For four days every June the neighborhood surrounding the Holy Cross Greek Church in Whitestone looks like a scene from “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” People dance and sing, grownups drink a little beer and maybe a little Ouzo and the kids enjoy so
We assume that the festival raises thousands of dollars for the church. It also raises the ire of at least some of the church’s neighbors who feel put upon by all of the fun. Traffic is disrupted and parking is difficult. And then there are all those happy people shouting “oppa!”
Despite the fact that the festival is dear to heart of the borough’s Greek-American community, the Community Board 7 leadership has asked the city to deny the permits needed for this summer’s festival. Why? If you had one finger, you could count the number of Greek Americans in leadership positions on the Board. This made it quite easy to turn the popular festival into road kill.
The board argues that the church operated children’s rides and served alcoholic beverages without a permit for two days of the four-day festival and that, in general, the church has been unwilling to work with the board.
It may be the case that the church should work more closely with the board and try a little harder to minimize the inconvenience for its neighbors. However, we doubt the disruption merits the tough stand that the board has taken. The board was not created to guarantee residents a life free of all inconvenience and disruption. Moreover, it was disingenuous for the board to raise the issue of permits when it was clear that the church applied and that the permits arrived late.
Parades, block parties, street fairs and mini-marathons can and do cause disruption. But they also bring families together. And in age of increasing isolationism, when many homeowners don’t even know their neighbor's name, we think coming together is a good thing.
