From the Times Ledger:Kudos to Dr. Richard Lipsky, representing Willets Point United, on the letter he wrote about Community Board 7’s behind-closed-door antics (“CB 7 has much to answer for in it approval of Willets Point project,” Feb. 3).
Lipsky’s letter regarding the Willets Point debacle was déjà vu to me. The same tactics were used against the community and myself by CB 7’s chairman when we insisted CB 7 take a vote to keep Ft. Totten parkland and they refused.
The borough president at the time, ironically, was Claire Shulman. President Bill Clinton sold Ft. Totten to the city for $1. It was Shulman’s role to develop the 169 waterfront acres. She appointed developers, people who receive monies from her for their nonprofit agencies and hacks. Shulman also appointed Adrian Joyce to sit on the committee, represent the community and head the Ft. Totten Redevelopment Committee.
The people who were protesting the closed door meetings were told people appointed by Shulman were “representing the community.” Yet when we, the people who live near Ft. Totten, asked to sit in on the meetings, we were told by her counsel that a “vote was taken” and it was unanimous “not” to allow the community into the meetings.
We organized, protested and eventually went to CB 7 to testify. When I submitted my testimony to Gene Kelty, he immediately tore it up. There is usually one community officer at the CB 7 meetings, but I made the mistake of informing the office that I would testify that night. There were six uniformed officers from the local precinct, and as I was reading my testimony two officers came up and attempted to pull me away from the microphone.This did not deter me at all, and in fact it made people join our plight and eventually the meetings were open and Ft. Totten became parkland. If we had not continued the pressure, St. John’s University would have built 300 dorms there, affecting our community with more traffic and less parking spots.
The letter written by Lipsky was a reminder of the tactics used by Shulman and her cohorts. These secret meetings and using underhanded tactics to prevent the community on speaking out against an issue is politics as usual. It is time for term limits on community boards or the eradication of all community boards. From my experience, many do not represent the community but developers and borough presidents or their members are aspiring politicians and use community boards for their résumés.
It is time for the FBI, city Department of Investigation and any other investigative organization to step in and take a good look at these done deals and anointed hacks.
Joyce Shepard
Bayside
46 comments:
Nothing new. In the 1960s there were a lot of people campaigning to have York College placed at Fort Totten instead of Jamaica.
Oh puhleeze!
Bring in the Feds!
You Queens Crappers are so annoying! Don't you have anything better to do than bust my balls?
Testes 1, 2
Testes 1, 2
Yup. They're all there.
After #OpItaly, can we have #OpCB7?
Don't you have anything better to do than bust my balls?
Testes 1, 2
Testes 1, 2
Yup. They're all there.
___________________________________________________________
Guess that explains the whiskers.
Don't you have anything better to do than bust my balls?
Testes 1, 2
Testes 1, 2
Yup. They're all there.
___________________________________________________________
Guess that explains the whiskers.
It is a shame that your group , the Willets Point Group, our group and who knows how many have had similar problems with Kelty and crew. Every time I speak to a civic leader I hear the same thing yet no one does anything?
Kelty has been there far too long as has the rest of his crew. Adrian Joyce was made chair of the committee that oversaw our issue on 5th avenue. He was never available to talk or respond to emails. He "allowed" Bitterman to draft a biased survey and send it out to the community without showing it to all the committee members. He then "allowed" CB 7 to violate the FOIL law and then not adhere to the "Committee On Open Government" decision to release the requested documents for viewing before CB 7 said they would. He than "allowed" the surveys to be counted with all of the discrepenices (such as several people voting twice, some addresses in the " target area" not being included). This is just to name a few, we found over 20, and currently have a major university reviewing the surveys. Their findings so far concur with ours and the final results will be made available shortly.
Mrs. Bitterman is known to have made a comment about the President of our organization saying "I am not a bad woman, but if that man Centola lay dying, I would step over his prone body and refuse to call for help" (The same man whose group has a serious safety issue in front of the board, how can she be non biased to our issue if this is how she feels about our President?). This comment was made to an MTABT official and accidentaly emailed to our organization. We demanded from our Councilman that an investigation take place and she be dealt with accordingly, he refused. We demanded from Apelian and Kelty that an investigation occur in email and in person. Mr. Centola went so far as to read the email at a CB 7 meeting (Genes comment after the reading was "He should have contacted me about this and not read it at a meeting, I know it is a personal thing with me"). We are also aware that after Mr. Centola and members of our organization left Kelty informed the board that they needed to band against us and that Mr. Centola is off his rocker(paraphrase). We are not the enemy here, we want a safe residential street where we can raise our families and not have to contend with speeding cars 107 per hour, Box Trucks, and Tractor Trailers on a daily basis. We want our homes safe and especially the 20 children under the age of 16 living on one street on 5th avenue alone, WE DO NOT WANT THEM IN HARMS WAY!!!
Mr. Lopinto of CB 7 contacted several members of our organization MONTHS later and informed them that he was conducting the investigation (They investigate themselves?) He requested copies of emails proving we objected to wording of survey, copy of intercepted email, and spoke at length to several of our members. That was over a year ago and to date no one can tell us the results of the "investigation". We asked our councilman to inquire about the results, he informed us in writing that his office is not charged with oversight of the community board and therefore would not make the inquiry. After all he is our councilman, why not ask what happened with the "investigation"?
Mr. Kelty, No this is not a personal thing with you. You are not that important to us. This is about OUR Community board running rampant and not being held accountable to anyone. This is not your own little kingdom, this is Our community, our neighborhood, and we intend on keeping it safe, secure, and liveable to OUR standards.
Mr. Apelian, you are a public official in your role a s Vice Chair of CB 7 and thus deserve no apology from anyone. As a matter of fact it appears that you and the rest of the board have a lot of apologizing to do. Please be reminded that you represent the community and should be able to take criticism, especialy when that criticism is merited.
Mrs. Bitterman, Mr. Joyce, Shame on you.
Mr. LoPinto, how long does one need to wait to learn the results of your "investigation"
CB7 members, Shame on you for allowing a few people Bully you into submission and destroying what has the potential of being a great Community Board.
Joyce, members of the Krappy Kommunity, and others out there: its time to start to compare notes, its time to start to work with other communities in other boroughs, its time .....
TOO LONG THEY NEED TO BE TERM LIMITED AND AT THIS POINT, OUR BOARD NEEDS TO BE ARESTED. YOU TALK ABOUT KELTY, APELIAN, JOYCE, BITTERMAN, LOPINTO. WHAT ABOUT MACCHIO, SWEENEY, VALLONE, SCHRIEBER JUST TO NAME A FEW. ALL OF THESE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN THERE OR HAVE HAD THEIR STOOGES ON THE BOARD FOR MORE THAT TEN YEARS NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED.
Missing foundation, you are correct. The time is here but no one seems to want to do it. Our neighborhood is being destroyed, our Quality of Life ruined, and they continue to do what they want.
Malba Gardens Civic is Available to compare notes, as well as the over 200 emails , letters, and other correspondence we have accumulated.
At one time, there used to be term limits at CB7. Some years ago, with Kelty being term-limited as Chairman, First VP Apelian lobbied CB7 members to repeal term limits, thus allowing both of them to be re-elected every year. CB7 members meekly went along.
At one time, there used to be term limits at CB7. Some years ago, with Kelty being term-limited as Chairman, First VP Apelian lobbied CB7 members to repeal term limits, thus allowing both of them to be re-elected every year. CB7 members meekly went along.
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When did this occur? This information should be public record, its just a matter of finding out when it happened, what the votes were? who voted for what?
LET US BEGIN THE PROCESS OF REINSTATING TERM LIMITS.
ON ANOTHER NOTE, WHY WOULD THE LAND USE CHAIRPERSON WANT TERM LIMITS REPEALED? A LOT OF $ FOR CHUCK AND GENE, IM JUST SAYING WHERE THERE IS SMOKE THERE IS FIRE, AND WE HAVE BEEN CHOCKING FROM SMOKE INHALATION FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW NO?
SOMEONE NEEDS TO MAKE A FORMAL REQUEST THAT TERM LIMITS FOR CB 7 MEMBERS BE REINSTATED.
ANY TAKERS? OR JUST TALKERS?
I think serving on the community board should be like serving on a jury - citizens are randomly chosen, given a very simple primer on their community, then turned loose on the developers, city planning, and politicans.
Their agenda can be set by the community, and their outreach can be to the community directly without resorting to media outlets in the pockets of pols and developers.
They should be simplified and focused on three areas:
1. development - mr developer, you want development? then you pay for it and make sure the infrastructure is already in place before the building goes up. and oh yes, don't touch my tax money - that goes for services for my family.
also the people in the surrounding area to a project gets a big part of the the floor to state their comments.
2. city government - bike lanes, city planning, blah blah blah
3. politicans - where do we start?
very simple. now get off your asses and make it happen.
No wonder the mavens from CB1, the community board from hell, have their eyes on NE Queens.
Like the coal companines:
After they instituted and perfected their version of mountain top mining in West Veriginia they want to move on to other states.
Missing foundation, you are correct. The time is here but no one seems to want to do it. Our neighborhood is being destroyed, our Quality of Life ruined, and they continue to do what they want.
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Not 100% true. No one from QUEENS wants to do anything but in Manhattan and Brooklyn and even the Bronx (to say nothing of the suburbs) people are hopping mad and already are doing stuff.
Your problem is Queens.
After Archie Bunker, endless images of the vibrant diverse dancing kabalaya around the Unisphere, that outdated symbol from the Age of Maganox, no one takes you seriously, or indeed, really cares what you have to say.
And to a large extent, with your tradition of groveling before anyone in authority, you brought it on yourselves.
Who is going to show up and say 'over the top lads' and then glances glances back to see everyone either cutting deals for ice cream money or running as fast as they can in the opposite direction.
Mrs. Shepard, if you read this please contact us at Malbagardenscivicassociation@hotmail.com
Would love to discuss this further with you.
How long ago was this? and they keep it up? Snake is correct as is anon who said that Queens is the problem.
We sit here and let them hoodwink us over and over.
Kelty and the rest of his Mob need to be in jail, unfortunately that will never happen so we need to get them removed. You know what, I know some of us are targeting the executive board but the entire board needs to go. Let them all reapply, start from ground zero. Some of the lower Board members are more guilty than the executive board.
Also, it appears that our esteemed Councilman does not have "oversight" over them so lets look into his dealings with them and give oversight to the people. Create some sort of civilian complaint review board made of community people or something of the sort.
Kelty and the rest of his Mob need to be in jail, unfortunately that will never happen so we need to get them removed.
IMHO Ackerman won't allow it!
IMHO Ackerman won't allow it!
AND not by the hair of my chinny chin chin
Also, it appears that our esteemed Councilman does not have "oversight" over them so lets look into his dealings with them and give oversight to the people.
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The community board appointments come from boro hall and your councilman.
Joyce Shepard has more than one screw loose. As for Fort Totten the last time I looked no developer got a chance to develop an inch of it except for some city agencies and some kids running around wearing out the soccer fields. Joyce made a lot of noise, (that is what she does) but other ideas carried the day.
St John's dorms were never viable there especially when they had an entire campus which they have successfully developed.
As for the rest of Ms. Shepard's ideas and some of the other comments here, I am sure DOI would be interested in your complaints if they had any merit whatsoever to them. They have a pretty good track record of late. Just ask Larry Seabrook, Hiram, et al.
Gene Kelty is a hero battalion chief and most of the bozos (yeah that's what you are) who post here cannot shine his boots.
There is a reason Joyce Shepard disappeared from the civic scene in Queens. She ran for political office and polled so low they could not find her pulse.
The shame of all this is that the good ideas posted here are lost in the rants of people like Joyce and others who try to blow up everything they cannot control.
As for Claire Shulman she would still be BP if it were not for term limits. She took excellent care of Queens, saved the homes of tens of thousands of families during the co-op and condo meltdown, and helped to put a lot of bread on a lot of people's tables creating jobs.
Gene Kelty is a hero battalion chief and most of the bozos (yeah that's what you are) who post here cannot shine his boots.
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You made some valid points but this one above has me confused. How the hell is he a hero battalion chief? First off he wasn't there on 9-11 he was on the golf course and got there long after the attacks.
Besides, WTF does his job have anything to do with his behavior on the Community Board. Please lets not wrap this piecs of shit up in the Hero or American Flag because he is a Fireman. Kelty is a criminal who is allowing our neighborhood to be destroyed plain and simple.
I have met a lot of men and women on the job who are heros, some of them lost all on that day. To read here that kelty is a fire hero is a disgrace to their memory and their families. So please lets not lose sight of what is really going on here.
Thanks, once again, for doing your civic duty way back then Joyce.
I was proud to be in the ranks with you when that battle to save Fort Totten was raging.
I remember we had all contributed money to hire a pilot to fly an airplane over the annual Little Neck Memorial Day parade--- trailing a banner with a message demanding that Shulman open up those backroom borough hall meetings which she wanted to keep behind closed doors.
All of that dedication, most certainly, worked!
Fort Totten is now parkland to be enjoyed by all.
Around that time the "Fort Totten Conservancy" was formed by Ray Beckerman.
I was also proud to be one of its charter board members.
Thanks to you too Ray!
Sounds like some of Kelty's drinking buddy/trolls are busy here.
Hey Gene...what about the time you broke your FDNY work day to testify on taxpayers' dollars at city hall?
Shouldn't you have been on call at the firehouse?
A hero? (LOL) at the battle of his bulge...maybe!
Kelty's and Apelian's track record can be vividly seen in the crappy appearance of downtown Flushing.
They've been representing developers' interests instead of the community's for decades.
They should be serving the remainder of their terms in a federal lock-up!
If Ms. Shepard is the "loose screw" you claim her to be...let's have more like her!
As President Lincoln once replied to Ulysses S. Grant's critics who had accused him of being "a drunk"..."Then give me some more generals like him"!
The fact remains that Joyce's early moves saved fort Totten...period!
I think, perhaps, that old Joe Sciame is pissed that St. John's didn't get their piece of the fort and is feebly key-stroking incognito on Queens crap.
And Joe Mattone last a boodle on what he intended to build at Fort Totten.
Actually, Frank Macchio looks a little more like "Jabba the Hutt" than Gene does.
Gene Kelty is a hero battalion chief and most of the bozos (yeah that's what you are) who post here cannot shine his boots.
Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!
I believe the real problem with community boards is that each one has adopted their own set of rules and regulations regarding term limits, etc.
They can make changes as they go along.
And why is that allowed?
Don't you think that ALL C.B.s should be required to follow the same rule book?
Am I right on all this?
Please advise or correct me if I'm wrong.
And of course...the person you might complain to...the director of community boards sits at borough hall.
Aye...there's the rub!
Must we also suppose that Claire Shulman took "excellent" care of the landmark RKO Keith's while she held office?
In no way!
Her role in the Keith's demise was conveniently overshadowed by Tommy Huang's.
He got the spotlight while she remained backstage pulling the strings for her accomplice.
The Donald Manes School of Doing Business is still thriving under the directorship of his headmistress---Clare Shulman.
What kind of pipe have you been puffing...dumb ass?
THERE WERE AT LEAST 2 DEVELOPERS SALIVATING AND JUST WAITING TO CARVE UP FORT TOTTEN BACK WHEN JOYCE SHEPARD WAS FIGHTING THEM!
"DADDY" JOSEPH MATTONE & ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY...BOTH OF WHOM ATTENDED THE BOROUGH HALL MEETINGS AND PRESENTED THEIR PROPOSALS FOR DEVELOPMENT.
I waz there! Waz U?
Maybe U waz asleep or unborn yet?
I believe that Joyce Shepard DID NOT get the support of a generally apathetic and lazy community to sustain her in her valiant fight.
So how could she continue with a lack of support from the "troops"?
Maybe that's why she "gave up" as you so incorrectly suggest.
Brava for Joyce!
("Bravo" is the masculine form of praise in opera).
And what did you all do while she "ranted"...watch T.V. and belly-ache in your beer?
Joyce Shepard once published a newspaper.
I guess that Mike Schenkler (and Gary Ackerman) didn't like it's plain truth platform so he made some calls to subvert it.
Maybe if Joyce ran some "whore ads" like Nussbaum does...her paper would be still printing.
Hey Jerry...speaking of the RKO Keith's theater...why is Michael Nussbaum (Manes' bag-man) representing Patrick Thompson its new owner?
Actually, Frank Macchio looks a little more like "Jabba the Hutt" than Gene does.
Point taken!
Here it is boys and girls the unofficial official Revamp CB 7 Movement., Please email us your ideas and suggestions on how to remove Kelty and crew from their positions of power.
NEWCB7@HOTMAIL.COM
More to come;
Brava for Joyce!
Ditto
Will ya just look at this pair of decrepit pigs...wallowing in their pens of corruption!
C-mon baby Gene and douse my fire!
Oink, oink, grunt.....oooooh!
Oops...whaaaa...did I just come or piss?
why is Michael Nussbaum (Manes' bag-man) representing Patrick Thompson its new owner?
Hmmmm......
Maybe Nussbaum's quest to create Asian sex businesses is coming home to Flushing?
http://www.life.com/image/51837191
Once a pervert, always a pervert.
Once a night is barely enough!!!
I just received the 6 dozen bolts of orange fabric for your prison garb, Claire. Come in for a fitting next week.
"why is Michael Nussbaum (Manes' bag-man) representing Patrick Thompson its new owner?"
Answer: 'Cause Michael Nussbaum is a NY State (not NYC) registered Lobbyist with Strategies, LLC of Whitestone.
Answer: 'Cause Michael Nussbaum is a NY State (not NYC) registered Lobbyist with Strategies, LLC of Whitestone.
Huh? More details, please (and thank you).
http://www.whitestone.net/
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