Say Graffiti Vandals Blitzed Community
Graffiti vandals bombarded Woodhaven this winter, neighbors claimed during the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association (WRBA) meeting last Saturday, Feb. 22, at Emanuel Church of Christ.
One resident stated “graffiti is absolutely unbelievable” in the vicinity of Rockaway Boulevard between Atlantic Avenue and 75th Street. Stephen Forte, WRBA treasurer, echoed those sentiments, adding that the proliferation of tags is the worst he’s seen in 30 years.
“We have it now off the main strip. You usually see it on the storefronts. Now you have it going down on 92nd Street,” Forte stated. He pointed to a construction site on the block as one example; the plywood boards around the site look like “a museum for graffiti,” he said.
Martin Colberg, WRBA president, said the neighborhood got “hit hard” during the winter “and it’s beyond light fixtures, garages and mailboxes.” While tags have been popping up around the community, they haven’t been disappearing, as the cold winter weather prevents cleanups from taking place.
Colberg assured Woodhaven residents the organization plans to roll up its sleeves in the spring and work to erase the damage graffiti vandals caused.
“This spring, we’re going to hit the streets and get involved,” he said. “It’s out of control and we’re going to do what we can to get control of the situation.”
P.O. Jose Severino of the 102nd Precinct Community Affairs Unit stated the NYPD Citywide Vandals Unit is investigating reported cases of graffiti vandalism in Woodhaven and other parts of the city. He encouraged residents to report vandalism to police and, if they can, to remove the graffiti on their own.
“To them, it’s art; to us, it’s graffiti,” Severino said. “If the people clean it up right away, it sends the message” that graffiti will not be tolerated.
Assemblyman Mike Miller agreed, adding that taggers will go away if local residents and businesses remove the graffiti as soon as possible.
“You’re defeating their goal of being famous,” Miller added.
Police report
In other policing matters, Officer Severino stated the 102nd Precinct is beefing up patrols at two accidentprone locations in the neighborhood: the intersection of Jamaica Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard; and the confluence of Atlantic Avenue, Rockaway Boulevard and 80th Street.
Severino stated officers will be dispatched to both locations to summons drivers violating the law and offer educational materials to pedestrians on ways to stay safe.
He also sought to dispel concerns about gang activity in Woodhaven raised during a recent Community Board 9 meeting. Reportedly, while a number of gang members identify Woodhaven as their place of residence, criminal activity in the neighborhood is minimal.
Moreover, a majority of gang members claiming to be from Woodhaven are presently incarcerated.
Maria Thomson, a member of the WRBA and Board 9, urged Severino to relay that information at the next Board 9 meeting, noting that the previously raised concerns “really looked bad for our community.”
Former WRBA President Ed Wendell requested an update regarding a reported house of ill repute on 95th Street. Last year, civic members complained about a brothel operating out of a residence which advertised its services online.
Severino stated he would check to see if the precinct recently conducted any enforcement action in the area.
Other news
Wendell raised concerns about a recent spike in electric bills which he and other residents experienced. WRBA board member Vance Barbour cited reports claiming the spike was attributed by Con Edison to higher prices for natural gas and coal-both of which fuel the company’s power supply.
Miller urged residents to pay close attention to their electric bills next month. If prices spike again, he said, he would reach out to Public Advocate Letitia James for further investigation.
Meanwhile, he noted, the Public Service Commission denied Con Edison’s recent application to increase its delivery charges for the next several years.
Participatory budgeting is moving along on schedule, according to Rudy S. Giuliani, chief of staff to City Council Member Eric Ulrich. The legislator will meet with Woodhaven, Richmond Hill and Ozone Park “budget delegates” this week to begin the process of negotiations with city agencies on possible items to be funded.
By the end of March, Giuliani said, a ballot of capital budget items to be voted on by local residents will be created, and voting will take place in April. As many as the top five projects that receive the most votes from local residents will be funded in the city’s 2015 fiscal year budget.
Kate Mooney, a representative of City Council Member Elizabeth Crowley, invited residents to a senior safety seminar scheduled for Tuesday, Mar. 11, at 2:30 p.m. at the Woodhaven public library. Identity theft, burglaries and crime prevention tips are among the items on the agenda.
Sonia Abramson of the Queens World Film Festival invited all to take part in the cinematic event, which will take place between Tuesday, Mar. 4, and Sunday, Mar. 9. Screenings of over 100 independent films in a variety of genres will take place during the festival at venues in Long Island City and Jackson Heights.
Many of the festival entries were created by filmmakers with connections to Queens, Abramson added.
For more information on the event, visit www.queensworldfilmfestival.com.
The next Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association meeting is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Mar. 15, at 1 p.m. at Emanuel Church of Christ, located at the corner of Woodhaven Boulevard and 91st Avenue. For more information, visit www.woodhaven-nyc.org.
