Queens Community Board 5 (CB5) held its monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 9, bringing together longtime members, newly appointed board representatives, and concerned residents to discuss various pressing local issues.
Topics included cycling safety, rodent infestations, senior services, crime statistics, and a forthcoming park renovation project. The meeting was also marked by the official welcome of seven new community board members.
The public forum portion of the meeting gave residents and community leaders the chance to address the board directly.
Duncan Valentine, a Ridgewood resident and representative of ‘Ridgewood Rides,’ shared the collective’s recent milestones and future goals. ‘Ridgewood Rides,’ a grassroots cycling advocacy and community group, recently celebrated a major achievement.
“Ridgewood Rides is a biking collective. We do community rides, community events and street safety advocacy for cycling infrastructure. We’re based in Ridgewood but we’re also addressing connections throughout the neighborhood,” Valentine explained.
He announced that the group had successfully held its 100th community ride just a few weeks prior.
“We had over 60 riders join us. It was an awesome time,” he said.
With warmer months ahead, the group is rolling out its spring and summer schedule, which includes rides beginning at Rosemary’s Playground every other Thursday and Saturday, starting April 10. A route dubbed the Queens Community Board 5 loop will take cyclists through Ridgewood, Maspeth, Middle Village, and Glendale.
Valentine praised recent progress in biking infrastructure along Cypress Avenue, especially the route leading to Ridgewood Reservoir — a project for which ‘Ridgewood Rides’ had long advocated. However, he emphasized that the work is far from done.
“There’s definitely still work to be done to connect Cypress Avenue and Vermont Place. It’s still kind of a mess over there and a lot of the infrastructure is half-complete,” he said.
Valentine also pointed out that while a bike lane now exists in the area, safety remains a concern.
“There is a bike lane now but cars are still using it as sort of a personal expressway because there’s no protective barriers,” he noted.
Valentine announced that the collective will launch its next infrastructure advocacy campaign on Saturday, April 26. The campaign aims to complete missing sidewalks and enhance cyclist protections.
Also speaking during the public forum, Maspeth resident Maryann Lattanzio voiced frustration over ongoing rodent issues in her neighborhood, linking the problem to increased construction and poor waste management practices.
“The other night, I was on patrol for GCOP (the 104th Precinct Civilian Observation Patrol,) and four rats ran in front of my car. This is unacceptable,” Lattanzio said.
She described the conditions she had observed firsthand in various areas within CB5.
“We go into Glendale, where you have your covered pails, but the covers are open, and garbage is overflowing on them. We move our patrol to Maspeth and see two more rats. Up the block from me, my cousin caught seven rats in one week in her yard,” she said.
Lattanzio and her neighbors have attempted to address the issue themselves, but she believes residents should not be entirely responsible.
“My neighbors and I all put rat things in our yards, but we shouldn’t have to. You call 311, you’re going to get in trouble because they will come and ticket you,” she warned.
She called on city officials to ensure that developers implement pest control measures and criticized local schools for improper food waste disposal.
“The public school has their containers, but they’re throwing their cardboard trays full of food into recycling bags that the rats can get to. I urge everyone to do their par,t but we need to do something to get this under control.”
Jessica Boiardi, speaking on behalf of Queens Community House, highlighted the organization’s broad range of support programs across the borough. One initiative she focused on was the Friendly Visiting Program, which pairs volunteers with isolated or homebound seniors.
“Queens Community House is more than just a community center. It’s a lifeline for people of all ages and backgrounds across the borough. From youth development to senior services, they help build strong, healthy, connected communities,” she said.
“It’s simple, just a weekly one-hour phone call or visit, but it makes a world of a difference. These connections bring companionship, conversations, and joy. For many seniors, it’s a chance to feel seen, heard, and valued. For the volunteers, it’s an opportunity to learn, grow, and give back in a deeply meaningful way.”
She encourages anyone who has an hour a week to spare and a desire to make a difference in the community to consider joining.
The board officially welcomed seven new members, all of whom reside in Ridgewood or Glendale:
Emily Coyne is a Sustainability Consultant; John (Gentry) Fitch is a Project Manager; Mora is a Union Organizer; Maryanne Olson is a manager at the Ridgewood Library; Alex Ritter-Young is a Program Director; Raven Rodriguez is a Singer and Producer; and Sebastian Vives is a Software Engineer from Boston who is currently living in Ridgewood.
District Manager Gary Giordano acknowledged the newcomers and shared the board’s long tradition of civic engagement.
“Welcome to the new board members. We try to build a strong community board here,” Giordano said, highlighting veteran members, including Paul Kerzner (appointed 1972), Peggy O’Kane (1992), and Walter Sanchez (1987).
“Me, I got appointed in 1981. I’m a believer that community boards may be structurally the best thing that has happened to New York City in the past 50 years. We have 50 people here who are the eyes and ears of the community.”
Giordano also provided updates on public safety. He reported a significant drop in crime in the 104th Precinct for the first quarter of 2025, with overall crime down more than 25% compared to the same period last year. He noted that this exceeded the citywide average decrease of 11%.
However, not all the news was positive.
“One crime I noticed that isn’t going down in the 104 is felonious assault. Rape is up, unfortunately. The precinct tells me that in almost all of those cases, the victim and the perpetrator are known to each other. It’s not always domestic violence situations, but in over 90% of those cases, they are known to each other,” he said.
Looking ahead, Giordano announced a public meeting on Tuesday, April 15, at Saint Margaret Parish Hall in Middle Village. It will begin at 7:30 p.m.
The agenda will focus on the reconstruction of the asphalt softball field in Juniper Valley Park and updates on park maintenance staffing and other parks-related issues.
