By Barbara Morris
From time to time, I have written about some of Laurelton’s history. Some of it gives me great pleasure to recall, some does not. It is history, nevertheless.
In 1992, crime was still looming as a major problem in southeast Queens. In fact, that year police in the 105th Precinct set up a meeting in Rosedale’s Sons of Italy (then on 147th Avenue) to warn residents and business people about that and, specifically, about three rapists who had been attacking women in our area.
At the end of that very crowded meeting, one lady stood up and shouted, “Why don’t you tell us how to protect ourselves instead of our property?” Since my family and I had survived a massive amount of crime, both personal and to our property, I spoke to some of our community leaders about having another meeting, but no one seemed too responsive. I decided to take matters into my own hands.
I had been very impressed by a young woman named Susan Bartelstone, whose self-defense lecture and demonstration sponsored by Borough President Claire Shulman and Mayor David Dinkins I had attended, so I tried to contact her. When she agreed to present the program in southeast Queens, I decided to advance the necessary $750 for her fee, school rental and advertising.
I started an organization, Concerned Citizens of Laurelton, planned to charge $5 admittance payable by check or money order because we felt collecting cash at the door would be too dangerous. Before the event on Sept. 17, 1992, much to my surprise and pleasure, more than 1,000 people notified us that they would attend. We started to plan for a second seating. Luckily, I didn’t advance the money for that too!
The night of the event only 25 people showed up. Those who were there gave rave reviews and I was so grateful that there were at least 25 people interested enough in protecting themselves to attend that I decided to accept no money from anyone. It was an expensive but, I felt, worthwhile lesson — even if it only helped one person.
I did, however, want to find out why so many people who had seemed enthusiastic and grateful for the idea changed their minds so rapidly. I had occasionally heard that the majority of people from one community felt at risk going into another community where they didn’t really know the people they saw standing in clusters on darkened streets. After all, drive-by shootings were not uncommon and those three rapists were still at large. Some people from Rosedale told me they would have attended if it had been held at the Sons of Italy or someplace in Rosedale, but they would not cross the Merrick Boulevard bridge over the Cross Island Parkway to venture into an area rampant with drugs.
In my own community, I had been asked several times a couple of questions: If the sponsor was “one of our own organizations” and was the lecturer/demonstrator black. The answer given to the first question was that it was a newly formed group. To the second question, the answer was, “no.” All those who asked apparently didn’t like those answers.
With that lack of success, I vowed never to undertake such a venture again. I also decided not to follow through on our plan to file for not-for-profit status but to act as a liaison organization for people who had complaints they did not want to handle personally.
I wanted no more dealings with money, so I charged no dues, nor did I accept any payments. The organization members cooperated with other organizations and we regularly printed and distributed information about important issues for posting in local businesses.
In the 10 years since I founded that organization, I have appreciated the cooperation I have received from members and the agencies we have worked with to help correct what was reported as being wrong. I’m pleased that we accomplished a lot of positive things for the community and am sorry that in doing so we didn’t succeed in pleasing everyone.
Reach columnist Barbara Morris by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 139.
