Civic Association Petitions for Natural Gas Supply to Broad Channel

Broad Channel Civic Association

September 7, 2011

Honorable Jaclyn A. Brilling, Secretary

State of New York Public Service Commission

Three Empire State Plaza

Albany, New York 12223-1350

RE: Case 11-G0358 Public Response to -Brooklyn Union Gas Company d/b/a National Grid NY Petition with Respect to the Application for Natural Gas Service by the Broad Channel Civic Association

Dear Secretary Brilling:

I am writing to you today as the president of the Broad Channel Civic Association to respond to the Petition for Relief filed by National Grid (KEDNY) on July 8 2011. I would like to start by asking that you honor the Limited Waiver Request submitted by KEDNY that would allow our civic association to be recognized as an “applicant” in this discussion. This would greatly expedite the matter of a formal application and enable us to move to the critical discussion of our request to have KEDNY provide this town with natural gas.

Broad Channel is an island community in Queens located within the waters of Jamaica Bay. We have been in existence since the early 1800’s. The town is comprised of approximately 925 residential homes and 50 businesses and is represented by the Civic Association. We have no access to natural gas and are currently the only area in the city of New York that uses 100 pound cylinders of propane. Over the years our community has repeatedly requested that gas service be provided from both the former companies of Brooklyn Union Gas as well as LIPA. These requests were denied with each company indicating the other should be looked to as the one responsible for the project. We have now engaged KEDNY as the sole supplier of gas to all our surrounding neighborhoods to request that they fulfill their obligation as specified under the Public Service Law 31, subd.4 and finally provide our town with a natural gas pipeline. We feel that this is not only a moral issue, no supplier that has a monopoly on the control of a necessary service should be allowed to pick and choose to whom they may want to supply based only on their economic return, but a safety and economic one as well.

The 100 pound propane cylinders that are currently used were previously clearly defined as allowable by the fire prevention directives that addressed their use. With the adoption of the 2008 building code and the subsequent creation of a new NYC Fire Code that defined allowance was removed and only a vague reference to such remains. We feel that with the extreme elements of winds and floods that this town experience’s the propane cylinders could eventually be involved in a situation of fire or explosion that would not be present if natural gas was an alternative. In addition there is a concern that any such situation would be followed by an outright ban, as is present throughout the rest of the city, and our residents would not have an option for home cooking requirements.

In regards to the economics of the situation we currently have no alternative to the use of #2 fuel oil for the heating our homes. As previously stated as an island community in the middle of Jamaica Bay we experience extreme winters and the fuel oil has continued to dramatically increase in cost while natural gas, a much cleaner fuel, has stayed almost constant due to the many new reserves that have been discovered domestically. Should fuel oil continue to rise many of our residents, particularly our seniors on fixed income, will be forced to suffer thru cold winter seasons.

We do not feel that NYCRR 230.2, cited in the KEDNY appeal, is relevant or applicable in our case and also that KEDNY routinely ignores such when undertaking other capital projects. Our town is not a new development that seeks to have a gas line supplied to it, often the case for such, but rather a community that should have received such service many years ago ,as all other adjacent neighborhoods did, but was denied such as the suppliers did not see an immediate economic return on their investment. This does not, in our view, justify their denial of that which is a basic necessity and one which every other resident of this city is afforded. In addition we would cite the example of the gas line that KEDNY is currently preparing to run from the Transco Williams pipeline, off the waters of the Rockaway’s, into Brooklyn as an example of such a project whose cost would not be borne by those of the lower Brooklyn area in need of such but rather shared by the entire customer base, as all such projects are.

Finally, while we thank KEDNY for submitting this application and the request for limited waiver, we do not necessarily agree with some of the assertions that it makes such as:

1) “825 homes converting to natural gas cooking; another 25 residential homes converting to natural gas heating and cooking” a. We submit that over time that many more, possibly all 925 home (not 825 homes), would seek to convert to natural gas for heating and cooking. 

2) “The pipeline would then continue for 11,300 feet in the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and then proceed 4,224 feet down Cross Bay blvd…” a. This pipeline would not have to pass thru the Jamaica Bay Wildlife refuge, an obviously environmental concern, as Crossbay Blvd, which is a city owned street runs directly thru the wildlife refuge and is city owned property.  

3) “and the fact that the main extension will not provide system benefits to other customers … a. The supply line run from Rockaway could continue north to Howard Beach to be used to augment that area where discussions indicated that growth has led to an issue of adequate supply. Such a concept would enable KEDNY to see additional benefits from the supply run.  

In summary we ask that the Public Service Commission deny this petition and mandate that KEDNY supply the community of Broad Channel with the Gas supply it so desperately needs.

Sincerely,

Daniel T Mundy,

President

Broad Channel Civic Association

New Life for Broad Channel Firehouse Project

Ten years after then-Senator Hillary Clinton visited Broad Channel and promised its volunteer fire department a new firehouse and eight years after Clinton and then-Representative Anthony Weiner allocated more than one million in federal funds for the project, Community Board 14 has begun the process necessary to actually get it built.

The firehouse project was beset by delays and by the city’s refusal to sponsor the new firehouse, arguing that the city’s fire department did not think the expense was necessary.

At this month’s CB 14 meeting, however, the Department of City Planning announced that the application for the firehouse has been certified. This starts the official Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) for approval of the project. Also necessary is obtaining a variance for the new facility to be built in a R32 zone, which is considered a residential district, even though the Cross Bay Boulevard site for the firehouse is on an empty lot adjacent to the American Legion clubhouse.

This is the second time the project has gone through the ULURP process, which gives the community a chance to have a say by going through the community board, the Queens Borough President’s office, the City Planning Commission and the City Council.

“It received a permit in 2004 and it expired in 2008 without being constructed. It needs to go through the process again,” said Brendan Pillar, a city planner from the Queens office of the Department of City Planning. “Hopefully, if approved, it gets the special permit and it can then get to the actual building.”

While it can take up to 150 days to complete the ULURP, CB 14 is cutting 60 days off the application by waving its right for a review.“The community board is sending a letter to the planning board that states it reaffirms its support of the last ULURP process,” said Jonathan Gaska, the district manager for CB 14. “That shortens the process. There’s no sense in doing it again. … It cuts off a couple of months.”

According to Gaska, part of the reason the prior permit expired was “procedure and red tape.”“One of the major issues was [the Volies] got government money from some major sources and the city had problems drawing down on that money,” said Gaska. He added, “Now we’ve got the mechanism to draw down and the community wants and needs it. Let’s move forward.”

CB 14 first approved the application, unanimously, in 2003 after seeing renderings by Howard Beach architect John Calcagnile. As reported in The Wave in November 2003, the plans call for a first floor that would accommodate the parking and maintenance of the apparatus, fire engines and ambulances utilized by the Volies. The second floor would consist of offices, meeting rooms, a bunkroom and training spaces. The new facility will also be used as a triage and staging area in case of heavy flooding in the community, which is bordered on two sides by Jamaica Bay.

In June 2004 then-Senator Clinton, after marching in the annual Queens County American Legion Parade in Broad Channel, visited the current firehouse located on Noel Road, which was built in the early 1900s, and promised her help in obtaining funding for a new facility.

In July 2009, a House/Senate conference committee passed the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill. In that bill was $1 million secured by Clinton to “improve the traffic flow on Noel Road, between Church and Cross Bay Boulevards, including the work necessary to demolish and reconstruct the firehouse facility in Broad Channel.” This was in addition to the funds provided by then-Congressman Weiner for a total of about $1.8 million, according to a spokesperson for Clinton at the time.

Next in the process the application goes to Marshall’s office for a 30-day review and hearings. After that it goes to the City Planning Commission for 60 days of review and hearings. The City Council may elect to review and hold hearings if it sees fit. If the application passes through all the steps without any problems, it is then sent on to the mayor for his signature.

[The Wave/Sep 30, 2011]

Just Another Morning Tide on W12thRd....Again! Thu Sep. 29th, 2011

Going fishing?.....Nope!
Going to work!

Just Another Morning Tide on West 12th Road - Wed Sep. 28, 2011

"Can't leave the house...may as well feed the swan..."

"I really should have worn knee-highs!....""

"Smart Phone" Privacy Threat....

Did you know that a lot of smart phones encode the location of where pictures are taken? Anyone who has a copy of the photo can access this information.

If your son, daughter, wife, etc., is using their smartphone to post pictures to social networking sites (facebook, twitter, etc.) or is posting their photo's to online albums anyone with the right browser add-on can search that pictures data to ascertain the exact location where it was taken.

I know many of you love Twitter, Facebook, etc., and posting photos of your lunch, however, most  people do not realize what kind of data they are posting, albeit inadvertantly. By posting this information, they are allowing their movements to be recorded and analyized by anyone: from a government to a nosy neighbor. After analyzing your photos, someone could find out:

• Where you live
• Who else lives there
• Your commuting patterns
• Where you go for lunch each day
• Who you go to lunch with
• Why you and your attactive co-worker really like to visit a certain nice restaurant on a regular basis

The storage of location based data, in the form of Latitude and Longitude inside of images is called Geotagging; essentially tagging your photograph with the geographic location.
This data is stored inside if the metadata if JPEG images and is useful for tying the photograph to a location. Want to remember exactly where you took those photographs while on vacation? This information is for you.

However, most modern digital cameras do not automatically add geolocation (Latitude and Longitude) metadata to pictures. The process for adding the geolocation data either requires specialized add on hardware, or post processing with software on the desktop after the pictures are taken.

There is a large exception to this rule: Smartphones!

With the proliferation of smart phones that contain GPS locator technology inside, the cameras in these devices are already equipped with the specialized hardware to automatically add geolocation information to the pictures at the time they are taken.

Most people don't realize that the action of automatic geotagging takes place on their smart phones, either because it is enabled by default, not exposed the user as an option, or was asked and then forgotten. As a result, individuals often share too much information about their location, right down to the exact Latitude and Longitude when snapping photos with their smartpphone and posting them online.

The easiest way to stop posting this information for all to see it to disable geotagging on your smartphone. 

[Thanks to Danny Ruscillo, President of the 100th Precinct Community Council, for passing        along this important inormation.]  

Broad Channel's "2nd Avenue Sinatra"....

Broad Channel resident Gary Russo, a construction worker on the 2nd ave subway line,  sings during lunch hour.

Thursday 9/29/2011 - National Coffee Day...

From 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. on this Thursday, September 29, 2011, participating 7-Eleven stores will give away free medium-size cups of fresh-brewed, hot coffee.

Rockaway Task Force Press Conference

Press Release: September 23, 2011

Ulrich   and Sanders to Release

Findings   of Rockaway Task Force

Rockaway,   NY – Council Members   Eric A. Ulrich (R-Rockaway Beach) and James Sanders (D-Far Rockaway) will   release and discuss the report of the Rockaway Task Force at a press   conference on Tuesday, September 27th at 9:30 a.m. on the boardwalk   at Beach 74th Street in Arverne.

The Rockaway Task   Force was formed last year through a mayoral initiative to examine and address   local issues facing the peninsula. The group, comprised of neighborhood   volunteers and activists appointed by each Council Member, used public input   garnered through several town hall meetings to create a report submitted to   the Mayor’s Office that includes specific recommendations on how to improve   the quality of life on the peninsula.

WHO: Council Members Eric   A. Ulrich and James Sanders

WHAT: Release of the report   of the Rockaway Task Force

WHEN: Tuesday, September   27th at 9:30 a.m.

WHERE: Boardwalk at Beach   74th   Street, Rockaway

Note:   Copies of the report will be available for reporters  at Tuesday’s press   conference.

# #   #

FEMA Assistance for Queens Residents

New York City issued the following notification issued 9/26/11 at 8:00 AM.

"FEMA announced that individuals and businesses in the Borough of Queens who experienced damage due to Hurricane Irene are now eligible for disaster assistance (temporary housing assistance, housing repair, low interest loans, etc.). Apply by calling the FEMA Hotline 800-621-3362 (TTY 1-800-462-7585), 7AM-10PM, seven days a week. Register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by mobile device at m.fema.gov."

The sender included the following attachment:
https://attachments.sendwordnow.com/Attachments.aspx?token=9af848b4-004c-40f4-9752-57d4b408bb2e

An informational video from NY1 regarding FEMA assistance can be found here.

The Broad Channel Library "New Chapter" Program

The Broad Channel Library

A program called the "New Chapter" that started on Thursday will forgive fines on overdue library books for patrons under age 18 at the Broad Channel Library.

Fees on lost books and DVDs will also be forgiven. The initiative is meant to invite back those young readers whose accounts have been blocked due to overdue fees of $15 or more.

The fee forgiveness runs between now and Oct. 31.

If you have a youngster in the household who has been avoiding the library because of outstanding fines, have him or her gather up all their outstanding books, DVDs and magazines and return them to the Broad Channel Library and speak to one of the librarians in order to take advantage of this "New Chapter" program before October 31st.

"Shared Space" Presentation - Thursday 9/23/2011

The city's DOT and the RBA Design Group provided a "Shared Space" presentation for the residents of West 11th, 12th and 13th Roads at the V.F.W. Hall yesterday at 7:00 pm prior to the start of the Broad Channel Civic Association's September meeting.

Queens DOT Commissioner, Maura McCarthy, addressed the residents of West 11th, 12th and 13th Roads briefly explaining how the flood mitigation project had evolved from its original, June 2011, concept to the newer "Shared Space" design concept initially proposed to representatives of West 11th, 12th and 13th Roads back in August.

Commissioner McCarthy explained that the new "Shared Space" design effectively addressed the two major concerns of residents regarding the original design concept, encroachments and parking.

1.  The new "Shared Space" design minimizes the impact of individual property owner "encoachments" that would be markedly impacted under the old design, and,

2.  The new "Shared Space" design would allow for parking on both sides of the street with no loss of parking spaces due to the requirement of "bump outs" for relocated utility poles on the old design which still called for curbed strets with sidewalks. Additionally, the "Shared Space" design would forever put to rest the possibility of the involved streets being subjected to a parking on one side of the street only regulation as well as those annoying middle of the night visits by Traffic Enforcement Agents who ticket private vehicles for parking on the sidewalk.

Commisioner McCarthy closed by stating that in Broad Channel, for the most part, "...everybody walks in the street and parks their cars on the sidewalk. You have actually been utilizing the shared space concept as a means of accommodating pedestrians, bicyclists, children and cars on your narrow streets for years!"

Commissioner McCarthy then introduced Mr. Joe Menzer of the RBA Group who spoke briefly of the history of the "Shared Space" concept noting that:

"It is a streets planning concept, pioneered by the late Dutch traffic engineer Hans Monderman, that
 promotes the reduction of barriers between pedestrians and vehicles, and the elimination of traffic signs and signals. According to shared space advocates, this lack of vehicle direction makes drivers more aware of their surroundings; rather than speeding through a neighborhood, drivers are forced to slow down and be conscious of other vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians. If you’re faced with a traffic signal, you don’t have to think anymore. Whether you go depends on whether the light is red or green. In the absence of such things, we’re perfectly capable of reading and understanding the situation so that if grandma’s in the road ahead of you, you don’t run her over."

Mr. Menzer then provided a 20 minute power point presentation displaying exisiting shared space streets in Britain, Spain, and the United States as well as a conceptual drawing of the "Shared Space" design as it would exist on West 12th Road.

Conceptual Design Drawing W12th Road "Shared Space"

The presentation was followed by a lengthy "question and answer" session resulting in the following issues being raised.

ISSUES - Specific

1.  Bollards

"Are bollards necessary?....If I park next to a bollard how do I open my car door?...Bollards may cause damage to my vehicle if I hit them.....Is there an alternative to the use of bollards?"

2.  Trees

"Are trees necessary?....Trees may pose a danger to property during a serious storm or periods of high winds....I already have a utility pole in front of my property, do I have to have a tree outside my house?....Is there a green regulation whereby the city mandates the planting of trees?....Will trees adversely impact the number of parking spaces available on my block?....Can a tree be used to replace a bollard?....Leaves from the trees will clog the center street drainage system...I have solar panels on my house - will the trees impact them?"

4.  Utility Poles

"Can utility poles be used in place of a bollard?...What is the distance between utility poles?..."

5.  Fire Hydrants

"You say that existing fire hydrants will have to moved across the street, I have a driveway directly across from a hydrant, is that a problem?...."

6.  Snow Removal

"With a shared space design how will snow removal be addressed?"

7.  Water Mains

"With the shared space design how will access to my property's water main supply be made?

ISSUES - General 

1.  There appeared to be a general concern among many residents who appeared confused about how the grading of the newly raised street to their property line would transition to the rear of their property.

2.  Another property owner wanted to know if that, once construction started, could he "deal" with the involved vendors to perform work on his property outside the scope of the city contract.

3.  One property owner expressed concern that the entrance to his house is already on "street level" inquiring how that would be addressed with the planned street raising.

4.  Another resident wanted to know how the access cuts in his foundation wall would be affected by the street raising.

Commissioner McCarthy closed the meeting by stating that the "Shared Space" design will proceed for West 12th Road as all residents of that block are "on board" with this new design and that those concerns and issues raised by residents of West 11th and 13th Roads would be addressed at a future meeting.

An informal survey was conducted of all residents of W11th and W13th Roads attending the meeting and, aside from those issues and concerns noted above, there was no opposition to the "Shared Space" design for their blocks.

The "Participatory Budget" Project...

On Wednesday, August 31, 2011, the W12thRd Block Association attended an informational presentation at St. Camillus in Rockaway regarding the “Participatory Budget” pilot project that will take place within our City Council District 32 via the auspices of Councilman Eric Ulrich.

Four City Council members, intrigued by experiments begun in Brazil to let ordinary citizens determine how government uses tax dollars, say they plan to allow their constituents to decide how $4 million is spent next year.

Through a process known as participatory budgeting, constituents in each of the four Council districts will be enlisted to develop and choose among proposals for local capital projects like street repairs, new parks and public artworks. The money — $1 million in each district — will come out of the council members’ discretionary funds.

Three Democrats, Brad Lander and Jumaane D. Williams of Brooklyn, and Melissa Mark-Viverito of Manhattan, and one Republican, Eric Ulrich of Queens, are taking part.

Participatory budgeting has been used for years in some Brazilian communities and is now being used in parts of Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, but the only parallel in the United States, council members say, is in Chicago. Alderman Joe Moore introduced participatory budgeting in his district in North Chicago two years ago; he said in a telephone interview that it was “easily the most popular initiative that I have ever undertaken” in 20 years on the Chicago City Council. The projects financed so far, he said, included a community garden, a dog park and murals under train underpasses
.

The approximately $1 million in discretionary funds being made available by Councilman Ulrich will solely involve capital funds (infrastructure related) and cannot be utilized as an expense funds. 

A District Committee for our CD32 area is now planning the opening round of neighborhood assemblies, which will last throughout October. 

A neighborhood assembly for Broad Channel will be scheduled during early October at which time volunteer budget delegates, selected at the assemblies, will then meet for 3-4 months to develop final budget proposals. In March 2012, residents in District 32 will vote on the proposals, and the top vote getters will be included in the city budget for 2013.

The idea of a taxpaying citizenry having a say in how their money is used is one which I believe we can all agree with. Additionally, this project provides a real means of educating ourselves regarding the process of government within the city and more specifically, the process of the budget, pursuant to the City Charter.
This project provides the residents of Broad Channel with a unique opportunity to come together as a community to...

     * Ensure that the finances of the local government  (approximately $1 million dollars of discretionary funds) are properly accounted for and thus decrease the potential for abuse by individuals both within and outside the system.

                      * To involve the community in the priority-setting and budgeting process.

      *To nurture civic engagement and educate ourselves regarding the process of local     government.

As soon as we are able to finalize the date, time and location of the October 2011 Broad Channel Neighborhood Assembly we will advise you of same.

The 9/11 "Boatlift"

Much has been written and said about September 11, 2001, on the occasion of its 10th anniversary, but one story much less known is the one about the band of boats that came together to rescue nearly 500,000 New Yorkers from the World Trade Center site on the day the towers collapsed.

It was the largest boatlift ever to have happened – greater than the one at Dunkirk during World War II. Yet somehow a story of such large scale became lost in all the rubble. But a new 10-minute documentary called Boatlift by Eddie Rosenstein captures the boat evacuations that happened on 9/11. The film is part of four new short documentaries that were created for the 9/11 Tenth Anniversary Summit in Washington, D.C.

Broad Channel Civic Association - September 2011 Newsletter

 

If you would like to receive your copy of the Broad Channel Civic Association newsletter via email simply send an email to  channelcivic@aol.com   and  put "subscribe" in the subject line.

FEMA Disaster Assistance Information

FEMA disaster assistance may include grants to help pay for rent and home repairs, replace personal property and reimburse medical, storage and other serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance or charities. Assistance may also include low-interest federal disaster loans from SBA.

Homeowners, renters and business owners can register for assistance or check the status of their registration by calling FEMA's toll-free registration line, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or by mobile device at m.fema.gov.

If the registrant has a speech disability or hearing loss and uses a TTY, call 1-800-462-7585 directly. FEMA phone lines are open from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week; multilingual operators are available.

Registering with FEMA must be done directly. Those who registered with a county disaster emergency services office must also apply with FEMA. Assistance may still be available to homeowners who have already cleaned up and made repairs.

When registering for FEMA by phone or online, have the following information ready:

The address of the affected property;

A brief description of the   damage;

A current mailing   address;

Social Security   number;

Insurance information,   including policy numbers;

A contact number or alternate   such as a cell phone or work number.

The name of declared county or   reservation where property is located.

SBA offers disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private, nonprofit organizations for their uncompensated losses. Homeowners may borrow up to $200,000 to repair or replace their primary residence. Homeowners and renters may borrow up to $40,000 to replace personal property. Businesses may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace their property damage and/or economic losses.

For additional information on SBA disaster loan assistance, call SBA at 800-659-2955, or visit www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance. Those who are deaf or hard-of- hearing may call 800-877-8339, TTY directly. Applicants may apply online using SBA's Electronic Loan Application (ELA), via SBA's secure Web site at disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

Hurricane Irene - Household Appliance Program

For Immediate Release: September 14, 2011

GOVERNOR CUOMO ANNOUNCES HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE GRANT PROGRAM FOR STORM RECOVERY

$8 Million Program Targeted to Assist Victims of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today launched an $8 million appliance grant program for those who sustained property damage as a result of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. The program will help New Yorkers cover the costs of replacing vital household appliances, such as refrigerators, boilers washing machines and furnaces, damaged by the recent flooding. Grants will be a fixed amount for different appliances and could cover up to 100 percent of the costs of a purchase. If the cost of the appliance exceeds the cap, the program will pay a portion of the total costs up to the cap.

"Our top priority is making sure those affected by these storms have the help they need to recover," Governor Cuomo said. "This program will cover the costs for critical household appliances and help New Yorkers who suffered property damage to save money as they rebuild after the storms."

The program will be administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Grants will be available for the most critical energy efficient equipment and appliances.

Residents statewide in affected areas will be eligible and must affirm that they have been impacted by Hurricane Irene or Tropical Storm Lee and that these products are not covered by insurance or FEMA assistance. For residents affected by Hurricane Irene, grants on purchases of approved appliances and equipment will be retroactive to Aug. 29, 2011, and for residents affected by Tropical Storm Lee, grants will be retroactive to Sept. 9, 2011.

Grants will be for ENERGY STAR© qualified appliances and equipment where applicable. In product categories for which there are no ENERGY STAR criteria, the higher efficiency units will be eligible for a rebate.

A list of eligible equipment and appliances and rebate levels is as follows:

Eligible Equipment & Appliances	Rebate
Refrigerators (ENERGY STAR)	$350
Clothes Washers (ENERGY STAR)	$250
Clothes Dryers w/Moisture Sensor (higher efficiency)	$250
Dehumidifiers (ENERGY STAR)	$100
Furnace (ENERGY STAR)	$2,000
Boiler (ENERGY STAR)	$2,500
Hot Water Heater Tanks (electric- higher efficiency; gas- ENERGY STAR)	$400

Purchases of appliances and equipment, with the exception of dehumidifiers, must be for replacement purposes only and purchases covered by insurance or FEMA are not eligible. Audits to verify insurance claims and/or FEMA assistance may be conducted. All grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis for completed applications, which will be available beginning Monday, September 19 at www.NYSApplianceRebates.com or by calling 1-877-NY-SMART (877-697-6278).

The grant program will continue until funding runs out.

"Love Your Block" Grant Award Availability

Foot Patrol Officer for B116th Street

September 9, 2011

"At our 100 Precinct Community Council Board meeting held Wed night I asked Captain Scott Olexa about the Police Officer (Foot Patrol) for Beach 116 Street. As of last night I received information that we will now have a Foot Patrol Officer on Beach 116 Street from 10:30 A.M. to 7 P.M. beginning  Monday September 12th. Any other information I receive I will let you all know."

Danny Ruscillo Jr.

President 100 Precinct Community Council

History of Jamaica Bay - September 25, 2011 - Fort Tilden

Flood Mitigation Project - Update

Dan Mundy Jr., President of the Broad Channel Civic Association has advised that a presentation by DOT staff and the RBA Design Group regarding the proposed "Shared Space" design proposal for West 11th, 12th and 13th Roads will be made later this month at the Civic Association meeting on Thursday evening, September 22nd starting at 7:00 pm.

Background

The "Shared Space" design proposal was initially presented to the West 12th Road Block Association and representatives of West 11th and 13th Roads by DOT and the RBA Design Group on Friday, July 22, 2011, during a meeting at the North Channel Yacht Club.

On July 26, 2011, we posted several conceptual design drawings provided by the RBA Design Group regarding the proposed "Shared Space" concept is site.

On August 3, 2011 a lengthy newsletter was printed and delivered to all residents of West 12th Road detailing specifics of the proposal and requesting feedback regarding same.

Following up on the newsletter, by mid-August it was determined that the residents of West 12th Road were all in agreement that the "Shared Space" design proposal was more than acceptable.

We then communicated all information pertaining to this "Shared Space" proposal to Chief Dan McIntyre of the Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Department who, after reviewing same, stated that he had no objections to its proposed implementation.

On August 25, 2011, Queens DOT Commisioner Maura McCarthy was advised that the residents of West 12th Road were in agreement that the "Shared Space" design proposal was both impressive and more than acceptable.

Please keep in mind that between now and January 2012 the city and the RBA Group will finalize their design profiles for West 11th and 13th Roads, complete all project designs, obtain DEC approvals and advertise bids for this contract.

In light of the above, I have to assume that the city will be looking for a definitive response regarding their proposal, one way or the other, especially from the residents of West 11th and 13th Roads. 

Special Election Results

9th Congessional District

 Republican Bob Turner has defeated his Democrat opponent, David Weprin.

23rd Assembly District

Democrat Phil Goldfeder has defeated his Republican opponent, Jane Deacy.

This Saturday, September 17th, is "Constitution Day"!

Constitution Day is an American federal observance that recognizes the adoption of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. It is observed on September 17, the day the U.S. Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution in 1787.

The law establishing the federal observance was created in 2004 with the passage of an amendment by SenatorRober t Byrd to the Omnibus spending bill of 2004. Before this law was enacted, the holiday was known as "Citizenship Day". In addition to renaming the federal observance day "Constitution Day", the act mandates that all publicly funded educational institutions provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution on that day.

 In May 2005, the United States Department of Education announced the enactment of this law and that it would apply to any school receiving federal funds of any kind.

This holiday is not observed by granting time off work for federal employees. When Constitution Day falls on a weekend or on another holiday, schools and other institutions observe the holiday on an adjacent weekday.

HISTORY

On September 17, 1787, forty-two of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention held their final meeting. Only one item of business occupied the agenda that day, to sign the Constitution of the United States of America.

Since May 25, 1787, the 55 delegates had gathered almost daily in the State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation. By the middle of June, it became apparent to the delegates that to merely amend the Articles of Confederation would not be sufficient. Instead, they would write an entirely new document designed to clearly define and separate the powers of the central government, the powers of the states, the rights of the people and how the representatives of the people should be elected.

After being signed in September of 1787, Congress sent printed copies of the Constitution to the state legislatures for ratification. In the months that followed, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay would write the Federalist Papers in support, while Patrick Henry, Elbridge Gerry, and George Mason would organize the opposition to the new Constitution. By June 21, 1788, nine states had approved the Constitution, finally forming "a more perfect Union."

At 224 years old, the Constitution is now the longest lasting, most imitated national constitution in the world. It unified the country during a time of tremendous instability by providing a stable national government over the 13 separate states. Hearkening back to the first principles of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution creates the processes through which we consider and evaluate policy questions of today. 

No matter how much we argue about the details of its meaning today, in the opinion of many, the Constitution signed in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787 represents the greatest expression of statesmanship and compromise ever written. In just four hand-written pages, the Constitution gives us no less than the owners' manual to the greatest form of government the world has ever known.

Your vote does count!

There is a special election being held today to fill Anthony Weiner's vacated 9th Congessional District seat and Audrey Pheffer's vacated 23rd Assembly District seat.

The candidiates are:

9th Congresional District

David Weprin (D)

Bob Turner (R)

23rd Assembly District

Phil Goldfeder (D)

Jane Deacy (R) 

The polls are open until 9:00 pm this evening so please make your voices heard and take a few minutes out of your busy day to vote!

Make a reservation to visit the 911 Memorial site....

An architectural model of the 911 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center is seen at the Museum's preview site in lower Manhattan in this picture taken March 10, 2011

Anyone wishing to reserve tickets online to visit the newly opened 911 Memorial site in lower Manhattan may do so here.

Goodbye Al Qadea's Rose....

As the 10th anniverary of the the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, draws to a close, I thought it only apropriate to provide a parting medley for the man who made it all possible - the recently departed (dispatched?) Osama Bin Laden!

10 years later.....

Photo by Tom Fox, Dallas Morning News

One World Trade Center (formerly known as the Freedom Tower) at Ground Zero is lit up red, white and blue for the 10th anniversary of 9/11 as it is seen with the Statue of Liberty in New York, Friday, September 9, 2011. After it's expected completion in 2013, it will be the tallest building in the United States standing at 1,776 feet. 

The "Tribute in Light" (seen above in an uncredited photo from 2008) will return this evening for one night as a tribute to all those who were lost on September 11th. The lights are located at West and Morris Streets in Lower Manhattan. The lights will be on tonight at sunset (7:12 pm) and fade away at dawn tomorrow morning (6:33 am). The lights are best seen when it is completely dark.

Tropical Storm "Maria" - Update

"Maria" is no longer forecast to become a hurricane and it will not threaten our area.

September 11th, 2001 - 10 Years Later....

As we remember that terrible day ten years ago and the thousand of lives lost,
Broad Channel remembers one of its own. 

Theresa Munson -- Terry to friends -- was a gypsy with her daughter, Christine Hayes, and her granddaughter, Kaitlyn, hitting the road to places like Walt Disney World in Florida or Pennsylvania Dutch country.

The trio temporarily disbanded with the birth of Ms. Hayes's son, Patrick, 10 months ago. When the telephone rang in the Hayeses' Houston home on Sept. 11, Patrick said "Nana," his word for his grandmother, for the first time. But it was a call reporting the collapse of 2 World Trade Center, where Ms. Munson, 54, worked as a technical assistant at Aon on the 92nd floor.
"Her whole world revolved around the three of us and my husband," said Ms. Hayes, an only child. She said Kaitlyn, 6, was devastated by the loss of her grandmother, who used to telephone twice a day from her home in Broad Channel, Queens. Ms. Hayes called her mother, who was divorced and who leaves behind her own 88-year-old mother, "a great parent and a great friend."
The above profile was published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on October 12, 2001.

Peninsula Hospital Open for Business

"Specific and Credible" Terrorist Plot?

There has been much discussion over the past 24 hours regarding a possible terrorist threat to coincide with this Sunday's 10th Anniversary of the 911 attacks.
After reading through more than 35 news articles and several federal agency websites regarding this issue I have extracted the basic facts and worked them into the below synopsis to keep you updated on this matter.

SYNOPSIS

From what I can ascertain, information regarding this threat was initially uncovered by our armed forces back in May when they raided a compound in Pakistan and killed Osama Bin  Laden.
Additionally, over the past several days the CIA has determined that "specific and credible" intelligence exists indicating that:

1.  A terrorist plot may exists involving the use of a vehicle or vehicles.

2.  Three individuals, one of whom is purported to be a United States citizen are involved.

3.  These individuals entered the United States during this past August from Pakistan.

4.  The target of this plot is New York City or Washington D.C. (or both?)

5.  The target date of the plot is to coincide (just prior to, on or just after) this Sunday's 10th Anniversary of the 911 attacks on the United States.

6.  It is believed that the source of this plot is the current leader of al Qaeda,
Ayman Al-Zawahiri, who intends "retribution" for the killing of Osama Bin Laden.

Tropical Storm Maria - Update

Maria's westward movement continues at more than 20 mph and is expected to near the Lesser Antilles and the Virgin Islands/Puerto Rico Friday through the weekend.

It is still too soon to determine if  Maria will impact any part of the east coast.

Cruise and Enjoy Jamaica Bay

JAMAICA BAY SUNSET CRUISE

Sunday, September 25 ( 4:00pm - 7:00pm)

A special 3-hour narrated tour of  Jamaica Bay aboard the “Golden Sunshine” out of Sheepshead Bay.

Meet Sunday, September 25th at 3:30pm on Pier 2 ( Emmons Ave. & Bedford Ave., Brooklyn).

Learn about the history & ecology of the bay and see migrating hawks, falcons, osprey, herons, egrets, ibis, shorebirds and waterfowl.  Leaders: Mickey Cohen, Don Riepe.  Cost: $45 includes 3-hour narrated tour of backwater marshes , wine & cheese, fruit, snacks.

To reserve, send a check for $45/person to: American Littoral Society, c/o Don Riepe, 28 West 9th Road, Broad Channel, NY11693.  For more information call (718) 318-9344 or e-mail: donriepe@gmail.com.  This is a cooperative program between Gateway National Recreation Area, NYC Audubon,  and the American Littoral Society.