 |
Property Owners Meeting Roundup:
Gerritsen Beach has had a rough past few weeks, and who knows if it’s over yet. As a community we’ve had 4 arsons in the past couple of weeks! Usually you don’t get that in a month. All of the fires including: Seba Avenue Park, all of the Weed Fires, and the House on Gerritsen Avenue are all being investigated as arson.
Seba Avenue Park has been a tipping point of in all of this fire related crime. Everyone is mad as hell and demanding heads (arrests).
The police are investigating, fire marshals are investigating, and our councilman Lew Filder is “pissed off” demanding swift arrests for the fire at the park. He wants more fire marshals to come in and to investigate Seba Avenue Park. He compared what’s going on now to Bushwick in the 60′s and 70′s.
Councilmen Filder should be “pissed” after all it was his money that built our park. He will hopefully keep the pressure on for arrests and pressure a swift repair.
Lew Fidler who didn’t actually see the damage to the park said it could cost as much as a million dollars to fix. I hope that number is wrong, but if that’s the case, we will not get our park fixed. Even if we did that money will be coming out of somewhere, maybe the “Phase 2″ money which was supposed to give us bathrooms at the park.
The 61st Precinct said that the fires are completely out of line and that they are only hurting the community. They continued, that if they know Gerritsen Beach, someone knows who did it, someone saw who did it, someone knows something. They have faith that someone will SOON come forward with information. It sounds like if this person is caught, the culprit will be coining the term “to the fullest extent of the law”.
Paintballers:
Well not to be overshadowed, by the fires, or the ATV’s from last month, this month 7 paintballers showed up to the most recent property owners meeting to say their peace and to see what could be done to help them. Apparently, they were very polite, well spoken, quiet, didn’t threaten anyone, and impressed a lot of people. It will be looked into what can be done to help them.
Lew Filder, said that he did not know enough about paintball, the parkland use, and would have to look into it. The paintballers are holding onto hope that they may have a chance to get something done.
If you know something say something, call the 61st, tell a parent, enough is enough with all of this crap.
Cheers to GB.net for bringing to the attention of GB residents the rash of recent fires in the neighborhood. Which brings me to point out the following fact, that many people aren’t even aware of: I know we are facing tough financial times all over, but are you aware that our billionaire Mayor is about to close SIXTEEN fire companies throught the city? (11 on July 1st, 2009, and an additionl 5 on Jan. 1st, 2010) That’s in addition to the SEVEN he has already shuttered, for a total of TWENTY THREE fire companies during his tenure, which is unprecedented in the 125 year history of the Fire Dept. If anyone in the beach or anywhere else thinks they will not be affected, they are wrong. Response time will increase CITYWIDE, something the puppet of a fire commissioner, Nick Scopetta, has already stated.
Prevention is key. And preparedness. All GB residents should make sure they have smoke and C.O. meters in their house, and that the batteries are good. Also, make sure your family has an emergency plan for escaping a house fire, and that all family members are well aware of just what to do in the event of such a fire. More information on fire safety and prevention can be found by following this link:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/home2.shtml
If our Mayor intends to make this city less safe for it’s taxpaying residents, at least we can all better prepare ourselves.
NEVER FORGET 9-11
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Great comment Steve.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Talking about Gerritsen Beach and fires……I hope everyone made their annual donation to the Vollies. Their Fund drive began last October and I heard less than 25% of our neighbors gave.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Where would Gerristen Beach without the vollies ? I have lived there over 35 years and I have to Thank God for all the Vollies who has helped my family and freinds, Dorreen , mr. & mrs Hayes and all the people who hepled. I miss Gerritsen Beach , everyone knew everyone , you never locked your doors back then . Think back how many times you heard there horn ? What about back the weeds , The little park at Lois avenue . I had 5 generations from the beach. everyone who lives should gave as much as they can , I'm sad to read that only 25% gave, But how much does it cost of a life ? or a house going up in fire ? or a child getting hurt? The CALLS in your lap. Please do the right thing TODAY.
JOANNE STARK KENNEDY
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
God, i HATE this neighborhood SO SO SOOOO much.
Why is everyone such an imbecile?
WHY?!
Like or Dislike:
0 
2
Oh, and the sad thing is, the kids who did this are probably proud.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Excellent suggestion about supporting our own Vollies – if these people continue the way they are going someone may need them in a hurry.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
There is no promblem with paintballing back weeds we keep to our selfs and dnt bother anyone we are kids and tryin to have a good time. The parks department just wants to break ball and stop us from having fun. The only time the parks department do anything is during the spring when it is starting to get nice out during the winter it to cold for them and during the summer it to hot for them. I think tht the parks department needs to back off and let us have fun and if there gunna ripp down the paintball feild get rid of the stuff just dnt through it in the middle of the feilds
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
There is a problem it’s ILLEGAL. What if someone is out walking in the area where the paintballers are having their “fun” and they get hit with one of them? If it’s legal & signs are posted people would know what to expect & stay away but people out for a stroll on a nice day aren’t expecting to run into illegal paintball activity.
The solution is to lobby your elected officials to change the law & provide a safe place to paintball in. Doing whatever you feel like, esp. since it’s ILLEGAL, is not the solution.
Like or Dislike:
1 
1
how bout if we put up signs on the ends of the feild beware panitballing would tht be better people would Know and becareful walkin though not like we are aiming at random people we a aiming at each other who are playing with us. WE cant play anyway since all of the weeds are burnt down so no need to worry
“wonder if the parks department is burning the weeds down so no body goes back there?”
Like or Dislike:
2 
0
They are not proper paintball fields. No paintball should be allowed. Who will assume the libility when accidents occur (which they will)? Who will be sued? Us? Taxpayers?
Like or Dislike:
0 
1
I don’t know about this. The kids have been paintballing back there for years and years and I doubt any of them ever sued the city after being injured. Anonymous makes some good points(once you figure out what he’s saying). The kids used junk that was already dumped back there to build small barricades and bunkers and the parks dept. didn’t bother cleaning it up, just threw it around to break it up. (much like they did with the wrestling junk.)Whenever I have encountered paintballers back there, They say “hold your fire!!” and wait until I am safely passed. I’ve never had a problem with them, as a matter of fact, they always say “hi” when they pass on a trail. Sometimes I think everyone is just alittle too hard on the kids in this neighborhood. They aren’t doing anywhere near the environmental damage or diturbance of the peace that the dirt bikes and quads are doing. Its just kids playing. Try and remember.
Like or Dislike:
2 
0
They didn't have paint ball fights when I was a kid , We played hand ball , base ball went swimming , played at kiddy beach . made forts back the weeds. went to Daves candy store , Stop by old dutch saw my aunt Eleine , walk to jacks clothing store to get my father or my mother a gift. go to nannys and bring her to aunt Ellen s house. Stop and see nanny on hyman court, the grandmother who always took care of any kids who got hurt , fix them up and then have cookies and milk. Her garden was filled with all sea shells and flowers around them, they where beautiful. The Beach was a great place to have kids then. Since I don't live there any more I am brokenhearted when I stop down , What happened the all the cottages ? is bigger better ? People have big houses and no yards, Do you really know who lives next store to you ?
Like or Dislike:
2 
0
Didn't your Nannys house on Hyman also have a beautiful grape arbor? I remember sitting in it on hot summer afternoons. You have brought back some great memories. That is the way they used to be, a little house on 3 or 4 lots. People now have no idea how great it was. And there used to be big vacant parcels, that I guess were an eyesore, but you could cut through alot of courts, and they were where we could play: ball, ring a livio, johnny on the pony. The kids now miss all that free play that we had, where you learn alot of the rules of life. And it shows. Joanne, now everyone has a pool!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0