28 THE COURIER SUN • OCTOBER 15, 2015 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.couriersun.com Laurelton homeowners keeping their streets beautiful BY ROBERT POZARYCKI [email protected]/@robbpoz It began as a beautifi cation contest four decades ago, but continues today as a matter of neighborhood pride. Using largely their own resources, the residents of Laurelton have worked hard to maintain center medians on their streets as small parks featuring fl owers of all different varieties. The center malls are public property, but weren’t properly maintained during the early 1970s, as Sandra Chase of the Federated Blocks of Laurelton (FBL) recalled. The strips of grass were prone to litterbugs and dog owners who failed to clean up after their pets. Property owners then entered a citywide contest to beautify their community and, in the years since, have used their own time and money to continue to keep the malls beautiful, Chase said. “The residents decided to just take over the malls in front of their homes,” she recalled. “We started to clean them up and plant fl owers. At that time, we won cash awards for these improvements but that kind of work just stuck around.” In many instances, Chase said, blocks of homeowners pay a gardener to cut the grass regularly and organize in the spring to purchase and then plant fl owers of their choice in the malls. Throughout the year, groups of volunteers also work on weekends to remove weeds and debris that gather at each location. Some blocks, she observed, “have started to fall down” a bit, but the civic group is looking to give them a boost. The FBL also regularly maintains a small garden created in front of a welcome sign at the corner of Merrick and Francis Lewis boulevards. Despite the time and labor involved, the effort One of the many center malls in Laurelton maintained by local residents. aims to “keep your neighborhood beautiful and make your neighborhood look presentable,” Chase said. Photo courtesy of Robert Glover “Everybody chips in,” she said. “On some of the blocks where they have the long malls in front of their homes, they plant the fl owers they want.” Never pay FULL PRICE for Medications AGAIN! Rx Help Centers is a drug advocacy program dedicated to helping the consumer get the best price on all of your medications. Our expert team will help you receive the lowest prices for all of your name brand medications. Our service will compliment any existing coverage that you already have. Whether you are insured, uninsured , underinsured or Medicare, we can help. Register for free at www.rxhelpcentersqueens.org Our customers receive assistance for only a nominal charge with NO LIMIT on the number of medications that we can help with. With thousands of name brand and generic medications, we can help you and your family maximize your savings on prescription medications. With Rx Help Centers, never pay full price again! Register for Free www.rxhelpcentersqueens.org Alpha Care Supply Accessibility Solutions Specialist Serving NYC Metro Area for 20 years Ramps of every type and application Stairlifts - Interior and Exterior Wheelchair Vertical Platform Lifts ADA Bathroom Remodels Residential Elevators Fully Insured and Properly Licensed Call Alpha Care Supply for all your ADA & Accessibility needs 516.568.3010 www.aplhacaresupply.com 21 Stringham Avenue, Valley Stream, NY 11580 New and Used Rentals
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