers.” Only one number sums up his character: zero.

— Marc Comerchero, Commack