Leadership To Meet & Mull Civic Options
Three officers of the Middle Village Property Owners/Residents Association (MVPORA) resigned last month, but the president said work on a plan of action to keep the group alive is coming.
As reported in the May 22 edition of the Times Newsweekly, Recording Secretary Jean Sausa, Corresponding Secretary Augie Trinchese and Vice President Arlene Micom said June’s meeting was their last as a MVPORA officers. With no volunteers to take their place, President Sal Candela previously said he would also resign if no new officers were elected at this month’s meeting, but has since reconsidered.
On Tuesday, June 10-the day after the group’s latest meeting at St. Margaret Parish Hall-Candela told this newspaper he will convene a meeting tomorrow (Friday, June 13) with remaining board members and area residents that have expressed some interest in keeping the civic alive. With no replacements, the MVPORA would ultimately fold, ending a group that began meeting in 1932.
“There is a plan of action,” Candela said over the phone. “We will meet on Friday. We have a summer to try and revamp the board and whole organization.”
Though no mention was made of the resignations or plan going forward, Candela was confident the civic will endure.
The meeting tomorrow will be with “potential new officers,” and remaining board members, with the purpose “to reenergize the property owners and continue the good work we’ve done for 75 years, Candela said.
He remains committed to MVPORA, and wants “the organization to come back stronger than ever in September,” when if all goes to plan the next meting will be held.
Addabbo updates civic
At the MVPORA meeting Monday, June 9, State Sen. Joseph Addabbo came to address the civic association on his work in Albany, and talked about some legislation that might come to the floor in the last days of the session before the summer break.
There were just eight session days left, Addabbo said Monday night.
“I don’t foresee any craziness up there,” he said.
But there are some items that could come to the floor in the last week, including a medical marijuana legalization item the Assembly has already passed, that “could go to the Senate,” he said.
“It would be for medical purposes only,” he told MVPORA.
Addabbo told the civic he wants to see the details, examine the fine print, but if it’s regulated properly, he will support it. He believes terminally-ill patients can benefit from marijuana.
Addabbo said he thinks medicinal marijuana can help people, and he will support the bill if it remains controlled, out of the hands of illegal users.
He then fielded some questions from the group about age requirements for medicinal marijuana.
“I believe it’s above minors,” Addabbo said. “I have to take another look at the exact language. It is a step.”
In-between the questions and Addabbo’s response, Candela interjected to relate the story of a girl in Colorado that suffered chronic seizures; her parents wanted to explore marijuana as medication, but were told she could not have it prescribed because she wasn’t of age.
She eventually did begin taking it medicinally and, “she now has less than one seizure a month,” Candela said.
While Addabbo is wary of abuse, he questioned the rationale for excluding minors if they can benefit from the medicine.
“Why exclude children is a good point,” he said.
He also addressed the Department of Sanitation of New York’s (DSNY) Organics Collection pilot program.
He told the group his office is organizing a town hall to discuss the pilot compost program in Queens, because many of his constituents have expressed confusion, are looking for answers and are concerned about attracting racoons, possums or rodents after leaving food scraps on the sidewalk.
The pilot program was initiated in 2012 in parts of Brooklyn, The Bronx and Staten Island. Its continued and been expanded under the new sanitation commissioner, Kathryn Garcia.
“She’s very environmental,” Addabbo said.
Addabbo expressed concern that the special bags for collection are too expensive, should be distributed free, or at lower cost and that the weight of trash bags full of discarded organics might be too heavy for seniors to drag out to the curb.
“I think the kinks need to be worked out, but remember it’s a pilot program. You are not required to participate,” he said.
“I’m not that crazy about it at this point,” he added. “In the next weeks a town hall might be appropriate.”
In slightly touching on the discontinuation issue, Addabbo thanked all the board members and everyone that attends,.
“To Sal, to all the board members, thank you for your hard work and dedication trying to make sure Middle Village is a great place,” he said.
The next meeting of the Middle Village Property Owners/Residents Association is tentatively scheduled for Monday, Sept. 8, at 7:30 p.m. at St. Margaret Parish Hall, 66-05 79th Pl.
