From the Daily News:
The Triumph of Civic Virtue, the controversial Queens statue that has divided local lawmakers and residents for decades, has moved to greener pastures.
A last-minute plea from supporters who wanted to keep the statue at its present perch outside Queens Borough Hall failed to change the mind of city officials.
A crew spent almost 12 hours Saturday carefully removing the statue from its base outside Queens Borough Hall for its journey to Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.
Under an unusual agreement with the city, the cemetery will restore the statue and then place it on display.
“This is a sad day for Queens,” said City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., who recently led a rally in front of the statue to demand it be kept in the borough. “The people of Queens wanted this statue. They need to replace it with another large piece of Greco-Roman art immediately.”
No, we need to replace our do-nothing elected officials immediately. Or rather, next November.
25 comments:
“This is a sad day for Queens,” said City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. They need to replace it with another large piece of Greco-Roman art immediately.
http://effects.worth1000.com/entries/203009/atlas-wazowski
So now he's in the cemetery with Archie Bunker.
These people should be ashamed of themselves along with the stupid that elected them.
"Boo, hoo"!
Tears shed by Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. at this point--don't make up for his lack of taking any meaningful initiative--in preserving the landmark Steinway Mansion, for example, located within his own district.
New York City HAS the money, and NEEDS to purchase it soon! Let's hear no more excuses, please.
NYC has burned well over $2,000,000 (I believe, the current asking price) on far less important things.
Nobody would be crying now, if serious action to preserve "Civic Virtue" had been taken earlier in the game. Borough hall did NOTHING about something right in their own side yard! Shame on you, Helen Marshall!
Maybe a few of our borough's politicians need to put behind bars--like it appears in this photo of "fat boy" in a cage--and carted off to jail!
Historic preservation is an EXTREMELY low priority among MOST of our elected officials.
A VERY HIGH priority among them, is filling their coffers with developers' campaign contributions.
Nothing will change in Queens UNLESS YOU THE VOTERS boot these phonies out of office.
Once done--make sure that you put aside your fears and SPEAK UP! Then, elect only GENUINE candidates.
By that I mean THOSE who have PROVEN public service records, not masters of the photo op.
I did not intend to single out Councilman Vallone as a culprit, but if he takes umbrage at my comment, then so be it.
He knows what his shoe size is and if my comments fit him, he can wear them.
I have ALWAYS been willing to work alongside dedicated officials with the aim of preserving Queens' history.
Likewise, I WILL NOT shrink from exposing those who are selling off our borough!
So we ship the statue somewhere else because ???????? Because we in Queens are A-holes? This takes the cake - I remember this statue since I was little - it belong where it was perched. Do we move Grants tomb out of Manhattan because suddenly some group find fault with Grant and ship it to the Bronx > where it would be accepted with open arms? No!
Petey Vallone isn't too bad. He stood up for Queens by opposing the Ed Koch bridge renaming.
Well put.
At least we can visit Civic Virtue's grave site.
Where are the remains of the historic "Triboro Theater" (which once dominated Steinway Street in Astoria) buried?
Under the "loving concern" of Donald Manes, it was razed to dust in the mid 1970s.
Boro Hall has served as the undertaker of many of Queens' architectural, artistic and cultural treasures.
The only time that "Petey" Vallone stands up is to wipe his ass after taking a good shit, or to grab some photo ops to bolster his re-election campaigns.
La Famiglia di Vallone represents a dynasty of political gangsters who have never given a flying fuck for anyone besides themselves.
The Vallones generally are against landmarking, rather favoring "property rights." When it came to a cemetery in Fresh Meadows, ol' Pete decided it would look bad to build on the graves of colonists. Of course, building on graves at St. George involved a senior citizen tweeding project, so he was all for that. The statue was in a place that would not be developed with a condo, so he was also for that.
Yeah, but when it comes to the property rights of citizenry as a whole - the use of Flushing Meadows - he thinks a soccer stadium of interest to a private corporation is a great thing.
Big deal!
It's STILL called the Ed Koch Bridge.
Pete was just going through the motions to endear himself in the hearts of you dumb voters.
He's a thug!
Make sure he's not your next borough president.
If you must...vote for ANYONE...besides Don Junior Vallone!
The Vallone Law firm has been the lobbyist for many voracious developer-land grabbers!
Use the internet to see WHO their campaign financiers have been over the years.
Yeah, that's right...these very SAME developers!
The Vallones have their northeastern outpost law firm strategically positioned neatly on Francis Lewis B'lvd.
LOOK OUT residents...DON'T use them.
Their aim is to use you!
So why put any more money in their pockets?
There are plenty of other better lawyers in NYC.
Petey Vallone isn't too bad. He stood up for Queens by opposing the Ed Koch bridge renaming.
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Sure and cut the funding for the organizations in his community that first came out against the bridge renaming.
If you steal someone else's idea trying to bury them is the best way to receive credit for it.
Paul Vallone even shows up at Broadway Flushing Homeowners Association meetings, to press the flesh and sip coffee with the unsuspecting.
He doesn't even live in Broadway...though he claims to. Paul has put forth the notion that he's a paid up BFHA member (which he might be), while he actually resides in Auburndale.
From what I've been told, you've got to live in Broadway to be a BFHA member. You can live elsewhere and be a supporter by writing a check for $10.
He's extremely desireous of becoming the next city councilman for our area so he's covering all bases. CB#7's "follow the buck" Chuck Apelian will most likely run his campaign.
Then Chuckie's "Prestone" company will get the big fat printing contract.
Isn't it "nice" how one hand washes the other...
and the dirt that washes off their hands flows into our neighborhoods?
I wish that I had attended law school like Don Paulo. Then I could screw everybody and get well paid for the privilege of doing so!
Historic preservation is an EXTREMELY low priority among MOST of our elected officials.
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The problem with historic preservation is the historic preservation community whom works with the politicians like Vallone while he spreads preservation lies and falsehoods.
You see, they need Vallone's votes for their districts.
So they team up.
They keep their mouths shut, offer nothing besides lip service, and throw Vallone's constituents under his bus.
And do it with a smirk.
In gratitude he votes for their districts.
The Landmarks Law should be overturned. The only thing stopping this from happening is that a good portion of the pro-development lobby live in landmark districts.
Just because Archie and Edith can be duped doesn't mean anyone else it that stupid.
As a matter of fact, its one of the main reasons that Queens is a private joke among the rest of the boroughs.
Funny, I just came across this passage last night in my readings:
"New York pays homage to the now not conspicuous moralizing character of the declining 'polis' by having a statue to Civic Virtue. A statue, modern denigrators of the city suggest, is all that we can afford today. The thing is beyond our powers, perhaps beyond our desires."
- 'The Historian and the City' - Oscar Handlin, 1963
I keep seeing that ad for the Law Offices of the Vallones. You know the one where Big Pete, L'il Pete, and Pauley are grinning at you? If they were such hot shot lawyers, why didn't they show up on Saturday with a RESTRAINING order to prevent the statue's removal?
Here's some video highlights of the removal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbN_kqDklUU&feature=youtu.be
I didn't have much time to prepare, nor have I used the iPhone cam for such a project before, so please pardon the quality. I did what I could.
Vallone is an ass. How does he know that the majority of Queens wanted to keep the statue? Internal polling? I bet most of Queens is totally oblivious about the issue. We deserve what we get. The public needs to show more enthusiasm for landmarks otherwise the politicians have no incentive to act. I know this all goes to the heart of the issue of our government and citizens ignoring, stereotyping, and denigrating the borough but unless its own residents don't start showing their pride how can you expect local officials to do so?
Short-sighted and benighted politicians wedded to political correct-itude won, as they usually do.
Vallone, I hear, wants to turn Steinway Mansion into a casino. Oy vey.
The public needs to show more enthusiasm for landmarks otherwise the politicians have no incentive to act.
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Not true.
Look at the spirited efforts to save the Steinway mansion and St Saviours. Look at the Queens Plaza Millstones or Richmond Hill. How about the Worlds Fair junkyard?
The politicians will either ignore you (along with their lapdog press) or they will cut your funding in an effort to try and bring you to your knees.
Normally--
I am not into pointing a disapproving finger at anyone--but we have a commenter here, who is always railing against the "historic preservation community" in general--without offering any specific details to back up all of the blustering.
I have some ideas as to who this individual might be.
I ask you now, Sir--
is the "Greater Astoria Historical Society" among one of those historic preservation organizations that worked with the Vallones?
Years ago, I personally worked on mounting an exhibit at GAHS which HONORED the Vallone family.
If YOU are going to continually be throwing stones at the "historic preservation community"--then IDENTIFY YOURSELF--and INCLUDE YOUR ORGANIZATION among those guilty of political butt kissing!
Apparently, for all of your efforts, the Vallones paid you back REAL GOOD, by kicking you in the ass.
By the way--
my past years as a trustee of the Queens Historical Society has taught me one little thing.
Political butt kissing has its limitations in delivering substantial results--pertaining to preserving Queens' history.
Oh, it must often be done in order to secure adequate funding for your group.
But,
you dare not insult your politician--by pointing out his poor record on historic preservation--or your organization will suffer for it.
QHS has done (and continues to do) its share of buttering up our elected officials.
SO--
how do we change things to benefit historic preservation in Queens, given our lousy situation?
Maybe we should rate our pols according to their stance on defending Queens' history like the NRA does: "A"; "B"; "C" ratings.
What do you think "Crappy"?
Would you be interested in publishing such ratings?
It would be nice around election time to see a candidate's historic preservation record online.
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