Letter: Bad news doesn’t define Hempstead
Nassau County police investigate the yard where three shots were fired at a young couple walking with their 1-year-old child in a stroller Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015, in Hempstead Village. Credit: Howard Schnapp
I read “Woman fatally struck by SUV” [News, April 22], not only because it describes a tragedy, but also because of the attitude about Hempstead Village that it reinforces. Even the woman whose friend was killed shows this attitude: “Stop the violence, please.”
Whenever bad news from Hempstead is reported, resulting comments reveal the attitude held by many: Hempstead Village is a hopeless spot. As a 23-year village resident, I say these comments aren’t fair.
The intersection of Laurel and Linden avenues, where the tragedy occurred, is in a particularly crime-ridden area. There are many quiet neighborhoods, such as the one where I live, where longtime neighbors of diverse ethnicities care for each other, maintain their homes and raise healthy children.
In fact, according to recent statistics, overall crime in our village has dropped by 26 percent over the last five years. Three bars and bodegas near Hofstra University that had been serving alcohol to minors had their liquor licenses suspended, because at last the state authorities are working with Mayor Wayne Hall and other village officials to upgrade our quality of life.
Our village has for too long been perceived by nonresidents as a sort of attic or basement for Nassau County.
Reine Duell Bethany, Hempstead
