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Miller visits WRBA town hall meeting

Fresh off his Special Election victory, Democratic Assemblymember-elect Mike Miller was one of the leaders to show up to the most recent town hall meeting of the Woodhaven Residents Block Association (WRBA) on Wednesday, September 16.
Miller, who thanked the voters for casting their ballots, said that he is looking to open an office on Jamaica Avenue once the election is certified and he is sworn in. However, he said, he has already gotten to work, meeting with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver that morning.
The next politician to speak was City Councilmember Eric Ulrich, who informed the crowd that his graffiti clean-up program has removed vandalism from more than 300 locations in just one month – and that more than 50 complaints to the 24-hour hotline have been addressed. Ulrich said that a lot of the graffiti is actually years old, but that clean-up efforts have been quicker than expected.
Former City Councilmember Thomas Ognibene, whom Ulrich identified as his “mentor,” was up next.
He served in the council from 1991 through 2001, during which time, he said, “We really cleaned up the city and did the kinds of things that people expected us to do.”
And despite a run against Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2005, Ognibene picked up his endorsement on Thursday, September 17. Ognibene will take on Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley in the November 3 election.
“I have 10 years of leadership experience,” said Ognibene. “If you elect me, I will serve the people of the community.”
District Leader and City Council candidate Frank Gulluscio, who will challenge incumbent Ulrich, spoke on the importance of voting, especially in the runoffs for City Comptroller and Public Advocate on September 29, and in the general election.
After other leaders took the floor, WRBA board member Maria Thomson informed the crowd of upcoming dates to remember, including on October 22, Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation’s candidates’ night and at 7:30 p.m., the 8th annual 9/11 evening of remembrance at St. Thomas the Apostle School, 87-49 87th Street in Woodhaven; and on October 18 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. the Woodhaven Street Fair on Sunday along Jamaica Avenue from 80th Street to Woodhaven Boulevard.
After other business was attended to, the WRBA opened up the floor to residents’ complaints, which included dog droppings, sanitation, and others.