Dear Editor:

I am writing to you out of sheer desperation. I have lived her in North Massapequa on either side of N. Broadway throughout my 39 years. I grew up on N. Syracuse Avenue (West of Central Avenue) and my husband and I bought our house on N. Atlanta Avenue (East of N. Broadway). The problem is the ever growing volume of unruly youth on our streets... a magnet for these hoodlums are the basketball hoops that residents purchase and place on the roadways with reckless abandon. They are either mobile units or the more permanent ones cemented into the curbs. What does this bring? A gaggle of disrespectful, loud, foul-mouthed, unsupervised youth. They defiantly remain in the way of oncoming traffic, often times yelling things at motorists, they are spread out all over the corners; bicycles, bags, etc. and from 3:00 p.m. on, I no longer live in N. Massapequa.... I live in the Bronx. The irony.... I am paying exorbitant taxes to live here... I could've purchased a cheaper home across the street from a school yard... I did not, however, choose to live near a school yard for exactly the reasons I mentioned above. What is a tax paying citizen to do? I have contacted the Nassau County Police (8th Precinct), I have contacted the Town Building/ Zoning Board, I have contacted John Venditto's office (in fairness, I am waiting to hear back from Mr. Venditto's assistant).... all to no avail thus far. It appears as though no one can enforce any rules or regulations regarding this menace and residents are simply supposed to "put up with it" or hope that the teens involved grow up and leave the neighborhood. This is exactly the attitude that destroys neighborhoods and chips away at the quality of life slowly.... and pretty soon we'll all be living in a depressed and undesirable place.

I have driven through areas like Plainview, Melville, Syosset, etc., NO BASKETBALL HOOPS anywhere on the streets.... why? Can you possibly assist me or at least point me in the proper direction to address this issue and put an end to the ruination of MY neighborhood.

Anything you can offer would be so greatly appreciated.

Christine Layer