While we haven't worked out all of the details, nor put together an exact proposal, we believe the following is a decent description of a proposal that would benefit the entire community and provide Employment for the Youth of the Community. There are currently 6 acres in Whitestone waiting to be developed off of 6th avenue and 150th street the old CYO. Wouldn't it be fitting if our elected officials along with the Parks Department, Community, Community groups, CYO, D&G, Churches, etc.. purchased the property and turned it into a Little League field run by a community group for the community. We could obtain Operational Expenses Funding from our elected officials as well as host fundraisers, and it could be run by a joint group of volunteer board members, with a salaried staff of children with working papers, to do upkeep and maintenance.
It is an old CYO site, (thus fitting that it be converted into a community little league site) which is sitting in limbo as of now. This would prevent more overcrowded overdevelopment, give the community a space of their own for the children and families that call Whitestone home, it would provide employment for the youth of the community.
Alfredo Centola
President
Malba Gardens Civic Association
44 comments:
What's a CYO site?
Catholic Youth Organization
Why, Alfredo? So you you all can start bitching when there's too much traffic from having 10 or 12 little league games a day, and when people start parking in front of your house? Or when the lights from the field are too bright or shine in your windows?
BTW, Al, this isn't a "proposal to purchase." It's a bunch of un-thought-out gibberish to propose someone else to purchase it for you.
Once Mayor Mike gets wind of this large property for sale, the city will buy it. Imagine how much money he can make with his developer friends. He'll make sure it is overdeveloped so he can get all that extra tax revenue. It's all about the money. Forget about quality of life.
Not only is alfredo not in the pocket of developers. But he has creative vision. Paul vallone or any other wanna be politico would of never thought of this. We need al centola. Please run for office.
DREAM TEAM TO SAVE NORH QUEENS
with all the corruption in queens that has made our borough make chicago look like a beacon of hope
being a bayside resident who has been watching the scene i have devised a bi partisan dream team to help get rid of the corruption and restore integrity to north queens
State Senate (tony seat) Dan Halloran
he is not beholden to parkside group like avella
State senate (toby seat) Issac Sasson he will look after the people instead of his sons clients like toby
assembly Ed Braunstein. although brought in by establishement he is actually a decent person
city council either Matt silverstein or al centola
but please keep vallone away from the community. any one with ties to developers must not have that seat
for the dem district leaders
Steve behar and Elio Forcina
they can help reform this mess and are decent guys who wont sell out the district
and rob speranza for republican district leader
lets get rid of all of the lobbyists, family dynasties and those who are destroying the community to line their own pockets
Actually this is not a bad idea. This year the Parks Department converted baseball fields in Golden Park into soccer fields thus eliminating another 90 foot base field.
I'm sure CYO, DAC, DG, College Point LL and Bayside LL would be 100 percent behind this idea and contribute to the maintenance of the fields. Bayside LL does so at Crocheron/Colden park.
But in reality this will never happen. That real estate is worth too much money.
Why, Alfredo? So you you all can start bitching when there's too much traffic from having 10 or 12 little league games a day, and when people start parking in front of your house? Or when the lights from the field are too bright or shine in your windows?
-----------------------------------
If it were to be planned out correctly with provisions in place to prevent abuse, and be limited to the communmity groups such as D&G, St.Lukes CYO, etc... It may work.
Its better than 55 to 100 new homes or Town houses, with much more traffic.
It is a thought, if you have better, by all means do share.
"BTW, Al, this isn't a "proposal to purchase." It's a bunch of un-thought-out gibberish to propose someone else to purchase it for you."
Read the story before you make comments. "While we haven't worked out all of the details, nor put together an exact proposal"
Also, it would not be "Purchase for you", but purchase for the community! You know, a novel idea, kind of like a Government for the People, by the People!
Idiot.
Anon 7
Sounds like you migth be on to something, all the guys you mentioned are good people.
Not sure about Avella, after all he was Shullmans aide.
Not only is alfredo not in the pocket of developers. But he has creative vision. Paul vallone or any other wanna be politico would of never thought of this. We need al centola. Please run for office.
Hell yeah
The property is adjacent from Whitestone Armory. Which houses Greater Whitestone Taxpayers Association, I would think they would be in agreement with this wonderful idea. Al, did you discuss this with them? I know your group recieved a cold response from Marlene Cody, VP of GWTCA but, this sounds like a great community based idea.
Granted it needs to be planned but may I suggest you reach out to them.
I just came back from Verona New Jersey where the Community has a huge pool with a kiddie pool, slides, playground , grass area, tables and chairs, complete with ping pong tables and bocce courts. In order to be a member one must reside within the community and pay a $400 fee per household.
Well, why can't we in Whitestone do the same thing. Kind of like what they do at Boosters, if you live in the 11357 area, you can become a member. Being that you cant swim in the Sound, and it was the CYO pool site to begin with.
With a food concession within the area that provides reasonably priced food and drink, this would help maintain the property, as well as provide seasonal employment to the community youth, as well as give families a safe fun place to go at a reasonable price.
Al Fredo, That's because Verona NJ, is a reasonably small self governed entity. And small self governed entities are superior in results to larger entities. They can control their own destiny and use their revenue base the way the population wants to.
It's much harder to hide extortion, corruption and graft in small town governments. Their budgets are understandable to the average person and foolishness is hard to hide.
It's much harder to hide extortion, corruption and graft in small town governments. Their budgets are understandable to the average person and foolishness is hard to hide.
A SHAME ISN'T IT?
alfredo centola your job is to primary paul vallone in city council race
the people vs the developers
Anon No. 9:
No, he wasn't.
Nah,
Joe "daddy" Mattone Sr. will buy it!
How about building a Muslim day camp there Al "hole" Centola!
"How about building a Muslim day camp there Al "hole" Centola"
Very Cute and Mature I might add.
Look at how the cookie-cutter homes devour the landscape around the site.
"Look at how the cookie-cutter homes devour the landscape around the site."
Yeah, really. That whole area has been cannibalized by awful mini McMansions and crappy townhouses. NOW you want to do something about it? Too little too late.
Yeah, really. That whole area has been cannibalized by awful mini McMansions and crappy townhouses. NOW you want to do something about it? Too little too late.
So, let me get this straight, Saving 6 acres would be too little, too late. So what do you propose exactly, "let them build"
Genius
This a really a good idea! The community might also consider using it for a community swimming pool, since Mattone and company destroyed the old one at the CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) and did not provide any give backs to the neighborhood. Al youve done it again, youve pushed the buttons of the elite in Whitestone, listen to them cry!
Of course the proposal needs to be thought out and considerations for Soccer, LaCrose, Football, and most of all Parking need to be included. It is 6 acres after all, it can be done correctly, with fencing , a board of directors, and PROPER MANAGEMENT.
I just came back from Verona New Jersey where the Community has a huge pool with a kiddie pool, slides, playground , grass area, tables and chairs, complete with ping pong tables and bocce courts. In order to be a member one must reside within the community and pay a $400 fee per household.
Well, why can't we in Whitestone do the same thing. Kind of like what they do at Boosters, if you live in the 11357 area, you can become a member. Being that you cant swim in the Sound, and it was the CYO pool site to begin with.
With a food concession within the area that provides reasonably priced food and drink, this would help maintain the property, as well as provide seasonal employment to the community youth, as well as give families a safe fun place to go at a reasonable price.
GREAT IDEA
Everyone should care as much as Alfredo does. Has anyone else here thought about what to do with that site? Of course not. Without suggestions like this, quality of life would never improve.
Those of you with kids, are you happy with your children playing at places like Little Bay Park, while communities such as Ozone Park receive turf fields at PALS Oval, Victory Field, etc?
Someone complained about more traffic...are you kidding? For a few hours on the weekend? Let's see what would happen if a developer bought it and put up some of those mansions with no driveways and no yards.
Heck, I'd nominate Al for office!
Al Centola
Write in Candidate to take out Vallone and Halloran.
Al Centola for Write in Candidate.
Like I need to be "mature" to post along with dopes like you!
Al Centola is only concerned with what happens on his block.
That hardly qualifies him to run for office.
Uh....
that "dream team" our naive Baysider offers is an LSD nightmare!
And Steve Behar can't even tie his own shoe laces without help.
They'll eat him alive in the City Council, legislature or Congress if he ever made it there.
yes the bayside is naive to think the corruption in queens will ever change
by the way if you need tony avella and tobys help go write evan a check
alfredo thats all you got to do is write even a check
Al Centola is only concerned with what happens on his block.
You mean the old Whitestone Farms abandoned building, Francis Lewis Park and the 200 lb limbs hanging for weeks after a storm till Al posted it here.
BTW, since when is caring about what happens on your block wrong? Ever hear of "Block" associations? If every block had someone like Al, we would be much better off.
Why is caring about your block a bad thing. I know Al is also working on several other issues in the community with his organization. We forget that Al is not alone, and has an organization behind him, and his organization is fighting for what is right in the community. Yes, especially his block which since 1997, because of Bob Tramunti got pushed onto their block. Bob did it under the guise of GWTCA, and now Al is wrong?
Al happens to be the mouthpiece.
Get over yourself Marlene.
Al Centola
Write in for Council
Caring for what happens only on your block....with the exclusion of what's happening in the rest of your community....is called myopic, egotistical and f----g dumb!
Do any of these adjectives fit Centola?
All fine and dandy, but if you want your children to be fat and lazy, build baseball fields. Let them eat hot dogs while drinking soda pop in the dugouts and juicing up (injecting steriods). But, and this is a far stretch for most fat and lazy parents, if you want your children to be healthy and fit, BUILD A SOCCER FIELD. If not, then give the land to the only guy who didnt sell his property, he'll put up the goal posts, and i'll paint the lines!
Only one family houses should be allowed there. The roads and sewage can't support anything else.
Just to note a couple of things that Al Centola has done articles on; it wasn't long ago he did a whole expose' on Fances Lewis Park and how the trash is not emptied, the lights have been knocked out and the trees destroyed, also he has attempted several times to get elected officials to require the absentee owner of 11-10 154th street to remove ALL of the grafitti from his eyesore of a building.
It is not that difficult of a thing to do really, you turn it back into a pool with baseball, soccer, football fields for games. In order to enter you need to be a resident of 11357 and pay an annual feel that is dependent on the number of families that join. You include parking of course, within the complex in order to not burden the locals with parking issues.
You do not need to open a concession, you just lease space one or two food trucks with the agreement that they pay a base fee plus a percentage of proceeds to be determined. You also put in their agreement cleanliness clauses, etc.
We had a pool once and while many houses in the community have pools, this can work.
Great job Al, now lets hope these Money Hungry Politicians do the right thing for the neighborhood.
Caring for what happens only on your block....with the exclusion of what's happening in the rest of your community....is called myopic, egotistical and f----g dumb!
Do any of these adjectives fit Centola?
Why is it the minute anyone tries to do the right thing, the name calling begins. f----(-)g dumb? you missed a -, dummy?
Maybe Centola is genuinely trying to do the right thing. Also I remember reading about the Whitestone Farms story and it Graffitti, I remember Centolas story about Francis Lewis Park and the Garbage, as well as his story on the Park and the tree limbs, I beleive he also commented on the Bocce Courts and the lack of a walkway to them, He also commented on how when they allow the weeds to get knee high and above the old timers that play there have a hard time, especially after it rains and their shoes slip in the mud. He also sent a letter out through his group to MTABT and got them to agree to put in a walkway when they put in the new playground, which by the way, was also his doing.
I am proud to be a member of the Malba Gardens Civic Association
Thank you Alfredo , we appreciate you.
About time someone came up with an idea that didn't include overdevelopment for one of the last pieces of property in Queens. We are being sold out to Real Estate Developers and Politicians and all anybody ever wants to do is build, build, build.
This guy Centola has the right idea and the people of our neighborhood really need to get behind him and get this done.
We have a good one here boys and girls, lets keep him. This is a great idea that should happen.
Caring for what happens only on your block....with the exclusion of what's happening in the rest of your community....is called myopic, egotistical and f----g dumb!
Do any of these adjectives fit Centola?
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
NO THEY DO NOT.
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