By Bob Harris
Carolann Foley, of Electchester, has just been elected to her second two-year term as president of the 107th Precinct Community Council. This civilian group is mandated to meet monthly with the captain and other officers of the precinct. Residents can ask questions, make complaints and listen to reports by the officers and invited guests. Every precinct in New York City has an elected council. Any resident may attend and even run for a position.
Foley has been a resident of the community all her life, and 17 years ago she started the PTA of PS 200. She is a member of the Pomonok Neighborhood Center, on the Electchester Third Housing board, treasurer of Community Board 8 and a vice president of the
Stephenson Democratic Club. She is a medical clerk for Local 3, which is the Electrical Union. She attended St. Nicholas of Tolentine School and Christ the King High School.
Foley became involved in the community when she was raising her children because she “wanted to be aware of and involved in events in the community, especially safety and quality-of-life issues.” She praised the many people she has met and who advised and worked with her in the community. She is proud that she has helped maintain the quality of life in the neighborhood. She is a very busy person because she often comes to CB 8 and 107th Precinct Community Council meetings with her white uniform on.
She is married to James Foley, Sr. and has two children, James Jr., 21, and Colleen, 19. She is just one of the many volunteer civic leaders in Queens who works for the community.
At the recent 107th Precinct Community Council annual dinner dance at the Reception House, the Sportsman Club of Local 3 was honored for all the activities they have undertaken for the community. The Sportsman Club was started about 15 years ago by the sons and grandsons of Local 3. It has about 550 members from every division of Local 3.
Members work with autistic children, provide Meals on Wheels, sponsor the Lopez 5K Run in Electchester, set up bazaars for churches in Queens and Nassau, host the Golden Gloves Boxing Competition in Electchester and help the 107th Precinct with Nights Out Against Crime, as well as manage cruises and trips.
At the dinner dance I talked with Sportsman Club President Joe Proscia and obtained the above information about the club. I was told about club members who were present, such as Local 3’s Jim Robson, business representative; Mike Bergin, treasurer; John Baker, secretary; Kevin Touhill, sergeant at arms; Kenny Forsberg,
membership; Mary Logan, chair; Michael O’Shaugnessy, chair of events; and Artie Walters, chair of Good and Welfare.
Also honored were Michael Simanowitz and Carolann Foley. Simanowitz has been a captain in the auxiliary police unit at the 107th Precinct for six years. He works for Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn, is a Democratic state committeeman, is on the housing board of Pomonok and is on the board of the Torah Center temple. Foley was presented a proclamation by Councilman Jim Gennaro for her many volunteer activities.
GOOD AND BAD NEWS OF THE WEEK
It has been several weeks since recycling of plastics and bottles has been suspended probably for a year or two. I sometimes catch myself looking at the bottom of plastic bottles to see what code is there. I always have supported recycling because we should not waste our natural resources.
It bothered me when I learned that there is not enough of a market for bottles and glass so that sometimes it was just dumped as garbage. I hate to think how much water and effort I used to clean the bottles and plastic I put out.
I hope Mayor Bloomberg will use his skills to develop a larger market for bottles and plastics so we can reduce our garbage volume. We should have done something about this problem years ago. We also have to figure out a use for all those tires we are
discarding and storing in huge dumps that sometimes catch on fire. Our environment needs more recycling, not less.
