Message from Councilman Mark Gjonaj
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, O 90 CTOBER 11-17, 2019 BTR
COUNCILMAN MARK GJONAJ
BY GEORGE HAVRANEK
The current political climate
enforces the importance
of a unifi ed civic association.
Unpopular occurrences in
nearby communities are reminders
that seemingly resolved
issues will resurface.
Bus redesigns, overdevelopment,
road diets and unwarranted
‘service’ facilities are
among reemerging issues that
are troubling various communities.
In the past, community
unifi cation and political
support has helped the Spencer
Estate community Association
stave off adversity
and fulfi ll community needs.
The following is a reminder of
such occurrences:
• Park Gate Access Project
called for an access gate to
Pelham Bay Park on Watt Avenue.
In addition, bench-gathering
areas in the vicinity of
Bayshore and Watt avenues
were included in the original
plans. Denied
• Multiple attempts to open
a liquor store on Ampere Avenue
with hours of operation
that were detrimental to our
neighborhood characteristic
and lifestyle. Denied
• Brazen attempts to rezone
segments of our community
that would encourage over-development
and alter the landscape
of our neighborhood Denied
• The placement of speed
humps on Middletown Road,
the non-bus route sections of
Ampere Avenue and recent
approval for a speed hump
on Stadium Avenue between
Griswold and Ampere avenues.
Accepted
• The recent successful battle
against the proposed MTA
bus redesign. This was our
community’s second battle
against the MTA. Accepted
Community Board 10, the
offi ces of our councilman, assemblyman,
congressperson,
and senator staunchly supported
and heartily fought for
our community. Our community
needs reassurance from
current political leadership.
We need to know that our political
leaders can be depended
upon to help our community
stave off the unwanted and
procure the needed.
Political leaders gauge a
community’s interest and fortitude
use the attendances at
local civic association meetings.
Large attendances transmit
clear messages to political
offi cials and public servants.
The Spencer Estate Civic Association
takes pride in building
bridges of friendship linking
the community with our
elected offi cials and public
servants.
“If we want to reap and
keep the blessings of our fi ne
quality of life we must endure
the fatigue of supporting it”
and “Inclusion brings solutions.”
Great effort goes into proving
a need for Cease and Desist
designation. A community
must collect multiple
hundreds of unwanted real estate
solicitations as evidence
for presentation to the state. In
2016-2017, a multi-community
effort was launched by former
Senator Jeff Klein to secure
Cease and Desist status
for Country Club, Spencer Estate,
Waterbury-LaSalle, and
Throggs Neck. In 2017, based
on the provided evidence, only
Country Club and dubiously a
small portion of Spencer Estate
were designated Cease
and Desist zones.
It is implausible to suggest
that homes between Spencer
Drive and Griswold Avenue
were intensely bombarded
with unwanted real estate solicitations
while many desirable
homes in the areas up to
and including Middletown
Road did not follow suit.
This begs the question: Is
it reasonable to suggest Griswold
Avenue was selected to
create a convenient linear east
to west boundary for Cease
and Desist map marking purposes?
If so, inclusion of that
portion of Spencer Estate in
the C and D zone could be unwarranted
and perhaps unethical.
However, we strongly believe
New York State agencies
adhere to strict ethical standards
and would not select
an unwarranted demarcation
point for the ease of map making.
Based on the high ethical
standards of governance in
NYS, the Spencer Estate Civic
Association believes excluding
a portion of our charming
community was an oversight
that warrants correction.
In today’s political environment
the stroke of a pen can
turn a warehouse into a high
rise; that pen can easily move
a thin line an inch or two on
a map. It is our staunch belief
that the entirety of Spencer
Estate and other communities
belong in the Cease and Desist
zone. In this situation, the battle
is necessary and inclusion
is the proper solution.
The next meeting of the
Spencer Estate Civic Association
is Wednesday, October 16
at 7:30 p.m. Senator Alessandra
Biaggi, a champion for woman’s
rights and chair of Committee
on Ethics and Internal
Governance, is the scheduled
guest speaker. We are counting
on Senator Biaggi to move
the ‘Klein Line’ of demarcation
and help the entirety of
our community attain Cease
and Desist status.
Any area homeowner or
renter interested in membership
to the all inclusive Spencer
Estate Civic Association
in box George Havranek on
Facebook or send-email with
subject matter Spencer Estate
to gghh55@aol.com.
As a member of the NYC Council’s
Committee on Parks and Recreation
I was pleased to be able to
help hold Parks accountable during
an oversight hearing on September
26. Many of our cherished parks are
in visible disrepair, as many of you
have so diligently illustrated in our
#ShameNYC campaign. They need
more maintenance than Parks is
able to provide. Much of that has to
do with Parks’ rapidly diminishing
budget, which for fi scal year 2019, totaled
less than 1% of the city budget.
This budget is clearly insuffi cient in
meeting the maintenance demands
of our city’s 30,000 acres of developed
park land, where maintenance problems,
ranging from unkempt grass to
dangerously worn playground equipment,
are abound.
I believe, as I know you do, that
our parks are our community centers.
These parks, which comprise
about 14% of our city’s land, keep us
active, social and happy. But when
these civic centers of ours become
dirty, poorly maintained or even
pose risks to our health, they cease to
be the great community centers they
ought to be. At the hearing, I was able
to represent your concerns and what
specifi cally affl icts us in Bronx’ 13th
Council District. Rest assured, our
troubles are not going unanswered.
I am fi ghting to bring better funding
to Parks so we can enjoy safe and
clean spaces. Make no mistake, I fully
intend to work with Parks to resolve
this issue, but I need your help to
do so. The Department of Parks and
Recreation and the administration of
our city need to be continually shown
what the consequences of underfunding
look like. While our #ShameNYC
effort has gained incredible traction,
our work is not over yet. Continue
to tag your photos of what is affecting
you in your parks, tag them with
#ShameNYC, and send them to me
on Twitter and Facebook, email me
at MGjonaj@council.nyc.gov, or even
call my district offi ce at (718) 931-
1721.
Thank you for your continued and
unrelenting support for our community
parks
BY TONY SALIMBENE
Remember, the 3rd Sunday
in October, 11 a.m., our
Post 253 regular meeting at
American Turners NY, the
Turner Club. Park in their
lot, around the corner at
Philip Avenue.
Also, Bronx County Legion
meeting, 1st Wednesday,
7:30 p.m. at Sam Young Post
620. All Legionnairs invited.
On Sunday, October 13 we
have the Annual Columbus
Day Parade starting at Wallace
and Morris Park avenues,
step off noon.
Look - On Sunday, November
3, thanks to my friends
at Brewski’s on East Tremont
Avenue, we will have the
2nd Annual Christian Engledrum/
Korony Post Support
the Troops Fundraiser.
Cover charge gets you some
great local musicians to rock
on for a great cause. It is so
important that our troops get
items badly needed that they
can’t get while forward deployed.
‘Until they all come
home.’
Then on to Sunday, November
10, we have our Annual
Veterans Day Parade
down the avenue. Form up as
usual before noon at Lafayette
and East Tremont avenues.
Let’s try to get a good
crowd to cheer our vets and
America. Better yet, let’s get
a good showing of guys and
gals with Legion caps marching.
Monday, November 11 at
11 a.m. (1919) was when the
‘War to end all wars’ was
over. We will meet at several
monuments on November 11
as always, more to follow on
times. Our primary one is
Winged Victory, the ‘Soldiers
and Sailors Monument’ Pelham
Parkway, starts at 10:30
a.m. A favorite of mine, my
dad took me there when I was
a kid.
Until next time: All great
change in America begins at
the family dinner table. - President
Ronald Reagan
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