Woodhaven

The 102 Pct. Works with WRBA to Protect Your Valuables April 27th

The 102nd Precinct is working with the Woodhaven Residents' Block Association to help protect your valuables through Operation ID.

Operation Identification is offered free of charge by the New York City Police Department. The program involves engraving an identifiable serial number with the letters NYC on all portable valuables such as computers, fax machines, copiers, etc. and registering only the number and the owners name and address with the Police Department.

• The marked property is more difficult for a thief to sell.
• Stolen property in the possession of a thief is easily traceable to its rightful owner.
• Found property can easily be identified and returned to the rightful owner.

When?  Saturday, April 27th from 10 AM until 2 PM. 

Where?  84-20 Jamaica Avenue (the offices of the WRBA).

Bonus: Besides registering electronics, cell phones and bicycles in the Operation ID program you will be able to register your autos in the HEAT and CAT programs; and set up appointments to have your car VIN Etched.

When you register for these programs you will get a decal which will be affixed to your vehicle's rear window.  The Combat Auto Theft (CAT) yellow sticker means that the car is generally not used between 1AM and 5AM -- if the NYPD sees a car with that sticker on the road between those hours, the NYPD can stop that vehicle.

There is a CAT Program for Commuters -- same idea except the yellow sticker has a black border -- and this means the car is generally parked between 10AM and 4PM.

Majority of persons arrested for auto theft are typically under 25 years of age.  To register in the Help End Auto Theft (HEAT) program you must be over 40 years old.  You will sign a waiver that no persons under 25 years old will be driving your vehicle and you will get a bright RED sticker.  By registering with this program you give the policve the right to stop the auto anytime a person apparently under the age of 25 is operating it.

VIN Etching

You will also be able to make an appointment to get your vehicle etched -- it's a fast and easy process -- and the 102 will make an appointment to come to your house to do it.

• The auto's vehicle identification number is etched onto all of the vehicles glass.
• Serves to deter theft and trace the stolen parts.

If you have any questions, feel free to drop us a line at info@woodhaven-nyc.org or call 718-296-3735 and leave a message. 

NEXT TOWN HALL:  The next Town Hall meeting of the WRBA will be held 4/20 at 1 PM at the Ambulance Corps.

Woodhaven Town Hall: Saturday, June 15th @ 1 PM

Residential Noise will be a featured topic at this month's Woodhaven Town hall meeting which will begin at 1 PM on Saturday, June 15th at the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps (78-15 Jamaica Avenue).

Noise has been a persistent, and growing problem in Woodhaven -- and if the first few weeks of this summer are any indication, the noise issue is worse than ever.

Come down with your horror stories -- if you've made 311 complaints, bring the numbers with you --

And bring whatever other issues are bothering you to the meeting.  They are not going to get resolved just by complaining on Facebook.  Hope to see you there.

Man Killed By Car on Atlantic Avenue; Arrest Made

A man was struck and killed by a driver that was allegedly speeding - Atlantic & 87th Street - photos courtesy of Mr. Woodhaven.  Developing... Accident happened Thursday Night at 7:25 PM.  Victim said to be 50-year old man.

 

This photo courtesy of Vance Barbour --

 

St. Thomas Students Create Film History of Woodhaven

For the past few months, students at St. Thomas the Apostle have immersed themselves in the history of Woodhaven -- and the end result will be a film about our community's rich and interesting history.  The students have written and produced storyboards on their own, using "The Story of  Woodhaven and Ozone Park" by Vincent Seyfried as their primary reference guide.  20 copies of this wonderful history book were donated to St. Thomas the Apostle by the Woodhaven Cultural & Historical Society for use in this project.  The students have titled the film "Woodhaven: Diverse Backgrounds United in One History," which examines all of their different heritages against the backdrop of their shared heritage.  And here is the exciting news:

The film will be premiered on Monday, June 10th at 6 PM at the Cinemart Movie Theater - on Metropolitan Avenue in Forest Hills.

The filmmakers have done their due diligence and we are very excited to see what they come up with. There are a number of other interviews on tap -- with a number of surprises mixed in with a number of very familiar names and places.  St. Thomas the Apostle has a very accomplished video program - click here to view their very active You Tube Channel. 

Be A Part of Woodhaven History

It is our intention that this will be the first in a series of collaborations between the Woodhaven Cultural & Historical Society and local schools -- in order for that to happen, we need this project to be a success.  To defray some of the costs associated with this project, we need supporters and sponsors.  This is a wonderful opportunity to support an educational and fun experience for the students of a school right here in Woodhaven.  If you would like to see more such project, please consider becoming a supporter and sponsor.  We have created 4 different sponsor options --

Sponsorship Options

Booster $25.00 USD Sponsor $50.00 USD Gold Sponsor $75.00 USD Platinum Sponsor $125.00 USD

Name

E-Mail Address

Sponsorship Options --

Booster - For $25.00 you will get 2 tickets to the premiere and your name listed as a Project Booster in the special program that will be handed out to all theatergoers (and published on Project Woodhaven). 

Sponsor - For $50.00 you will get 2 tickets to the premiere.  Your name (or business name) will be listed in the special program as a Sponsor, and you can add up to 3 lines of text beneath your name.  Advertise your business or just pass along a greeting to the residents of Woodhaven!  Your name (or business name) will also be displayed in a list of sponsors on the big screen during the pre-movie slide show of old images of Woodhaven.

Gold Sponsor -  For $75.00 you will get 2 tickets to the premiere.  Your name will be listed in the special program as a Gold Sponsor, and you can add up to 4 lines of text beneath your name, which will appear in a box by itself.  And during the pre-movie slide show of old images of Woodhaven, you will get an entire slide to yourself.  Plaster a giant sized photo of you, your family, your business -- whatever you want -- up on the silver screen!

Platinum Sponsor -  Anyone that donates the maximum, $125.00, will get 2 tickets to the premiere and all of the same goodies that the Gold Sponsor gets.  But you will also get 2 free tickets to a pre-film (5 PM to 6 PM) courtesy buffet of Panini sandwiches, wraps, pizzas, salads, spinach pies, juices, coffees, teas, cappuccinos, café lattes, smoothies, and hot chocolate.

Be sure to include your contact information so we can work with you on the lines of text, the giant slides, etc.  The deadline for becoming a sponsor is Wednesday, June 5th.

Note:  Seating for the premiere is limited so at this time we can only offer tickets to sponsors.  

Email projectwoodhaven@aol.com for more information.

Woodhaven Town Hall: Saturday, May 18th at St. Luke's 1 PM

Our next Town Hall meeting will take place on Saturday, May 18th at 1 PM -- Please Take Note of the Location — St. Luke’s Church (87-34 85th St).

Sign up for The Grapevine -- Woodhaven's E-Newsletter.  Get updates on local events and news — receive breaking news — keep up-to-date on the happenings in your community — sign up now!  CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE GRAPEVINE!

 

Building Collapse on Jamaica Avenue

A building at the corner of 79th Street and Jamaica Avenue collapsed Friday evening around 6:30 PM.  Bricks rained down on to the street, crushing a vehicle and damaging the building next door, the home of the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps. 

The WRHVAC is the home of the Woodhaven Senior Center.  There is no immediate word on how bad the damage is or how this will effect the long term prospects of the building.  The Department of Biuildings had apparently condemned the collapsed building.

photo courtesy of the FDNY

J Train service was halted for over 2 hours as officials were concerned that the rumbling from passing trains would further collaps the building.  Traffic was blocked in both directions from Forest Parkway to 76th Street.  Buses were diverted on to side streets.  Here is on-the-scene video --

 

Here is an on-the-scene interview with Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps President Kathy Sexton Dalbey who describes the extent of the damage to the WRHVAC Building --

 

 

For more video and pictures, click here.

Forest Park Carousel Opens March 23rd

From NY Carousel:

The start of the 2013 season at the Forest Park Carousel begins sooner than you think!  We open our doors for the first rides of the year on March 23.

It has been an extremely busy off-season at the carousel.  David Galst, the Director of Operations said, “Not only did we have improvements to make, we had to contend with Super Storm Sandy.  Although the hurricane blew a tree down onto the Forest Park Carousel building, no damage was done to the historic carousel.  After the storm passed, the management and staff of Forest Park were there to assist in removing the tree, allowing us to quickly repair the one section of roof that was damaged.” 

Ami Abramson, one of the Directors of NY Carousel, said “We were extremely happy with how well the carousel operated during the 2012 season.  This off-season, to make sure all parts were in proper working order and to continue the safe operation of Forest Park's crown jewel, we brought in Todd Goings of Carousels and Carvings, a world-renowned carousel expert.  He assisted us with the off-season maintenance, assuring us that the carousel would be good to go for its 110th birthday season.”

 

Galst also noted that NY Carousel is excited about several new things for the 2013 season.  The company will debut the "Hi-Striker" game, where kids will be given an oversized hammer to show off their strength.  No matter how strong they are, each player is guaranteed a prize.  Also, because of the success of their live entertainment last season, the company will bring in some new acts (along with some old friends).  Free shows will be offered every Saturday and Holiday at 2pm and 4pm beginning Memorial Day weekend. 

Be sure to check out www.ForestParkCarousel.com to find out what’s happening all season long!

# # #

 About NY Carousel:

 NY Carousel is a private company that runs the Forest Park Carousel and the Flushing Meadows Carousel for the New York Parks Department.  It consists of staff with decades of amusement park experience and a passion for providing great experiences for the families of New York City.  Find out more at www.NYCarousel.com .

Woodhaven Blockwatchers - February 20th

On Wednesday, February 20th at 8 PM the NYPD's Community Affairs Bureau will be in Woodhaven to discuss the Blockwatcher program.  So far, the Woodhaven Residents' Block Association has signed up over 50 residents who are interested in making our community better and safer.  Here is a map of Woodhaven with approximate locations of Blockwatchers --

Is your block covered?  A Blockwatcher can report anything suspicious within the confines of the precinct -- but everyone is more likely to see and notice suspicious activity that takes place closer to their home.

How is your section of Woodhaven covered?  Hopefully you aren't waiting for someone else to volunteer. 

Do you feel the neighborhood could be safer?  Well, what are you waiting for?  Sign up now!

You will not be asked to go on patrol.  You will not be asked to confront anyone.  You are merely signing up to take a training course, a few hours of your time -- and then you will be given an ID Number to use when calling in suspicious activity.   Please consider filling out an application now (click here for an application).

At the very least, we ask you to come donw on the 20th to hear what the program is about. 

Wednesday, February 20th at 8 PM at the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

Woodhaven / NYPD Kicks Off BlockWatcher Program Feb. 20th 8 PM

The February Town Hall meeting of the Woodhaven Residents' Block Association has been moved to Wednesday, February 20th at 8 PM - the meeting will be held at the Ambulance Corps (78-15 Jamaica Avenue).

We have moved this meeting to a weekenight to accomodate our special guests, the NYPD's Community Affairs Bureau, who are coming to Woodhaven to discuss the Block Watcher Program.  So far, the WRBA has signed up over 50 residents who are interested in participating in the program to make our community better and safer. 

We are asking everyone who has already signed up to attend this meeting.  And if you did not sign up?  There's still time -- come on down anyway.  They will answer all your questions about the program -- you can fill out an application here.

The NYPD's Community Affairs Bureau will also give a brief presentation on the many other programs they have available -- we may find that some of them are useful and of interest to our community.

Hope to see you there!

 

 

School Sisters of Notre Dame Mardi Gras Celebration Feb. 6th

The School Sisters of Notre Dame Educational Center will be holding a Mardi Gras Celebration / Fundraiser on Wednesday, February 6, 2013 from 6:00pm to 10:00pm at Roma View Catering, 160-05 Cross Bay Blvd. Howard Beach, NY.

The School Sisters of Notre Dame do such fantastic work for women here in Woodhaven and surrounding areas -- they are changing people's lives every day -- click here for a profile we did on them last year.

The tickets are $65 per person which includes dinner, open bar & fun.  There are ticket packages available -- click here for a ticket form.  You can also call 718-738-0588 or email ssndec@aol.com for more information.  Please RSVP by Friday, February 1st

This year's King and Queen of the Mardi Gras are Gary Scibelli, Overton & Co. Air Services and Tammy Card, McBreen & Koppko -- they will be crowned!

Scheduled entertainment includes a magician, a palm reader, sketch artists -- it should be a terrific evening of fun -- and all for a fantastic cause!

Click here to learn more about the Sisters -- and please consider supporting this wonderful cause!

 

Woodhaven Town Hall - Saturday, January 19th @ 1PM

The residents of Woodhaven will gather for the first time in 2013 on Saturday, January 19th at 1 PM at the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps (78-15 Jamaica Avenue).  The WRBA wants to start off the new year by encouraging the residents to step up and tell everyone which issues need the most attention.

But before we open the floor to complaints we will give everyone an update on the Redistricting of Woodhaven -- and we will be accepting applications to become Block Watchers (you can get your application by clicking here).  Block Watchers do not go out on patrol - nor are you asked to confront anyone.  You will attend a 3-hour course given by the NYPD which will spell out your responsibilities -- but in a nutshell you will call in reports of conditions.  For example, recently there was a report of prostitution along Rockaway Boulevard -- you would be given a number to call and a unique ID so you could report the condition and because you had a valid ID, the NYPD would know that you had been through the training -- that you are one of their Block Watchers.

We are also going to try something we did about a year ago -- we will be holding a "Straw Poll" to determine what issues need the most attention.  We will have a table full of cups -- each one will have an issue written on it -- Parking, Graffiti, Dirty Streets, etc.  You will be given 7 straws and you will be asked to put them in the cups (or issues) you feel need the most attention.

 

You may feel so strongly about one issue that you drop all 7 straws in that cup -- you may divide them up between two issues (4 in one cup, 3 in another), or maybe you divide 7 straws into 7 issues.  The issue you care about might not even be on the table -- if not, you will be able to add it.

During the meeting we'll open the floor to the residents to speak up about the issues they feel deserve the most votes and attention -- we'll pass the microphone around and hear from everyone.  Then we'll open up the voting -- tally up the straws and reveal the results.  If you want to see the results from the last time we did this, click here.

These results will be shared publicly, with our elected officials, with the Community Board, with the NYPD -- so if you have an issue that you feel needs more attention you need to show up at this public meeting (there are no absentee straw ballots, sorry).

We hope to see you on Saturday!