Your Jan. 3 item about the Monticello gym being closed because of violent intergang rivalries there did an injustice to the organizer of the free community basketball league whose players have lost out as a result of a few criminals.
I have known Jesse York for 19 years and feel that to say he "gets his street credibility by showing off his motorcycle and decked-out Nissan Armada and talking of his stint in prison for drug dealing" is shallow, inadequate, and plays to stereotypes.
At 61, Jesse is respected as a proud man, a role model who's done a lot with himself and for the community. He and his wife raised many foster children and others. In his 50s, he completed an MSW degree to improve the quality of his work. His speech is plain and often blunt, but he tells the truth. Jesse's credibility comes from being an up-front and fair person who advocates for disadvantaged and outcast youth. Jesse is right.
Mayor Jim Barnicle's administration has lost control of gang violence, with shootings and stabbings now common. If the village won't heed Jesse's and others' expert recommendations on these issues, the area will continue its rapid downward slide.
Tom Rue
Monticello