Juniper Valley Park 2008 Summer Concert Series

P.O. Robert Sowden and P.O. Collin Wynter of the 104th Precinct received Community Service Awards from the Juniper Park Civic Association at their meeting at Our Lady of Hope on June 26th for capturing one of the perpetrators of an armed home invasion in Middle Village on Tuesday, June 17th.

Newtown Historical Society presents free educational films about eminent domain issues in Brooklyn and Queens.
Atlas Park Community Room, July 9th at 7pm.

A truck hauling sand tipped over while making a turn from the LIE westbound service road onto Grand Avenue the morning of Thursday, June 26th. It closed down the westbound LIE. No one but the driver was hurt, but it could have been much, much worse.

In the month of June and with Fourth of July right on the horizon it seems an appropriate time to publish American Flag Etiquette. The following was culled from Internet sites and will give you an idea of appropriate protocol for flying our beautiful red, white and blue.

The JPCA is celebrating its 70th year in 2008. We are in the throes of planning a dinner/dance at Abbracciamento’s for Saturday, November 1, 2008, 7pm. Save the date.

The Queens County Board of Elections commissioner, Anthony Como, will represent the 30th district in Queens in the City Council after winning a special election to replace Council Member Dennis Gallagher, who resigned earlier this year after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges of sexual abuse.

With 100 percent of the vote in, Anthony Como has a 70 vote lead over Elizabeth Crowley. But there are almost 200 absentee ballots that still have not been counted, so the race is not officially over yet.

The Juniper Park Civic Association marched in the Maspeth Memorial Day Parade on Sunday, May 24th along Grand Avenue. It was a beautiful day and we were honored to take part in the remembrance of those who died for our freedom.

Watch a video of NY1's Inside City Hall taped Friday, May 23rd where the candidates for Council 30's special election debate each other. The general consensus of people who have watched the debate is that Tom Ognibene was the most skilled debater, having been councilmember for 10 years and Charles Ober came across as knowledgeable and competent. Anthony Como and Elizabeth Crowley made it clear that they are both totally unqualified for public office.

After initially confirming that they would attend, Elizabeth Crowley and Anthony Como wimped out of a debate hosted by the Juniper Park Civic Association at the last minute.

On May 15, 2008, the Juniper Park Civic Association received the Historic Districts Council's Grassroots Preservation Award for our efforts to save St. Saviour's Church.

Sargent is the Mastiff that was stolen out of a vehicle on Metropolitan Avenue in Middle Village, Queens, NY earlier this week. At 1am on April 10th Sarg was found at All Faiths Cemetery.

At a press conference Monday, March 31st at 1pm, JPCA President Robert Holden and All Faiths Cemetery CEO Dan Austin announced the tentative agreement to move St. Saviour's to the cemetery.

City Councilman Dennis P. Gallagher resigned from office and pleaded guilty on Monday to two misdemeanors, admitting that he sexually abused a woman in his district office in Middle Village, Queens, last summer while he was intoxicated.

On February 29th, JPCA held a protest at St. Saviour's Church featuring Councilman Tony Avella. It was attended by 35 protesters, 6 police officers and the Queens press corps. No elected officials besides Avella attended the rally.

Dennis Gallagher claimed to have secured $1 million in the 2008 budget for St. Saviour’s because he never thought he would be asked to produce it.

RALLY TO PROTEST DESTRUCTION OF ST.SAVIOUR’S Join Councilman Tony Avella, Juniper Park Civic Association and Newtown Historical Society in calling for the city to stop the destruction and acquire & convert the historic former St. Saviour's Church property into a museum, community center and public park for the people of Maspeth.

Snow should be removed from sidewalks 4 hours after the end of the storm. If the storm stops after 9pm then you have to remove snow by 10am the next day. Don't push snow into traffic lanes. Fines start at $100.

All Faiths Cemetery in Middle Village has stepped up to the plate in the battle to save neighboring Maspeth’s historic St. Saviour’s Church. They have agreed to receive the building as long as funds are raised for the move.

The Juniper Park Civic Association is calling for an investigation into the connection between the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit and the Parkside Group lobbying firm after this Sunday’s published report by New York Magazine.

Members of the Juniper Park Civic Association testified against Omnipoint's plan to erect a cell tower atop 53-20 72nd Place in Maspeth at the Board of Standards and Appeals on Tuesday, January 29th, 2008.

In New York City, the organization that can be described as Customer Service is known as Community Assistance Unit – or, CAU. The Queens Director of CAU is a lady named Jennifer Manley, previously a reporter for the Queens weekly newspaper, the Queens Chronicle until she took up with the City Job at CAU in mid-2007. It’s been difficult to determine how reporting for a local paper is qualification for elevation to Queens Director of CAU.

Monday, January 21st, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal, state and city holiday.

Council Member Tony Avella joined leaders from various civic organizations and Community Boards at a press conference today to call upon the American Institute of Architects (AIA) to withdraw their zoning text amendment application.

During our last meeting, the slate of officers for the 2008-2010 term was unanimously accepted by the membership present.

The Sanitation Department has begun its annual Christmas tree curbside collection and recycling program. The program will run through Wednesday, January 16th.

When Clement Clarke Moore composed the immortal Christmas poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" at his home in New York City, he was in all probability thinking of the home of his grandparents in Newtown Village.

St. Saviour's parsonage was demolished on Wednesday, December 12th. Neighbors report that the building was knocked down by a bulldozer in a matter of minutes.

JPCA held our annual holiday party and raffle on Thursday, December 13th, 2007 at Our Lady of Hope Auditorium in Middle Village. We used this occasion to welcome in our 70th anniversary year.

Councilman Tony Avella and Queens Director of City Planning John Young have confirmed that Maspeth Development, LLC has withdrawn their application for rezoning of the St. Saviour's property from M1-1D to R5B.

JPCA and Councilman Tony Avella held a press conference on Sunday, December 2nd on Mazeau Street in Maspeth. This marked the one-year anniversary of our first press conference that called for DOB to step in and force the demolition of a building on the street.

George Christides, manager of the Walgreen's at Eliot and Caldwell Avenues has stated that the store will NOT be open 24-hours and will probably close daily at 10pm.

The 20 or more trees here were expeditiously cut down on Friday, November 2nd by the School Construction Authority, even though the SCA assured a Community Board 5 member just days earlier that they would not be touched.

Midville Wins 2007 MABL Wood Bat Fall Season Championship, Undefeated at 11-0
MIDVILLE: 3
LI TIGERS: 1
A truly historic feat!

FEMA and DEP attended our last Juniper Civic meeting on Thursday, October 25th. Many attendees expressed their displeasure with how the city and feds have treated them since the floods this summer.

October 2007 Newsletter from the NYC Department of Buildings.

Behold the flooding I witnessed on my way home from work today. - Christina Wilkinson, Secretary, Juniper Park Civic Association (open for videos of flooding)

The Department of Sanitation provides regularly scheduled curbside refuse and recycling collection services for every residential household, public school, public building, and many large institutions in New York City.

About 1/2 of this 350-member crowd raised their hands when asked who had been affected by flooding.

"I just wanted to drop a line back to my family, friends and communities of Middle Village and Maspeth from the “Sand Sailors” of the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command with Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom."

Christabel Gough from the Society for the Architecture of the City and Nadezhda Williams of the Historic Districts Council, as well as Christina Wilkinson of JPCA, spoke in support of saving the historic structure at the September 12th budget hearing at Community Board 5.

On September 1st, President Bush declared Queens County to be a federal disaster area. The federal government will therefore provide monetary assistance to state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities.

Maspeth's town Christmas tree, which we believe is on NYC Parks Department property at 69th Street and Grand Avenue, was unceremoniously ripped down this past weekend, and a circular wall was built in its place.

The flooding in Maspeth, Middle Village and Glendale was the hot topic of conversation at the August Community Board 5 meeting. The recent deluge was the second time in three weeks that homes and businesses experienced flooding.

New York Daily News editorial:
City Councilman Dennis Gallagher of Queens has been charged with rape and sexual assault in a 10-count indictment that likely contains the most serious criminal charges ever lodged against a member of the municipal legislature. He should resign forthwith. Facing up to 25 years in prison, Gallagher will be consumed by defending himself. He won't be able to represent his constituents effectively, and where he goes, disgrace will follow.

"I live diagonally across from St. Saviour's and have watched the systematic annihilation of one of nature's most beautiful gifts. It is so disheartening to see that Bloomberg didn't deem this to be a worthy enough issue to fit into his agenda."

After heavy rain washed out the first day of action, the Midville Dodgers Senior team (18 and under) opened the AABC Regional Playoffs on Friday July 20th.

An emergency press conference was held at the site of the former St. Saviour's Church in Maspeth yesterday to denounce the cutting of more than 170 trees present on the sacred site.

Statement from the Historic Districts Council Re: Emergency Press Conference at Saint Saviour's Church in Maspeth, Queens

JPCA will hold an emergency press conference on Saturday, July 14 at 12 noon at St. Saviour's Church to denounce the destruction of the trees and birds on the property at the hands of the developer.

Sponsored by NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, Juniper Park Civic Association, RCN & Commerce Bank. • All Concerts start at 7:30pm • Bring Your Own Lawn Chair • Location: 80th St & Juniper Blvd North

JPCA and Councilman Tony Avella were joined by more than 80 concerned city residents at St. Saviour's Church in West Maspeth on July 1st to call for the conversion of the property into a park by the city.

JPCA and Councilman Tony Avella held a press conference at City Hall in lower Manhattan on the afternoon of Saturday, June 30th to protest overdevelopment and the NYC Department of Building’s refusal to put an end to abuses by rogue developers.

Councilman Tony Avella was honored by the Juniper Park Civic Association on Thursday evening, June 21st. Mr. Avella was named Man of the Year for all he has done on behalf of the communities of Middle Village, Maspeth and the rest of Queens.

State Senator Serphin Maltese wrote to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation after reading Robert Doocey's June 2007 Juniper Berry article about the potential dangers of artificial turf in NYC parks.

According to the legislative details listed on the New York City Council’s website, as of May 29th, 2007, of the eleven local laws listed on Councilman Gallagher’s performance sheet, he was not listed as the author of any of the bills.

In the next week, a package of legislation that will require greater transparency and accountability from the Department of Buildings will be passed by the New York State Assembly.

The purpose of this article is to pay tribute to the very productive life of Margaret Magnus, her struggles and accomplishments, but most of all to celebrate her love for her family and her community.

If you haven’t already heard the name “John Duddy” around the neighborhood, you’re sure to be hearing it a lot in the near future. Duddy, a two time middleweight boxing champion, makes his home right here in Middle Village.

Do you like the idea of Mayor Bloomberg using members of your family to test the safety of the artificial turf installed in New York City parks? The trouble is, the results may not be available for years, and, by then it may be too late.

“To give a man his life but deny him his liberty is to take from him all that his life is worth living. To give him his liberty but take from him his property which is the fruit and badge of his liberty is to still leave him a slave.”

As we learn more about the value of moving freight by rail, NY&A is indeed an important neighbor in addressing the problems of air quality, unwanted truck traffic and road congestion and is lucky to have someone as knowledgeable as Mark Westerfield as its acting President.

No elected official has done more for Maspeth and Middle Village over the past year than Councilman Tony Avella.

If buying the property is not an economically feasible thing for the city to do at this time, then a land swap would be the perfect solution for all parties - the community, the city and the developer would all come out winners.

I am writing in the hope that my concerns will be heard on the ongoing problem of speeding motorcycles and cars on Juniper Boulevard North between 80th Street and Lutheran Avenue in Middle Village.

With fond regards we bid farewell to Deputy Inspector Scott Shanley, who is transferring to a new command at the 30th Precinct in Harlem. With great hope, we welcome Captain Keith Green as the new Commanding Officer of the 104th Precinct.

For this issue of the Juniper Berry our spotlight shines on a neighborhood business, Community Beverage on Grand Avenue and 80th Street in Elmhurst. Owner Matthew Crescio shares the business with his Dad, John, a retired NYC firefighter.

Congress adopted Flag Day, which is celebrated on June 14th, in 1777. The Stars and Stripes represent the emblem of our nation. However, it was not until August 3, 1949 that it became law, giving official recognition to June 14th as the date to celebrate the flag.

We do not need a congestion tax to address traffic congestion on our streets. We need better enforcement of the conditions that slow our buses and traffic in general.

The Juniper Park Civic Association joins the rest of America in thanking all veterans for their service to our country in times of both war and peace and we pay special tribute to those who have lost their lives defending freedom and democracy.

PS89 students directed to eat and play in area where dogs regularly relieve themselves. Teachers express concern.

The following is an e-mail from Queens Community Board 5 - Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum Calls for Independent Testing of Pellets Used in City Parks - Health risks to New Yorkers playing on synthetic turf remains unknown.

"As difficult as it is to let go of her right now, I can honestly say that I have very few regrets. This is a person I had a wonderful relationship with down to the last minute."

The Sanitation Department, a member of the 104th Precinct, and JPCA's 2nd VP were honored for their commitment to improving the quality of life of Maspeth and Middle Village residents at our last JPCA general membership meeting held on Thursday, April 26th, 2007.

The JPCA has unveiled an architectural rendering of what the St. Saviour’s Church and Parsonage will look like after both they and the historic grounds upon which they sit are saved and fully restored.

Street trees make any neighborhood beautiful and actually increase property values, to say nothing about their huge contribution to our environment.

Through his association with the Queens Democratic Party, Councilman Dennis Gallagher has been successful in carrying out his taunts to remove Ed Kampermann from CBQ5, however, we will not allow an empty suit to deny him his right to freedom of speech.

So you may be wondering how JPCA feels about the recent decision by the NYC Parks Department which encourages people to unleash their dogs in parks that belong to us, the taxpayers - a decision that puts us, the taxpayers, at risk.

Strangely, Councilman Dennis Gallagher continues to portray himself as a “victim” of the JPCA. We’ll let you decide for yourself who the real victims are here.

The Midville Dodgers kept their 3-year opening day win streak alive with a 5-1 victory over the Long Island Panthers. The Dodgers took advantage of some control problems from the opposing pitcher and jumped to an early 2-0 lead.

The JPCA will present two community service awards to the DSNY for outstanding contributions in the neighborhood and the City of New York.

On April 4th, a member of the Juniper Park Civic Association observed an online real estate advertisement for the newly constructed “Maspeth Mews” development at 60-51 Flushing Ave. on the “Queens Crap” website. The ad blatantly encourages potential buyers to convert the garage and basement into an illegal apartment.

The Forgotten New York tour of Middle Village on Sunday, April 1st was a great success, attracting 48 participants, including tourgoers from all over New York City, as well as many curious locals.

Come Join Us for Mark "Mick" Snadecky's Birthday Bash Benefit, Saturday, April 7th, 2007 from 4pm to 11pm at the Martin Luther High School Auditorium.

In two shocking revelations, both the NYS Office of Historic Preservation and the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) have admitted that the St. Saviour’s site contains the potential for recovery of archaeologically significant materials, including human remains.

The Juniper Juniors really enjoyed meeting FDNY heroes at our last town meeting on Thursday, March 22nd.

The air is bad now at St. Saviour’s, but it will soon be much worse. Is allowing the destruction of the 1.5 acre green space that buffers surrounding homes from all this pollution part of the city’s 2030 plan to clean the air?

Anthony D. is amused because he says we are "trying to destroy the name and livelihood of Councilman Dennis Gallagher." How we would accomplish that remains a mystery; only Gallagher can destroy his own name, which is about his only successful accomplishment.

Without question, we do not need the Cross Harbor Freight Rail Tunnel, but, we do need the freight rail infrastructure up-graded to 21st Century standards.

This year, the "Fighting 69th" assembled to lead the St. Patrick's Day Parade having enjoyed a full traditional Irish breakfast served at its regimental headquarters in Manhattan, compliments of Tommy Moloney's, America's largest provider of authentic Irish food products.

Dennis P. Gallagher has certainly been an abysmal failure as our NYC Council representative. But he has been an even bigger failure as a human being.

Please come and explain to Deanna why her Buddy isn’t around anymore. Please come and explain to her trusting, two year old little mind what we can not. If nothing else come and apologize for failing her, as the mayor of the city we live in, that is exactly what you did.

As far as technology, almost 6 years later, little has changed in the average city police precinct, and nothing has changed in the 104th precinct. In recruiting qualified applicants and keeping experienced officers, the mayor has a long way to go.

104 Precinct Commander Scott A. Shanley is no longer a Captain. He has been recently promoted to Deputy Inspector. Congratulations Inspector Shanley! The community and the Juniper Park Civic Association are delighted with the news.

Champion show dog “Vivi” remains missing since escaping from her cage at Kennedy Airport on February 15th, 2006, just a day after winning an Award of Merit at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden. A dedicated group of Queens searchers has continued their quest to find her.

Denis Hamill recently wrote an article about the problem of dog waste left behind in city parks, and members of the off-leash lunatic fringe responded in their typical insane manner. The Parks Department, ever in denial, went so far as to tell Mr. Hamill that what his kid stepped in twice was not made by dogs, but by geese, as if he didn't know the difference.

Dear Mr. Mayor: Once again, under your direction and control, a pack of dogs menaced Middle Village resident Gary Colter, his wife and two sons, this time as they walked through Juniper Park to attend Sunday Mass.

NYC DOG and other off-leash organizations are made up of people who value the ability of their dogs to run free more than they value their relationships with human beings. Therefore, their attempts at tearing down the reputation of groups that would dare to try to impose limits on the animals that they live their lives through come as no surprise.

I recently took my 7-year old son to Crocheron Park in Bayside to toss around a football. I was teaching him the buttonhook when the game was called on account of dog crap. Who let the dogs out to defecate all over our parks? Judge Peter Kelly, Parks Department Commissioner Adrian Benepe and Health Department Commissioner Thomas Frieden, that’s who.

On January 27th, a home in Middle Village was burglarized. Jewelry and money was stolen. But the robbers left the house with something even more precious. They stole the family pet.

The call for unity to save the entire St. Saviour’s site has fallen on deaf ears. Councilman Dennis Gallagher has rejected the plan to save the parcel and continues to help Maspeth Development, LLC obtain a required a zoning change that would allow them to build housing on the property.

The arsonist terrorizing Maspeth and Middle Village has been caught. Fire Marshals arrested him Friday, January 19th. Two graffiti vandals were also apprehended by the NYPD, who had increased patrols in our area to look for the firebug.

JPCA has discovered that last year's downzoning of parts of Maspeth and Middle Village has had no effect on buildings permits issued in our communities. Architects and engineers are still self-certifying building plans that do not conform with the new zoning criteria and the DOB approves them based on the old zoning.

Lee Principe, son of late Maspeth activist and community leader, Frank Principe, wrote a letter to CB5 asking them to work together with elected officials and JPCA to save St. Saviour's Church. Lee said in the letter that his legendary father had envisioned the site as a park for West Maspeth.

In observance of Martin Luther King Day, there will be no garbage or recycling collection, or street cleaning on Monday, January 21, 2008. Residents who normally receive Monday garbage collection should place their trash out at curbside Monday after 4 P.M. for pickup.

A JPCA board member observed men working on the property owned by Tommy Huang at 57-39 Mazeau Street in Maspeth on January 3rd. The NYPD responded to the scene.

Residents of the Juniper Valley Park area have become the unwitting victims of nuisance noise. Early morning hours are now a cacophony of barking dogs. Juniper Valley Park is completely surrounded by residential housing and NYC Parks never considered that dogs bark, and quite loudly at that.

The Juniper Park Civic Association has been fighting to save St. Saviour's Church for almost a year now. Thus far, we have been successful. The developer took over the property on December 26th of last year, and a week shy of the one-year anniversary of this event, the church is still standing, now with a "for sale" sign on the fence.

At 11:30am on Sunday morning, Dec 16th, a Middle Village resident was walking her granddaughter in Juniper Park when a big black dog jumped onto the child and knocked her down.

You did it again, another great issue of the Juniper Berry, especially the article on "Redlining of Middle Village, Maspeth and Glendale." I'd also like to add to "keep fighting," as it's so nice having an organization such as yours standing up for us.

Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside) was honored for the work he has done on behalf of Maspeth and Middle Village.

While Queens BP Marshall applauds the stated goals of the Berger Commission, she feels it missed the mark in Queens by not strengthening patient access to high level services.

At the Community Board 5 meeting on Wednesday, December 13th, a vote was taken regarding the recent DOH leash law revision. CB5 voted overwhelmingly against the DOH action, re-affirming their stance against off-leash recreation in parks throughout the district.

The NYC Parks Department installed a fence along the eastern edge of the area currently used by a handful of dog owners as an off-leash area. This was done to keep dogs from running on the ballfields and harassing park users.

JPCA received a phone call from a neighbor of St. Saviour’s Church who stated that there were workers on the property who were ripping out the windows in the rear.

Robert Holden announced to the JPCA executive board last night that Christina Wilkinson will assume the duties of editor of the Juniper Berry starting with the next issue.

When a lawyer asks a witness a question in bad faith, the opposing side has the right and the duty to issue an objection, claiming the bad faith of the question. The offending attorney is questioned in chambers, and, if unable to prove the good faith of the question, is then questioned by the opposing attorney in front of the jury.

Members of JPCA who were denied the opportunity to testify at the Queens public forum regarding the Department of Buildings were silenced yet again, this time at the meeting in Manhattan.

The Greater New York Sandlot Athletic Alliance is proud to announce that it has honored Robert F. Holden, President of the Juniper Park Civic Assoc. and founder of the Midville Dodgers Baseball Program, for his longtime commitment to youth baseball and to his community.

More than 1700 votes were cast in the AM NY poll, and out of those, more than 1500 people voted "yes" while just over 200 voted "no" to the question of "Should dogs always be on leashes in city parks?"

Councilman Tony Avella and several activists visited Maspeth on December 2nd to join JPCA in our fight against overdevelopment.

Only in the City of New York would 2 city agencies consider the truly absurd proposal to unleash hundreds of thousands of undocumented, potentially dangerous dogs on the very same people that they are supposed to be protecting.

Our community is very fortunate to have an association as caring as you. A “Thank You” is not enough for your support and ideas in helping us manage to deal with the misery of the development next to our home.

Illegal apartments are not on the radar screen of the Department of Buildings, a city agency intentionally understaffed so that there can be a ready-made excuse for lack of building code enforcement. Building scofflaws are well aware of this and are taking full advantage of the opportunities afforded them.

These days Richard Murphy is definitely enjoying life. He certainly earned that luxury. As Queens Borough Parks Commissioner for nine years he had the tough job of maintaining 7,000 acres of parkland with a paltry budget and a Manhattan-centric bureaucrat posing as a NYC Parks Commissioner breathing down his neck.

The Queens Ledger was once considered to be the “gold standard” of community newspapers, with excellent reporting of issues of neighborhood concern and fantastic local history articles. Walter Sanchez quickly turned it into something that now is good for no more than to line the bottoms of pigeon coops.

As winter approached, Peter Scully thought the small triangle between the upper ball fields, which are closed for the season for reseeding, would make a good refuge for the birds that decide to stay at or pass through Juniper Park. Peter contacted JPCA with his idea to install bird feeders and Steve Fiedler made sure it happened.

Here we are again, another busy shopping season. The best news would be that we all experience a safe, harmless time this year. But, we all know that we have to be alert to accomplish that goal.

Forgotten New York, a website chronicling "the infrastructure of a lost metropolis," in conjunction with JPCA, offered a tour of Elmhurst and Maspeth focusing on neighborhood history, culture and architecture on Sunday, November 19th, 2006.

Ninety-nine years ago, New Yorker Teddy Roosevelt proposed what he called “a very radical measure” — public financing of certain election activities to reduce the power of moneyed interests over elected officials. President Roosevelt knew that if the public lost faith in the honesty of democratically elected officials, then they could lose faith in democracy itself.

As the sun sinks lower in the sky, slipping daily toward its nadir at the Winter Solstice, it is difficult for many residents of Queens to contemplate spending a day at the shore, much less entering the water. But they should rest assured that, in the bays which gird both shores of the borough, there are fish that have no such qualms.

There are many of us who lived in other boroughs but resettled in Queens because we thought it was the “country.” Needless to say, the present trend of paving over lawns and building to the maximum bulk allowed by zoning is eroding that feeling of living in the country. But in eastern Queens there is a place where a true rural experience awaits your senses.

A lot of people are surprised when they hear that there are wild parrots living in New York City, but several hundred of them have been living here for many years in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and in Queens.

In Maspeth and Middle Village, we certainly have our own problems with rezoning and overdevelopment, but we haven't yet had the pleasure of battling eminent domain that benefits no one except a private developer as is currently happening in Brooklyn. A problem like this in any city community is a battle that every city community should be aware of, as it costs us all and we should remember that it could just as easily happen here at any time.

As you ascend the front steps of this attached house, you can hear them calling from within. The sound is neither of barking dogs nor rambunctious children – in this case the clamor is emanating from parrots. Maspeth Bird Haven is a not-for-profit two-person venture, run by the husband and wife team of Gayle & Barry Schwartz out of their Ridgewood Plateau home.

A year after St. Saviour’s Church and Parsonage were taken over by a developer with plans to demolish them and build on the grounds, the structures are still standing and the property remains a green space. This is due to JPCA’s tireless effort to preserve one of the last vestiges of 19th century Maspeth.

Since, by dog advocates’ own admissions, after 20 years of off-leash courtesy hours we are still experiencing a myriad of problems, then it is time that this “experiment” is terminated as a complete failure.

The Queens Civic Congress represents more than 100 civic and other community organizations across the borough of Queens. QCC sent a letter to the Commissioner of the Department of Health asking him not to relax the leash law in city parks. Member groups also unanimously support JPCA's lawsuit against the Parks Department.

Police from the Queens Narcotics Squad together with the 104th Precinct Narcotics team raided a Middle Village house on November 9th and found what was described as a house of horrors.

The Juniper Park Civic Association is sad to announce that longtime community resident, activist and volunteer, Gloria Simile, passed away on Thursday, November 9th.

When a giant 400-million-year old boulder was unearthed in Brooklyn recently, Queens Parks Commissioner Dottie Lewandowski promptly took action, and on November 2nd, a flatbed truck transported the boulder to the former Keyspan site on Grand Avenue in Elmhurst. It now awaits incorporation into the design of our much-anticipated future park.

Hundreds of kids and adults took part in a fun night of free entertainment featuring country & classic rock music, prizes, games and contests on Halloween night at Juniper Valley Park.

JPCA members who offered live testimony with regards to the Department of Health's proposal to allow unleashed dogs in city parks were subjected to catcalls, booing and hissing by members of the Juniper Valley Park Dog Association, FIDO Brooklyn, NYC DOG and other off-leash advocates.

Firsthand account of DOH hearing by a non-JPCA member, documenting the testimony given in support of off-leash hours.

Someone using the pen name "Truman Harris" has been submitting letters to the editors of local Queens newspapers comparing JPCA President Robert Holden with mass murderers and dictators. The problem is that Truman Harris does not exist.

On October 21st, volunteer kids and adults planted bulbs, bushes and trees and reseeded fields during It's My Park Day.

It's nice to see that our local elected officials and new "civic association" are no longer hiding their connections to developers and realtors. Thanks for being honest for a change!

The Midville Dodger team made up of only 13 players from Archbishop Molloy, Holy Cross, Garden City, Forest Hills, Horace Mann and RFK High Schools took a trip to Greensboro, North Carolina to play for the NABF – National Amateur Baseball Federation National Championship.

How the attitudes of Councilmembers Dennis Gallagher and Melinda Katz have changed with respect to obtaining parkland in our area. Could it be term limits, campaign contributions, or both?

There has been a lot of misinformation spewed forth lately by those in favor of allowing dogs in city parks to roam off of their leashes in violation of the NYC health code.

Did you know that Middle Village has its very own resident artist? Doug Leblang, who has lived in the neighborhood for most of his life, has accurately chronicled the 20th century Middle Village experience in his works.

Our profile for this issue of the Juniper Berry is a man who, for many years, was an important part of our lives but we weren’t aware of his importance. His name is Al Banke and for 41 years he worked at the Elmhurst Gas Tanks site serving as “The Tank Commander,” a title he received because for seven years he was the Commander of the Glendale American Legion Post 104.

Juniper Park Civic Association was proud to have sponsored the 2006 Juniper Park Concert Series this summer. The series was co-sponsored by Commerce Bank and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

In our last issue of the Juniper Berry, we published several articles that were critical of our City Councilman, Dennis Gallagher, and of Ken Rudzewick, President of Maspeth Federal Savings.

You are probably wondering what went on over the past few months with regards to St. Saviour's Church in West Maspeth. JPCA has had a busy summer fighting to save the church.

NYC Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe has encouraged dog owners to bring their dogs to city parks during the hours of 9pm to 9am to exercise them off of their leashes.

During his five years in the city council, Dennis Gallagher has essentially been a non-player. He has absolutely no relationship with Mayor Bloomberg, has not introduced any bills, never calls press conferences to highlight community issues and we can’t remember the last time we’ve seen a press release from his office.

The Jamaica Bay ecosystem, located in Brooklyn and Queens, includes about 13,000 acres of salt marsh, uplands, mudflats and open water. This is about half of its original size; the Bay was once 25,000 acres...

Proportional representation is a system of voting providing members of a legislature be chosen in a way that essentially reflects the support that their political party receives in an election.

Captain Shanley (Commanding Officer of the 104th Precinct) wants the JPCA to warn people of two scams that could hurt you financially if you are victimized.

Juniper Park Civic Association leaders said they believe longstanding Maspeth activist and civic member Tony Nunziato is being thwarted politically after being voted out of Maspeth Town Hall in March, where he acted as president, and removed from Community Board 5 in April.

In 2004, Councilman Dennis Gallagher told the Queens Tribune that Juniper Park Executive Board Member and long time Maspeth activist, Anthony Nunziato, was “dedicated to his community and stops at nothing to fight for what he believes in.” Fast forward to 2006: Dennis Gallagher has Tony Nunziato removed from Community Board 5. What the heck happened? The story is a sordid one and is about to be told for the first time in print.

Flushing Meadow Park has been called the “jewel of Queens.” Situated in the center of the borough, it is the second largest in Queens. Each year many special events attract millions of people making it one of the most utilized parks in NYC. So, why is it suffering from neglect? Good question.

The Trylon Theater, located at 98-81 Queens Blvd. in Forest Hills, opened its doors on Dec. 26, 1939. It was erected by NY’s-own architect Joseph Unger, and attracted movie-goers for six decades. It boasted classic films such as The Wizard of Oz and Gone With The Wind. Throughout the decades, lines were occasionally down the block. The Trylon lost its lease in late Dec. 1999, shortly after celebrating its 60th anniversary.

Lucky Spike; his wandering from Ozone Park, starting at 131st Street and 11th Avenue, left him at Eliot Avenue and 85th Street. Look at a map. Spike traveled far. By the time he reached the group who rescued him, he was away from home for nearly three weeks. Spike was tired and hungry but had the sweetest disposition anyone would want in a dog. He followed commands like sit, stay, and lie down, as readily as any beloved house pet would.

A lot of people probably think that living in an urban environment means that we are far removed from nature. This is not true. Nature is all around us in Maspeth and Middle Village, although many times we simply fail to notice. Our parks and cemeteries provide refuge for creatures that would otherwise have been extirpated from our area long ago.

The saga of the unleashed dogs is getting worse by the day. While the NYC Parks Department continues to downplay the problem with their ambiguous statements about “courtesy time” for unleashed dogs in the park and always making sure you “can control your dog,” etc., people are being harassed and frightened daily in Juniper Valley Park.

Many in our community are fighting daily struggles with obesity and/or heart disease. Sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits generally are the direct causes, with family history and certain medications as possible contributing factors.

While only 64 -- or about 10 percent -- of the city's total diamonds are kept locked, the Parks Department has increasingly turned to locking its fields as a solution to overuse and vandalism.

Someone has got to set priorities, and they ought to begin by telling Mr. Nadler his tunnel is dead.

Led by the Juniper Park Civic Association, the struggle to save the Elmhurst Gas Tanks site from commercial development, particularly a big box Home Depot store, was a fight to save our neighborhood. In the end it was a remarkable and stunning victory. A storybook ending where the good guys win, a victory for the people of the City of New York, a victory against overdevelopment and the perception that big money always wins out.

This is a story of a vile and ugly columnist and an unapologetic hateful newspaper that prints vile and ugly columns. Fortunately, the newspaper is insignificant. But small people and small papers that spread hate are dangerous.

“This town’s not big enough for the both of us,” is the message Bob Holden usually tells real estate developers looking to build big box stores, multi-family homes, and commercial space in his neighborhood.

Tony Nunziato’s own friends will admit that when the florist goes to a meeting, he is “a pit bull.” Peering out of the windows of Enchanted Florist in Maspeth is the store’s namesake: a florist who doubles as a community activist. His activism against over development and excessive truck traffic leave him fighting for Maspeth into the wee hours of the night.

Joe Crowley: “I am pleased to announce that after countless meetings, hundreds of hours of work and years of dedication, South Elmhurst which has always thought of itself as Middle Village in name, will now officially be called Middle Village by ZIPCODE."

August, 1996: Keyspan begins dismantling the Elmhurst Gas Tanks. Tells community it will use land for storage of vehicles. September, 2001: Keyspan announces plans to sell Elmhurst Gas Tanks Property...

Benjamin(Ben) Schiff was born, at home in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, on May 5, 1927. His parents, Harry and Molly Schiff, and his older siblings, Max and Sally, were delighted to welcome this blond, blue-eyed, bouncing baby boy to the family. When he was six years old, he attended PS 164 in Brooklyn, and later Montauk Junior High, also in Brooklyn.

In 1996 the Federal Telecommunications Act was passed by the House and Senate and signed into law by President Clinton. It was enacted to regulate and govern the new technologies of the electromagnetic (wireless) telecommunications industry. This act, while necessary to a growing industry and technology, is biased in favor of the telecommunication companies over the public interest because the current law prohibits local communities (states, cities, townships etc.) from having any jurisdiction over the siting of cellular base station antennas with regard to health and safety issues.

Edward Kampermann was born on July 25, 1936 at St. John's Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. His parents Helen Agnes Connelly and Edward Kampermann were pleased to welcome a second son to their Ridgewood home.