4 DECEMBER 20, 2018 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
R’wood church, pol seek beds for homeless people
BY MARK HALLUM
MHALLUM@CNGLOCAL.COM
The push to establish a “bed stabilization
program” for homeless
in Ridgewood is advancing aft er
a man died in the Nov. 16 snowstorm.
Arkadiusz Jasinski, better known
as Arek, was on the minds of Father
Mike Lopez of All Saints Old Catholic
Church and City Councilman Robert
Holden as they work to house 12 to 15
people at Covenant Lutheran Church
in Ridgewood.
The two had spent part of last week
paying tribute to the 40-year-old who
was held in high regard in Ridgewood
as a down-on-his-luck construction
trade worker from Poland. Neighborhood
ministries organized a burial for
Jasinski in Long Island on Dec. 13 and a
memorial service on Dec. 14.
“This is exactly the type of program
that I believe is the best solution to the
homelessness crisis in our city,” Holden
said. “I have discussed this with DHS,
and the unfortunate death of one of Father
Lopez’s patrons has gotten the agency’s
attention as well. We will continue
working toward a faith-based solution so
that Arek Jasinski’s death is not in vain.”
According to Lopez, the 12 to 15 beds
will go a long way toward bringing
relieve to the visible street homeless
in the surrounding areas, which have
been the epicenter of opposition to
homeless shelters by the city.
But there are about 20 to 30 street
homeless in the Ridgewood area who
still need a roof during the winter
months, Lopez said. To meet that demand,
he intends to partner with other
churches and non-profi ts.
The initiative is moving fast and has only
been accelerating since Jasinski’s death.
Lopez anticipates the program to
begin at the beginning of 2019 and is
partnering a not-for-profi t to provide
support to people who will be staying
at the church.
A GoFundMe has been set up
after Jasinski’s death to raise
cash for the bed stabilization program
and has raised $4,810 of the
$25,000 goal.
Lopez and All Saints already
provide outreach to the homeless
through the Hungry Monk Rescue
Truck, which had served hot meals to
Jasinski for years.
Communities of Southwestern
Queens have been gradually begun
accepting facilities that accommodate
the homeless under certain circumstances,
a contrast to years prior when
protests to the conversion of the Maspeth
Holiday Inn and other locations
shook relations between residents and
the de Blasio administration.
But there is still controversy surrounding
the placement of large-scale
shelters in western Queens in recent
months, as demonstrated aft er the
city Department of Homeless Services
opened three shelters in Blissville, a
five-block community in the Long
Island City.
An all-men’s facility in Ozone Park
over the summer saw one man, Sam
Esposito, launch a hunger strike
against the plan.
Community Board 5, at their
December meeting, gave a notfor
profit its blessing to build
66 units of housing for homeless,
at-risk families and low-income
residents in Glendale, and the city
Board of Standards and Appeals
will come to a final decision on
the variance.
Photo by Dean Moses
Father Mike Lopez of All Saints Catholic Church leads a vigil for a homeless
man who died in Ridgewood last month.
City breaks ground on $2M upgrades to Juniper Valley Park
BY MARK HALLUM
MHALLUM@CNGLOCAL.COM
The city Parks Department
brought out the golden shovels
for a ground-breaking ceremony
for $2 million worth of improvements
at Juniper Valley Park on Dec.
12 with elected offi cials.
The installation of a spray shower in the
Juniper North Playground and new accessibility
features for people with disabilities
started offi cially in October and will
serve the community for years to come,
according to Councilman Robert Holden
and Assemblyman Brian Barnwell.
“Temperatures might be in the 30s
today, but that won’t stop us from celebrating
a brand-new spray shower
coming to Juniper Valley Park!” Parks
Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski
said. “Once complete, this project will
bring an interactive spray shower
zone that kids of all ages can enjoy. The
entry to the spray shower zone will also
be opened up so that it’s accessible
for people in wheelchairs, or parents
bringing their little ones in strollers.”
Diff erent shades of concrete will
mark diff erent age range zones in
the spray area, which will be open
year-around according Parks. New
Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, Councilman Robert Holden, Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy
Lewandowski and a host of community leaders broke ground on the reconstruction of the Juniper Valley Park
spray showers in Middle Village on Dec. 12.
drainage in the spray area will prevent
buildup of standing water.
The entrances to the park will also
be put at grade and widened to make
the green space fully accessible to both
wheelchairs and strollers.
“Juniper Valley Park is a multi-generational
park and a beloved part
of the neighborhood, especially its
shuffl eboard and bocce courts, tracks,
ballfi elds and playground,” Queens
Borough President Melinda Katz said.
“The investment of public funds to improve
the accessibility and play area of
Juniper Valley Park will be enjoyed by
the growing families of Middle Village.”
According to the Parks Department,
the Brennan Field running track near
71st Street and Lutheran Avenue will
be reconstructed in the summer of
2020 through $4.6 million in procurement
from the City Council.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Avila/NYC Parks
“Juniper Valley Park is and has
been for many years the crown jewel
park of the district,” added Councilman
Robert Holden. “This $2 million
investment fi xes one of the nagging
problems we’ve had at the park for
decades. The spray shower will be a
beautiful addition to a great park.”
The excavated spray shower in the
Juniper North Playground of Juniper
Valley Park.
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