GerritsenBeach.net

Model Airplane Club and Dirt Bikers Contend for Use of Brooklyn Runway - NY Times

Looks like the NY Times picked up on whats going on back weeds between the RCSMP and the dirt bikes. Its an interesting read, but its nothing that I didn’t say before when I broke the story.

In response there was a stepped up effort to catch quads this past weekend back weeds but…

Lets just say this, all of the “locals” walked away, then within minutes got their quads at another location only to return to taunt the park rangers by playing chicken and buzzing them on their quads. While a family of non local people all got summonsed at the point for their quads. To the taunters: doing what you did will only bring more enforcement down here and more than likely someone will end up hurt.

Now I know of the parks department reads this site and I will say that understand that after the NY Times article that there had to be some sort of stepped up enforcement or something to show on paper that you gave out a summons, but do you/they have to are stupid about how you/they go about it?

Just a couple of things I noticed this last weekend with the enforcement.

The park rangers drive recklessly on the avenue & back weeds in their jeeps on the trails. Next time I post video of the stunts. They were also warning people about vehicles on the field while driving on the field.

They blocked the exit at Seba Avenue Park to block escape of whomever but they were ONLY blocking family’s with carriages and small kids. They wouldn’t move for anyone, 4 families had to lift every kid they had with carriages. I guess because there was a camera pointed at them they decided to help the last family lift a carriage over the rail. It would of been easier to move the idling jeep.

Every single one of them is on a mini power trip. Does anyone remember “Excuse Me You Can’t Take Pictures of Officers Doing Their Jobs“?

Oh, nice hiding spot. You do know that everyone has a cell phone and they knew where you were?

Seba Avenue skate park has been fixed up, but for how long?

It looks as though on or around Thursday, July 24th, Seba Avenue Park was cleaned up by the Parks Department. Litter was removed and the graffiti was covered. That’s it. Thanks.

According to local skaters the park is falling apart. They absolutely hate the broken glass everywhere and usually clean it up themselves. The park has other problems, like major flooding and the “quarter bowl” (showed above) is slowly chipping away. The skaters also said they did everything they could possibly do with tricks in a month.

They also seem pretty annoyed that they only got half a skate park.

Seba Avenue Skate Park is a Disgrace!

If it’s not the trees being broken in half, it’s now the litter, destruction and complete lack of maintenance.

What used to be a beautiful park, which opened in November 2007 , is now a disaster. Completely green grass is now a desert or in some spots completely overgrown. The park is completely covered in garbage: bottles, cans, beer, liquor, plastic bags, broken glass, cardboard boxes, and graffiti.

The toddler park has broken glass in it and empty beer cans and boxes.

Even better is the bus shelter that is currently destroyed on Everett Avenue. The posters from that shelter are at the park (here and here). Case Solved. The Seba Avenue bus shelter covered in graffiti, is in front of the park again cased solved.

There has been alot of talk and hope that the local kids will police themselves back there. Well that idea is shot dead as of right now. That park (including RCSMP) needs enforcement.

Maybe Fred Wilkins the park manager will do something/anything, but more than likely he won’t. I have not seen any litter removal at Seba Avenue Park in weeks. Also, from comments on this site (made by parks managers) and “meeting chatter” our park manager isn’t to fond of our neighborhood.

We all know there is ZERO enforcement back weeds and at the park, just last night there was 30-40 kids at the park past 9pm, when a “cop in a box”(those interceptors/scooters) drove past and did nothing. All that cop would have to do it get out and say leave, hang out for 10 minutes to make sure and we won’t get our parks and bus shelters destroyed.

I don’t know about you, but considering what it cost to build this park, I’m angry there is no enforcement and more angry that no one is doing anything about it.

I don’t want to see the NYPD wasting their time or our time with their Guard Tower, or the captain himself on Gerritsen Avenue on the 4th of July. They just need to patrol!

Without enforcement, this park will be destroyed soon.

Check out the park in its former glory

There is an epic battle being fought “Back Weeds” at the recently paved airplane field. It’s being fought between the Radio Controlled Society of Marine Park (RCSMP) and the legal/illegal street & dirt bikes. The street and dirt bikers have been aggressively riding there on the weekends while RCSMP members are trying to fly.

Even though the RCSMP is no stranger of vandalism, recently the harassment has taken a turn. They are constantly having to fight to fly in their own park that they maintain and pay for. The bikers (not “kids” mind you) have harassed, spit on, damaged cars , threatened violence,  and in some cases physically attacked RCSMP members.

Before the skate park, there were barricades in place around the field that blocked street access. Now there is a clear path to the airplane field from the street allowing street bikes. The dirt bikes always get back there but that has always been an issue and is for parks enforcement to handle.

Calls have been also made to NYC Parks (Fred Wilkins) by RCSMP members with NO RESPONSE. Calls have also been made to 911 with little or NO RESPONSE

Anger has peaked with RCSMP members and there is a group of members of the society are ready to turn vigilante THIS WEEKEND, if they don’t see any response from law enforcement.

Before the skate park, there were barricades in place around the field that blocked street access. Now there is a clear path to the airplane field from the street allowing street bikes. The dirt bikes always get back there but that has always been an issue and is for parks enforcement to handle.

The Dr. John Playground sprinklers have been open for a few weeks. Looks like fun!

Whats happening with Mau-Mau you ask? as previously reported it is being cleared out by heavy equipment but there is more.

Let’s start this off by saying there are two separate projects that have to do with Mau-Mau. One is a New York City Parks project mandated by the DEC and the other is a Gateway National Park project (federal). I have posted about the Gateway project in the past so this post will only have to do with the New York City Parks Project.

(more…)

A lack of a boat prevents me from taking my own pictures but there is heavy equipment on Mau Mau and they are clearing the island.

If you have any pictures or can take some of your own email me the pictures. If you cant email me get them developed and then find me.

Coming in Via House Call :)

Mau Mau/White Island is surrounded by hundred if not thousands of black sand bags which are holding the entire island together. Most of these bags are completely worn out from weather, tides and time. Over the last few years, these bags have been killing horseshoe crabs. You can see from the pictures (above and below) that the crabs are coming up to the shore line and getting tangled in the fibers of the broken bags. Killing them

With all of the recent talk of horseshoe crab poaching and Park Police stepping up enforcement in the area to catch poachers, it seems ironic that the Horseshoe Crabs are dying on Parks property.

Right around Valentines Day earlier this year Seba avenue park had most of its newly planted trees snapped in half (7 Trees, A Bench, and a Valentine for a Broken Tree).

Now they have finally been replaced! They look to be a bit taller and thicker than the original trees, which will protect them from anyone who would want to snap them.

The back story is here: Say Goodbye to Mau-Mau Island