6 The Courier sun • march 12, 2015 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com Middle Village bocce court repairs miss the mark BY ANTHONY GIUDICE [email protected] @A_GiudiceReport Juniper Valley Park in Middle Village received an $850,000 renovation for its bocce courts, located near the corner of 79th Street and Juniper Boulevard North, in July. Now, players are saying that more needs to be done to make the courts playable before the one-year warranty One of the bocce ball courts at Juniper Valley Park in Middle Village. BUY DIRECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER FREE Measuring & Installation w/purchase of $100. with this ad. • Draperies • Vertical Blinds • Honeycomb Shades • Custom Window Shades • Mini Blinds Nobody Beats Our Prices! • Roman Shades • Balloon Shades • Swags & Jabots • Shutters • Upholstery • Radiator Covers • Table Pads UP TO 70% OFF LIST PRICE Free Interior Design Consultation $20 OFF with purchase of $200 or more *Not to be combined w/other offers. Expires 3/20/15 $50 OFF with purchase of $500 or more *Not to be combined w/other offers. Expires 3/20/15 $100 OFF with purchase of $1,000 or more *Not to be combined w/other offers. Expires 3/20/15 GOMER’S Window Treatments SINCE 1962 FREE SHOP AT HOME SERVICE SERVING QUEENS AND LONG ISLAND 1.800.522.6156 www.gomersdecorators.com Photo by Anthony Giudice You’re Invited! Saturday • March 14, 2015 • 9am-2pm J O I N U S F O R O U R Grand Opening 18-Month CD 1.50% APY* on a balance of $2,500 or more and with a Checking Account! Celebration! F O R O U R B U S I N E S S C U S TO M E R S : If our Merchant Services Program doesn’t meet or beat your current processing costs, you’ll be awarded a $1,000 GIFT CARD!** 28-21 Astoria Blvd. • Astoria, NY 11102 • P (347) 472-1727 • sussexbank.com *Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of 2/20/15 and subject to change at any time without notice. Fees may reduce earnings. Visit sussexbank.com or contact a Bank Representative for current rates, terms and account requirements. Offers apply to personal accounts only. Funds must come from a source outside Sussex Bank. FDIC insurance up to $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, for each ownership category. Offer expires on April 15, 2015. The minimum balance required to earn the APY is $2,500 and must be deposited in a single transaction. A penalty may be imposed for early withdrawals. After maturity, if you choose to roll over your CD, you will earn the base rate of interest in effect at that time. Must have a checking account with direct deposit to earn stated APY. **Sussex Bank has entered into an agreement with Global Payments to manage your payment processing. Certain restrictions apply. For details contact Global Payments at (973) 567-1836 or at www.globalpaymentsinc.com/usa/ on the site expires. Longtime bocce player Anthony Sozio believes some of the designs of the new courts are flawed. The panels on the top of the protective canopies “are slanted the wrong way,” Sozio said. “When it rains, the water drips right onto the court,” he explained. The dripping creates divots in the court, leaving it unplayable. “We are aware that to reverse the panels to face outside the courts is a costly proposition,” Sozio said. However, he has a cost-effective suggestion that would alleviate the problem. Sozio believes a heavy-duty tarp could be placed atop the canopies to divert the rainwater away from the courts. Icicles also formed on the canopies this winter, posing a danger to players below, he added. “Last week, one of the players got hit by an icicle while removing snow from one of the courts, thankfully without any consequence,” Sozio said. Other bocce players, Nick Fazio and Peter Bozanic, agreed with Sozio’s claims and feel something should be done. “We get no help from the Parks Department with maintenance,” Fazio said. The players take it upon themselves to repair damages to the courts, having already gone through the 60 bags of replacement soil given to them for maintaining the courts, Sozio said. The benches alongside the bocce courts pose a problem for spectators. “The benches are so low and the courts are high, so no one can see the game,” Sozio said. The lighting around the courts do not do enough to illuminate the area when the sun goes down, Bozanic said. “The yellow lights don’t provide enough light,” he continued. Sozio plans on creating a petition, getting it signed by the bocce players who use the courts and sending it to the local politicians in hopes that they will help fix the courts. “We are going to petition the City of New York, the Parks Department and our elected officials to prompt responsible people to make proper repairs,” Sozio said. The group wants the repairs made to be able to keep playing the game they love. “Bocce is very good for us,” Sozio said. “It keeps us healthy. People come from all over to play here and it is how we make friends.”
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