From the Times Ledger:New City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) is about to wade into the dispute between neighbors, day laborers and a Catholic charity food pantry at Woodside’s Hart Playground.
The signs placed at the entrance to the city-owned park reiterating in several languages that adults without children are not allowed in the playground have not kept the workers out of the children’s area, neighbors complained last week at a public meeting held by Van Bramer at the Woodside Library.
A mobile soup kitchen run by the Brooklyn-based St. John’s Bread & Life stops at the park between 61st and 69th streets and 37th Avenue every Tuesday. The park is a magnet for immigrant workers because it is right next to an off-ramp from the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway that allows trucks to pick them up with ease.
Neighbors said their gripe was not that Bread & Life was feeding the men, just that they did not want the weekly practice to occur at the playground, which is preferred by the charity because of its restroom facilities.
“I’m Irish Catholic, I think it’s a wonderful thing to feed the poor, feed the hungry,” said Woodside resident Ken Cullen. “I’m also a social worker. I know how it’s done. It is not done in a playground in a residential neighborhood.”
He warned that he had seen between five and 10 men he had assessed as sex offenders while working as a forensic social worker in Manhattan congregating around the park.
11 comments:
Why can't St. John's Bread serve food to these people at the Inglesia on 69th and Roosevelt (the old Queen's Terrace Catering Hall)? It's only 2 blocks away, it's a spanish church and it has a parking lot. It would move the illegals off the street and away from the playground. It's a win-win for everyone.
Maspeth MOm says...
The first law of being a good neighbor is "Dont inconvenience others in order to make it convenient for yourself".
They could use many areas to serve the food. I am not against feeding the hungry, but dont do it at the expense and safety of children. For once the Catholic CHurch needs to use some "common sense" and care about kids. With all the stuff you see in the papers everyday - they are the center of attention in child molstation cases everywhere-from Africa-Ireland-USA. It seems like that's their M.O.- to care more about themselves.
Remove the illegals - they are breaking the law, call the Feds to take action so that this is no longer an issue. Give the park back to the neighbor hood to whom it belongs to.
NYPD should go after St. John's Bread and Life for not obtaining a public assembly permit.
Why can't St. John's Bread serve food to these people at the Inglesia on 69th and Roosevelt (the old Queen's Terrace Catering Hall)? It's only 2 blocks away, it's a spanish church and it has a parking lot.
-----------------------------------
because serving at the church would be "preaching to the choir" as it were.
The main goal of the church is recruitment, and you do that by expanding your operations and visibility.
Its religious tweeding.
NYPD should go after St. John's Bread and Life for not obtaining a public assembly permit.
--------------------------------
Then send DMV agents weekly to make sure the vehicle is up to code. Then send Food Saftey workers daily to make sure they are not violating the health code. Then send the IRS to make sure all the donors to the cause are legit.
Harass them at every level till they cave in.
at that meeting, CB 2 Chair Conley said the police had made arrests there but were told to stop because it was seen as harassment. He claims the precinct's "hands are tied" even though it's obvious a law is being broken when an adult w. out a child is in the playground area sitting on swings leering at teenage girls.
does Van Bramer read Queens Crap? Once again it's apply the law for American Citizens and it's all bets are off for the preferred illegal aliens.
Their attitude is let the illegals do what ever they want. Hart Playground is right next door to the Section 8 buildings on 65th street that are stuffed full of Dominican drug dealers. the illegals can get their crack and other drugs easily. why make it hard for them? you mean illegal aliens would have to walk a few more blocks to get crack?
That means you're a racist.
what happened to public drunkenness laws?
Does Van Bramer have to walk past this playground to get home and be harassed and menaced by these men?
Jimmy, how about you focus on jobs and housing for American Citizens? That would be real different. What about the Quality of our Life?
There are no teenage girls in the playground at 9:30 in the morning when the charity is there - they should be in school. Nor are there generally any children there at that time - I am often the lone parent at the playground in the morning. These men basically eat and leave. I take my daughter to the park in the afternoon and there are no more men there on a Tuesday verses any other day of the week.
And the charity does have a permit to be there.
"...were told to stop because it was seen as harassment."
Told to stop by whom? And just who perceived this as harassment?
Do what I do. Call 911 when you see these louts standing on the corner by the playground. SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING. You are officially encouraged by governmental authorities to do this. I suspect the cops originally raided the area because of 911 calls. I posted this over 6 - 9 months ago on this site.
Forget the sandwich wagon. The loitering is the problem.
I think the church parking lot is a good idea. Let the church recruit all the illegals. Let them eat in the parking lot. This is a Federal issue. Immigration and Homeland Security need to clamp down on all the illegals and they won't. Who can make them? Nobody. The local governments can't do anything because NY is a Sanctuary City. We encourage them to come here and stay and we feed them. Why would they want to leave? This is really a non-issue because Washington will give all the illegals amnesty and they will be here legally soon.
Post a Comment