4 The QUEE NS Courier • november 13, 2014 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com Bayside’s small businesses tell film industry to take five By ERIC JANKIEWICZ ejankiewicz@queenscourier.com @EricJankiewicz Call it Hollywood fatigue. The Bayside Village Business Improvement District (BID) wants the city to put a temporary stop on granting filming permits to movie and show makers using Bayside as a shooting location. The organization, representing dozens of small businesses, plans on sending a letter to the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting to request a moratorium on filming in commercial areas like Bell Boulevard, according to the organization’s executive director, Lyle Sclair. “Filming in Bayside is a balancing act, but too often it’s swayed away from us,” Sclair said. “There’s a much better way to work together.” Citing a marked loss of business because of frequent filming activity in the area, Sclair said that small businesses need more representation in government. The FX-produced show “The Americans” used Bayside to film several scenes in January. During filming, Harry Rutgers’ jewelry business was penned in on 41st Avenue and Bell Boulevard. “We might as well be closed when the film crews are here,” said Rutgers, who is the owner of Bell Family Jewelers. “The whole business district shuts down and everybody suffers while one group benefits.” Rutgers cited many of the same problems that Sclair will bring up to the city. The vehicles used to transport the film crews and equipment are big and bulky, and these vehicles take up all the parking spots on Bell Boulevard that would be used by potential customers. Rutgers said that another problem is that the crews don’t spend any money in the area because they come with their own food and services. “They don’t spend a nickel on Bell,” THE COURIER/File photo Rutgers said. “I never heard anyone say they benefited from the film crews.” Rutgers suggested that the trucks and trailers used by the film industry should park away from Bell Boulevard so they don’t take up parking. He also said that if the crews spent money in the area, business owners would be more willing to tolerate the film industry. Sclair plans on making all of these suggestions when he sends the letter to the Mayor’s office. He is also urging the City Council to pass oversight bills. Councilman Paul Vallone is signing the letter, according to his spokesman. “I firmly support the Bayside Village BID’s request for a moratorium on filming on Bell Boulevard and the surrounding avenues, as the area is rapidly becoming a filming hot spot,” he said. “Our residents and small business owners should not have to bear the burdens that come with excessive filming, especially in an area that already has very limited parking space availability. It’s unfair for our small businesses to suffer these consequences.” Film crews park trailers and trucks in front of businesses and take up many parking spots, causing the merchants to lose money, according to Sclair. The large vehicles also cause people to think that businesses are closed. Bayside is frequently used for movie and television shoots, reflecting the city’s initiative to make New York City a filming center. The mayor’s office did not respond to a request for comment but, according to the city-run “Made in NY” site, the city “looks to support film and television productions of all shapes and sizes, and we look to make each and every one of those projects a clear, seamless, and enjoyable production experience.” In the city’s haste to make the five boroughs film-friendly, it’s alienated small businesses, Sclair said. “It seems like the city is saying, ‘We’re choosing the film industry over momand pop businesses,” he said. THE COURIER/Photo by Eric Jankiewicz Harry Rutgers, owner of Bell Family Jewelers, said that filming in Bayside kills his business. NEW PRECINCT COMMANDER WILL START ‘NEIGHBORHOOD FRIDAYS’ THE COURIER/Photo by Angy Altamirano Captain Brian Hennessy is the new commanding officer at the 115th Precinct. BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO aaltamirano@queenscourier.com @aaltamirano28 Captain Brian Hennessy feels like he is back home - and he’s ready to bring the tools that helped him succeed in the 108th Precinct to his new command. Hennessy started his post as commanding officer of the 115th Precinct, which covers East Elmhurst, north Corona and Jackson Heights, this month. He made the move from the 108th Precinct on Nov. 6, replacing Deputy Inspector Michael Cody, who transferred to the narcotics bureau. Before his post at the 108th Precinct in May 2013, he was the second in command at the 115th Precinct for about two years. “Inspector Cody taught me a lot,” Hennessy said. “He left me in good hands. The community here, just like the 108, is very supportive, very involved. So I enjoyed working here and I’m ecstatic to be back.” Cody, he says, emphasized community, and Hennessy plans to continue that focus. He hopes to build on relationships with community members and bring in new programs to help strengthen the ties. One of the big programs he hopes to start up soon is what he calls Community Fridays, which he started at his previous post. Every Friday, volunteers from the precinct and community would address quality-of-life issues such as graffiti and abandoned cars left on the streets. Another issue is homelessness, which Hennessy works closely with the Department of Homeless Services to address. “Whatever was brought up in a community meeting or a blog or anywhere that we did see a complaint on something that needed to be fixed, we went out and took all the volunteers and did one section a week,” he said. “I’m a big proponent of community first. The relationship between the community and police has to be there in order for us to be successful.” He also plans to bring in a conditions team to the community in which officers are assigned to different neighborhood and build “personal connections and interaction” with residents. “They can follow up with any issues. It gives a personal face to the command,” Hennessy said. Hennessy also hopes to work on the bigger issues in the surrounding neighborhoods, such as prostitution and illegally vending on Roosevelt Avenue, gang violence and disturbances that come from the local bars and their patrons. Working on what he began in the 108th Precinct, Hennessy also plans to start a Twitter account for the 115th Precinct because he said there were positive responses from residents at his previous post. The next community council meeting for the 115th Precinct, which Hennessy will attend, will be held on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. at the precinct, 92-15 Northern Blvd. “You know when you come to the meeting and you give me a complaint, I’m going to personally address it,” Hennessy said. “I’m excited to be back, and I can’t wait to get out there and work with the community and help in any way we can.”
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