Dear Editor:
I am against renaming Grove Street. I lived in Jersey City for the past 71 years and I am still here. I have never heard of Celia Cruz until her death. I wonder how many more people in this city never heard of her.
What I like to know is what did she do for Jersey City to deserve a name change of any of our streets? From what I read in the papers, she comes from Cuba. Let them name a street in her honor in Cuba and leave Grove Street alone.
Mr. Maldonado, how come you don’t think about our Veterans who fought and were killed in all our wars so that we can be free? There are eight Medal of Honor Veterans alone from Jersey City who you can name Grove after, if it gets that far. How about a Priest, Father Watters who got the Medal of Honor, born in this city, not thinking about himself, went up to the front lines without a gun and carried wounded soldiers on his back and brought them back to safety. I had a friend of mine, Pvt. Nicholas M. Arcuir who was just 19 years old, a Marine killed in the Korean War. You can name Grove Street after these two brave soldiers.
Where were you Mr. Maldonado and some of the Council when they dedicated the Korean War Memorial “Candle of Lights,” which was in your Ward E at the foot of Washington St.? Is it because Mayor Glenn D. Cunningham was there, which should not matter, or is it the Korean Veterans, or maybe you were too busy which I could understand.
I think you should go down to the Memorial and of the 122 men killed in Korea pick a name; there are Latino names on that Memorial if you so chose that Grove Street could be named. Then you will be doing something great for the city and the Veterans.
In the meantime forget about Celia Cruz in naming Grove Street after; think about the Veterans.
Paul Marlu Maiellaro