To the Editor:

In response to “Riverview Towers in Ogdensburg Should Be Smoke-Free,” which ran in the April 18 edition of North Country This Week, I too live at Riverview Towers and the halls are not smoke filled. They may smell a little smoke when they go by someone’s apartment, but that is all. “Thou shalt not tell a lie.”

The recent move outs are because of the pot smokers, drugs and clientele that come in and out of our building. The elderly do not really feel secure anymore.

The smokers do respect the non-smokers by putting protections under our doors, keeping doors closed, and I, like many others use candle melts so the smokers smell those scents. So, HUD’s focus should be on pot, drugs and illegal things going on, not us.

I can count on one hand the few who are constantly complaining and how they are exaggerating on the smoking issue. “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

When these people move into Riverview Towers, they knew this was a building that allowed smoking. It is not a non-smoking building. They need a better way to pass their time instead of sitting all day so they can watch and judge people and make comments they don't think others can hear. One tenant came in with beer and the comment was made “we need to stop that too.” Are they trying to control us? What’s next?

When they start paying my rent maybe they might be able to tell me what I can do in my apartment. How do these few feel that they can take away our rights?

We have several clients in our building and that is pretty much all they have to do all day. If they can’t smoke, move out, where will they all go?

I feel these few are thinking of themselves and are being selfish. “So where you have selfish ambitions, you find disorder and every evil practice,” James 3:16.

These people have complained day after day, they have had surveys sent out; which I did not receive, and contact HUD. It is time to drop and it and let HUD handle it.

Irene Palmateer

Ogdensburg