Memorial Day - Broad Channel 2012



Click here to view slide show of Parade, Ceremonies and BBQ.....

Memorial Day Parade 2012....Remember Those who served and those who did not come home...

One way to remember is to attend tomorrow's Broad Channel Memorial Day Parade starting at        1:00 p.m. 

Birdstrikes at J.F.K.

Back in the early 1940's the land that is now J.F.K. International Airport was a recreational area (The Idlewild Golf Course). 

In the mid 1940's the golf course was raised to construct an airport that would relieve the pressure on our other Queens Air terminal, LaGuardia Airport. 

Construction began in 1947 and in 1948 the new "New York International Airport - Anderson Field" opened to commercial flights.  The airport's name not withstanding, everyone still referred to the airport as "Idlewild", after the golf course.

In December of 1963, one month after President Kennedy's assassination, "Idlewild" airport was renamed J.F.K. International Airport.

Now while all of the above was transpiring, the island land just north of Broad Channel was under the jurisdiction of the New York City Parks and Recreation agency.  When he was not busy constructing parks and roads, Robert Moses had two freshwater ponds ("East" and "West" ponds) constructed on this parcel of land which immediately attracted all manner of wildlife, especially birds. 

The National Park Service was suitably impressed with the environmental possibilities and in 1972 New York City transferred ownership of this parcel of land to the federal government as part of the Gateway National Recreation Area which we now know as the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

Obviously J.F.K. Airport and the National Park Service have been coexisting for 40 years now (since 1972) so the issue of "birdstrikes" is not something new to either entity.

The questions remain....

Just how serious is the threat of birdstrikes to the lives of airline crews and passengers as well of those of us who reside in the immediate area of the airport?

and....

What can be done about it?     

Memorial Day Parade 2012 - Sunday May 27th at 1:00 p.m.

Of all the military bugle calls, none is so easily recognized or more apt to render emotion than Taps. Up to the Civil War, the traditional call at day's end was a tune, borrowed from the French, called Lights Out. In July of 1862, in the aftermath of the bloody Seven Days battles, hard on the loss of 600 men and wounded himself, Union General Daniel Adams Butterfield called the brigade bugler to his tent. He thought "Lights Out" was too formal and he wished to honor his men.

Oliver Wilcox Norton, the bugler, tells the story, "...showing me some notes on a staff written in pencil on the back of an envelope, (he) asked me to sound them on my bugle. I did this several times, playing the music as written. He changed it somewhat, lengthening some notes and shortening others, but retaining the melody as he first gave it to me. After getting it to his satisfaction, he directed me to sound that call for Taps thereafter in place of the regulation call. The music was beautiful on that still summer night and was heard far beyond the limits of our Brigade. The next day I was visited by several buglers from neighboring Brigades, asking for copies of the music which I gladly furnished. The call was gradually taken up through the Army of the Potomac."

This more emotive and powerful Taps was soon adopted throughout the military. In 1874 It was officially recognized by the U.S. Army. It became standard at military funeral ceremonies in 1891. There is something singularly beautiful and appropriate in the music of this wonderful call. Its strains are melancholy, yet full of rest and peace. Its echoes linger in the heart long after its tones have ceased to vibrate in the air.

The origin of the word "Taps" is thought to have come from the Dutch word for "Tattoo"- "Taptoe." More than likely, "Taps" comes from the the three drum taps that were played as a signal for "Extinguish Lights" when a bugle was not used.

While there are no official lyrics for Taps, the following unofficial verse (author unknown) is often used:

Fading light dims the sight, And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright. From afar drawing nigh -- Falls the night. Day is done, gone the sun, From the lake, from the hills, from the sky; All is well, safely rest, God is nigh. Then good night, peaceful night, Till the light of the dawn shineth bright; God is near, do not fear -- Friend, good night.

 

Fewer than 10 percent of Americans can claim the title “veteran.” And while the great military phrase “uncommon valor was a common virtue,” has been so often repeated that it risks becoming a cliché, it is no less true.

In 1789 George Washington said, "The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their country."

We must ask ourselves as a community, are we serving veterans even half as well as they have served us?

The men and women of the Prince-Wynn V.F.W. Post#260 invite all our friends and neighbors in Broad Channel to join with them this Sunday, May 27th, at 1:00 p.m. in attending our community's 2012 Memorial Day Parade as a means of taking a small amount of time to show our appreciation for those veterans who have made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us.

Before you attend this Sunday's Memorial Day Parade with your friends and family you might also want to read a history of the "Red Buddy Poppy" which we published here prior to our town's 2011 Memorial Day Parade.


  

Broad Channel Civic Association Newsletter

BROAD CHANNEL CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEETING

VFW HALL-SHAD CREEK ROAD

MAY 24 2012--7:30 PM

VOLUME 25  NO -5

President's Message

This year's Annual UCO meeting will be held in conjunction with the May Civic Association meeting. This is the first time that this has been done, and Is a result of a request by the UCO board and a subsequent motion passed by the Broad Channel Civic Association. The intent is to save the time and effort involved in a mass mailing and a separate meeting and to also, hopefully, have adequate representation to have a quorum of residents present. We would ask that all residents try to attend this meeting if possible. The following is the formal request from the UCO Board and notification of this meeting:
The UCO of BC Inc., will hold its Annual Meeting on Thursday, May 24, 2012 @ 7:30pm.  It will take place at the VFW Hall on Shad Creek Road in conjunction with the Broad Channel Civic Meeting.  This section of the newsletter will serve as an admission ticket to obtain your ballot.  We must have a quorum to conduct business.  If you can't attend, please sign this proxy form and give it to a board member or another person attending, but you must sign this form for it to be valid.

X____________________________________________  Print_____________________________________________

Landowner of:_____________________________________________________________________
Board Members:
Margaret Wagner - President, Joe Minogue - Vice President, Ginger O'Hare - Secretary, Byron Ahlmeyer - Treasurer, Vice Presidents: Dawn McIntyre, Jay Dady, John Girdusky, Erin Malone and Michelle Green

For over thirty years this community has fought against the outrageous proposal to take contaminated fill from the Port Authority's harbor deepening projects and deposit it in the deep "borrow pits" of Jamaica Bay. While this contaminated material is prohibited by federal law from being deposited in the open ocean, a loop hole existed that allowed its placement in the waters of Jamaica Bay. This idea has constantly resurfaced, as the cost of shipping it to specially designated sites is extremely expensive and the Port Authority saw an opportunity to save millions even if, in the process, they create another "love canal". I guess they figured they could always pave over the whole area and make an additional runway if it became an issue. Recently we have heard this concept be raised once again as a viable prospect for this material, yet this time we may have a permanent answer. Assemblyman Goldfeder has introduced Assembly Bill 9871, which would prohibit hazardous dredge material from being placed into any of the borrow pits of Jamaica Bay. If passed, this bill would put this offensive and harmful plan to rest once and for all and remove it from future discussions involving the bay.

A reminder to all anglers -  a saltwater fishing license is required this year! The license is free and can be obtained online at https://nyfgisales.appsolgrp.com/fgnyia/html/index.jsp.

Due to the efforts of Councilman Ulrich, at the time of this writing the Civic representatives and members of the East 12th Road Bungalow Preservation Group were meeting with DEP Commissioner Strickland in an attempt to resolve the red tape that has stood in the way of the City repairing this boardwalk and installing a sewer line for the homes that it serves. These "stilt homes" are a unique part of the history of Broad Channel and New York City.  The City should be working with the homeowners to ensure that these distinctive structures remain a part of our landscape and cut through the bureaucracy that has stood in the way of the necessary upgrades. A report on this meeting will be given at the May 24th Civic meeting. 

In response to a notificiation from the Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers that the west pond at the wild life refuge has a major infrastructure emergency Congressman Turner met with the deputy director of the National Parks Service on May 16th. The congressman insisted that the National Parks Service address the current situation at the west pond. This fresh water pond was created by Robert Moses and has been a key reason that this bird sanctury has become one of the most noted on the east coast. In January the drainage pipe ruptured allowing salt water to back feed into the pond. The Ecowatchers notified the Parks service officials but nothing was done for three weeks . Finally at the end of the three weeks they inserted a temporary block into the pipe but the damage was done. In that time the pond received so much salt water that it now has the same salinity content as the surrounding bay water. This will have a destructive effect on the plant and bird species that depend on a fresh water supply source. The Parks officials need to fix the drainage pipe and drain down the salt water within the park and replace it with fresh water recreating the pond as it was meant to be.

Quote of the Month: --- "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." ―Albert Einstein

Respectfully submitted,
Dan Mundy Jr.

From today's WAVE...re: parking tickets issued during tidal flooding

Inside today's edition of The WAVE.....

[Excerpt from Dan Guarino's Broad Channel Bits column...]

If you “received a summons for parking on the Cross Bay Boulevard median on the morning of Saturday, May 5 …”, says Pete Mahon, “[you] should make it a point to be present at the Civic Association meeting [on Thursday] May 24 in order to ascertain what, if anything, can be done to void or otherwise dismiss these tickets.”

As Civic Association President Dan Mundy Jr. e-mailed shortly after the incident, “I spoke with Captain Olexa, the 100th Precinct commanding officer, today after receiving notice of the ticket blitz for residents who were parked on the center mall. The Captain called the Traffic Department, separate from the 100 Precinct, and spoke with the highest ranking officer available, a lieutenant, and informed him of [our] situation.”

As Pete Mahon updates on the West 12th Block Association website, “Dan … has indicated that he is attempting to arrange for the Commanding Officer of the Queens Traffic Division to attend … the Civic Association meeting this month to discuss the rash of parking violations issued by his staff during the recent “Super Moon” high tides and accompanying street flooding.”

Hopefully the BC Civic Association meeting, which starts at 7:30 p.m. at the VFW Hall on Shad Creek Road, will bring about a swift and fair resolution to this issue. Please be there and support our community.

[Excert from the Beachcomber column...]

For the past few years, there has been an agreement that Broad Channel residents could park on the central mall on Cross Bay Boulevard when a high moon tide hit that island community, flooding many of the east-west streets. During the moon tide last week, parking enforcement agents gave out dozens of tickets, violating the agreement. Now, it seems, even though 100 Precinct CO Captain Scott Olexa asked that the tickets be voided, officials at the parking bureau have balked. We will see what happens when the problem gets resolved.

Mother' Day 2012

Civic Association Agenda Item: Issuance of Summonses during flooding High Tides

Dan Mundy Jr. has indicated that he is attempting to arrange for the Commanding Officer of the Queens Traffic Division to attend the May 24th meeting of the Broad Channel Civic Association later this month to discuss the recent rash of parking violations issued by his staff  early on Saturday morning, May 5th, during the recent "Super Moon" high tides and accompanying street flooding.

There is a marked similarity to this recent spate of tickets being issued by Traffic Enforcement Agents to Broad Channel residents who were parked on the Cross Bay median between scheduled flooding high tides and that of August 30, 2011 when, just as we were still cleaning up from the high tides that accompanied Hurricane Irene, Police Officers from the 100th Precinct also issued several parking violations to resident vehicles similarly situated.

Fortunately, in the case of the August 2011 incident, as soon as the incident was brought to the attention of the 100th Precinct's Commanding Officer, Capt. Olexa, arrangements were made to have the summonses voided.

Unfortunately, in this most recent incident, when the situation was brought to the attention of a Traffic Enforcement supervisor, common sense did not prevail.  Traffic Enforcement was not willing to void the summonses even though the supervisor admitted that he was aware of a policy of not issuing summonses to Broad Channel vehicles parked on the Cross Bay median during periods of scheduled flooding tides.

Obviously what we have here is a case of the "right hand not knowing what the left hand" is doing.
Catain Olexa and his officers from the 100th Precinct have made it their business to become involved with the community of Broad Channel.  Their Community Affairs staff are routinely present at Civic Association meetings and Dan Ruscillo, President of the 100th Precinct's Community Council is keenly aware of the concerns of our town.

On the other hand, I am not sure if Traffic Enforcement even has a Community Affairs liaison because I would have to assume that we would have heard from them by now.

Anyone who received a summons for parking on the Cross Bay Boulevard median on the morning of Saturday, May 5th, between the "Super Moon" flooding high tides should make it a point to be present at the Civic Association meeting later this month on May 24th in order to ascertain what, if anything, can be done to void or otherwise dismiss these tickets.

Additionally, we can also (hopefully) use this meeting as an opportunity to involve Traffic Enforcement  management in the environmental culture of our community, especially as it pertains to tidal flooding and the requirement to relocate our vehicles on the Cross Bay median during and between flooding high tides.

Congratulations "Dr. Kit".....one of our own.....

Broad Channel resident Kit Schnaars-Uvino, Department of Vertebrate Biology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024 USA. Kit has increasingly taken over the restoration ecology program on the Cape Churchill Peninsula. She is trying to determine recovery dynamics in severely degraded habitat. She also oversees the paperwork and basic logistics of the Hudson Bay Project snow goose banding program.

This past Wednesday, one of our neighbors, Kathleen (Kit) Schnaars-Uvino, successfully defended her  doctorate dissertation as part of her studies at The Graduate School and University Center, The City University of New York, Ph.D. Program in Biology.

Kit's defense of her research and findings took place at the American Museum of Natural History, Ornithology classroom – 79thSt and Central Park West.

Several of her friends from W12th Road attended in support.

In addition to the hundreds of hours spent in developing her dissertation and conducting research in the wilds of Alaska Kit also finds time to volunteer her services with the Prince-Wynn Post 260 V.F.W Ladies Auxiliary here in Broad Channel.

Kit's long years of study and research to attain her doctorate and her continual service to our community via the V.F.W. is an achievement that our entire community should be proud of.

Congratulations Dr. Kit!

Pending Q21 Bus Service Change (elimination of Broad Channel/Rockaway service)

Dan Mundy Jr., President of the Broad Channel Civic Association has advised us that Ms. Alexa Altman, a reporter from the Queens Courier is researching a story on a change that the MTA is about to make in bus service to the Rockaways and Broad Channel.

Ms. Altman has indicated that the MTA has advised her that the Q 21 will no longer service the Broad Channel and Rockaway areas and that it will terminate in Howard Beach.

Those commuters who wish to continue to Broad Channel or the Rockaways will have to transfer to the Q53 or Q52 in Howard Beach.

Ms. Altman is looking to speak to those Broad Channel residents who routinely use or otherwise depend on the present Q21 bus service to ascertain what impact this service change will have on our community.

Ms. Altman may be contacted at (718) 224- 5863 extension 220 or via email at
aaltman@queenscourier.com