Dear Editor:
As the owner and manager of the Symposia Bookstore located at 510 Washington St., I wanted to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the enormous support Mayor Roberts has given us over the last almost four years. At Symposia we like to think that we are more than just a bookstore. We provide classes, cultural events and opportunities for children and adults to gather in an artistic environment. Thousands of our neighbors and visitors to our community have participated in classes in art and writing, storytelling events, book readings and clubs, poetry readings, musical and theatrical performances, art openings and a bevy of activities. We are very proud of the cultural opportunities we have shared with our neighbors and guests at Symposia. And none of this would have been possible without the generosity of our friend, Mayor Roberts. By underwriting our business he has saved us almost $150,000 in rent in a storefront right in the heart of our city. And that savings has afforded us the opportunity to succeed in a community we have truly come to love.
We met with Mayor Roberts almost four years ago and shook hands on an agreement to rent the 510 Washington St. storefront at monthly payments at almost a third of the market rate for as long as he remained Mayor of Hoboken. He has honored that agreement in every way, shape and form. And he has never asked for anything in return, while providing his support and encouragement for the cultural opportunities we give the people of Hoboken. I cannot convey how grateful we are for having had the good fortune of working with Mayor Roberts at Symposia.
I felt compelled to write this letter at this time to help dispel the mischaracterizations we have heard about our friend, David Roberts. His friendship and mentoring are great assets to us at the Symposia Bookstore. And we look forward to many more years of working with Mayor Roberts and helping the arts flourish in Hoboken.
Respectfully,
Cornel Rusu