Dear Editor:
I understand that the Turner team performed a ribbon cutting ceremony this week at the new Patagonia Bakery on Park Ave. below 46th Street. This is exactly the kind of business that needs our help in turning Park Ave. around.
Unfortunately, ribbon cutting alone won’t cut it.
My wife Lois and I have been customers of Patagonia since day one. The baked goods are fantastic, and if you haven’t tried them, you should. We live a half block from Park Ave. and frequent all of our area shops. Just ask them.
We also know many of the teenagers that hang out on that block with nothing to do. They are good kids. They want a recreation center. They want more opportunities for work, education and play. My saddest experience campaigning was watching one 18-year old on that very corner tear up his voter registration form in frustration because he couldn’t fill it out properly due to lack of basic reading and writing skills. He just missed his first opportunity in life to vote.
This is the situation on Park Avenue; we have nighttime street life that scares away customers, because Town Hall is paying insufficient attention to our kids and to our business needs.
Flag waving makes for good electioneering, but paying customers for our businesses and long-term opportunities for our kids after May 14 is what we really need.
That’s the job WIN candidates are pledged to undertake. We’ll ask what you need to succeed in Weehawken, and then we’ll do everything in our power to make it happen.
Ben Goldman
WIN At Large Candidate