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• LITTLE NECK LEDGER
• WHITESTONE TIMES
July 17-July 23, 2020
Beechhurst resident claims rafting boats, loud
music are disrupting waterfront community
PROTESTS CLASH IN BAYSIDE
A pro-police demonstration was met with a Black Lives Matter counter-protest in Bayside on July
12. See story on Page 2. Photo by Dean Moses
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Irene Bernstein-Pechmèze
is fed up with the nightly recurring
loud music from boat
passengers that she says is deteriorating
the quality-of-life
for residents who live along
the waterfront in Beechhurst.
“There are a varying number
of boats out there and it
usually starts at around 6 p.m.
and they raft up — many of
them with their own jet skis
on board — and it’s a flight of
the bumble bees for hours,”
Pechmèze said. “I understand
from the harbor police that
that kind of personal watercraft
device is illegal after
sunset, but they don’t care.
You can even hear the loud
booming music while the air
conditioner is on and it’s mind
boggling.”
According to Pechmèze,
the nightly rafting of boats
on Little Neck Bay opposite
of Le Havre Co-ops at 168-01
12th Ave. in Beechhurst have
become a public nuisance for
residents whose apartments
face the Throgs Neck Bridge
along the waterfront.
“It’s just a wonderful place
to live — until now,” said Pechmèze,
who left town for a few
is it close to 6 p.m. and are the
boats out there again? I can’t
even sit outside in the evening
and read a book because
they’re out there.”
Overly frustrated, Pechmèze
decided to take action by
making phone calls to 311, the
US Coast Guard, NYPD 109th
Precinct, NYPD Harbor Unit,
filing a complaint with the
mayor’s office, Senator John
Liu and Councilmember Paul
Vallone’s office.
“The 311 operator insisted
that he needed a ‘street address’
to report the incident,”
Pechmèze said. “It was difficult
to convince him that the
noise in question was not coming
from a street location but
from the middle of Little Neck
Bay.”
days to get some peace and
quiet. “The stress of waiting —
Pechmèze’s complaints
Vol. 86 No. 29 32 total pages
were also forwarded to the
NYC Department of Environmental
Protection to no avail,
she said.
Although the NYPD 109th
Precinct was able to get the
Harbor Unit to show up and
disperse the boats one night,
it didn’t stop the party from
returning the following night
and every night thereafter,
Pechmèze said.
When Pechmèze contacted
the precinct’s NCOs yet again,
requesting them to contact the
Harbor Police to disperse the
boats, she was told, “We have
no phone number for the Harbor
Police.”
“If you google the NYC
Harbor Police, the phone number
is there… If I can find the
phone number, the officer can
too,” Pechmèze said.
While Pechmèze has been
making phone calls reporting
the illegal boating activity,
her neighbors have expressed
gratitude for her efforts in
spearheading the uprising
against the matter which has
never been the case before, she
said.
“The board and residents
are appreciative of Irene’s efforts
to deal with this,” said
Margaret Costello, general
manager of Le Havre Owners
Corporation. “She has been
on this every night because
she experiences the noise first
hand. She’s been diligent and
constantly working and she
receives credit for the time she
puts in.”
Though Costello doesn’t
live in the building along
the waterfront, she has made
calls to the precinct as well
to help bring some relief to
residents.
Read more on QNS.com.
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