Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, jr. Statement on the Fire Destruction of O’Neill’s in Maspeth

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens), released the following statement today on the fire that destroyed O’Neill’s in Maspeth (in business since 1928):

I was saddened to learn of the fire damage and closure of O’Neill’s. It is my intention, and that of my office staff, to offer our assistance to repair and re-open O’Neill’s as soon as possible in order to restore this historic restaurant and bar, which for decades, had served so many satisfied customers and had been a place of employment for dozens of individuals. I am hopeful that this popular Maspeth icon will be up and running in the very near future.

City Settlement Funds Parks in LIC and Maspeth by Rebecca Henely - YourNabe.com

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David Rivel, executive director of the City Parks Foundation, discusses how settlement funds for the delays in construction of Greenpoint's Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant will be distributed in Queens and Brooklyn. Photo by Rebecca Henely

Residents of Queens and Brooklyn applauded a list of seven potential environmental and recreational projects last week aimed at improving their communities as mitigation for missed deadlines in updating the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant.

These included wetlands rehabilitation, tree planting and two new parks for Queens.

“It is a first step in an important plan to bring needed recreational activities,” said Dorothy Morehead, of Community Board 2 in Queens.

The nonprofit City Parks Foundation and the state Department of Environmental Conservation presented the list to the communities, including Dutch Kills, Maspeth and Long Island City, during a meeting at the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant on Greenpoint Avenue and Provost Street in Brooklyn April 20. This was the culmination of a year-long process to determine what should be done with $7 million given to City Parks Foundation for environmental projects as part of a $10 million settlement between the city and state. The city had been late in updating the wastewater plant and paid the settlement in lieu of fees.

Earlier this year residents in southern Queens and northern Brooklyn voted on which projects the $7 million should fund. The list of 22 projects was narrowed down to seven based on resident voting and a number of other factors, such as proximity to the plant, feasibility and community benefit, said Michelle Moore of the DEC.

“I just want to thank the state for the great job they did with listening to the people,” said David Rivel, executive director of City Parks Foundation.

The primary projects chosen for Queens include $2 million toward acquiring land in Dutch Kills on 47th Avenue from 27th to 29th streets for a park, $500,000 for wetland improvements along the creek in both boroughs and $500,000 for tree-planting projects within Maspeth and Long Island City.

“These are the projects we think fit the criteria best,” Moore said.

The secondary projects chosen for Queens, which will be implemented if additional monies can be found or if any of the primary projects fall through, include a $1 million study to create a pedestrian/bike area on the Pulaski Bridge, which connects the boroughs on 11th Street in Long Island City; and $1.2 million to buy the land at 57-40 58th St. in Maspeth, which once housed St. Saviour’s Church and turn it into a park.

“It’s not a question of wanting a park — it’s needing a park,” state Sen. Joe Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) said in support of the St. Saviour’s Plan.

The top priority project will be a Boathouse and Environmental Education Center in Greenpoint similar to the one in Long Island City, for which the settlement could provide $3 million.

While some of these projects have other sources of funding, such as the St. Saviour’s site, the settlement money plans to supplement them. Whatever is chosen, the projects must be implemented within two to three years, Moore said.

The foundation and state are still taking comments up until April 29, when the projects will be finalized. Comments can be sent to david.rivel@parks.nyc.gov or mmmoore@gw.dec.state.ny.us.

Council Member Crowley Statement on Fire that Burned Down O'Neills Restaurant

Updated:


Council Member Elizabeth Crowley (D-30, Queens) stated: "O'Neill's Restaurant has been a staple in Maspeth and has served the people of Queens for almost a century. Last night's tragic fire was a loss for the whole community and serves as a reminder that, no matter how bad the budget is, it remains critically important to protect our fire services."

Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Activists Meet with Senator Joe Addabbo to Discuss Marriage Equality...

(left-right) Pastor Longan - Trinity Lutheran Church, Middle Village,  Rev Thomas C. Goodhart - Reformed Church in America, Ridgewood,  Monica Siu - Maspeth, Senator Joseph P. Addabbo and David M. Quintana - Ozone Park

On April 26th, activists from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) met with Senator Joe Addabbo at his Howard Beach office to advocate for his support for Marriage Equality when the same sex marriage bill comes before the New York State Senate during this legislative session...All of the HRC activists are constituents in Senator Addabbo's 15th Senate District...


This marked the beginning of HRC's "in district meetings," a series of sit-downs with state senators, in which their constituents will explain to them personally why Marriage Equality is a necessity for New York...


Future HRC events include Post-Carding and 'Stop and Dials' at the Atlas Mall in Glendale.on Friday between 5pm-8pm...

Maurice Avenue Becomes A Raceway For Danger - CM Jimmy Van Bramer & CM Elizabeth Crowley Stand w/Communities of Maspeth & Elmhurst Together (COMET)

Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer and Council Member Elizabeth Crowley stand with members of Communities of Maspeth & Elmhurst Together (COMET) and concerned residents to call for immediate action against drag racing in Maspeth. Maurice Avenue in Maspeth has become a raceway site for illegal drag racing in the neighborhood causing many to fear for the quality of life and safety of their community. Council Members Van Bramer and Crowley are joinng to unite with local residents to call for the implementation of essential safety measures to help prevent a tragedy from occurring in the area.

St. Saviour's Backers Fight Development by Rebecca Henely - YourNabe.com

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Maspeth Development LLC has filed plans to build warehouses on the former site of St. Saviour's Church in Maspeth, despite community activist and political support for parkland on the spot.

Despite efforts by area politicians and activists to preserve the property, Scott Kushnick, developer at Maspeth Development LLC, said he is moving forward with plans to build warehouses at the former site of St. Saviour’s Church at 57-40 58th Street in Maspeth.

“It would be a shame if there were warehouses built there,” said Maspeth resident and activist Christina Wilkinson.

The site has long held the interest of western Queens activists, who want to preserve the area as parkland. The land was sold to Maspeth Development in 2006, which formerly wanted to sell the land or develop it as apartment buildings. In 2008, Maspeth Development, LLC, donated the church building to the Juniper Park Civic Association and allowed the group to remove the 163-year-old church from the site. The Association dismantled it piece by piece to be rebuilt later.

Bob Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Association, said in an e-mail the church would be rebuilt either at the original site, if the city can acquire the land as the association hopes, or it would be at All Faiths Cemetery at Middle Village.

“The St. Saviour’s site is one of the last historic properties in Queens County,” Holden said. “It must be saved.”

The plan to turn the site into a parkland is supported by the area’s elected officials.

“Maspeth has been under-served when it comes to park space and we need to seize on this opportunity to invest in open space for the residents of Maspeth,” City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) said in a statement. “That is why Borough President [Helen] Marshall and I secured $1.5 million to acquire park space in this area of Maspeth. I hope the owners of the property see this commitment and begin negotiations to sell the property to the city as soon as possible.”

Yet Kushnick said the offer from Marshall and Crowley was not a “real offer” since he paid between $7 million and $8 million for the property.

“The amount of money that they have is a fraction of the value of this property,” Kushnick said.

He has submitted plans for warehouses to the city Department of Buildings, which have not been reviewed yet.

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Wilkinson said she does not see the purpose of building warehouses on the site, pointing out that the West Maspeth area already has many empty warehouses.

“I’m not a businessperson, but to me that just doesn’t seem like a very smart decision,” she said.

Wilkinson said she believed the developers should see the money raised by Crowley and Marshall as the city making a commitment to turning the area into parkland.

“The problem is he’s not negotiating with the city,” she said.

Holden also called upon Mayor Michael Bloomberg to help.

“He should make good on his promise of building more parks,” Holden said, “especially for the neighborhoods that desperately need more greenspace such as Maspeth.”

Note: This story has been corrected since publication to reflect the fact that Maspeth Development donated the church building to the Juniper Park Civic

Owner Pushes to Develop St. Saviour's by Michael Cusenza - Queens Chronicle

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The briefly dormant saga of the St. Saviour’s site in Maspeth recently picked up as the developer applied to erect warehouses on the land activists and elected officials have pushed to become a park.

Maspeth Development LLC earlier this month submitted paperwork to the city Department of Buildings to obtain permits to construct four one-story storage units on approximately a quarter of the 1.5-acre property at the corner of 57th Drive and 58th Street. Public records indicated this week that the permits were pending zoning approval.

Calls seeking comment on Wednesday from Scott Kushnick of Maspeth Development were not returned.

City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) and Queens Borough President Helen Marshall allocated a combined $1.5 million in the Fiscal Year 2011 budget to acquire the land. While it is unknown how much Maspeth Development is seeking for the site, Kushnick indicated last week in a Daily News report that no offer he considered reasonable had been made.

“I hope the owners of the property see this commitment and begin negotiations to sell the property to the city as soon as possible,” Crowley said this week in a statement.

Dan Andrews, spokesman for Marshall, said the Borough President’s Office has been corresponding with the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, which handles property transactions for the city and will “talk to the owner about issues surrounding acquisition.”

A partial stop-work order on the site was issued in November by the DOB, which has also hit Maspeth Development with three violations since 2006. Newtown Historical Society President Christina Wilkinson, who had been at the forefront of the battle to preserve the trees and buildings, and later advocated along with other civic leaders for green space, said the land in and around the cordoned-off property is not being properly maintained.

“This is the quintessential definition of blight — it’s causing the property values in the area to come down,” she told the Queens Chronicle Wednesday before asserting that the city should condemn the land in order to acquire it at a reasonable price.

“Even if [the developer] does move ahead and build the four warehouses, there’s still three-quarters of the land left,” Wilkinson noted. “But I’m hoping negotiations stop that.”

The barren site formerly housed the Episcopal St. Saviour’s church and parsonage, which was designed by renowned architect Richard Upjohn and dated back to the mid-19th century. The trees and parsonage were razed three years ago. All Faiths Cemetery in Middle Village offered to house the church on its property, but the plan never materialized and the disassembled house of worship has been in storage since the spring of 2008.

Wilkinson said successfully preventing the owners from developing the land for residential use three years ago, and gradually gaining governmental support have been the community’s two most crucial victories regarding St. Saviour’s; but recent wrinkles show the narrative is not complete.

“Things were quiet there for a while,” Wilkinson related. “It just seems like a chess game. And chess games between good players take a long time.”

City Finishes $20 Million Sewer Upgrade for Maspeth - Queens Ledger

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Two years and $20 million later, a flood-prone section of Maspeth has a new sewer system.

The city has finished replacing combined sewers, water mains and catch basins along 54th and Maurice avenues, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Cas Holloway announced June 21.

The infrastructure project, started in August of 2008, targeted the section of 54th Avenue between Maurice Avenue and 58th Street, and Maurice Avenue between 54th and 56th avenues.

It was started in August of 2008, one year after severe flooding hit Maspeth and Middle Village. Since then, civic groups and elected officials have lobbied for a better sewer system.

The upgrade includes 35 new catch basins, 2,692 feet of new combined sewers, and the replacement of 3,392 feet of distribution water mains.

Holloway said it would “substantially reduce flooding in Maspeth, and ensure that the water supply network continues to deliver healthy, great tasting drinking water for years to come.”

The project is part of a larger effort to overhaul aging sewer and water distribution networks in Queens. The DEP has budgeted another $1.7 billion through fiscal year 2014 to carry out the work.

“Investments in our infrastructure make our communities safer, reducing sewage backups and providing our residents with a quality water distribution system they deserve,” said Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer. “The completion of this project marks a great day for Maspeth residents.”

Addabbo Trashes LIC Rail Link for City Waste Disposal by Jeremy Walsh - YourNabe.com

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State Sen. Joseph Addabbo speaks to constituents at Maspeth Town Hall last week. Photo by Jeremy Walsh

Putting a rail siding on the property of a waste transfer station in Long Island City is out, state Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) said at a meeting in Maspeth Town Hall last week.

Speaking to about a dozen Maspeth residents last Thursday, Addabbo said the angle of the Waste Management station at 38-22 Review Ave. to the Long Island Rail Road tracks that would have to serve a rail siding was not suitable.

Addabbo said he wanted to speak to Waste Management, which is planning to expand the station as part of the city’s garbage strategy, about using barges to transport the waste. The company’s initial proposal called for solid waste to be transferred at the location from city trucks into sealed containers, which would then be taken by tractor-trailer a mile down the road to the Maspeth Rail Yard, where they would be loaded onto trains headed out of the city.

Maspeth and Middle Village residents are furious about the anticipated increase in truck traffic that the project would bring to their surface streets.

The expansion would increase the facility’s 1,000-ton capacity by 30 percent, bringing 25 more city garbage trucks to the location along Review Avenue and adding about 35 more tractor-trailers heading down the road to Maspeth, according to Waste Management.

Addabbo was also skeptical about the storm of criticism surrounding Paterson’s choice of Aqueduct Entertainment Group to install and maintain video lottery terminals at Aqueduct Race Track.

“AEG on its own is a good entity,” he said. “Nobody ever spoke about [the Rev.] Floyd Flake and Daryl Greene and how politically connected they were. It was only political when the governor selected it.”

Flake is the head of the Allen AME church and one of the most influential figures in southeast Queens. Greene is a minor stakeholder in AEG who was convicted of fraud 10 years ago.

He aired his frustrations, however, with delays in Albany over awarding the contract, which he said could have been done last year.

“Why did Steve Wynn back out? Because of the unprofessionalism of the process,” he said, referring to the Las Vegas casino magnate who once expressed interest in the site.

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Addabbo also warned that if the contract is not agreed upon soon, the state may not receive the $300 million in fees the Aqueduct vendor is supposed to provide until the 2011 fiscal year, adding to the state’s budget woes.

NYS Senator Addabbo Sets Community Discussion for Maspeth on February 11th...

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., will host a Community Discussion on Thursday, February 11, from 7 - 9 PM at the Maspeth Town Hall, 5337 72nd Street, Maspeth. Travel via public transit: Grand Ave.-73^rd Street bus.

The Senator will discuss issues that are important to his constituents: jobs, transportation, education, public safety, sanitation, the new voting machines, the 2010-2011 state budget, the 2010 Census, and programs to benefit our veterans and seniors.

The current legislative session in Albany will also be covered during an anticipated lively exchange with the audience.

WHO: NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr.

WHEN:Thursday, February 11, 2010, 7 PM – 9 PM

WHERE:Maspeth Town Hall, 5337 72^nd Street, Maspeth, NY 11378-1724; 718-335-6049

City Mulling Acquisition of St. Saviour’s by Jeremy Walsh - TimesLedger Newspapers

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As preservationists continue to clash with the owner of the land where the 162-year-old St. Saviour’s Church once stood, the city may be making its first tentative steps toward acquiring the property.

The land at 57-40 58th St. has been on the market since 2006 when groups like the Juniper Park Civic Association began advocating for the preservation of the wooden structure. Recently the land owner, Maspeth Development, switched to a new real estate company. Manhattan-based Berko & Associates has listed the property for $8.5 million.

Borough President Helen Marshall’s office contacted the real estate company Oct. 14, said Newtown Historical Society President Christina Wilkinson. Marshall’s office also contacted the nonprofit Land Trust Alliance about getting the land put on the list for the $60 million Environmental Protection Fund allocation the state plans for the 2009-10 fiscal year, Marshall spokesman Dan Andrews said.

Getting St. Saviour’s on the list would require the support of elected officials who cover the area, including state Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), who said he wanted to research the fund before throwing his support behind it.

“We have to make sure there are no strings attached,” he said. “We still want to make sure that the community, the residents would have input as far as the future fate of the property.”

Wilkinson said the next step is for the city Parks Department to ask the Department of Citywide Administrative Services for an appraisal of the land.

In the meantime, she and others have taken to monitoring the progress of construction equipment at the site. A partial stop-work order was slapped on the property last week after a retaining wall collapsed during excavation work, but it appeared to have been lifted by Monday.

A DOB official said the developer will have to get an engineer’s report and remediation plan to address the retaining wall problem.

“I don’t know what’s going on,” Wilkinson said. “We just keep calling it in, calling it in and they keep sending me the same thing. If I tell them they’re starting before 7 o’clock, then what’s the purpose of coming at 9?”

The city’s interest in the site appeared to have begun this summer.

In an Aug. 28 letter to a Ridgewood resident, Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe wrote that “while we could not justify the forcible acquisition of the site through condemnation, we would consider purchasing the land if the current owners are now willing sellers.” The letter was a milestone for civic leaders in the area who previously understood the Parks Department was not interested in the property.

The church was built in 1847. The same Episcopal congregation worshiped there until the mid-1990s, when it disbanded. A Korean church then bought the property and held services there until 2002, when it sold the land to a developer.

Preservationists succeeded in getting the church dismantled and, with the help of Marshall and City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), are raising the funds to rebuild it at All Faiths Cemetery in Middle Village.

St. Saviour's in Maspeth Gaining Steam to Change from Old Church Site to Parkland After Delays by Lisa L. Colangelo - NY Daily News

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The former site of Saint Savior Church on 57th Road in Maspeth, Queens. Farriella for News

Spurred by problems at the former St. Saviour's Church property in Maspeth, local leaders have stepped up efforts to turn the site into parkland.

They just have to get the owner to agree.

Queens Borough President Helen Marshall said on Tuesday she and City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley are trying to get a grant from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund to purchase the 1.5-acre property at 57th Road and 58th St.

Neighbors have flooded the city's 311 hotline with complaints about crumbling walls, inadequate fencing and other problems at the site, where the owner, Maspeth Development LLC, has been leveling the ground with heavy construction equipment.

The city Buildings Department stepped in last week and slapped the owner with violations and a partial stop work order. Since then, a chain link fence has been erected around the vacant lot, which once housed the church.

But civic activist Christina Wilkinson charged the city dragged its heels and only took action after she posted video and photos of dangerous conditions on the Internet, including the deteriorating retaining wall and a backhoe swinging its shovel just a few feet from parked cars.

"Either they are woefully understaffed or their judgment is seriously flawed," she said of the Buildings Department.

Agency officials said that they acted promptly as soon as they became aware of the complaints.

St. Saviour's was saved from demolition last year after the owner agreed to let preservationists dismantle the 1847 building. It is in storage and scheduled to be reconstructed at All Faiths Cemetery in Middle Village.

Neighbors said they hope the site will be turned into much-needed parkland.

"There's really not much around here," said Tom Vitale, who lives across the street. "Everyone really wants a park."

Activists said the owner is open to the idea. But Maspeth Development declined comment on Tuesday.

City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe has also said he would like to see a park there - if elected officials can come up with the funds.

"This is the last sizable open space left in this community," said Wilkinson. "Another opportunity such as this will not likely present itself in our lifetime."

Senator Joe Addabbo to Meet with Constituents at Neighborhood Libraries...

Senator Joe Addabbo will be meeting with constituents on three successive Saturday afternoons (11 am - 1 pm)...No Appointment Necessary

Maspeth Library - September 26th
Middle Village Library - October 3rd
North Forest Park Library - October 10th

For more info call 718-738-1111 (District Office)

Queens Locals Trash Waste Plan, Say Congestion and Odor Will Damage Maspeth Ave. by Sindhu Sundar - NY Daily News

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Maspeth community activist Christina Wilkinson objects to a proposal that would bring 65 trucks daily to the Maspeth railyard. - Pokress for News

At least 65 tractor-trailers loaded with garbage could rumble into Maspeth every day under a new waste removal plan proposed to start in 2011.

But as far as area residents are concerned, the plan stinks.

Waste Management Inc. is seeking a permit to convert its existing truck-based transfer station on Review Ave. in Long Island City to a rail-based system. Under the plan, trucks would haul trash 1-1/2-miles from Review Ave. to a railyard at Rust St. and Maspeth Ave.

That would eliminate 52 round-trips a day of tractor-trailers moving through Queens, said George McGrath, spokesman for Waste Management of New York.

The move is in line with the state Department of Environmental Conservation's goals to reduce environmental impact from truck and vehicle emissions.

But locals said it would hurt those living near the railyard.

"We're all for the overall decrease in the number of trucks," said Christina Wilkinson, a local activist who organized a rally last Saturday on Rust St. to oppose the plan. "But this will be concentrating truck traffic along certain roads in our community, and this is unfair."

Maspeth residents and small-business owners are already overburdened with air pollution and congestion from truck traffic along Maspeth Ave., protesters said.

"There will surely be more truck trips than Waste Management is reporting," said Corey Bearak, president of the Queens Civic Congress, an umbrella group for civic associations.

Area merchants also fear the garbage trips will drive away customers.

"I'm not sure how they're going to contain the odor," said Nick Diamantis, owner of the Clinton Diner on Maspeth Ave. "And I don't know what people would feel about eating next to a place with all this waste."

Community activists proposed alternatives such as building additional rail spurs at the current Review Ave. facility to eliminate the need to truck waste to the Maspeth railyard. The garbage could also be barged out along Newtown Creek, adjacent to the facility, activists said.

Community Board 5 urged Waste Management last week to implement these alternatives. It also sent the recommendations to the DEC and the city Sanitation Department.

"It's a perfect example of how a community has come up with an amendment to a bad plan," said City Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside), who attended the rally. "And I will support them in whatever way they need me to."

Maspeth Needs More Green Spaces...Not More Trucks Rally...

City May Launch Eminent Domain Fight for Site of School by JOhn Lauinger - NY Daily News

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THE CITY has quietly begun laying the groundwork to use eminent domain to acquire land for the construction of an 1,100-seat high school in Maspeth.

The school is proposed on the site of a former Restaurant Depot on 74th St. at 57th Ave., but a city official said the School Construction Authority has reached an impasse in its effort to buy the property.

"It has not been possible, as of this point, to negotiate a purchase," Education Department spokesman Will Havemann told the Queens News.

"As is our right, we are proposing to acquire the property through eminent domain," Havemann added, noting it is unclear if and when a condemnation proceeding would head to court.

The property owner, Lucky Star Elmhurst LLC, bought the industrial property in 2006 for $12.6 million, city records show. The warehouse is now used by a food distribution business, said Lucky Star attorney Hayes Young. Previous attempts to sell the property have been unsuccessful because the city's interest in buying it, starting in 2007, have "tied our hands," he said.

A public meeting required under state eminent domain law has been scheduled for Thursday at Public School 58 in Maspeth.

The new high school, projected to open in the fall of 2012, would serve grades 9 through 12.

One hundred seats would be reserved for special-education students. The remaining students would be divided between two high schools under the same roof.

Since the city introduced its plans last year, opposition has centered on the community's desire to have local students get priority.

Nick Comaianni, president of the local Community Education Council, noted that the district is the most overcrowded in the city. He also pointed out that there are two other schools in the vicinity of the proposed site.

"If it is not locally zoned, we don't see it as necessary for another school to go up in that area," he said.

City officials have said priority will be given only to Queens students. But Havemann said giving priority to local students to alleviate high school overcrowding in the district has not been ruled out.

"We believe strongly in the value of school choice at the high school level," he said. "Zoning a high school limits that choice, and can keep students from attending the school that will serve them best."

Plans for the new school, funded in the Education Department's 2005 capital plan, must be approved by the City Council.

Newly elected Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) has said she would not support it unless it is locally zoned.

The plan was scheduled to be taken up by Council subcommittees yesterday and today and could be voted on by the full Council as early as Thursday, Council sources confirmed last week. But Crowley announced yesterday that the Education Department has agreed to a one-month review period for the new school.

jlauinger@nydailynews.com

2 NYC Bravest Injured at Queens Fire by Erin Calabrese and Philip Messing - New York Post

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Two firefighters were hospitalized after falling 15 feet while fighting a four-alarm blaze in Queens last night, authorities said.

It wasn't immediately clear what caused them to plunge while in the warehouse at 56-95 49th Place in Maspeth shortly after 8 p.m.

One suffered a broken arm, the other a minor head injury, officials said. Both were taken to Elmhurst Hospital.

"They were pulled out of the warehouse conscious and on their own power," an FDNY spokesman said.

A third firefighter was treated at the scene for minor injuries.

The warehouse was unoccupied and in an industrial area.

It took about five hours to bring the blaze under control.

Council Member Elizabeth Crowley gets Department of Education to Allow a One Month Review Period for New Maspeth High School...

Council Member Elizabeth Crowley succeeded today in persuading the Department of Education (DOE) to allow a one-month review period for the new Maspeth High School, opening a dialogue between parents, community leaders, the City Council and the DOE. The decision came in response to appeals by Council Member Elizabeth Crowley and the community to allow more time to discuss the future use of the school.

"We have an opportunity to build a great school that will benefit our community and help alleviate the dire overcrowding in public high schools throughout Queens," said Queens Council Member Elizabeth Crowley. "However, by refusing neighborhood preference to local students, the DOE's proposed plans for the new Maspeth high school do not address the infrastructure and education needs of our community. I look forward to working with parents, community leaders and the DOE, in the coming weeks, on a new plan that is the best possible solution for our community and our kids."

The DOE will again present its proposal for the school before the City Council in approximately one month.

Council Member Elizabeth Crowley encourages community members to participate in this discussion by attending the Community Education Council's meeting on Tuesday, February 24 at PS 58 on Grand Avenue in Maspeth at 7pm.

Position Letter of Council Member Elizabeth Crowley on the Maspeth By-Pass Project...

Mr. Uchenna Mada

New York City Transportation Coordinating Committee

c/o New York State Department of Transportation

47-40 21 Street

Long Island City, New York 11101

January 13, 2009

Dear Uchenna Madu,

As the City Councilmember for District 30, I wholeheartedly support the Maspeth By-pass Project. The Maspeth By-pass Project is vital for our community. It makes our streets safer for pedestrians and motorists, decreases emissions from commercial vehicles, and improves the efficient flow of traffic while reducing congestion throughout the city.

There are several factors that warrant the necessity of the Maspeth By-pass Project. First, there is a heavy concentration of commercial truck traffic at Metropolitan and Flushing Avenues in both eastbound and westbound directions.

Second, the antiquated Grand Avenue Bridge in the center of Maspeth is insufficient to the demands of the 21st century. Its lack of capacity has forced much of the eastbound traffic coming from Brooklyn to continue eastward on Metropolitan Avenue to merge with Flushing Avenue and enter local business areas.

Third, an elementary school, Saint Stanislaus Kosko, a short half block from Flushing Avenue participates in a safe schools to walk program, however, heavy trucks, whenever possible, should not be traveling on streets this close to a school.

Fourth, there are quality of life concerns such as truck traffic shaking buildings as well as environmental issues that warrant the necessity of the Maspeth By-pass Project. The concentration of traffic in this part of my district is unacceptable and needs to be corrected as soon as possible.

Although not part of the Maspeth By-pass Project, I urge the federal government to immediately fund the construction of a new Grand Avenue Bridge that will meet the increasing needs of the 21st Century. A new Grand Avenue Bridge will ease traffic congestion, improve the flow of motorists, make the street safer, decrease harmful emissions and improve the quality of life for the constitutes of my district and the people of New York City.

The necessity of the Maspeth By-pass Project is clear. The immediate community and New York City as whole will substantially benefit from this plan. As the City Councilmember for District 30, I wholeheartedly support the Maspeth By-Pass Project.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Crowley

New York City Council Member, District 30

250 Broadway, Suite 1847

New York City, NY 10007

Addabbo Officially Announces Run by Lee Landor - Queens Chronicle

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Surrounded by hundreds of supporters and family members, and joined by a number of city and state lawmakers, City Councilman Joseph Addabbo Jr. formally announced on Saturday his highly anticipated run for state Senate in the 15th District against Republican incumbent Sen. Serphin Maltese.

[Left - Supporters cheer on City Councilman Joseph Addabbo Jr., center, after he officially announced his run for the District 15 state Senate seat. (P.J. Smith)]

Kicking off his campaign, Addabbo, traveling via school bus, made four stops throughout the district, which includes the communities of Glendale, Howard Beach, Maspeth, Middle Village, Ozone Park and Woodhaven, among others.

Addabbo shook hands with and spoke to supporters about his plans at each stop, which included a rally at Peter Charles Park in Maspeth and a visit to Myrtle Avenue in Glendale, where he plans to open a second campaign office.

Addabbo’s bus, which had departed at 9 a.m. from his Howard Beach campaign office, also stopped by a Sikh center in Richmond Hill before reaching its final destination: a campaign party at Danny’s Szechuan restaurant in Howard Beach.

“For too long, the families here have watched as their taxes have gone up and funding for our schools has gone down. Our local economy is suffering while politicians in Albany simply brush our needs aside,” Addabbo said. “I am running for state Senate to change the way business is done in Albany.It’s time to improve the way our government works for the people of this Senate district.”

The race is expected to be one of the hardest fought in the state, and the GOP is expected to spend millions of dollars to defend the incumbent, who is gunning for his 11th consecutive term. Maltese nearly lost the 2006 election to Democrat Albert Baldeo, a community leader who does not currently hold elected office.


Baldeo is running for the Senate seat again and will face off with Addabbo in the primary election. However, the Queens County Democratic Club has endorsed Addabbo, making him a prohibitive favorite.

Addabbo, however, recognizes that it won’t all be smooth sailing. “Make no mistake,” he said, “this will be a tough race. But my father taught me to never back down from a fight just because it was going to be difficult.”


His father and namesake, Joseph Addabbo, who was born and raised in Queens, served as a Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1961 to 1986.

“I stand with the people of Queens and I will be their voice, demanding that Albany finally ease our crushing tax burden, give our schools their fair share and make sure we can afford our healthcare,” Addabbo Jr. said.

New York State Democratic Chairperson June O’Neill joined Addabbo at the kickoff.“The state committee is 100 percent committed to winning a majority in the state Senate because it’s time for new leadership, new ideas and a state Senate we can count on to fight for our values,” she said. “From right here in Queens all the way to Buffalo, I look forward to welcoming new Democratic state senators to our new majority in January.”

Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans) is one of Addabbo’s greatest supporters. “I have known Joe and his family for years and am very excited that he has decided to take on this critical fight,” Smith said. “He grew up in a tradition of family service, and there’s no elected official who works harder or more effectively for their community.He’s going to be a true asset for the hard working families of Queens.”

So far, Addabbo has raised about $175,000.