NYC Legionnaires' cases, Columbus Day's two sides
Justin Nashio sings as members of Chābētū Apache Crown Dancers perform at an Ingidenous Peoples Day event in Phoenix on Oct. 12. Credit: AP/Ross D. Franklin
Apartment dwellers placed in jeopardy
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has dropped the ball here [“Legionnaires’ cases reported at co-op complex,” Long Island & NYC, Oct. 6].
Is it possible that these extremely serious respiratory cases have occurred “within the last 12 months,” without informing the public? Citing “privacy concerns” doesn’t cut it for me. We live in the information age, and the NYCDOH is a well-funded and extremely capable guardian of public health and has demonstrated this in past successes with bedbugs and more recently rat infestation.
Clearly, the NYCDOH can protect the inhabitants of 1,800-plus apartments with transparent information, such as mapping, or a dedicated “information portal.”
Why, in this instance, inhabitants of 1,800 apartments and their visitors have all been put into unnecessary jeopardy?
— Robert Sacklow, Plainview
Consider both sides of Columbus Day
Thank you Newsday for publishing the photos of the Manhattan Columbus Day Parade marcher and next to it, a photo of a Montaukett Native American woman speaking to two young children at an event in Huntington Station [“Celebrating day in many ways,” Long Island & NYC, Oct. 13].
Columbus Day commemorates Christopher Columbus’ 1492 arrival in the Americas and for Italian Americans to honor their heritage and contributions to American society.
Depending on your location and perspective, this day is also celebrated as Indigenous Peoples Day, to honor the first inhabitants of the Americas, looking at their rich cultures, confronting the painful history of European colonization and American expansion, the enormous loss of lands, and the challenges they continue to face.
As a retired social studies teacher who developed and taught an elective course on the American Indian, I think it’s a great opportunity for students to think critically about not just the exploration of the Americas, but the impact that had and continues to have.
It’s important that teachers teach about both days.
— Chet Lukaszewski, Huntington
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