Ridgewood Democratic Club Meeting on April 29th - Meeting Theme "Earth Day and Our Environment"

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On Friday, April 29th the Ridgewood Democratic Club held their regularly scheduled monthly meeting at their historic 100 year-old clubhouse on Putnam Avenue in beautiful downtown Ridgewood.

The meeting was chaired by the amicable Jim Grayshaw, President of the Club. Assembly Member Cathy Nolan led off the agenda with a recap of happenings in Albany.

The theme of the meeting was Earth Day and our environment.

The first speaker was Shiobhan Ciresi who spoke on the issue of chemtrails (geoengineering). Her presentation was entitled “Chemtrails Worldwide Phenomenon Happening in Long Island and NYC Skies”. It was a fact-filled, thought provoking talk on this insidious threat being posed against mankind and Mother Earth by this technology. For more on her work, visit her website, Operation Humanity Transcending. Sign her petition by clicking here.

Here's a YouTube video by a friend, Sallie Elkordy, from Queens,of the Peace and Freedom Party on this phenomenon over our area. Visit Global Skywatch, for additional information...

The second presenter was Edie Cunningham who spoke on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) seeds and their wide-spread use in American agriculture by large corporate interests led by Monsanto Chemical Corp. Recently over at the Grist, David Roberts has published a provocative essay on the GMO's that I would recommend that anyone interested in the subject read.

Both speakers fielded numerous questions from the assemblage after their presentations.


The last speaker was Monica Sui a constituent of the 15th Senatorial District and an intern with the Human Rights Campaign, who provided details about her recent meeting with Senator Joe Addabbo on the Marriage Equality matter that may be considered during this legislative session. She informed the members that Senator Addabbo is looking for guidance on this matter from his constituents and she urged that everyone please contact his office voicing their support for this important civil rights initiative. Senator Addabbo can be reached by phone at 718-738-1111. For the record, local clergy and myself accompanied Monica during her meeting (pic from meeting) to Senator Addabbo's office.


The meeting ended with coffee, cake and pleasant post meeting conversation.


The Club's over 100 year old building recently sustained extensive water damge from the rainy spring and needs intensive repairs of the roof and ceilings. Therefore,  I would urge one and all to attend the RDC's Annual Dinner Dance on May 18th at Riccardo's by the Bridge in Astoria. 

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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...

Disgraced Politician Dies In Federal Prison by Dominick Rafter - Queens Tribune

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Former State Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio, who represented Southwest Queens for more than 30 years before resigning in disgrace in 2009, died Jan. 6 in a North Carolina prison at the age of 75.

Seminerio, a Democrat, was elected in 1978 to represent a Richmond Hill-based district in the State Assembly. His 133-vote victory assured him the seat for the next 31 years.

In later years, he often endorsed Republican candidates like Rudy Giuliani for Mayor, George Pataki for Governor, and Rick Lazio and Al D’Amato for U.S. Senate. During his time in the Assembly, he represented Glendale, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood and Woodhaven. He last faced a Republican opponent in 2000 and often got the nominations of both the Democratic and Republican parties in his reelection campaigns.

“For over 30 years Anthony Seminerio represented the 38th Assembly District with passion and dedication,” said Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven), who succeeded Seminerio in the Assembly. “We should remember all of the good things that he has done for the community. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to his wife and his children. “

In 2009, a federal indictment was handed down on charges of fraud, after he was accused of using a fake consulting agency to collect payments on actions he took as an Assemblyman between 1999 and 2008. According to the charges, Seminerio solicited and received payments to a consulting firm he set up called Marc Consultants from persons and organizations that had business with the state for nearly a decade beginning in 1999, and sometimes threatened anyone who refused to pay to the firm. Prosecutors discovered that Seminerio did not perform “any bona fide consulting services that fall outside the scope of activities an elected official could readily be expected to perform on behalf of his or her constituents.”

Instead, he used his elected office to lobby state legislators and state agencies on behalf of his paying clients and occasionally against people and organizations, including some of his own constituents, who refused to pay his firm a fee.

According to specific charges, Seminerio approached the founder of a Queens-based consulting firm in 1999 for whom he once worked and demanded a share of the company’s revenue. When the founder refused, Seminerio sought to dissuade their clients from doing business with them and instead hire Marc Consultants. That same year, Seminerio also pressured Robert Richards, the President of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, to pay fees to Marc Consultants and threatened to work against vital state funding to the Chamber of Commerce in the state legislature if they didn’t pay consulting fees. In January 2000, Richards agreed and paid a monthly fee to Seminerio’s firm for approximately two years.

More recently, in 2008, Seminerio had attempted to convince Dennis Whalen, a senior New York State Health Department official, to allow Jamaica Hospital, which had paid Seminerio’s firm consulting fees, to acquire the Caritas Hospitals. Whalen had mentioned that other state officials supported Parkway Hospital’s bid to acquire Caritas. Parkway had refused to pay Seminerio’s firm any money. Seminerio never disclosed to Whalen that Jamaica had paid him.

Seminerio had attempted to claim his actions were approved in 1996 and thereafter by the New York Legislative Ethics Committee, but the court rejected the assertion.

In February 2010, a federal judge sentenced Seminerio to six years in jail and a $1 million fine.

Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at drafter@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 125.

Resident Asks for Better Enforcement at Park By Eric Yun - Forum News

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A Ridgewood resident is urging his community to stop the rampant abuse at Grover Cleveland Park. During the summer, the park creates traffic nightmares, and park goers trash the park and drink alcohol illegally.

John Perricone started Ridgewood Residents for Grover Cleveland Park in early August. He lives around the block from the park, and he’s tired of the antics of unruly athletic leagues and other park users.

“The park gets overcrowded, there’s noise from parties, and illegal food vendors are there,” said Perricone. “Everyone should have the right to the park.”

In the height of the summer season, athletic leagues use the fields for games. Leagues must be registered with the Parks Department, and Perricone does not believe many of the groups have registered. He also suggested Parks should give preferences to leagues local to the neighborhood.

“If I want to play ball, I’m not going to travel all the way to Juniper Valley Park,” Perricone said. “Local groups should be given preference with park permits.”

Problems with athletic leagues have led to traffic nightmares. Cars are constantly double parked on Stanhope Street and block fire hydrants and driveways. Perricone says his neighbors have been threatened when they politely asked people to move their cars.

Perricone said problems with parking could be alleviated if police removed illegal food vendors. Vendors are not allowed to operate within 75 feet of a public park. The 104th Precinct has said that police officers have issued summons to illegal vendors but many are properly licensed to sell at the park.

Perricone wishes there was a better relationship between the Parks Department, the 104th Precinct and the community. “When you contact Parks they say they are trying to get more patrol, and when you contact the police they say you have to contact Parks,” he said.

While the park is quiet during the winter months, Perricone hopes to gather enough community support to stop the illegal activity by the summer. Working closely with Citizens for a Better Ridgewood, he has started a Facebook page and contacted elected officials.

By the spring, when the permit process begins, Perricone hopes to meet with the Parks Department to discuss ways to ease the strain the community feels. The best way to accomplish the goals is to have a huge amount of community support and stories, he said.

To join Ridgewood Residents for Grover Cleveland Park, visit its website at queensprogressnow.blogspot.com

Photos from Assembly Member Cathy Nolan New Year Day Open House - January 1st, 2011

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Some photos from Cathy and her husband Jerry's New Year's Day Open House Party...A great time was had by all..!

Ridgewood Site Is Radioactive By Robert Pozarycki - www.timesnewsweekly.com | Times Newsweekly

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Health Dept. Probes Former Chemical Factory

Despite claims that there is no immediate danger to the public, city officials are investigating the extent of radioactive contamination at and in the vicinity of a former factory on the Brooklyn/Queens border in Ridgewood, it was announced.


The New York City Department of Health (DOH) is in the midst of the second phase of its survey and study of the former Wolff-Alport factory located at 1127-1129 Irving Ave., which is now occupied by an auto body shop and an adjacent grocery store.


According to local activists, Wolff-Alport participated in the Manhattan Project that led to the development of the atomic bomb during World War II. Based on information from the DOH, the contamination does not appear to be related to the project.


The study, which is being funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Brownfield Assessment, aims to determine what locations in the immediate area of the site are contamination and how the problem could be remedied.


During the late 1940s and early 1950s, Wolff-Alport produced thousands of pounds of a sludge containing thorium while extracting rare earth elements found through the processing of monazite sand.


Thorium is a radioactive element with a half-life of 14 billion years, more than three times the age of the earth. Handling thorium in small amounts is considered safe, but prolonged exposure to thorium and its radioactivity could increase the risk of cancer, according to the EPA.


Workers at the factory—perhaps unaware of the presence of radioactive material—dumped the thorium sludge in the nearby sewer regularly from 1945 until the fall of 1947, when the Atomic Energy Commission ordered that the company halt the practice. During inspections conducted during the 1970s and 1980s, Health Department personnel detective radioactive contamination inside the sewers where the sludge was dumped and in parts of the former Wolff-Alport factory.


As recently as July 2009, during the first phase of the study, workers found elevated gamma radiation levels in the sewer under Irving Avenue between Cooper and Eldert streets. While the levels were not considered hazardous to anyone’s health, it confirmed the existence of deposited radioactive material.


Samples of soil and groundwater along Cooper Avenue/Street, Irving Avenue and Moffat Street near the former Wolff-Alport site are in the process of being collected, and the Health Department is seeking agreements with local home and business owners to conduct tests on their properties.


The data collected through the study will be analyzed by the Health Department “to evaluate potential health risks to the area’s workers and residents,” according to a DOH information sheet. “The agency’s report and recommendations will be made available once the surveying and sampling are completed.”


History


According to information from the Health Department provided to the Times Newsweekly, Wolff-Alport processed monazite sand between the mid-1940s until the 1950s through a complex method that involved the use of numerous chemicals such as heated sulfuric acid. This was done to extract rare earth minerals used in a wide variety of products from magnets to camera lenses.


Prior to that, the company took part in the Manhattan Project as part of the World War II effort, it was noted during Community Board 5’s Dec. 12 meeting in Middle Village. District Manager Gary Giordano and Chairperson Vincent Arcuri noted that the factory was one of many businesses across the city which help produce parts for the creation of the bomb that was successfully tested in Alamogordo, N.M. in June 1945 and duplicates that were later dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in August of that year.


To prevent the project from being derailed in the event of an enemy attack, the work was spread out across the city rather than being concentrated in a single area, Arcuri noted.


In processing the monazite sand toward the end of the war, the company produced a sludge which contained thorium. After the AEC ordered factory workers to stop dumping the radioactive sludge into the nearby sewer, Wolff-Alport agreed to concentrate the waste as a precipitate and then sell it to the commission for its own use.


According to a report issued in 1987 by the U.S. Department of Energy on the Ridgewood location— found on the DOH’s website—the company sold more than 52,771 pounds of the sludge to the AEC through 1951. The contamination found during the 1970s and 1980s in the buildings and the soil and sewers adjacent to the Wolff-Alport site was likely the result of the processing and storage of the thorium sludge, the report indicated.


When the Energy Department’s report was issued, the level of radiation did not exceed exposure limits, which have since been lowered, the DOH noted. A joint survey conducted by the DOH and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) near the Irving Avenue location found that radiation exceeded normal background levels, prompting a more in-depth study.


The Health Department estimated that a worker at the Wolff-Alport site received a dose of about 120 miliRems (mR) of radiation in a single year. By comparison, the average New Yorker gets a dose of about 360 mR annually, the result of a number of factors including altitude, natural background, medical procedures and fallout from past nuclear testing and the Chernobyl disaster in the Ukraine in 1986.
Moreover, a person who receives a CAT scan of their entire body receives an instantaneous dose of 5,000 mR of radiation, the maximum amount an adult can safely absorb in a single year, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Alpha rays are initially given off by thorium as it decays; over time, the element begins to emit gamma radiation. Since the alpha particles cannot be absorbed by human skin easily, handling small amounts of thorium over short periods of time is considered safe.


Prolonged exposure to thorium can lead to increased risks of lung, blood and pancreatic cancer since human organs are more susceptible to increased amounts of radiation.


Two environmental consultants— Louis Berger and Associates and Co- Physics Corporation—are conducting the probe on the DOH’s behalf. Workers from the DOH are supervising the process and members of other agencies— including the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)— are assisting in the probe.

Historic Ridgewood Theatre, Oldest Theatre in Country, Houses Treasures Amid Ruins by Nicholas Hirshon - NY Daily News

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Nick DiMola says he snapped pictures of many classic items when doing a cleanup estimate at the shuttered Ridgewood Theatre.

The nation's oldest continuously operated movie theater - now shuttered for two years - may offer more historic treasures than originally thought, the Daily News has learned.

Exclusive photographs obtained by The News show that the historic Ridgewood Theatre, though largely deteriorated, still bears gems from its heyday, from an aging projector to wooden armrests.

Snapped by a local rubbish remover, the images offer a rare glimpse inside the Myrtle Ave. mainstay, whose interior condition has been largely unknown since it closed in 2008.

The News first reported last month that the theater is set to be transformed into an Associated supermarket next year.

The photos show much of the theater is beyond saving, but some carvings, seats and other aspects seem intact. That could lead to new concerns about preserving the Ridgewood or rescuing artifacts.

"There's little, tiny things that are lying around," said rubbish remover Nick DiMola, who snapped the pictures when called to estimate cleanup costs in July.

The city declared the Beaux-Arts structure a landmark in January, crediting The News for alerting city officials to the site.

Landmarking bars major alterations on the facade, but the protective status does not extend to the interior.

It's unclear how Associated will renovate the five-screen theater. Max Figueredo, a lawyer for the new owners, said he did not know their plans.

Preservationists applied for interior landmark status in 2008, but the city is "very selective" with interior landmarks, designating only 110, said Lisi de Bourbon, a spokeswoman for the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Queens boasts only a handful of interior landmarks, which must be regularly open to the public, including the RKO Keith's movie theater in Flushing and the Marine Air Terminal at LaGuardia Airport.

DiMola said he will post all his photos within the next week on his blog, WeLoveGarbage.wordpress.com.

Ted Renz of the Myrtle Ave. Business Improvement District said he hopes the theater would be adaptively reused, but added that option may not be economically viable.

"There are artifacts particularly in the lobby that are still intact, but I don't know the cost that would be involved," Renz said.

Ridgewood Residents for Grover Cleveland Park by John Perricone

Grover Cleveland Park - Photo from Forgotten-NY

My name is John Perricone and I am working with the Citizens for a Better Ridgewood Community Organization in hopes of ultimately cleaning up Grover Cleveland Park. This park has had its unfair share of illegal activity which has, unfortunately, obscured it from serving our Ridgewood community. It is finally time to see change at this location and I am asking for everyone to show their support.

Since September, there have been two meetings in which the public, the community board, and the local 104th precinct participated in. I raised the chronic issue of permit validity. The major problem at the Park deals with the fact that it is consistently occupied by athletic groups. These groups seem to be rather formal and have the look of athletic leagues, which require permits in order for them to patronize the athletic fields. Issues with food vendors are also of importance, as we found out that no food cart can conduct business within seventy-five feet of any public park as well as in a residential area. Finally, illegal double parking, garbage dumping, and noise pollution continue to plague our residents and fuel their complaints.

It is in our interest to finally arrive to a solution. Grover Cleveland Park has been under assault for years and now is the time for our residents to utilize its multi-recreational abilities. Especially now that our park has been renovated, we are all concerned that due to the constant illegal activity, it will be damaged and unfit to use. I am in full support of welcoming everyone to use the park, however it must be patronized in accordance with New York City law as well as NYC Department of Parks and Recreation rules and guidelines. Finally, I would also like to encourage everyone to support this cause. Even if you do not live in Ridgewood, remember that if this park can be abused in this matter, then any park can. We need to curb this problem now and ensure that our quality-of-life is preserved and not trampled upon.

If anyone has a complaint that they would like to address, please email me at john-perricone@hotmail.com. After I collect a significant amount of complaints, I will send them to the Parks Department in hopes of getting a daily patrol car to drive through the park. For all Facebook users, be sure to join my group Ridgewood Residents for Grover Cleveland Park.

Man and Woman Found Shot to Death Execution-style in Car Outside Linden Hill Cemetery in Ridgewood Queens -One Bullet Each to Back of Head - NYPOST.com

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Like a scene from a gangster movie, a man and woman were found shot to death execution-style in the front seat of a car that was left parked and running outside a Queens cemetery yesterday, cops said.

The balding man, Lenny Archipolo, 47, was found still strapped into the driver's seat of the 1997 Chevy Lumina at 10:08 a.m. outside Linden Hill Cemetery in Ridgewood.

His girlfriend, Yomarya Santiago, 23, was slumped next to him in the passenger seat, leaning against the door with her hair flowing out of the open window.

Both had single gunshot wounds to the backs of their heads, police sources said.

"[They were] motionless. The man's head was turned on one side, kind of limp, ashy color, off-color," said Stephen Chee, 73, a retired nurse who lives nearby and made the 911 call to cops.

"The hair covered the woman's face. [She was] slumped to the left side," Chee said. "The guy was shot in the back of his head. The guy had blood on the front of his shirt . . . I'm shocked at the way they died."

A family friend said that Santiago's jealous ex-beau had threatened Archipolo over the relationship -- and that the ex was about to get out of jail.

Police sources said they were looking into the possibility that the slayings might have been part of a love triangle.

"He loved her. He would give her money all the time, buy her clothes, take her out to dinner," said Archipolo's friend Dominik DeRosa, who added that Santiago had a child by the man in prison.

Santiago's neighbor Emma Anderson said the young woman called Archipolo "her big fat teddy bear."

Sources said investigators also were eyeing a possible drug connection, given Archipolo's long rap sheet involving narcotics.

Cops said Santiago did not have a record.

The brutal murders shattered the peace of the quiet neighborhood

"I'm in shock. I can't believe it," said Mary Gervino, 78, a neighbor of Archipolo. "He was such a nice guy."

Cops differ with that assessment. Archipolo had eight prior arrests, including busts for rape, robbery and drugs.

"When you talked to him, he was charismatic," another neighbor said. "But he was not a nice guy. Leonard was always in trouble."

When police found the maroon car, which belongs to Archipolo's brother, it's engine was still running and the lights were on.

Cops last night were looking at a surveillance video from a camera on a home across from the cemetery.

Sources said investigators are treating the killings as a double homicide and not a murder suicide, mostly because no gun was found at the scene.

By REUVEN FENTON, KEVIN SHEEHAN and LARRY CELONA
Additional reporting by John Doyle, Jessica Simeone and Matthew Nestel

Queens Bus Driver William Allan Rescues Two-year-old Boy and his Infant Brother at 4 a.m by Tom Namako, Jennifer Bain, and Jamie Schram - NY Post

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An eagle-eyed Queens bus driver rescued a two-year-old boy when he spotted him shivering on the street at 4:00 a.m. wearing only underwear – and now police are searching for the apparent absentee mother and the child is in the city’s care.

Veteran bus operator William Allan, himself a father of two, stumbled upon the heartbreaking scene on Wednesday morning as he was starting his Q55 bus route.

Turning the corner on to 60th St. and Putnam Ave. in Ridgewood, he saw young Thomas Baginski, alone, confused, and scared as cars whizzed just feet away.

Allan said the sight shook him to the core.

"I pulled the bus over and got out - he reached his arms up to me, he wanted me to pick him up," he said. "He couldn’t even really move he was just so frozen cold."

As he held the boy, Allan called 911 and brought him on the bus. He shut the door and cranked up the heat, hoping to stave off any signs of hypothermia.

"He was sitting in the seat by the front door. The elevated train went by and he said ‘choo choo.’" Allan recalled.

"That’s the only thing he said – it touched me – I’ll always think of him now when I hear the train," he said.

The boy was so small, Allan said, he could have been hurt or abducted with little notice while on the streets alone.

"If he walked between cars, no one would see him," he said. "I won’t want to think about what would have happened."

Police arrived and scoured the area for open apartment building doors. They found one about a block away, and inside, the found an open apartment door.

Inside the room another young boy, Anthony Baginski, 1, was sleeping in a crib.

There were no adults around.

Police began walking up neighbors, trying to find a parent. One person called father Piotr Baginski, 33.

Baginski arrived 20 minutes later and told police that the children’s mother, Zuzanna, 24, told him just four hours before that she was with the children in the apartment, though she was apparently gone.

Police now have a warrant for the mother and are looking for her, and the kids are in the custody of the city’s Administration for Children’s Services.

Neighbors said the behavior at the apartment wasn’t new.

"Those kids are always running around outside naked," said Chhatwal Kishore, 34, who lives nearby.

"One time the boys were alone naked on the porch. The little one was about to fall off and I caught him," he said.

Other neighbors admitted they should have called police on the family, but, as Kishore said, "you don’t want to mess with someone’s kids."

"Thank God the bus driver found him," said Luz Chacon, who lives in the same apartment as Kishore.

Allan’s friends at the nearby Fresh Pond bus depot are calling him a hero.

"I may have prevented a tragedy," he said. "But I was just doing by job and using my observational skills. What made me look? I was trained to look in every direction."

Allan said he’s looking forward to seeing "the outcome of this."

Ridgewood Democratic Club Meeting - Friday, October 22nd @ 7:30 - Labor Rights for Farm Workers

What: Ridgewood Democratic Club October Meeting

Topic: Labor Rights for Farm Workers

Guest Speaker: Rabbi Michael Feinberg

When: Friday, October 22, 2010

Time: 7:30 pm

Where: 60-70 Putnam Avenue - Ridgewood, NY

Ridgewood Democratic Club Regular Membership Meeting - September 24th - 7:30pm - Guest Speaker: Walter Hang - "How New York City's Drinking Water Could be Imperiled by Marcellus Shale Gas Hydrofracking"

Ridgewood Democratic Club Regular Membership Meeting

Guest Speaker: Walter Hang - "How New York City's Drinking Water Could be Imperiled by Marcellus Shale Gas Hydrofracking"

Where: 60-70 Putnam Avenue, Ridgewood, NY 11385

When: September 24th

Time: 7:30pm

New Bill Would Require City to Trap Raccoons Anywhere in Five Boroughs by Lisa L. Colangelo - NY Daily News

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A new bill has been introduced that would require the city to trap and remove raccoons anywhere in the five boroughs at the public's request.

A new bill has been introduced that would require the city to trap and remove raccoons anywhere in the five boroughs at the public's request.

New Yorkers fed up with the antics of the city's furry masked bandits could get some relief under a bill that makes it easier to capture and release raccoons.

The bill, being unveiled today by Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, requires the city to trap raccoons anywhere in the five boroughs simply at the request of the public.

And in a conciliatory nod to the raccoons, the city Health Department would be encouraged to humanely release the critters. Under current guidelines, most trapped raccoons are euthanized because they can carry rabies.

"People have been calling my office complaining that they are seeing a lot of raccoons," Crowley said. "But the Health Department will only come if the raccoon is injured or sick. People are told to hire someone to trap them."

Dozens of raccoons in Central Park have tested positive for rabies, prompting the city to conduct an aggressive trapping and vaccination program.

"I have made reports and no one will listen to me," said a Queens woman, upset that a family of raccoons moved in behind her Ridgewood home. "I have two young daughters and I'm afraid. I was told if I called about a coyote, the city would come right away."

Health Department officials were mute on Crowley's bill, saying they don't comment on pending legislation.

But they encouraged any New Yorker who sees an aggressive or sick raccoon to call 911.

Wildlife experts encouraged New Yorkers to seal up their trash and leave healthy raccoons alone.

"You can't pick up and relocate every animal you see," said Bobby Horvath, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. "They are in the city, and you have to learn to live with them. They will have less contact with us if we don't invite them."

Ridgewood Mothers Want Park Renovations By Rebecca Henely - YourNabe.com

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Ridgewood residents and mothers Cristina Shonk and Dorota Czyzewska stand in front of one of two open gates at Rosemary's Playground in Ridgewood. The mothers say the open gates pose a hazard to the children who play in the park. Photo by Rebecca Henely

For the last two months, Ridgewood residents and mothers Cristina Shonk and Dorota Czyzewska have been trying to get conditions improved at Rosemary’s Playground, a public park between Woodward and Fairview avenues and Woodbine and Madison streets, but they said the city Parks Department has not helped them in their efforts.

“You don’t even know what’s going on here,” Czyzewska said.

Czyzewska, who has lived in the area for five years and has two children — 3-year-old Bruno and 3-month-old Adela — said there are numerous problems at the park, which has a playground for younger children. She said the park has had problems with people who come in and sleep on the benches, smoke pot on the basketball courts or publicly urinate in the park. She said she also found condoms in the raised patch of grass.

“It’s not in the worst condition possible,” Shonk said, “but there’s a lot of infringement of rules and regulations.”

But Shonk, who has also lived in the area for five years and has three children — Francis, 3; Bernardo, 1; and Cecilia, 4 months — said the biggest problem in the park is that the two large gates, which are on Madison and Woodbine streets, are usually not closed, which leaves mothers in fear their children will run out of the park and into the streets. The gates are also old and difficult for parents to close on their own, Shonk said.

“I’m scared for life of him [Bruno] going into the street,” said Czyzewska, who often lets her older son play while she feeds or watches baby Adela.

Czyzewska said the maintenance staff of the park has been inconsistent. While some will keep the gates closed, others will not and have refused to clean up broken glass and dog feces in the playground when asked, she said.

Shonk and Czyzewska have tried to get things changed. Czyzewska has written to the Parks Department and has been planning to get a petition from mothers at the park to get the gates closed, but they are not sure where to send it to. She has also written to the office of City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village).

Trish Bertuccio, press officer for the Parks Department, said the staffers have kept the gates closed. To keep the gates locked at night, Community Board 5 needs to approve the measure and volunteers are needed to keep the park closed.

Crowley wrote a letter to Dorothy Lewandowski, borough commissioner for the Parks Department, on June 18, asking the Parks Department to clean the park and keep the gates closed.

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Meredith Burak, spokeswoman for Crowley, said the Parks Department told them they had cleaned the park but could not keep the gates locked at night.

“If it’s still a problem, it’s definitely something we can address again,” Burak said.

Czyzewska said she continues to go to the park because she knows most of the mothers who go there and they are able to help her watch Bruno when she is caring for her baby and also because there are few places for children in her son’s age group to play.

“Young kids, they have nothing to do here,” she said.

CB5 Parks Chair: Proposal for Fencing Falls Short by Patrick Clark, Times Newsweekly...

The Parks Dept has agreed to include historical replica fencing in its design for the Ridgewood Reservoir project, but the chairman of Community Board 5's Parks Committee does not think that the city agency is going far enough.

Parks' design for $7.6 million Phase 1 of the project originally called for standard 4'-high wrought iron or chain-link fencing throughout the reservoir, a fact which does not sit well with many community members, including Board 5 Parks Chair Steven Fiedler.

In a telephone interview with the Times Newsweekly, Fiedler said that the 4' fencing would do little to deter would-be trespassers, and replacing the historical fencing amounted to "throwing away our heritage."

In a letter dated May 28, City Council Member Elizabeth Crowley took up the cause, imploring Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski to preserve the architectural feel of the original fencing.

Noting that in the past, the city has used examples from the Ridgewood Reservoir to model replica fencing, Crowley asked Lewandowski to "ensure that a fence much like the one that was installed in Central Park in 2003 is placed along the main basin at the Ridgewood Reservoir."

In response, Lewandowski assured Crowley, in a letter dated July 15, that "replicated fence will be used at the overlook areas between basins 2 and 3 to maintain the historical integrity of the site."

Fiedler, however, is not satisfied.

"It's nothing," he said. "We have 3,000 ft of historical fencing. They want to throw it all out and put in a few feet of replica."

"All I'm asking them to do is give us a price assessment on taking it out," Fiedler continued, "sandblasting it, and putting it back in. If the cost turns out to be prohibitive, I can accept that."

Fiedler also expressed hope that a state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) study currently underway would prevent Parks from getting started on Phase 1 of the project.

Speaking to residents at the Citizens for a Better Ridgewood meeting on Monday, July 26, Fiedler expressed his belief that Parks would hold off on awarding the contract until the DEC had determined whether the reservoir would be designated as a wetlands.

"That changes the whole scheme of things for the city," Fiedler said. "If it's declared a wetland, the city can't design anything without state approval."

Parks spokesperson Trish Bertuccio told the Times Newsweekly that the department is currently reviewing proposals for the project, and that Phase 1 is unaffected by the State's wetlands study.

For Addabbo No Town Hall is Too Small by Daniel Bush - Glendale Register

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All politics is local all the time for State Senator Joseph Addabbo, who held another yet another town hall-style meeting, this one at I.S. 93 in Ridgewood.

Only three dozen residents braved the heat to hear Addabbo speak June 3, but the longtime elected official, who clearly relishes such meetings, appeared unmoved by the low turnout.

After losing his suit jacket (the tie stayed on), Addabbo jumped into a host of issues, from the Ridgewood Reservoir to the census to the elections this fall.

Community residents are battling the city over its plan to redevelop part of the Ridgewood Reservoir, the slice of overgrown wilderness on the Brooklyn-Queens border. Without referencing the Parks Department specifically, Addabbo said he opposes plans to build in the area.

“I am not in favor of any construction being done at the Ridgewood Reservoir,” he said.

A group of opponents recently met with Comptroller John Liu's office in a bid to block the city's plan, which Liu could do by freezing the Parks contract for the project.

Phase one work would upgrade pathways, fencing, and lighting around the three-basin reservoir, which is also being eyed by the state for possible protection. More controversial still is a proposed phase two plan that could include recreational fields for the reservoir's third basin.

Residents say the city should improve the ball fields at Highland Park, just steps from the reservoir, and leave the space as a nature preserve. Addabbo echoed that feeling.

“I love parkland and playgrounds, but I'm not going to destroy nature for another playground” when Highland Park is right nearby, he said.

On the upcoming election, Addabbo, who chairs the State Senate's Elections Committee, said now is not the time to make the switch to new voting machines.

The state has been ordered to do so to comply with federal legislation passed after the controversial presidential election in 2000. But Addabbo said New York doesn't have enough money to train poll workers in preparation for what promises to be a busy election season, and would be better served by waiting until next year.

“We're not ready financially,” he said. But if the state is forced to make the switch, he added, “somehow we will make it work.”

Senator Addabbo Sponsors Free Citizenship Application Assistance...

Click on image to enlarge...

What: Free Citizenship Application Assistance Event
Where: PS 88 - 6085 Catalpa Avenue, Ridgewood, NY 11385
When: June 12, 2010
Time: 11am - 3pm

Our Neighborhood - Times Newsweekly

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The building of the Ridgewood Reservoir at present-day Highland Park—and the many celebrations in the City of Brooklyn when the new water supply began delivering, in the late 1850s—spread the name of Ridgewood throughout America’s fourth largest city. In fact, glasses of water in the parts of Brooklyn tied in to the new distribution system were soon known to all as “Ridgewood highballs.”

State Senator Joe Addabbo & Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan Hold Free Health Fair in Ridgewood...

Co-sponsors Senator Joe Addabbo and Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan (center), with health care workers and customers at Ridgewood Health Fair on Saturday, March 20, held at Trinity Reformed Church, 66-30 60th Place, corner of Palmetto Street.

On Saturday, March 20, Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., and Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan co-sponsored a free Health Fair at the Trinity Reformed Church, 66-30 60^th Place, Ridgewood. A vast array of free services were provided to ensure that individuals have the tools they need to lead healthy and active lives. Approximately 100 residents from the nearby area and from across Queens attended the event.

Services provided included: hearing and vision tests, blood pressure and glucose check-ups as well as a private AIDS screening. A nutritionist and cardiologist were on site to provide health counseling, as well as a licensed chiropractor. In addition, a representative from the Smoking Cessation Program at Elmhurst Hospital spoke with individuals about steps they can take to quit smoking. Community health professionals were also on hand to answer general questions and provide information on applying for Medicare, Medicaid, EPIC and Child Health Plus.

Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan, Senator Joe Addabbo, patient getting blood pressure check-up by Wyckoff Heights Medical Center staffer at the hospital's table.

“This event benefited families and people of all ages by providing them with the vital healthcare services and information they need,” said Senator Addabbo. “It is essential that individuals have access to quality, affordable and essential healthcare services. Too often, lack of access to routine services and information can lead individuals to neglect their health. I hope this event highlighted the numerous resources in the community to help individuals and families provide for their health."

“I want to thank Senator Joe Addabbo for co-hosting and organizing this great informative Heath Fair,” said Assemblywoman Nolan. “Those that attended were able to get information and ask questions from the major health centers in and around Queens. Programs like this health fair, help residents of Queens to stay informed and get the assistance that they may need.”

Senator Addabbo and Assemblywoman Nolan with three Elmhurst Hospital staffers.

Those who helped make this event possible include: Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, Elmhurst Hospital, AIDS Center of Queens County, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, The EPIC Program, Child Health Plus, AARP, Ridgewood Communicare Clinic, Neighborhood Health Providers, Queens Health Center, Pearle Vision, National Children’s Study, New York Urban League, and many more.