I do not usually read the letters in your Forum section that are very long, but I am so glad I read the letter that Anna Marie Altamura wrote in yesterday’s (Oct. 24) Clifton Journal. The content of her letter was written "from her heart." I share her views and could not have written it better myself. Thank you. I am positive many people share your views. God bless you.

Eleanor Le Ster

Clifton

Finally enforced

Thanks to school superintendent Richard Tardalo. Thanks for starting to enforce the school district dress code. Anyone who's ever seen kids coming out of the high school over the past five years realizes this was long overdue.

It's a shame our schools have to assume the parental responsibility for having their kids properly dressed for school. Superintendent Tardalo realizes that it take more than just blaming parents for all the school system's ills as some of the usual suspects on the school board always do; he has the courage to step up to the plate and do something.

Frederick Rembis

Clifton

Not down, but up

In spite of the quick fix, widespread and continued layoffs cause persistent hardship that requires immediate remedies that will increase consumer spending the key to recovery if the economy.

The first remedy is to increase the minimum wage $1 an hour. This will immediately affect consumer spending.

The second remedy is to enact a 35-hour workweek with controlled and regulated overtime. To ensure reemployment regional regulators will be required.

That’s it. No trickle down, but erupt up.

Charles Levenstein

Pompton Plains

Not efficient

I would like to commend the Department of Public Works in the City of Clifton on their efficiency. I called about a Clifton tree, which has been dead for more than two years. In May 2007 I called and was told I was on the list to have the tree removed.

Seventeen months later I guess I am still on the list. The tree is falling apart branch by branch all over the road and parked cars. I just lays in the street as there is no longer street cleaning done. Where is my tax money going?

Ray Pombo

Clifton

Confusing

Whoever came up with this stupid digital TV idea for February 2009, should get the electric chair and rot in hell. I have no cable. Truthfully, having a baby was less complicated.

As a single, retired woman, I depend on men friends to help me. So in April, I trot off to Radio Shack with my DTV coupon to buy the converter box. It’s now October. So much for men friends. Yet my superintendent tried to hook up the box and the TV. We got "weak signal." So now I trot off to Best Buy to buy an indoor antenna.

Seeing the handwriting on the wall regarding "men friends," I called a TV guy for hire. Finally after an hour, he got the job done.

So my advice to all, open up wallet if you want anything to get done. Don’t depend on anyone. And yes, I would rather have another baby.

Judith Brucato

Clifton

Great police work

On Sunday, Oct. 19, our 87-year-old dearest friend and neighbor of 56 years passed away in her own home, in her own bed sometime during the night, as she always prayed she would. We dialed 911 and we would like to publicly thank Officer (Robert) Luciano and his "crew" for their speedy response, kindness, care and concern in our time of sorrow. They are an asset to our Clifton Police Department and we are so grateful for the respect and professionalism they showed.

The Le Ster Family

Clifton

Not planned well

An article I read in The Record, Oct. 30 "City of Clifton planting trees at 11 Clifton schools." The new trees are supposed to reduce energy consumption and green house gas emissions. What a joke. On Brighton Road where a new school is going, they cut all the trees down. So I guess now they will plant new ones. We have some great planners in the City of Clifton – cut them down and put them up.

Frank Gasparovic

Clifton

More waste

Here we go again, with another contamination problem at 290 Brighton Road. It is so easy to blame the Zoning Board for the mold on the drywall, which was stored there for more than two years. How about blaming the persons who bought the drywall in anticipation that the BOE had the Zoning Board in their pocket?

Clifton voters should have been given the chance to rectify their mistake of their 2004 decision. The never-ending saga of 290 Brighton Road just keeps proving the ineptness of the BOE and their continual waste of our taxes.

Rosemary Thaler

Clifton

Think about the deer

Cheers for Robert Samarati for making Clifton residents aware of the plight of the deer and other wildlife on Garret Mountain.

Garret Mountain was home to these animals long before any construction was done. They undoubtedly have more right to this land than anyone, especially developers. Sadly, this is a situation that exists, not only in Clifton, but throughout our entire state as well. Perhaps one of the positives of our slowing economy is the fact that new home construction is down, thus reducing the amount of land that is being taken away from our wildlife.

As for those who complain about their shrubs and plants being eaten by wildlife, answer this question: How would you feel if you returned home one day to find your house bulldozed so that a developer could build a new one in its place for someone else? Perhaps this will put things in perspective for you.

Mark Sorenson

Clifton

Nothing cleaned

Can the mayor, city manager, head of the DPW council member for Dutch Hill, someone, anyone, please explain to me why when the street cleaner does come (which is not very often) down Westervelt Avenue to Madison Avenue he comes at 7:30 a.m. when there are cars parked all over the place instead of 8:45 or 9 a.m. when the streets would be empty?

In the last three to four times including today Nov. 3, he has shown up and driven down the middle of the street with the brushes up not cleaning anything. Is this what my taxes are paying for? Someone to drive a street cleaner and clean nothing! It’s bad enough that I have to clean the curbs from all the garbage that the pigs throw out of their cars, and let me tell you some of it is really disgusting. I think this should be looked into so the streets get cleaned properly and a salary earned properly.

Joseph Mascuch

Clifton