January 15 2023
below is a copy of a letter the Civic Association has sent to the Commissioner of NYC DOT imploring his agency to install a red light camera at the corner of 17th road and Crossbay Boulevard to address the dangerous condition of motorists running red lights blatantly every day.
BROAD CHANNEL CIVIC. ASSOCIATION
September 22, 2022
Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez
As President of the Broad Channel Civic Association I am writing to you today to request that your agency relocate one of the low performing red light cameras from somewhere within the city to Broad Channel specifically to the intersection of 17th Rd. and Crossbay Boulevard (in the northbound direction). Our community is requesting this due to grave concerns we have for pedestrian safety on Crossbay Boulevard and in particular red light traffic infractions noted and the potential for a deadly pedestrian accident.
Over the course of the last 10 years the Rockaway peninsula has seen a great increase in both visitors as well as residents due to new homes on the Rockaway Peninsula and this has resulted in increased traffic on Crossbay Boulevard as it is the primary route to the rest of queens. Over the last five years our community has seen a big increase in complaints from residents of vehicles going thru red lights on a constant basis. We have had two pedestrians struck within the last month by vehicles on cross bay boulevard and this location (17th road) was the site of one of these occurrences. In addition, this location is the central crossing point for town residents as it is the location of our only library, our city park, and school bus drop off location. Residents have come to our Civic organization meetings discussing the multiple near misses involving children crossing at this location as motorist drive directly through red lights. We have a reduced NYPD presence in this area as ours is an island community which does not have a dedicated NYPD sector car, but rather we split the police sector with the mainland on Rockaway. In addition, due to the low crime in this location NYPD presence is rare and that seems noted by the motorists who do not seem to fear enforcement action and regularly speed thru the red lights.
We met last week at this location with Councilwoman Ariolla, Assemblywoman Amato, town civic representatives, representatives from DOT ( Albert Silvestri and Jason Banrey ) and NYPD. All agreed that a red-light camera at this location would serve as the greatest deterrent and It was readily apparent to all those in attendance the need for this as in the short time that we were on site five motorists went directly through red lights in our presence.
We have many testimonials from residents given at our town civic meetings of the close calls that they have witnessed, many involving children, and we urge you to take this action to avoid a tragedy that many feel will occur based on the current conditions. I hope you can assist us and thank you for your consideration of our request.
Sincerely,
Dan Mundy Jr President –Broad Channel Civic Association
__________________________________________
January 10 2023
The New Army Corps of Engineers plan for storm Resiliency ( the HATS STUDY) has a surge barrier gate for Jamaica Bay and a host of projects for Broad Channel for smaller storms. The Entire plan can be seen here
https://www.nan.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Projects-in-New-York/New-York-New-Jersey-Harbor-Tributaries-Focus-Area-Feasibility-Study/
and here are a few pictures of these proposals
PS 47 NEW SCHOOL ZOOM Meeting- December 8th at 6:30 pm. join the meeting to get in on the design discussion and ideas you would like to see incorporated. The meeting will also address the deconstruction project and the impact and timeframes. If interested in joining the meeting the link to join is HERE
BROAD CHANNEL CIVIC ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
| A Publication of the Broad Channel Civic Association |
September 2020 NEWSLETTER
CIVIC MEETING IS THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 24TH AT 7PM AT THE VFW
President’s Message
We continue to remember all those Broad Channel Residents lost to COVID-19. They were each such an integral part of this community and we pray for their families during this difficult time.
Between this horrible pandemic and the social unrest and increase in violent crime it is notable how unique this island community is. It seems to be an island in more than one way, certainly in the geographical sense, but also one that is somewhat distant from the turbulence of the current violence that we see each night on the TV. It is great to see neighbors looking out for each other and so many people enjoying the natural beauty that surrounds this place. This summer has seen more people out enjoying the Bay than in many years and for that we can be grateful.
We are holding our first Civic Meeting, since March, on September 24th at the VFW at 7 PM. Masks will be required, and we will be socially distancing the seating. We are hoping to be able to update everyone on the many things going on over the last few months.
The agenda is as follows:
Pledge of Allegiance
Comments from our Elected Officials
NYPD Update
Treasurers Report
Committee Reports
- BCAC
- New School
- 100 PCT
- Community Board 14
- Jamaica Bay
- Historical
- Volunteer Fire Department
- NY Risisng
- Street Raising
- Newsletter
- BC Public Safety
- Parks
Old Business
New Business
Adjourn
***Reminder –The Civic Association Newsletter is now electronically sent online. Anyone interested in receiving can sign up by clicking on this link and enter your email to receive the newsletter. https://mailchi.mp/433a862e2958/broad-channel-civic
The following will be discussed at the Civic meeting in greater detail but here are some details on some of the issues the Civic Association has been working on
- Street Raising Phase one has been completed and is really a great asset to our town. These streets look great, no longer flood, have new water mains, sewers lines and storm drains and legal parking on both sides of the street.
- Street Raising Phase 2 is moving forward with construction starting as we speak. The Civic Association worked extremely hard during the Spring to get the project approved and the Notice to Proceed issued as we anticipated (correctly) the impact that COVID-19 was going to have on all City projects. Our elected officials, Senator Addabbo, Assemblywoman Amato and Councilman Ulrich were critical in pushing to achieve this. The project will see one block at a time constructed taking approximately 10 months per block. There will be parking restrictions at times and we will post all such impacts on the Broad Channel Civic Facebook Page.
- The new Protected Bike lanes have been installed, from 6th Road to 1st Road. This project was part of a citywide initiative after multiple cyclist deaths around the City. The initial DOT plan was to place protected bike lanes through the entire town and to see a large loss of parking spots. The Civic Association worked to modify the project and reduce the loss of parking spots as well as to have DOT agree to NOT place the lanes all the way thru the town as we are still using the center median for parking as a result of the continued street raising work and the parking restrictions on those side streets. At this time the protected bike lanes are installed and there is a much safer bike route for our children as they bike from town to the BCAC field or to the multi-use pathway adjacent to the bird sanctuary.
- The Children of PS 47 are starting school (blended learning /part-time) at the old school at this time. The old Stella Maris High School has not been completed in terms of the necessary work required in order for our children to attend due to work restrictions due to COVID. We have been told by NYC DOE Schools Facilities personnel that this school will be made ready and that when it is completed it has been slated for the PS 47 children to use during the construction of the new school. We have been assured that the funding for our school is in place but at this time no funds for any projects in the City that were not underway have been released by OMB as the City tries to balance the budget amid the loss of revenue it has sustained due to COVID-19.
- The OMB spending freeze has also affected our funded and designed makeover of the 17th Road Park. We have been told that City Parks is awaiting the release of the funds in order to put the bid out for the work that. We cannot get a clear answer as to when the OMB freeze will be lifted.
- The Remaining three GOSR (Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery) projects in Broad Channel are moving forward. The American Legion is close to completion. This project will see the building receive a new roof, new floors, new HVAC and generator and flood proof doors. The BCAC new storage building above flood plain height is ready to break ground and the Sunset Cove phase 2 boardwalk is ready to see permits submitted and then City legal review and hopefully out to bid soon.
We want to thank Senator Addabbo and Assemblywoman Amato for once again passing legislation that would protect Jamaica Bay from any attempts to place any fill into these water ways which is contaminated. The bill will go to the Governor for signature as it did last year when he vetoed it.
Quote of the Month – “Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.” ~ George S. Patton
Respectfully submitted,
Dan Mundy Jr.
***************************************
The Flag will fly in October for
Martin F. and Francis Gronachan,
US Army, WWII
BROAD CHANNEL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT.
The BCVFD has started going door to door to complete our fund drive sweep of the town. We had postponed this from April as COVID numbers at that time were too high. Numbers are low enough to allow door to door and our members are practiced in wearing masks and social distancing. We have been visiting our neighbors for the past few weekends and those who wish can donate via our Facebook page with PayPal or you can contact us for other electronic transfer mediums if you wish. Checks can always be mailed or dropped off at the Firehouse.
Mardi Gras fund raising was severely curtailed this summer as no in person events could be planned including canceling the Labor Day Parade. Needless to say our income stream was devastated and our online efforts only kept our heads above water. We are planning to conduct a fifty dollar 50-50, which will be drawn in December. Tickets will be available for purchase online and by phone. Details of the drawing will be posted shortly on our Facebook page.
We are pleased to announce that a few residents have stepped forward to volunteer their time but we are still in need of more of you. Membership is the largest obstacle we face as an Emergency Response organization. Wednesday evenings are open firehouse night; please stop by to find out how you can help.
Our Junior Department has 17 members and we hope to grow larger and our newly formed Auxiliary was established for those who wish to help but do not have the time to undertake the training of operational personnel. If you are a former member wishing to help out but family and time don’t allow active membership the Auxiliary is a great fit where your fund raising and organizing skills can be put to good use.
CHRIST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BY THE SEA
Christ Presbyterian Church has resumed selling their chance tickets for the $5,000 Giveaway. Due to COVID we stopped selling the tickets but have now resumed and the drawing will be in late November or early December just in time for the Holidays. If you wish to purchase tickets you can call Joyce 718-479-3580, Donny 347-703-3600 or Monique 718-490-8570. We will get the tickets to you. Thank you for all your support!
“More than ever before we need to let one another know how much we care about each other. We need to be uplifting, loving and encouraging. Visit or call a neighbor who you know is alone, especially the elderly. Here’s something you can do yourself or as a family. Start painting some “Happy Rocks.” Collect a few rocks and paint some encouraging sentiments and/or words on them. Examples being things like ‘Hang In There!”; “We’re In This Together”; “God Loves You”; “I Care About You”; “Faith Over Fear,” “Never Give Up.” You get the idea. It can even be just one word like, Hope, Community, Love, Share, Relax, Sunshine, Encourage, etc. There are so many things we can say to uplift someone, and it just might be the very thing they need to hear that particular day. After you paint your rock, leave it where someone will find it, like near a front door, in a mailbox, by a bus stop or even create a path of stones near your house with a sign for people to “Pick One.” After that, you can keep it or pass it on to another place in town. Let’s see how many people will join the “Happy Rock Project.” Thanks for caring, Joanne Eckert.”
ST. VIRGILIUS & ST. CAMILLUS CHURCH
St. Camillus – St. Virgilius RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM: ALL classes will be done by remote learning. Our catechists will serve as MENTORS for the parents and students. We will provide electronic textbooks and access to the Sadlier Religion Portal for remote learning. Catechists will introduce the lesson each week via ZOOM (30 minutes). Students will be able to use the Sadlier Portal for their lesson with the assistance of their family. A meeting to explain the program for ALL FAMILIES will be held on Monday, September 28th at 7PM. Families will have THREE (3) options to attend the meeting: 1) In-Person – by attending at ST. CAMILLUS CHURCH 2) On-line – by going to www.stcstv.com/livestream 3) Recorded – The meeting can be viewed at your convenience at www.stcstv.com. For questions, please contact Msgr. Richard Ahlemeyer at 718-634-8229. Please register or re-register at www.stcstv.com.
SUNDAY MASS: Saturday Mass at 4PM and Sunday Mass at 10AM have resumed at St. Virgilius Church.
BAPTISMS: Please call Msgr. Richard Ahlemeyer at 718-634-8229.
MEMORIAL MASSES: Please call Msgr. Richard Ahlemeyer at 718-634-8229.
PARISH CENTER @ ST. VIRGILIUS: Demolition of the two School Buildings is underway.
| Material for the next newsletter is due by Oct. 10, 2020. |
BROAD CHANNEL CIVIC ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
A Publication of the Broad Channel Civic Association
October 2019 Vol. 32 No. 10
CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEETING @VFW Hall –
Shad Creek Road – 7:00 PM on October 24, 2019
This issue of the Newsletter is sponsored by John C. Spataro.
President’s Message
Our Civic Meeting for October will be held on October 24th at 7PM and we will be back to our normal location at the VFW Hall (last month’s meeting was at the American Legion Hall). Come down and find out what is going on in your town!
Last month’s Civic meeting saw a unanimous resolution passed to support the plan, presented by Commissioner Grillo of the School Construction Authority, to build a new school building at the site of the current PS 47 School. This is an amazing opportunity for this town to see a state-of-the-art school constructed for our children. Finally, we will have the facilities and amenities that all other schools have and that were not available at the current school. The Principal and teachers have done on outstanding job in making the small space work. It was moving to hear one of the teachers speak to how they would use every square space of the building, including closets, in order to create learning space and how excited they were at the prospect of a brand-new school for the Broad Channel Community. This school will be a fantastic asset to this town and the tens of millions of dollars that it will cost will ensure that we will have a school on this island for decades to come.This opportunity could not have happened without the tremendous support of Senator Joe Addabbo and Councilman Eric Ulrich. They worked tirelessly to make the case that our current school had been used far beyond its anticipated life span, had inadequate space, had none of the facilities (lunch room, gym, computer labs, etc.) that all schools have and that it needed to be included in the current budget for the next five years for new schools. This also would not have been possible without the hard work of the Parents Association and their New Building Committee and in particular Sabrina Gross who led this effort. Principal Lorenz has been outstanding in her efforts on this issue as well. Finally, we owe a big thank you to Commissioner Grillo who not only heard and agreed with the concerns and authorized this plan but who also devised a way to ensure that the children who will be in PS 47 at the time the construction begins will be able to go, with transportation provided, to Stella Maris High school which will be used solely for the PS 47 children during the interim period of construction of the new school and that the entire construction time period will be 24-30 months.
The New York Rising Projects have been a major challenge.The Committee has met with the new administrators of the program to get an update. Assemblywoman Amato and Dan Brown, from Borough Presidents office, have been extremely helpful in pushing the Governor’s officeto get directly involved in this program. On the positive side that intervention has led to the program accepting the bids for the new storage building that will be built at the BCAC field and the total retrofitting of the American Legion Hall. The BCAC will see a new building 20 by 40 foot built above flood plain so that the equipment and other valuables of the organization will be out of harm’s way in the event of another Sandy type event. The American Legion Hall will see the building fit with flood proof doors, new roof, new floor and new generator and heating system and will make it an asset in the event of another hurricane. An asset that will allow us to use as a resource center and one that will not be affected by the flood waters or the loss of electricity. On the frustration side – The NY Rising projects for East12th Road and for Lanark Road have hit major problems and Assemblywoman Amato has requested that the Governor’s office remove the red tape hurdles and allocate more funding to ensure that these two projects get completed.
Unfortunately, and tragically on October 13th a 65-year-old man who was bicycling thru town, heading northbound at East 4th Road, was struck and killed by a motorist.This tragedy highlights the Civics concerns about the safety of CrossBay Boulevard and we have asked DOT to install a speed clock, in addition to the speed camera that was installed, and they have agreed. The 100th Precinct has had officers enforcing speed and red light violators. We hope it will all make a difference. Still seems as some drivers passing through feel they can run the red lights and speed through the town putting locals at risk. The East 1st Road location needs a traffic light installed and we will work with the BCAC and our elected officials to try to make this happen.
Once again, this year Broad Channel will host the FDNY Turkey Trot 5k fun run.This is the oldest FDNY run as it has been held continuously for over 40 years. The run will be hosted by the BCAC and sign-up will be at their field headquarters on November 26th at 10AM. The run will follow the same course as last year, heading north on CrossBay (the NYPD will be blocking traffic for the runners) and will turn at the Addabbo Bridge and then head back south on the protected bike trail ending by the entrance to the BCAC field. It is a great day with food and drinks and a post run party. The turnout has been fantastic every year and we expect the same again this year. Come down and run off the calories you are going to put on two days later at the Thanksgiving table!
Quote of the Month –“In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” ——– Albert Einstein
Respectfully submitted, —–Dan Mundy Jr.
____________________________________________
The Flag will fly in November for Hugh F. McEneaney, US Navy, WWII
The Flag will fly in December for Charles Frank, Jr., US Army, WWII
____________________________________________
ST. VIRGILIUS / ST. CAMILLUS
ST. VIRGILIUS CHURCH: Memorial Mass for all who died in the past year will be celebrated on SUNDAY, November 3rd at 10AM. All are welcome.
CHRISTMAS BOUTIQUE: Vendors are needed for the annual Christmas Boutique on Saturday, December 14th (11AM to 7PM) and Sunday, December 15th (9AM to 4PM). The Boutique is sponsored by the parish of St. Camillus – St. Virgilius and will take place in Springman Hall @ St. Camillus, 180 Beach 100th Street. Please call 718-634-8229 for information and table reservations.
HOLY DAY: ALL SAINTS: Friday, November 1st. Masses will be celebrated in St. Virgilius Church at 10AM & 7:30PM.
ST. VIRGILIUS SENIOR CITIZENS’ CLUB meets on Thursday afternoons at 12:30PM in the American Legion Hall.
2020 BROAD CHANNEL HISTORICAL CALENDAR
Get your copy for $5 (still) at Bagels & Barista, at Civic meetings, or from members of the historical committee.
____________________________________________
GLIMPSE OF THE PAST
The following are reminiscences from Muriel Stemmann (2011). In Old Broad Channel 60-70 years ago…and Beyond!
Why! I could walk down the boulevard, then Jamaica Bay Boulevard, all sand, and say hello to everyone. Now, forget it. All new people, or perhaps grandchildren or great-grandchildren of the people I remember. Some of them even have the same names. Regardless, I’m still here in the old homestead or “Boathouse” that my Dad, William, and his two brothers, Charles and Arthur, built on the boulevard in 1898 and completed in 1900.
Baptized, confirmed, and married in the same church, Christ Church, on Noel Road by Bishop Arthur Brooks, pastor. And I’m in pretty good shape for my age, 90 in January. And I don’t know how I got so old so fast.
We had the greatest drug store, Whalen’s, run by Dan O’Sullivan and his wife. Frank O’Sullivan or Bill Morris would fill your prescriptions while old Frank, a retired Borden’s milkman, would whip you up a strawberry float while you waited at the soda fountain.
Across the way was Gus Colberg’s Hardware Store. If you needed anything for the home, they had it. To get new soles on your shoes, you went to Mr. Minnie, the shoe repair man; or to John Goetke, the tailor, to shorten your skirt. On the other corner of West 10th Road was Hans Glass, the baker, to get the best lemon meringue pie you ever tasted. Across from him was Dr. Louie Granierer; if you wanted to get better, you saw him. We also had Bohack’s, an A&P, Segerdell’s dry goods; Dick Soliday and Ed Smith, fine meats; Rossi’s for fruit and veggies, Behr’s deli, a cleaner’s and even a liquor store. But two guys stopped in for Lotto tickets and robbed the liquor store and that was the end of that. Also, there was Bob Berry, my nephew, the TV repair man.
Do you remember Gus Brudermann who owned a restaurant between East 19th and 20th Roads on the boulevard? It was called Gus’s and later sold and renamed Harvey’s. Charlie Phillips rented the back room and called it The Bay Club. Maxi’s was on the corner of East 16th Road (now a bus stop and playground); it had two gas pumps out front and was sort of a grocery. They had Breyer’s ice cream by the quart and that was some quart – Yum Yum!
Over on Channel Road in back was Hartell’s Grassy Point. Stop for a slug of booze or a bottle of beer, even during the Depression, if you had a nickel to spare. Down the boulevard a bit was Broad Channel Baths. Don’t forget to take a dip, weather permitting, or a ride on the merry-go-round. And stop on the way home at Weiss’ for a hamburger or at Sun Toy’s for a chow Mein sandwich for 35 cents.
Down at the north end of the Channel at 1st Road, have Bud fix your flat at Demerest and Stenson’s Shell garage. And I nearly forgot the old Enterprise Hotel owned by Eugene and Ruth Bollermann over by the Long Island Railroad station. Their daughter Ruthie was my sister-in-law. (And be very careful whom you talk to in Broad Channel; they may be a relative.
Then there is Noonan’s Inn on East 9th Road, the Brown Derby at the end of West 10th Road, Mauro’s Channel Inn by the Sluice (knocked down when they widened the boulevard in ’36), or Moran’s dance hall that stood for years.
Or take a day off and go to the Cross Bay Movie on Liberty Avenue or The Park at 116th Street in Rock Park to see Burgess Meredith and Betty Fields in “Of Mice and Men” or Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney in “Boy’s Town” or even Marie Dressler and Wallace Beery in “Tugboat Annie.”
But there are a couple of things I shall never forget – the old outhouse out back or the coal stove in the kitchen. And the memories shall always remain. You sure didn’t have to go out of Broad Channel for anything. We had it all – right here. I wonder if there is anyone left who remembers these places. I’d like to know.
P.S. My grandpa, Mickey Finn, was sports editor for the Daily Sun ‘till he drank himself to death.
Broad Channel Civic Association
Broad Channel, NY 11693
President ——————— Dan Mundy Jr.
Vice President —————— James Harper
Treasurer ———————- Tracey Harper
Recording Secretary ——— Kathleen Lawless
Corresponding Secretary —- Kat Lawless
Sergeant at Arms ————- Leo Chevanne
Trustees ————————- Dan Mundy Sr.,
John McCambridge Jr., Dan McIntyre
Material for the next newsletter is due by Nov. 10th.
________________________________________________________________________________________
BROAD CHANNEL CIVIC ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER for September 2019
A Publication of the Broad Channel Civic Association
September 2019 Vol. 32 No. 9
CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEETING American Legion Hall–209
CrossBay Blvd. – 7:00 PM September 26, 2019
This issue of the Newsletter is sponsored by Judy Zack.
President’s Message
Hope everyone had a great Summer! The weather was certainly great during July and August. As usual in Broad Channel, the end of the Summer was marked by the Mardi Gras festivities and the Parade. The BCAC did an outstanding job with the Mardi Gras, which is a tremendous undertaking. A big THANK YOU to all who helped out! The Parade floats this year were really amazing and it was obvious that a lot of work went into creating them. It was great that the rain held off and we were all able to enjoy it. While the Civic Association did not meet during the summer, we have been extremely busy and below are some quick notes on what is going on and which we will discuss in greater detail at the meeting.
The Civic Meeting will be held on Thursday, September 26th at 7 PM. It will NOT be held in the VFW Hall, but this particular meeting will be held at the American Legion Hallas we have quite a number of presentations that will generate interest and want to ensure adequate space.
The big topic for this meeting will be the presentation by the School Construction Authority of the plan for a brand new school building for P.S. 47. This is an amazing opportunity that the Civic Association and the P.S. 47 Parents Association have been working on with Senator Adadbbo and Councilman Ulrich and which has suddenly been fast tracked due to their hard work, and a window of opportunity to get approved for inclusion in the current five- year school construction funding plan. We will have a full presentation followed by a Q & A after.
As I write this on the Anniversary of 9/11, I want to thank Assemblywoman Amato and Senator Addabbo for their efforts to get the 9/11 bill in Albany passed. The Civic Association was involved in the original concept for this and due to their efforts there will now be a moment of silence in all schools in NY to recognize the significance of this day.
Councilman Ulrich has procured major funding – (2.1 million dollars), to pave all of CrossBay Boulevard (both sides)from the Addabbo Bridge down to 6th Road. This area has not been paved in decades and it shows. With pot holes and depressions, the surface is in very bad condition and this will be a big improvement when completed. We will have time frames for completion at the Civic meeting. It will be great to have a new roadway leading into our town!
On August 21st a ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the site of the new Sunset Cove Parkand the area looks great. Over the summer community volunteers came out to help plant the wetlands and many of our residents participated. The help was greatly appreciated and the volunteers, many who brought their children, all said it was a great experience. Phase two will be going out for bid soon and it will see a beautiful boardwalk built out over the wetlands, which will offer amazing views and an outdoor learning area. Borough President Melinda Katz has allocated an additional 2 million dollars for the construction of this boardwalk. She had previously allocated 1.2 million for the project which will be added to the $500,000 from NY Rising and the combined $300,000 from Assemblywoman Amato and Senator Addabbo.
Immediately adjacent to Sunset Cove is the American Ballfields. The area that is blacktopped has no value to the park other than for the seagulls to break their shells on. The participatory budget committee, including Leo Chavanne and Jim Harper, had identified it for P.B. funding a few years ago. The problem was that once put to Parks for an estimate it came back at almost $600,000 to remove. This made it difficult as that amount of funding had not been procured. We are very excited to announce that not only will the blacktop be removed but that we will be getting a new turf baseball field in this location due to an additional three million dollars in funding that City Council Speaker Corey Johnson has agreed to earmark for this.Councilman Ulrich had approached Speaker Johnson to request that he consider funding this and the Speaker has allocated three million dollars in this current budget which will cover the full cost of blacktop removal and new ball field. This will be a huge asset as the fields are at a premium and this new field will be state of the art!
The Civic Association has gone to an electronic format for our newsletter.There will no longer be a hard copy of our newsletter. We have a very simplified sign up format where all someone has to do is go to this link (which is up on our Facebook site) and enter their email and they are automatically signed up. The link is —https://mailchi.mp/433a862e2958/broad-channel-civic.
Street Raising Phase -1is almost completed and at our last meeting at the Borough Presidents’ office we were told that all work including punch-lists would be completed by November. We expect to have a representative at the Civic meeting to give a report.
Street Raising Phase -2is out for bid and we expect work to start on West 14th Road in late Spring 2020. ConEd and Verizon are out contacting homeowners now in anticipation of moving the poles in the Fall to be ahead of the actual work which would be an improvement in terms of time frame and impact compared to Phase 1.
“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”—-Warren Buffet
Respectfully submitted,—-Dan Mundy Jr.
The Flag is flying in October for
Thomas (Butchie) Monaghan,
US Navy, Vietnam
ST. VIRGILIUS / ST. CAMILLUS
ST. VIRGILIUS SENIOR CITIZENSmeets every Thursday at 12:30 PM in the American Legion Hall, Broad Channel.
CCD / RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM:Classes have begun. Levels 1-3 & 7-1 meet on Tuesday afternoons from 3:30 PM to 5 PM at St. Camillus. Levels 4-8 meet on Wednesday Afternoons from 3:30 PM to 5 PM at St. Camillus. Call 718-634-8229 or visit our website at www.stcstv.com to register. Please do not delay. Every Catholic child who attends Public School is encouraged to enroll. There is no fee.
INTRAMURAL BASKETBALL PROGRAM:Registration for the in-house intramural Basketball Program at St. Camillus Springman Hall is now underway. The Mini-Basketball Program (Kindergarten to Grade 3) play on Saturday mornings. Girls’ Intramural BB (Grades 4-8) play on Wednesday nights. Boys’ Intramural BB (Grades 4-8) play Wednesday & Thursday. Registration is $75.00 for the first child and $10for siblings. Games begin in November and end in Mid-February with Championship Games. Registration will take place in Springman Hall, 180 Beach 100 Street from 7 PM to 8:30PM on the following dates: Tuesday, September 24; Thursday, September 26 and Wednesday, October 2. Our CYO BOYS’ & GIRLS’ teams (grades 2-8) have begun practice. There are still a few roster spaces available. Ask to speak with Jill.
CHRISTMAS BOUTIQUE:St. Camillus will hold a Christmas Boutique in Springman Hall of Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15. Vendors are welcome. Please call 718-634-8229 for information.
ST. VIRGILIUS PARISH CENTER UPDATE:Permits are being issued for the demolition of the two school buildings. Bids are being accepted for demolition and construction. Interested companies should contact Scott Press at Tobin Parnes Design, 233 Broadway, Suite 2440, NYC, NY 10279. Telephone: 212-462-4200. Bids are ready for release for demolition and construction.
ST. VIRGILIUS NEW LIFE CHOIR: The Choir has begun practicing on Wednesday evenings at 7 PM in St. Virgilius Church. New members are most welcome. Come to rehearsal or speak with Doris Dady.
AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY
Tickets Now Available for American Legion Auxiliary 7th Annual Halloween Party. Saturday, October 26th from 8-12AM. $25.00 per person, music by DJ @ Works, cash bar, prizes for best costumes. 50/50’s. For tickets call: Carol @
917-930-0546, Janet @ 718-483-3811 or Margaret Mary @ 917-751-3698. Proceeds to further Veterans Programs. Reserve you table now!
GLIMPSE OF THE PAST
Information for this column was adapted from material provided by the late Joe Carey.
The Broad Channel station of the Long Island Rail Road was built on filled in ground on the east side of the island and extended from 6th Road to 8th Road. Hotels and dance pavilions that were built on both sides of the tracks made the area the entertainment center of town. At the southern end of the station was a baggage house, while on the northern end were a switch and a freight car siding capable of handling five cars. (On the siding site today stands the subway power substation.) The waiting room for the Rockaway bound passengers was located in the center of the station at Noel Road. Also situated here was the two-flight wooden bridge that spanned the tracks providing crossover to the New York bound tracks and another waiting room. At the extreme southern end of the station was a wooden board for crossing under the tracks at low tide. Later, this walkway would be replaced with a walled, concrete enclosure which could be used at any tide. The only drawback was that it had to be drained after a heavy rain. On the New York bound side of the station were three hotels, the Broad Channel Yacht Club, and five bungalows. During Prohibition, the Atlantic Hotel, the Enterprise Hotel, and the Delevan House served alcoholic beverages and meals, especially family Sunday dinners. The Atlantic Hotel, operated by John Lorenz, was an active establishment right up to the 1940s and did a brisk family business on weekends. The Enterprise, a two-story structure, was more or less populated by fishermen, both local and otherwise. The Delevan House, consisting of three buildings on pilings over the bay, was run by Lulu Benzinger and her nieces who spent the summer in Broad Channel waiting on tables. Being situated in the station proper, it was entered from the station area, into the bar which contained a soda fountain. The Delevan House had a large deck area with a kiosk and a ramp leading to a float used as a landing area for unloading supplies from Rockaway. One of its buildings contained a pool table and a coin-operated mechanical bowling alley. The Broad Channel Yacht Club, similar in structure to the present day Anabas Boat Club, was a very active organization, conducting annual power boat regattas and participating in skeet shooting competitions on its own range.
Broad Channel Civic Association
President ——————— Dan Mundy Jr. Vice President —————— James Harper
Treasurer ———————- Tracey Harper Recording Secretary ——— Kathleen Lawless
Corresponding Secretary —- Kat Lawless Sergeant at Arms ————- Leo Chevanne
Trustees ————————- Dan Mundy Sr.,
John McCambridge
Material for the next newsletter is due by Oct. 10th.
September 12 2019
September 26thCivic Meeting Agenda
- Report from Elected Officials
- Report from NYPD
- Update on Street Raising Project Phase 1
- Presentation By School Construction Authority on New School Building for PS 47
- HPD Update on the YEP (Yard Expansion Program)
- Build it Back Update –Rudy Giuliani
We will be holding this meeting at 7pm at the American Legion hall ( change from our normal location at the vfw)
We have a very full agenda and will start promptly at 7 pm
______________________________________________________________________________
May’s President’s Message
The May Civic meeting will be held on Thursday, May 23rd at 7PM at the VFW Hall.
The Civic Association has met this past week with members of the NY Rising Board and representatives from the Governor’s office to identify delays with the NY Rising projects and to seek ways to move forward the five projects that have been approved and designed. Assemblywoman Amato, Senator Addabbo and Dan Brown from Melinda Katz office have been extremely helpful in making this meeting happen and in demanding timelines and accountability from the program. We will give an update on the projects at the Civic Meeting.
The Jamaica Bay Task Force meeting held on May 9th was very successful. The meeting was well attended, and the presentations were extremely informative and covered a range of different topics all affecting Jamaica Bay. We are experiencing a number of very positive developments and project’s that are all having a very positive impact on Jamaica Bay. If you were unable to attend the meeting …..