During last Thursday’s Juniper Park Civic Association meeting in Middle Village, Robert Holden (at left in both photos), the group’s president, presented Community Service Awards to Capt. Christopher Manson (left photo), 104th Precinct commanding officer, and P.O. Charles Sadler (right photo), 104th Precinct Auxiliary Unit coordinator, for their efforts to protect the community. Hundreds Protest Hotel Turned Homeless Shelter being considered,” he said. “So we feel we were lied to. It’s too much for our community to absorb.” Dromm also addressed several issues that will affect the Elmhurst community. He is concerned about the impact on overcrowded local schools and hospitals. “Here they have already moved in 41 families as of last night,” Dromm said. We don’t want this kind of negative impact on our community. We will continue to fight.” COMET President Rosemarie Daraio also spoke at the rally. “If we don’t step up to the plate and voice our concerns, we will be a part of the problem,” she said. She also stated the community is already overburdened, with the Metro Motel, also on Queens Boulevard already used to house homeless. “To my knowledge, there are no plans to put any other homeless shelters in this community,” Dromm said. “But we were already lied to, so that is very concerning.” “Our federal and state taxes are paying for this debacle,” Daraio said. “The city’s decision to warehouse the homeless not only affects their quality of life, but also the community’s quality of life by overburdening their already stressed services such as schools and hospitals,” she added. The Times Newsweekly received documents last Thursday, June 12, describing the proposal to house up to 216 homeless families at the former lodge located at 79-00 Queens Blvd. Samaritan Village, the nonprofit organization seeking to create a transitional housing shelter at a former factory in Glendale, also submitted the proposal for the Pan American Hotel. “DHS has reviewed Samaritan Village’s proposal for this site and they have been approved to operate transitional housing and provide an array of social and re-housing services to homeless families as they move to permanency,” DHS Assistant Commissioner Lisa Black wrote to Christian Cassagnol, Community Board 4 district manager, on June 6. The latter was dated on the same day that the DHS began housing families at Pan Am. Black wrote that DHS would begin housing families at the former hotel immediately. The development came as a surprise to many following the Glendale homeless shelter debate, as Black stated during aMay 22 hearing in Middle Village that the DHS had no interest in using the PanAmerican Hotel. Samaritan Village’s Tino Hernandez explained the plan further to Cassagnol and Board 4 Chairperson Louis Walker in a separate June 6 letter. The nonprofit will lease the buildings owned by 79- 00 Development LLC “and will be responsible for all program services,” from case management to housing and employment counseling.” Round-the-clock security would be provided at the former Pan Am, Hernandez explained, adding that families would be subject to “facility rules and regulations” including access control, visitation and curfew policies “that will be strictly enforced.” Hernandez requested a meeting with Cassagnol and Walker “within the next 30 days to discuss our program and its relationship to the community,” noting that “in all of our program operations, our goal is to be a good neighbor and to be responsive to the needs of the community.” -CONTINUED FROM PG. 1- warning sign signifying a 3 rating for flammability, with 4 being the most flammable. Holden stated the area had a strong “chemical smell,” and said the proposed homeless shelter “can’t get any closer to a toxic site.” Meeting attendees were outraged and demanded something be done and questioning what they themselves could do, as Holden passed around a cardboard display of pictures of the site he’d gathered. Last Thursday’s meeting was a first forMiddle Village residentApril Radu, who came to support the protest against the shelter. Like many others in attendance, Radu doesn’t understand why the shelter is planned for the location. She was fearful that the shelter’s presence would further tax overcrowded public schools and drive up crime rates. Radu said, “It’s not an area for people to better themselves.” “What can we do?” Radu asked during the meeting, along with other Middle Village residents sitting near her. “I would like it to be more organized, I just wish there was something more we could do.” Radu is drafting a letter to send to local officials but isn’t certain on who to send it to. According to Holden and Community Board 5 member Kathy Masi, their complaints, letters and demands have fallen on deaf ears, saying even elected officials appear to be out of the picture. Masi urged the community to “stick together and protect what we have.” She said the city needs to TIMES, THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2014 • 26 Hazardous Neighbor Near Glendale Shelter Site Focus Of JPCA Meet -CONTINUED FROM PG. 3- Would-Be Rapist Wanted -CONTINUED FROM PG. 3- her to the ground and attempted to rape her. Police said the victim managed to fight off the assailant, who then fled northbound on 71st Street. Officers from the 108th Precinct received a report of the incident. The woman suffered minor injuries. Police said the suspect was last observed wearing a blue soccer jersey with a red stripe down the right side as well as dark jeans and sneakers. The case was presented to the NYPD Queens Special Victims Squad for further investigation, authorities noted. Anyone with information regarding the assault or the suspect’s whereabouts that could prove helpful can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800- 577-TIPS. Information may also be sent to Crime Stoppers via text message to 274637 (enter information, then the code TIP577) or online at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com. All calls and messages will be kept confidential. (photos courtesy of Lee Rottenberg) return to the Advantage Program, which placed homeless families in low-income housing instead of giant facilities. Meanwhile, Holden encouraged attendees to keep writing letters to the Department of Homeless Services and Samaritan Village. Holden added that the JPCA recently joined with the Glendale Property Owners Association and the Glendale Civic Association to form a civic coalition to fight the placement of the shelter. Other news Except for grand larcenies and auto thefts, overall crime plunged throughout the 104th Precinct in recent weeks, according to Capt. Christopher Manson, commander of the precinct. Most grand larcenies have been related to the many scams at large in the area, especially phone scams when scammers pose as the IRS, ConEd or distressed family members asking for money. Manson told residents, “Don’t fall victim to that.” Traffic accidents are down “massively,” according to Manson, as the 104th precinct focuses on the mayor’s Vision Zero program by handing out summonses to drivers for speeding, red light violations, and failure to yield to pedestrians as well as bicycles riding on the sidewalk. Motorcycle groups are also being targeted heavily. Manson also quelled fears about an incident at St. Margaret School recently when the Bomb Squad was called in to inspect a hand grenade found on campus. After inspection, it was determined to be a fake. Manson and P.O. Charles Sadler, auxiliary coordinator for the 104th Precinct, were awarded the JPCA Community Service Award for outstanding leadership and service to the community. Nilsa Henriquez, a public affairs specialist with the Social Security Administration, encouraged attendees to claim their benefits when eligible and always plan for retirement. Programs Henriquez discussed included retirement collection ages (collecting less for longer at 62 years or collecting at full term at 70 years), disability, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicare, and Medicare Prescription Extra Help. Finally, it was announced that Maggie’s Little Theater at St. Margaret Parish Hall in Middle Village is showing the Summer Serenade, a musical revue of A Chorus Line, West Side Story, Annie Get Your Gun, and The Sound of Music. Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors, and $12 for kids. Shows are Saturdays, July 19 and 26, at 8 p.m. and Sundays, July 20 and 27, at 2:30 p.m. Proceeds go to benefit renovations at St. Margaret’s campus. * * * The Juniper Park Civic Association will not meet in July and August. The next meeting will be in September at a date and time to be announced; all meetings are held at Our Lady of Hope School, located at the corner of Eliot Avenue and 71st Street in Middle Village. For more information, call 1-718-651-5865 or visit www.junipercivic.com. Congressional Primary June 24 Rep. Gregory Meeks is facing a challenge from accountant Joseph R. Marthone of Cambria Heights for the Fifth Congressional District seat. The district includes areas of Richmond Hill, Ozone Park and South Ozone Park generally bounded by Hillside Avenue, Van Wyck Expressway, the Belt Parkway, the defunct LIRR Rockaway Beach Branch and 104th Street. The winners will advance to the November general election. None of the other Congress members in the Times Newsweekly coverage area—all of whom are Democrats—are on the primary ballot. They include Representatives Grace Meng of the Sixth Congressional District (based in Forest Hills); Hakeem Jeffries of the Eighth Congressional District (based in central Brooklyn); Carolyn Maloney of the 12th Congressional District (based in Manhattan) and Joseph Crowley of the 14th Congressional District (based in Woodside). There are no Republican Congressional primaries scheduled in this paper’s coverage area this Tuesday. The Congressional primaries now take place in June in accordance with provisions in the federal Help America Vote Act. Primaries for state offices are scheduled for September. Along with all of New York’s 27 Congressional seats, all seats in the state legislature and the offices of governor, state comptroller and attorney general will be up for grabs in the November general election. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 4- SUPPORTING OUR TROOPS MEANS MORE THAN WAVING FLAGS. Help Returning Soldiers By Donating To Local Veterans Organizations.
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