By Bob Harris
The Juniper Park Civic Association is an active group that fights for the communities of Middle Village, Elmhurst and Maspeth. It battles against any disruption of those communities whether it be an all-night store, illegal apartments, airplane noise and air pollution, car thefts or slow police response time. The Association has a very professional newsletter, or should I say booklet. I still keep the January 1998 newsletter, which shows an airplane flying low over homes as a resident looks up at the sky.
The president of the Juniper Park Civic Association is a volunteer activist named Bob Holden, who I have attended meetings and civic affairs with over the years. The civic belongs to the Queens Civic Congress. This civic, like many in Queens, was unhappy with the noise, trash, car headlights, and general disruption from the 7-Eleven franchise on Eliot Avenue.
Unlike some residents in other communities who just complain and paint over the graffiti that beer-drinking patrons and disruptive teenagers leave on the property, the Juniper Park Civic members became active. They continually complained. They didn't patronize the all-night store. They contacted the Southland Corporation, which issues the franchise and eventually met with its officers.
The civic continued to complain and give interviews to the local weekly newspapers and to talk about the issue at membership meetings. That made the community at large aware of the feelings of the residents that the corporation and the owner of the store did not consider the wishes of the community and was lowering residents' quality of life.
The civic also involved a clergyman from the Our Lady of Hope Roman Catholic Church, who attended the meeting with Southland representatives. I believe it also picketed the company headquarters. At any rate, it was recently announced that the owner of the franchise had decided to relinquish the business because he was not making money. This goes to show what civic members can do if they put their minds to work on a situation.
Assemblyman Michael Cohen, who is their representative, has stated that he is considering sponsoring a law that would prevent 24-hour convenience stores from locating within 2,000 feet of schools, houses of worship or residential neighborhoods. This sounds interesting!
Speaking of laws, Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer has again sponsored legislation aimed at landlords who violate the zoning laws and are fined. She wants the fines added to the next year's taxes. Currently a landlord who is fined has nothing done to him or her until the property is sold.
If the proposed law (A.6626) is passed, landlords would obey the zoning laws and not create illegal apartments or they would be penalized immediately because the fines would put liens on their property. Last year, the law passed the Assembly but failed in the State Senate due to lobbying by landlord groups. Borough President Claire Shulman and Mayor Rudy Giuliani support the bill, which is high on his legislative agenda.
GOOD NEWS OF THE WEEK: Scouting is alive and well in New York City. Jim Debonet, executive vice president of the Flushing Heights Civic Association and first vice president of the 107th Precinct Community Council, has just informed me that on Saturday, Jan. 22, there was a day of training for the commissioners of the Greater New York and Queens Scouting Councils at Ryan Junior High Beacon School in Fresh Meadows. Debonet said that this marks the 90th year since scouting started.
Queens hosted this scouting event with the help of Queens District Commissioner Rick Mertin, Queens Council Commissioner Dick Cortes and Queens Founder District Commissioner Lori McGregor. All of these scout leaders are volunteers.
BAD NEWS OF THE WEEK: I am confused! Last year I read that the reduced fare MetroCards had boosted ridership so high that there was a surplus. Now I read that a study warns that there may have to be a 35-cent fare hike by 2003 unless ridership is increased and there are state subsidies. I know that the MTA is buying new equipment to make the rides more pleasant but it is now blaming the MTA raises, which will grow. Aren't all the new riders still providing lots of money?
