Dear Mr. Holden,
With my thanks and appreciation
to you and the Juniper
Park Civic Association for
blocking the building of Home
Depot on the Keyspan site.
The meeting I attended at the
School of Heroes opened my
eyes to the resignation and
defeat felt by most of our
elected officials. In contrast,
I will particularly remember
Councilman Gallagher when I
vote. Should Mr. Ognibene
decided to run for office, he
will have my vote as well. As a
life-long Maspeth resident I am
thrilled to have another park in
our area.

If our communities join
together, we can defeat anything
they try to throw at us.

With gratitude,
Diane Horton
Maspeth

Dear Mr. Holden,
Just a short note of thanks
for all your hard work in fighting
the Home Depot project
on the old Keyspan site. I
attended some of the meetings
and know you were very
instrumental in the fight. I live
in Maspeth and was very much
against this project. The traffic
presently on Grand Avenue is
just horrendous with all the
trucks. That’s the next thing I
would like to see change. That
is, to have the traffic pattern of
these trucks re-routed a different
way.

Thanks again for a job well
done….Who says you can’t
fight big business.

Sincerely yours,
Adrienne Facciponte
Maspeth

Dear Editor:
To all those who said “Done
Deal” about the prospect of a
Home Depot, a storage facility
and a bank coming to the site
of the former Elmhurst gas
tanks – see!! Bob Holden of the
Juniper Park Civic Association
said it best,“Tell your children
that people can have an effect
on the government,” this was a
lesson in civics.

Thanks to our elected officials,
Councilman Gallagher and
former Councilman,Tom
Ognibene, Congressmen
Crowley and Wiener, State
Senator Maltese,Assemblywoman
Markey and of course, Mayor
Bloomberg, Republicans and
Democrats all came together
behind the will of the people.

We wanted a park, maybe
senior housing, a community
center but last on the wish list
was a big box store with more
trucks and traffic in an already
congested area with the
Stop&Shop mall, the Stop&Shop
storage facility and Restaurant
Depot with all the tractor trailers
double parked with their
engines running all day making
74th Street impossible for cars
and pedestrians.

To those who said we didn’t
need a park, we need a police
station, a post office ad hardware
store, etc., yes we do but
why not use the empty stores
on Grand Avenue.A police substation
could be put on 65th
place at the former Martin
Paint Store, it is near major
roads and is in the center of
Maspeth. How about the Postal
Service opening a store front
on Grand Avenue to ease congestion
at the 69th Street Post
Office, it is done all over
Queens.

To those who said this is
valuable land that will be taken
off the tax rolls, what is the
land value of Central Park?
Aren’t we glad someone had
the vision in the mid-1800’s to
create an oasis in the middle of
NYC? How could we imagine
Manhattan without it?

If the trend in Queens continues
we will have population
increases, higher density housing
and more traffic.We already
have the worst air quality in
the city.The people of a future
Queens will certainly need
more green spaces and more
trees.

One of the major reasons
people give or leaving NYC is
quality of life. I think we can all
agree we need more quality of life.

Thank you,
Richard Polgar
Maspeth

To all the Naysayers:
We did it.We got our park.
We, as in the people who hung
all the posters, handed out surveys,
held and attended meetings,
wrote letters and dedicated
ourselves, not you.

No, not you, who said to us
as we were hanging posters,
“This is a done deal, I don’t
know why you’re wasting your
time.”

Not you, who never came
to one community meeting to
give us support because you
had something better to do,
perhaps watch TV.The next
time we have something big to
fight, you will be back, nagging
at us because negative people
like you hate to see anyone
succeed and see dreams come
true.

So, I am sure you are really
unhappy about the fact the
community got a park.We
already heard from two of you
during our celebration and
protest of the Grand Avenue
traffic,“We want a 110
precinct! Not a park!” I don’t
need to address how ludicrous
it would be to put a precinct
that isn’t in the center of its
district, but I will say that you
just like to be contrary.You will
fight us no matter what, and
we will win, because we have
what’s best for the community
at heart, you don’t.We fight for
everyone; you fight just to fight
against us.

Well, even though you live
to hate us, we are just as happy
to present this park to you and
your family, as we will be to
enjoy it ourselves.

Tiffany Elliott
Middle Village

Dear Editor:
Can you let me know if the
flight patterns have changed
over the Middle Village, New
York area over the last week?
It has been DRAMATICALLY
noisier and busy. If this is not
just my imagination, then I
wonder why your constituents
were not made aware of this. I
spent last night searching the
web for any information, but
could not find any.

If you would be so kind as to
let me know what you can
uncover.

Regards
Richard Zeltmann
Middle Village

Dear Editor:
Just moved here from
Howard Beach. I’ve found my
community- I love this neighborhood!

Theresa Bernato
Middle Village

To All,
We are certainly appreciative
of your good work for our
community.
Sincerely,
Ann & Anthony Asaro
To whom it may concern:
At approximately 8:45 pm
this evening, I learned that our
neighborhood was being
sprayed for West Nile Virus.
While I realize that this is a
serious virus and precautions
are being taken to prevent the
spread of it, I think it was horrific
that we were not properly
notified. I think notices should
have been mailed to each and
every one of us alerting us, as
we all have our windows open
on such a beautiful night. I'd
like to know what is going to
be done about this so that residents
can be properly
informed.
Thank you.

Barbara Flannery
Middle Village

Dear Editor:
On Sunday November 16th,
2003, the Fresh Pond Diner
closed it doors for good. That
diner has been in this area for
many years long before I was
even born. I will miss it and I
will miss the people that
worked there.

A new Commerce Bank will
take its place. Yes… another
bank in an area that is surrounded
by banks and drug
stores. I don't understand why
another Commerce branch
should open up when they just
opened a new branch on 80th
Street and Metropolitan
Avenue less than a year ago.
The distance between
Metropolitan Avenue and Fresh
Pond Road will now contain six
banks and a credit union and as
anyone knows is just a few
miles apart. How many banks
does one area need? There is
no real decent place to do any
food shopping. There is hardly
any place for people now to
meet and greet. This is ridiculous
and even sad to see landmarks
disappear and corporate
greed take over.

Whenever I will pass by
there and see this new bank I
will think of what stood there
and I will think of George, Kim,
Annie, Lillie, Ruby ( Rest in
Peace) and all the great people
that worked there and have
become like family and I will
think of all the great times
spent there. I won't care that
Commerce is opened seven
days a week or that they offer
fantastic parking. Their bank
looks like a fast food restaurant
anyway. It is sad to see them
go but it is even sadder to
what is happening to this area.
Thanks for the good times
guys, the memories, and
Good Bye to the Fresh Pond
Diner…
Lori Lake
Middle Village

Dear Editor:
How about highlighting
Kelly’s Pub on Eliot Avenue and
82 Street in Middle Village? The
Kelly’s have been there for 15
years. In addition to sponsoring
and helping Our Lady of Hope,
Resurrection Ascension, St.
Margaret’s and PS 49 the Kelly’s
Pub is, as advertised – “A
Friendly Pub.” Baby showers,
Sweet 16’s, Bridal Showers and
Birthday Parties are wonderfully
catered.The Kelly family goes
out of its way to make their
guests comfortable. In addition,
Mr. Kelly is a Middle Village
native who has raised his family
here, (all Our Lady of Hope
graduates) and still resides in
the community. I think a big
“hats off” belongs to the Kelly’s
for their continuing support
and commitment to our community.

Sincerely,
Patricia Gowan

Assistant Editor Response:
While everything you say about
Kelly’s Pub may be true the fact
remains that there is an ongoing
problem with Kelly’s backyard
beer garden.There have been
many JPCA and COP 104 meetings
that we have attended where
Kelly’s Pub is the star attraction,
rife with complaints about noise,
drunkenness, and garbage.
Recently many of the residents in
the neighboring backyard houses
attended the meetings, totally
frustrated with the conditions in
the backyard and the lack of
enforcement solutions from the
authorities. Part of doing business
in any community is learning to
be a good neighbor. Based on the
complaints we’ve heard from the
neighbors, Kelly’s Pub has some
work to do.

Dear Editor:
In response to the Epidemic
Spread – Cellular Base Station
Antennas” article, I’m glad John
Campos wrote the article. In
addition to being eyesores
there’s real dangers in this new
technology. I instantly recognized
where the picture at 74
Street/Eliot is – right under the
pizzeria, Phillies. I used to purchase
from them but since the
installation I no longer do.
Please understand that it is
profits above all else including
health issues. Expect no agency
to be looking out for your benefit.
Please keep your readers
updated as to what happens
with this issue.
Thank you.

Name Withheld
Middle Village

Dear Editor:
On Sunday November 15th,
I was on the running track
(Juniper Valley Park) putting in
my 4 mile walk.There was a
Football game I believe the
Boys were 12 Years old.
At 11.00 AM one Player's arm
was broken. 911 was dialed
out.

After 20 Minutes an ambulance
arrived. I ask why so
long? I was told they could not
find this place!!! Eight minutes
later (after the ambulance)
finally a Police car came.
This is really too long, don't
you think so???? The Football
team’s name is Little-Falcons.

Greetings
Dieter Keppler
Middle Village