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Friday, October 24, 2014

Between the Bridges in Broad Channel



Between the Bridges in Broad Channel
by 
Peter J. Mahon

Mayor de Blasio held a press conference in Broad Channel this past Monday to speak about the achievements of the city's Build It Back program thus far and his new goals for that program.  The presser was held in front of the home of John and Jayme Galimi on Cross Bay Boulevard.  Their house, demolished after being severely damaged by Sandy, is one of the few being rebuilt by the Build It Back program and it looks like the Galimi's will be back home by this Christmas.  Dan Mundy Jr., President of the Broad Channel Civic Association, attended the press conference and stated, "There is a lot that has not gone right with the program but Amy Peterson and her group have changed a lot and I think the program is getting better.

I hope Dan is right because just half a block from where the Mayor was standing in front of the almost completed Galimi home lauding the "new and improved" Build it Back program stands a vacant lot on West 12th Road that once was the home of Lenny and Sophia DeVirgilio which was also destroyed by Sandy. The DeVirgilios are among the 90% of Build it Back applicants who are still awaiting assistance from the program.  Wouldn't it have been a great public relations move if, just after talking to the Galimi family in front of their almost completed home on Cross Bay Boulevard, the Mayor had walked across the boulevard and talked about the enormous amount of work still left to be addressed by Build it Back with the Devirgilio family in front of their boarded up, still empty, lot?

But then, what do I know? 

Speaking of the Mayor, for more than a year now local area activists and elected officials have been entreating Mayor de Blasio via letters, emails, press conferences, demonstrations, petitions, etc., to develop the means to permanently fund the continued operatoin of the Rockaway/BAT Ferry Service. The Mayor responded by distancing himself from this issue and had Kyle Kimball, President of the N.Y.C. Economic Development Corporation issue various rhetorical assurances that the ferry service was being taken as, "we are evaluating costs and funding solutions....the ferry is a considerable cost that is unsustainable... the ferry has requires an operating subsidy that equates to several million dollars of added expense to the city's budget....simply raising fares is not the answer....the city must focus on fiscal responsibility, sustainability and transportation equity....while we continue to evaluate inventive ways for ferry service to continue, the key determinant will be financial responsibility and sustainability of service, given its high expense." 

Last week Mayor de Blasio, at long last, personally addressed this issue while speaking with the press in Far Rockaway.  Unfortunately his statement that the Rockaway Ferry was always deemed a temporary, interim measure, which is no longer required at the end of this month because the subways are back running at 100% essentially sounded the death knell for this much needed transportation alternative for our area.

Regarding the imminent closure of the Rockaway Ferry service, Danny Ruscillo wants everyone to know that "On Friday October 31st at 8:45 P.M. the last Ferry boat will arrive at Beach 108th street and Beach Channel Drive Ferry landing. We will be there at 8:30 pm to witness the termination of Rockaway's only form of water transportation and our total disgust at Mayor de Blasio's refusal to fund the continuation of our Ferry service. If anyone would like to join me it would be appreciated. I will be reaching out to all my media contacts in order to give this Mayor a last kick. Oh yes if coming bring a flashlight and signs since it will be dark. We will only remain at the dock no more than 30 to 45 minutes."

Rebecca Elliott is a Phd candidate in sociology at UC Berkeley.  Her dissertation examines ongoing efforts to price disaster, with an empirical focus on insurance institutions and the financial management of flood risk from rising sea levels. Rebecca's fieldwork focuses on how recent changes to flood insurance are affecting New York City.  Ms. Elliott is also currently serving as the Flood Insurance Expert for Zone A New York, a non profit organization helping to rebuild, relocate and return people to their homes after Hurricane Sandy. She is very interested in talking to residents of Broad Channel and neighboring areas about their experiences dealing with flood insurance following Sandy as well as the recent changes to flood maps and to the National Flood Insurance Program. Rebecca will be in New York through November 6th.  If you are interested in participating in her research she can be reached via email at rfelliott@berkeley.edu or by calling 703.927.0283

Verizon is busy on W12thRd installing new utility poles and relocating service equipment from the old poles which will be removed. These utility pole relocations are necessary to accomodate the new raised street and shared space design which will take place after new bulkheads are installed on W11th, 12th and 13th Roads. 

Back in 1983 the New York Post ran a headline "Headless Body Found in Topless Bar!"  As soon as I saw that headline I knew it was a keeper and I managed to safeguard a copy of that paper's edition for some 29 years until Sandy stole it.  Earlier this week I came across a headline from a Times Ledger story, dated October 12th, which proclaimed: "Dead Man Found Unconscious in Corona by NYPD!Yep...another keeper! The headline left me scratching my head wondering whether they dropped him off at the E.R. or the morgue?

Broad Channel - why would anyone want to live anywhere else?
Contact information: email - rtbetweenthebridges@gmail.com or: call or text: 347-226-1293

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