Below is a letter sent to our local Elected officials as well as DOT Commissioner Maura McCarthy, and Parks Departments Dorothy Lewandowski. To date, no one has responded.
__________________________________________
From: malbagardenscivicassociation@hotmail.com
To: omisson@aol.com; cvoskerichian@council.nyc.gov; dhalloran@council.nyc.gov; braunsteine@assembly.state.ny.us; avella@nysenate.gov; qbc@dot.nyc.gov
CC: tonymelone@ymail.com; dorothy.lewandowski@parks.nyc.gov; mammaof3@msn.com; gwtca@verizon.net; bloomberg@cityhall.nyc.gov; mbloomberg@cityhall.nyc.gov; ngray@dot.nyc.gov
Subject: Francis Lewis Park Danger Zone
Date: Fri, 8 Jul 2011 20:09:36 -0400
The following attachments are pictures of an extremely dangerous situation at the entrances to what might be one of the most beautiful parks in Queens. Aside from being named after one of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence who lost everything for his nation, it is now what might very well be the most inaccessible park in the country for Children. While the inside has a dilapidated playground that, after much fighting, is being replaced and moved away from its current location under the Whitestone Bridge, there is still much improvement needed both within the Park and on the way to Francis Lewis Park.
You can see from the photos that there are no stop signs on the entire stretch of 3rd Avenue in front of the park, no sidewalks across the street from the park for children and their parents to walk on, no speed bumps, and or any other type of traffic precautions. Note that most of the children would be coming from the side of the street that has NO SIDEWALK.
You can see that the city street signs are at least 3 feet in on the properties. The property on the corner of 147th street has such high bushes on the curb (even after owner had approximately five to ten feet on corner recessed) that are so high cars and people can not see oncoming traffic until they are well into the intersection. You will notice a fire hydrant recessed and camouflaged within the bushes, as well as utility poles and no parking signage in the bushes.
How are our children expected to cross the street into the park? When is there going to be a stop sign placed on the corner of 147th street and 3rd Avenue? When are the speed bumps that were approved several months ago going to be installed? When are proper traffic measures going to be implemented in our community?
Your help in this matter is desperately needed, and much appreciated.
Malba Gardens Civic Association
Full gallery of photos of this accident waiting to happen may be viewed here.
27 comments:
Wow!
Even in Whitestone, they're still blaming George W. for all their problems!
Get over it people, the guy's been gone since January 2009!
Ha ha. They're up early on a holiday...
"that are so high cars and people can not see oncoming traffic until they are well into the intersection."
Kind of like the SUV's parked on nearly every street.
"How are our children expected to cross the street into the park? "
The same way they have done it for decades.
How many children have been hit or killed by cars on this corner? Let's see some stats or evidence rather than just claiming that something is so dangerous without evidence. The picture I see looks like it is taken from the stop line, and you can easily see the oncoming car and down the block, and the driver of that car looks like it can see it as well.
How many children have been hit or killed by cars on this corner? Let's see some stats or evidence rather than just claiming that something is so dangerous without evidence.
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So instead of avoiding accidents, lets wait until people actualy get hurt. What a moron, this is exactly what is wrong with society today. Why don't you drive down the block, better yet, get off your lazy fat ass and walk the area.
IDIOT
"How are our children expected to cross the street into the park? "
The same way they have done it for decades.
you do know that the number of young families with young children has doubled in the area? So what? continue doing things the way they have been done for decades? sounds like a bitter old timer if you ask me. FYI, these young families have boosted the value of your home and deserve better.
look around, no one walks in Whitestone. Grow more trees.
Just moved to Whitestone. We had this type of problem out in Nassau County, the town leaders did not think it was an issue. Local major civics pressures the mayor, the trees were pruned in two weeks. Does Malba Gardens Civic Association have a big following?, because it's power in numbers, you get things done that way.
Malba Gardens Civic Association and Al Centola are one in the same. He is the neighborhood PITA. Take his computer always and bye-bye MGCA, our do nothing civic.
May I ask why every time I post something related to Whitestone, the conversation becomes a pissing contest between MGCA, WTA & WTW? Seriously, you should be working together to solve problems instead of ripping each other apart. You will have strong personalities at the head of any successful civic, but you need to put aside your differences for the good of the community. Otherwise, you get what you deserve.
Asking for help when there is a clear problem does not make you a "pain in the ass". Just the fact that the relevant city agencies and electeds were contacted proves MGCA is not a do-nothing civic.
So knock the asinine high school shit off already.
Your right Crappy but we (the other civics) just call 'em as we see 'em. This happens all the time with Malba Gardens. Work involves getting something done not just talking of writing about it. The shit MGCA resently said about GWTCA and WTW was just not cool. Thank you, love your site.
Hey Kiddies, just cut down the damn trees
So what do you suggest they do in this case? Erect their own stop signs and cut down the hedges of private citizens? Or contact the DOT and electeds to take care of the problems as they are paid with our tax dollars to do?
And what shit did they say about Welcome to Whitestone and Greater Whitestone Taxpayers? Nothing was sent to me or posted here by them. I do know there was a very insulting comment by Devon O'Connor which I blocked.
You may have different opinions on how to get things done but you are wasting your time attacking each other instead of the problems of the community. Saying one civic is better than another may puff up your egos but really doesn't do anything for the community you are allegedly trying to protect.
Maybe the local civics are frustrated by the inactions of our local politicians, talk about doing nothing! These local civic leaders should run for office next time around, they are the only people that care about the neighborhood anyway. Let's work together and vote these true do nothing bastards out.
Now I get it! Devon O'Connor is a fine young man. The problem is you. I will pass your comments along.
Do you folks realize how much you would accomplish if you were all on the same page? If you all pressured the City to clean up Whitestone Farms instead of caving in and doing it yourselves and then one group bragging about how they are the only ones that do anything? How about the White House? The 3 civics standing together saying to your council member and the owner "No, we don't want this rezoning to benefit a mob restaurant." Instead you have a "civic" led by a teenager saying this rezoning is a great thing for the neighborhood and calling channel 11 to watch them paint across the street. Sounds to me like a puppet of developers and electeds.
Yes, please pass my comments on to Devon O'Connor. He knows what he sent in and should realize that responding to childish namecalling with childish namecalling is counterproductive and makes him look foolish.
And the next comments here will be about the problem presented above and not about the various Whitestone civic groups. When people want to leave immature comments about electeds, I don't care because they signed up for that when they decided to run. When they start attacking community volunteers that's just abject stupidity that accomplishes nothing except work in the favor of those that are looking to destroy the fabric of Queens.
I just don't get it. I have never made any negative comments about any of the other local civics and have reahced out to all the other local civics, especially GWTCA as well as Devon. We did post a letter that we sent to GWTCA as well as their resopnse, just for informational purposes. We post things out there in order to shed a light as to what is being neglected in our community.
Regarding the Whitestone Farms Property, our group was never informed of the cleanup date. While We were pushing for the owner to clean up his property, I am sure that some of our members on our 400 plus email list of local residents would have volunteered. I personally spoke to Devon about this and he said he emailed us (never recieved on any of our 3 email addresses), and would make sure we would recieve future emails. Also, Councilman Halloran and his staff knew all along that our group has been featuring this abandoned property for the past two years as evidenced by our submissions to this blog. Yet his office neglected to email us, and or inform us of the cleanup date. Again, our group wanted pressure put on the owner to clean and maintain HIS property. What about the cracked and dangerous sidewalk in front of the property?
I am surprised to hear that Devon would resort to name calling and am disapointed. I do not understand where it came from and would expect that if he or anyone else has an issue with me, they refer to me in order to air out any differences we may have.
Also, our local politicians are closely monitoring all the local civics and trying to manipulate them. I urge all Whitestone Civics to stay dilligent and not be taken in by these people who want to use us as puppets.
We all live in Whitestone and I hope want what is best for our families and our community. We can disagree on issues but at the end of the day, we all live in the same neighborhood.
A wise man once told me that if I am upseting people, I am doing the right thing. I was young then and did not fully understand what he meant. All I have done has been to secure a safe, community for my family and my neighbors. If that upsets people, and makes them feel obligated to slander and name call, well then, I guess I am doing the right thing.
We deserve a safe community with a decent quality of life.
Let us stop this fighting and work together, the more we fight, the more those that want to destroy our way of life, our community, and our neighborhood, have the upperhand.
I am a daily reader of this blog who happens to live in Whitestone. I have seen this neighborhood go from good to great to overdeveloped, to what it is now. I have read many of Al Centolas posts, comments, etc. He and his group which I recently joined, is a welcome relief to the neighborhood.
I do not understand why GWTCA , and the Elected officials want to stifle a group such as this that is only trying to preserve a way of life in a deteriorating city. While Devon appears to be a good kid who means well, he needs to be aware of the predators surrounding him. Such as Halloran and The Vallones, it is common knowledge that Vallone tried to get Halloran a Judgeship in order to get him out of the last election, leaving the road clear for the Vallone dynasty to destroy yet another community.
I have read some comments about Al Centola as a write in canidate. Now I am not advocating this but, I am however suggesting that if the field of candidates is the same as last time, well then, if maybe not Al then please write in someone elses name. Let the Democratic and Republican machines know that we deserve and will force BETTER!
I belong to both Malba Gardens and have been a member of GWTCA for the past 20 years, and I say to you we all need to work together, otherwise the neighborhoods we left when we came to Whitestone, will be Whitestone.
Asking for help when there is a clear problem does not make you a "pain in the ass". Just the fact that the relevant city agencies and electeds were contacted proves MGCA is not a do-nothing civic.
Thank YOU, I thought I was reading something wrong here. WOW
Seriously, you should be working together to solve problems instead of ripping each other apart.
hahahahahahahahaha
hehehehehehehehehe
hohohohohohohohoho
Yer'a pisssa Crappie.
Just saw this story on wpix 11, great job Crappy, great job Al, we need more people like you in all of the City not just Queens.
I live near that park and couldnt agree more. Thank you Malba Gardens Civic.
Write in Alfredo Centola for the next City Council election! He has taken on CB7, the electeds and worked to bring the Civics together on many seriors issues that effect northeast queens. Let get someone in who really wants to make changes in the community for the community, not just the special interests and the developers.
I think the puppets are getting the jobs done. Write in Puppets for the next City Council election.
Write in Alfredo Centola for the next City Council election! He has taken on CB7, the electeds and worked to bring the Civics together on many seriors issues that effect northeast queens. Let get someone in who really wants to make changes in the community for the community, not just the special interests and the developers.
DITTO
you damn fuckin' civic bastards, give the man a break. He is pointing out a potential problem, bringing it to the attention of the press and people that can correct it. For over fifty years you sat on your ass and did nothing, now you have new civics in Whitestone waking your fat asses up.
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