Our next General Membership Meeting will be
Thursday, March 19, 2020 at 7:30pm Sharp!
Church on the Hill – 35th Ave. between 167th and 168th Street
The AGENDA for the first meeting of the fiscal year will include:
1. Pledge of Allegiance
2. Welcome and President’s Report
3. Treasurer’s Report and Prospective Slate of Officers
4. Minutes October 2019
5. GUEST SPEAKERS: Assemblyman Ron Kim, Al Silvestri – Deputy Director of the Department of Transportation
6. Mix and Mingle Social Hour. meet and greet your neighbors and enjoy beverages and desserts provided by the Hospitality Committee.
Newsletter – March 2020
A few notes on city matters – totally unrelated! – that may be of interest.
Over the past few years, the new pre-K program has received much positive response from New Yorkers. But another city program, not as well-promoted, is designed to keep children engaged outside the regular school day.
The Beacon Centers of New York offer free programs for children from second grade through high school. On Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, P.S. 194, at 154-60 17th Avenue, offers a rotating schedule of activities for the younger set. The program is divided into three age categories:
Grades 2 – 4 Younger Set
Grades 5 – 8 Tween Scene
Grades 9 – 12 High School
The Younger Set is “on campus” on Saturday morning; the Tweens are scheduled for Saturday afternoons and the older teens may use the facility on Saturday afternoons and weekday evenings.
Information on registration, program content, and hours is available at beacon194@ymcanyc.org. This program is FREE! If you do not have children around the house, pass this along to a harried homemaker who needs supervised activities for young boys and girls.
Moving from the care of youngsters to the care of sidewalks, we are facing about six more weeks of snow-possible weather. The New York Department of Sanitation has specific policies which require homeowners to clear their walks. Before a supervisor writes a ticket for non-compliance with a snow regulation, a key question has to be answered – when did the snow stop falling?
If it stopped between 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM – you have 4 hours to clear your walk
If it stopped between 5:00 PM and 9:00 PM – you have 14 hours to clear the walk
If it stopped between 9:00 PM and 7:00 AM – you have until 11:00 AM the following day
A common homeowner frustration is clearing (and re-clearing) the snow ridge which plows leave on the driveway apron. Although some may feel otherwise, this is NOT a fiendish plot by DSNY! It’s simply a traffic pattern – if the plow blade left a ridge of snow in the middle of the street, turning left could be a BIG problem for every driver. The plow blades are always attached to the truck so the ridge will be on the curb side of the street being cleared.
For additional information on snow in the Big Apple, go to nyc.gov/dsny.
Is spring around the corner? Groundhogs and others want to know…Maybe it’s too soon to think of planning your garden this year, but the Queens Botanical Garden is preparing for 2020. It is hiring additional personnel to maintain the plantings on its 39 acres and to “spread the word” on composting, urban farming, and pest management. All the openings are for outdoor work. Some are part-time and some include visits to local classrooms. For information on these jobs, go to queensbotanical.org/employment.
MTA BUS CHANGE PROPOSAL
As you may know, the MTA proposals to change bus routes has galvanized the neighborhood. IF WE SPEAK OUT ON ISSUES VITAL TO PRESERVING OUR QUALITY OF LIFE, WE MAY CONTINUE TO ENJOY LIVING IN ONE OF NEW YORK’S BEST AREAS.
Your comments on bus route re-design may be posted at:
https://new.mya.info/queensbusredesign
Contacting our elected officials has never been more critical. Keep this list for contacting them, by phone, email or letter.
Elected Official Chief of Staff Email Address
Congresswoman Grace Meng Anthony Lemma anthony.lemma@mail.house.gov
40-13 159 ST
Flushing NY 11358
718-358-6364
Councilman Paul Vallone
42-40 Bell Blvd, Ste 507 Vito Tautonico vtautonico@council.nyc.gov
Bayside NY 11361
718-619-8611
Assemblyman Ed Braunstein
213-33 39 AV, Ste 238 Dave Fischer fischerd@nyassembly.gov
Bayside NY 11361
718-357-3588
Assemblyman Ron Kim
136-20 38 AV, Ste 10A Tony Cao tony@ronkim.com
Flushing NY 11354
718-939-0195
Senator John Liu
38-50 Bell Blvd, Ste C Akshar Patel akshar@johnliusenate.com
Bayside NY 11361
718-765-6675
Highlights from the MTA workshop meeting on February 20, 2020
The Brosteks, Jeanne Altenau Brostek, Joe and Gerry have known 160th Street for almost half a century.
BFHA VP Joe Brostek engaged MTA Chairman Patrick Foye.
NYS Assemblyman Ed Braunstein was one of many legislators that attended the gathering.
NYS State Senator John Liu acted as master of ceremonies for the overflowing event.
Gerry Brostek’s poster received a lot of attention.
{ 0 comments… add one }