By Bob Harris
Magri is an active member of Local 3 IBEW, is on the board of directors of the Sportsman Club, which provides charity for the needy, and is on the Board of # 2 Housing in the development. He is also a vice president of the 107th Precinct Community Council, which happens to meet monthly not far from his building.Magri explained that he decided to become involved with Community Board 8 because he “loves the community where he lives and wants to keep it the way it is.” He feels that “by volunteering my time for the community, I can help the board maintain the neighborhood as a nice place to live.” He has been married 14 years to his wife Jane and has five beautiful children: Peter, Frankie, Kyle, Jennifer and Joseph.The Community Board 8 Newsletter, edited by Manager Diane Cohen, stated that if a child will be 4 years old by Dec. 31, 2005, he/she is eligible to apply for pre-kindergarten. Although proof of address is required, parents do not have to present proof of citizenship or a green card to enroll their children.St. Joseph's Hospital has been sold to a developer. The community board has tried to contact the new owner to obtain additional information about the purchase. Considering the zoning along Union Turnpike, a large structure can be built there.The Youth Committee of CB 8, chaired by Rory Lancman, has donated thousands of baseball, football and basketball cards to the youngsters in the Briarwood Shelter.The Commissioner of Sanitation John J. Doherty has restated the rules people must follow: Up to six big bulk items, things too big to fit into your garbage can, can be put out each collection day. The items should be put out the night prior to collection day, earlier in the evening in winter and later in the summer. Lumber should be tied in bundles, free of nails and no more than two feet high and four feet long.Due to the Asian Longhorned Beetle, federal law requires that tree limbs and timber from trees in Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan must be handled specially. The wood cannot be taken out of the county. It will not be picked up by Sanitation because garbage is trucked to land fills or incinerators outside of New York City. For tree branches or cut up trees you must call 311 to make an appointment for the Department of Parks to send a grinder which will chop up the limbs. Do not just leave tree branches out on the curb in Fresh Meadows… you could get a ticket. Call 311.Good and bad news of the weekOur neighborhoods are so nice and crime free that we take our open mailboxes for granted. A number of homeowners use an unlocked mail box. One person I know has asked the mail be dropped between the storm door and the front door.I read recently in the TimesLedger that criminals are stealing checks from open mailboxes in the Bayside, Douglaston and Little Neck areas. The criminals pretend that they are handing out menus or flyers, even though it is illegal to place these items in mailboxes. The criminals check the open mailbox for checks, which they take and cash.I have not heard of such criminal activities in Fresh Meadows but if the criminals know they are being targeted in northeast Queens then they will come into our area. One should have a mailbox with a lock. If one has an old front door with an old, small mail slot, then one should either buy a new door with a large mail slot or enlarge the one in their current door or buy a mailbox with a lock.One should try to collect any mail or packages as early as possible, or if one is away have a neighbor collect the material and hold it for you. The police have arrested five suspects already. Keep alert!
