MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE CREEDMOOR CIVIC ASSOCIATION, INC.

Facing the realization that moving our civic territory into District 26 is not likely to happen given all the forces working against us, an alternative strategy to shoring up our neighborhood and improving the quality of local  public education has been proposed by the Creedmoor Civic Board of Governors: converting P.S. 33 back to the kindergarten to eighth grade school it was when it was built in 1924.

For many years (going back to the 1950s), P.S. 33 was a K-6 school, and now , since the 1980s, it is a K-5 school.  The remaining grades are at I. S. 109 in Queens Village.  It's no secret, though, that none of the children from our civic who graduate P. S. 33 ever show up at I.S. 109.  While we might get some access to the Glen Oaks campus, that is still a bus ride away.  Given the fact that there has been a quiet trend back to K-8s, a proposal has been made from within our Association to restore P.S. 33 to a K-8 so that our families can be secure in knowing that their children are close to home until ready for Martin Van Buren High School in the 9th Grade.

Part of our October meeting will be given over to airing this proposal so that our full membership can be heard.  However, the vote at the Board of Governors was unanimous, and support for the idea has been expressed by the President of the Queens Village Civic Association.  If our membership approves, we will attempt a meeting with the new superintendent of Community School District 29.  We know the schools are tight for space, but this plan simply shifts the seats around, it does not require more space.  It is the logistics of adding a grade each year to PS33, PS34, and PS135, while reconfiguring IS109 that will be difficult, but it has been done before elsewhere.  Unless we press hard, it will be too easy for CSD 29 to say no.  Please come out to our October meeting to express your opinion.  While the Board of Education has never admitted to the failure of Junior, Intermediate, and Middle schools, notice how the new schools at Glen Oaks are K-8s!
 

Tyler Cassell, president of the North Flushing Civic Association, has produced a 15-page white paper outlining proposals for dealing with the ineffectual Department of Buildings that is wracked periodically with corruption and all the time with weak response to complaints of illegal conversions. Cassell's proposal is to require that every home in low density zones (such as ours) be examined by the DOB before the house is allowed to be put up for sale.  All violations (extra kitchens and baths, for example) would have to be corrected first.  Since the DOB will complain it doesn't have the staffing to take on this responsibility, Mr. Cassell suggests a fee be charged for this service, with the funds collected used to hire the staff.He further recommends legislation that would fine real estate brokers for selling or renting properties that are in violation of the building codes, or have been illegally converted into additional residences or offices.  Fines would also be levied for listing and advertising properties in violation of the permitted use.

And more: require that real estate brokers post zoning maps in their offices and give brochures or packets to prospective buyers highlighting the do's and don'ts of the zoning laws, and publish these in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Indian.

Cassell also would make paving over front and side lawns illegal (Editor's note: paving without provision for drainage is already illegal, but Cassell would make it illegal regardless of the drainage provision.) And further, the North Flushing proposal would fine contractors who build or assist in the building and creation of illegal dwellings, or do work in violation of existing codes. There were many more proposals, but the above are the most important.

Meantime, a committee of the Queens Civic Congress has met with Amanda Burden, Chair of the City Planning Commission who is more friendly to the civics agenda than her predecessor, Joseph Rose.  We are also fortunate to have several council members working with us such as John Liu of Flushing and Tony Avella of College Point to try to find ways to stop community facilities from being able to ruin low-density residential neighborhoods "as-of-right".

First priority for admissions is to graduates of the two new K-8 schools on  the Glen Oaks Campus that will open in September 2003. Second priority is to students who are zoned for neighboring high schools that are at or above 125% in utilization, and thereafter, is to Queens residents.

There will be four year-round schedules. Each student who attends a year round school will have a schedule made up of two semesters, each having 90 days for a total of 180 days. After each 90 day semester, a student will have a 30 day vacation. Students will be assigned to one of the four yearly schedules.

The school will open with approximately 400 students and will grow gradually to 1500 students.

For further information, you may contact Nigel Pugh, Project Director, at 718 281-7526.  This school will serve as a laboratory environment for teaching and related professions.

New baker in town: Reinwald's Bakery on Braddock Avenue has been sold.  The new owners are Samarendra (Sam) Biswas, and Arun Ghosh. All the cakes and prices are the same.  Stop in and say hello.

Welcome New Neighbors: Welcome packages have been delivered to Gregory Ragonese and Jo Ellen Pryor of 88-30 Lyman Street. We hope they enjoy their stay in our fine community.  If you know of any families newly moved into our community, please let our president know by calling the Civic Hotline  464–3369.

Martin Van Buren Re-Union: Martin Van Buren High School will be holding a 25th Year Reunion on Saturday, October 26.  It will be held at the Long Island Marriot Hotel at 101 James Doolittle Boulevard, Uniondale, NY. (516-794-3800.)  The cost is $60. per person.  Contact Adrienne Simons at 718-793-2442, or e-mail her at asimons@attglobal.net to get your tickets.  No one will be admitted without an admission ticket.

Congratulations to: the Ragonese Family of Lyman Street on the birth of their daughter, Isabella over the summer. 

Condolences to: the family of Mrs. Gallagher of 238th Street who is reported deceased, and to Ruth Mirbach of 88th Avenue on the death of her mother.

The "No Standing" sign on 242nd Street at Braddock has been reinstalled at the Civic's request.  The Dept. Of Transportation responded quickly when it was reported to them that cars turning onto 242nd street from Braddock were in danger of being rear-ended when they could not complete the turn quickly.

We've learned that the intention of the new owner of the Innes House on Moline Street is to demolish the structure and erect three two-family homes.  Creedmoor Civic will be examining the possibility of rezoning the west side of  the 88 block of Moline Street to R3-A instead of the R4 that now exists.  That would make all of our Civic Asociation's territory an R3-A with the exception of the west side of the 89 block of Moline whose row-house configuration won't permit a downzoning.  Rezoning of this block will not prevent the proposed construction as it will take a long time to effect a change.  If the proposed construction is to be blocked, we will have to find another strategy.

The Creedmoor Civic Association maintains an e-mail list for information that pertains to our neighborhood.  Some of this information can come in handy, such as last month's announcement of pesticide spraying in our area.  Our newsletter is also distributed via e-mail.  At this time, there are approximately 75 subscribers to this free list.  If you're interested, send an e-mail to info@creedmoorcivic.org and you will be included. Your privacy is protected.  Your address will never be distributed to others.