Communities of Maspeth and Elmhurst Together

COMET N E W S L E T T E R / WINTER 2 0 2 1

Wishing all
in our community
a Happy, Healthy New Year

Welcome 2021

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Rebels on the Wrong Block, In the Wrong
Neighborhood, In the Wrong County
On October 6th, the Bayside BLM organized a march to protest police
unions and Q Anon. The group planned on meeting up in Bushwick
and marching down Flushing Avenue into Maspeth to protest in
front of the home of the NYPD Sergeant’s Benevolent Association’s
President Ed Mullins.
As the protesters marched up Flushing Avenue towards Maspeth, they
could be heard chanting and carrying signs calling to abolish the PBA/
SBA, Abolish Prisons, etc. The march continued until they reached the
home of Ed Mullins in Maspeth.
The protesters outside Ed Mullins’ home chanted that cops aren’t
workers, condemned his fascism and his affiliation with Q Anon. What
the protesters failed to realize was that they were protesting in the
wrong place. Ed Mullins, the President of the Sergeant’s Benevolent
Association lives with his family on Long Island, in Nassau County!
As the evening wore on and it got darker, the protesters came upon
a particularly patriotic block in Maspeth where there were a lot of
American flags in the homeowners’ yards. Some of the marchers
decided to steal some of the flags and carried them to Maspeth Town
Square at Grand Avenue and 69th Street, broke them, and proceeded
to set them on fire. At this point the NYPD sprang into action putting
out the fire and dispersing the protesters. No arrests were made
The NYPD had been escorting the protesters from the beginning
and local officials and civic leaders wanted to know why no arrests
were made. The response from the NYPD was that the police officers
were walking and riding behind the protesters and were unaware of
the trespassing and theft but took action immediately when the fire
began in Maspeth Town Square. They added that any resident who
had their flag stolen should file a complaint with the 104th Precinct.
As far as we know no complaints were filed.
Maspeth & Middle Village Residents
Counter Protesters from The Ridgewood
Tenants Union
The Ridgewood Tenants Union
has made it abundantly clear that
they do not support Councilman
Robert Holden. They are particularly
opposed to his voting record that
opposes defunding the NYPD, his
stance against closing Rikers Island,
transferring inmates to community
jails and his support for law
enforcement in general.
In any event, The Ridgewood Tenants Union announced that on
Saturday, October 24th, they would meet in front of the Queens
Center Mall at 12 noon and march through Middle Village to protest
outside Councilman Holden’s home near the Maspeth/Middle Village
Pg. 2 Winter 2021 COMET
border. This announcement prompted Community Activist Michael Papa
to issue a call to action from the community.
Michael Papa witnessed the Bayside BLM protest in Maspeth two weeks
earlier and quickly organized approximately thirty local residents from
Maspeth and Middle Village in an attempt to initiate a dialogue with
the protesters as well as ensure that no private property was damaged
or stolen. The local residents gathered in front of Councilman Holden’s
home between 12 noon and 1:00 pm to wait for the protesters. As they
waited Mr. Papa explained that the objective was to start a conversation
with The Ridgewood Tenants Union. He wanted the community to
listen to what the protesters had to say to the community and for the
protesters to listen to what the community had to say. He was adamant
that there would be no profanity or threats of violence and none of the
local residents objected to his plan.
At about 1:30 pm approximately 60 protesters arrived at Councilman
Holden’s residence banging drums, holding signs and demanding to
defund the police. There was no apparent protest leader so Mr. Papa
asked if whoever the leader was would be interested in stating their
grievance with the community and if they would be interested in listening
to what the community had to say. None of the protesters stepped
forward to engage in conversation. They proceeded to bang their drums,
wave their signs and yell. The community members shouted back.
After about fifteen minutes of yelling back and forth the protesters
moved on. They were escorted by both the NYPD and the community
members to the subway station on Metropolitan Avenue near 69th
Street where the NYPD asked the community members to disperse and
the community members complied. No property was damaged or stolen
and no arrests were made, this was a peaceful protest.
We would like to thank Michael Papa for taking the initiative to organize
the community members to meet with The Ridgewood Tenants Union.
Illegal Dumping on 85th Street in Elmhurst.
It’s Business as Usual
Illegal dumping on 85th Street between 55th and 57th Avenues in
Elmhurst has been and continues to be an issue in our community. Local
resident and COMET member Ed Misiura has been contending with this
issue for years. He reports the incidents of illegal dumping to Councilman
Daniel Dromm and Assemblyman Brian Barnwell. Councilman Dromm
and Assemblyman Barnwell are very responsive to this issue but more
often than not the New York Department of Sanitation (DSNY) is slow to
respond and Mr. Misiura ends up cleaning the area himself. Assemblyman
Barnwell has requested that any and all incidents of illegal dumping be
reported to his office immediately and he will put pressure on the DSNY
to respond in a timelier manner. Unfortunately, this area is a magnet for to clean and maintain them?
illegal dumping. This street a dark stretch of road alongside the Long Of course, the Department of
Island Railroad where people can easily dump under the cover of night Environmental Protection (DEP)
with almost no chance of being seen or getting caught. We should all be said the city would maintain them
grateful to Mr. Misiura for taking it upon himself to keep the area clean and of course the city hasn’t been
and we would also like to thank the offices of both Councilman Dromm very vigilant about doing so. By
& Assemblyman Barnwell for their efforts addressing this ongoing their very nature, bioswales will
problem. become overgrown with weeds
and become de-facto trash
The Long Island Railroad’s action and receptacles for litterbugs.

inaction are becoming problematic in The upkeep of these bioswales

is largely dependent on where
Elmhurst they are located. Bioswales in
front of private homes are often maintained by the nearest homeowner,
but this isn’t always the case. Bioswales located in public areas are
usually neglected unless local residents volunteer to maintain them. The
bioswale on 57th Avenue in front of Crowley Park is a perfect example of
a bioswale in a public area being neglected. It is overgrown with weeds
and even has a dead tree in it, this is an eyesore in our community.

In recent years the DEP’s maintenance of the bioswales has been

In early October the Long Island Railroad
sent a crew to 85th Street in Elmhurst to cut
down trees and remove the vines growing
on the barrier fence. This is unfortunate for
the nearby residents because the trees and
vines reduced the noise of the passing trains.
Additionally, the vines on the barrier fence
acted as a deterrent for graffiti vandals. Once
again local resident Ed Misiura took it upon
himself to reach out to Assemblyman Brian Barnwell to see if anything
could be done. Mr. Misiura managed to stop the crew from cutting down
a tree on the city side of the barrier fence. The Long Island Railroad has
every right to remove trees from its own property but they fail to take
the local residents’ concerns into consideration. Also, it is still unclear
exactly where the LIRR property line ends so this issue isn’t going to be
resolved anytime soon.
There is nothing unclear or ambiguous about the next issue regarding
the Long Island Railroad in Elmhurst. The Long Island Railroad bridge
crossing over 57th Avenue near 85th Street is covered with graffiti or
poorly painted over graffiti. The community has dedicated volunteers
keeping the walls under the bridge clear of graffiti but the overpass itself
is an eyesore in the community. The Long Island Railroad needs to send
a crew to repaint the bridge.
The Bioswale Dilemma
For a few years we’ve seen bioswales being built in and around our
community. The stated purpose of these structures was to absorb
excess rainwater to help stop our existing drainage systems from being
overwhelmed and reduce flooding. One of the most frequently asked
questions about the bioswales was, and continues to be, who is going
sporadic at best and with budget cuts looming across the City and State
we can probably expect these bioswales to be cleaned up less frequently
than they have in the past, if at all. We may need to organize volunteers
to maintain these structures going forward.
Seatbelt Laws Extended to Backseat
Passengers in New York State
Effective November 1st, 2020 all
persons in any motor vehicle within the
confines of New York State are required
by law to wear seat belts, including
back seat passengers. Please keep this
in mind when driving, especially now,
because the city and state will be issuing fines to drivers in violation of
this new law.
Back Street Parties and Drag Racing on
the rise in Maspeth and Woodside
COMET has been receiving a lot of noise complaints involving loud
music and drag racing late at night in and around the more remote
areas of Maspeth. The residents being woken up in the middle of the
night call 311 to file a noise complaint but they usually don’t know the
exact location of where the noise is coming from and they aren’t about
to start driving around the neighborhood to find out. It’s completely
understandable that residents aren’t going out on patrol in the middle of
the night. The police officers, who are tasked with finding the revelers,
find themselves playing a game of “cat and mouse” because by the time
they get to the area the noise is coming from the revelers have already
left and moved to another location. Consequently, the complaint is
listed as “unfounded”.

COMET Winter 2021 Pg. 3

104th Precinct Sgt. Michael Mercurio, who is in charge of the
Neighborhood Coordination Officers assigned to communities
throughout the command, stated “I am writing to give you a brief
overview of what is being done about the noise problems within the
command. We have received multiple calls for noise in the area that we
determined to be a large group of modified cars driving between the 104
Precinct, the 108 Precinct and neighboring precincts in Brooklyn. They
park their vehicles and play loud music and rev their engines.
In order to combat this, we have established a drag racing task force
that is deployed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. The task force is
comprised of multiple Officers and one Sergeant. Any information from
your constituents as to where they believe the music is coming from
would be a major help. We ask that any complaints that they may have
be sent through the 311 system with the best location they can give so
our Officers can easily respond to the condition at hand.”
COMET is listing some local hot-spots for street parties and drag-racing.
If you hear loud music or drag-racing in the middle of the night this list
may help you determine the location when you make the call to 311.
• Page Place/54th Avenue (104th Precinct)
• Maspeth Avenue/48th Street (104th Precinct)
• 47th Street between Grand and Maspeth Avenues (104th Precinct)
• Maurice Avenue/54th Avenue (108th Precinct)
• 48th Street/55th Avenue (behind UPS) 108th Precinct
• 49th Street/50th Avenue, Sunnyside cemetery (108th Precinct)
• Laurel Hill Blvd/49th Street, long cemetery street (108th Precinct)
• 56th Street/55th Drive, Snapple factories (108th Precinct)
• 43-40 57th Avenue, Restaurant Depot parking lot (108th Precinct)
Suspect Arrested for Attempting Three
Sexual Assaults in Forest Park
Although Forest Park is outside of The COMET Civic Association’s normal
area of operation, we thought these incidents were worth mentioning
as some of our members may visit this park from time to time. On
November 12th at approximately 10:40 am a 20-year-old female on
104th Street was approached from the front by a male who put his
arms around her and lifted her while holding her buttocks. The female
resisted and the male fled the scene. A little less than two hours later at
12:35 pm a male assailant set upon a 14-year old female on the corner
of 118th Street and 84th Avenue. According to the police reports the girl
was walking while speaking to a friend via Face-Time when the assailant
pushed her into the bushes and attempted to remove her pants but
the female managed to fight him off and flee. She ran home and told
her family members what had just happened to her. Thirty minutes
later at 1:05 pm a 24-year-old female was attacked in Forest Park near
Woodhaven Boulevard and Forest Park Drive. According to the police
the assailant did remove the female’s pants but she also managed to
fight him off and flee the area.
Cash Register Stolen from Rosa’s Pizzeria
In late October the front window of Rosa’s Pizzeria
at Fresh Pond Road and Metropolitan Avenue was
smashed and perpetrators entered the store and
stole the cash register. This is just one instance of a
larger pattern of commercial burglaries happening in
our community. Please be sure to lock your doors and
windows and if you see something suspicious say something.
Great Arrest made by our NCO Officers at
the 104th Precinct
Stealing car parts, also known as “stripping cars”, has become a recurring
problem in our community and throughout the city. We’ve all been
hearing about tires, rims and even catalytic converters being stolen from
cars parked on the street. Our local precincts are aware of this issue and
they are taking it very seriously.
On Wednesday, November 11th, NCO Officers Shoy and Nisbett were
working an overnight tour when they spotted two males in the vicinity of
58th Road & 58th Place attempting to steal rims and tires from a parked
vehicle.
When the suspects realized they were spotted they jumped into a car
and fled the scene. Both suspects jumped out the vehicle at Cypress Hills
Street and 80th Street and took off running. One of the suspects managed
to escape into the cemetery but Officer Nisbett managed to apprehend
the second suspect after a scuffle. Officer Nisbett suffered minor injuries
in the scuffle and was back on the job a few days later.
The vehicle used for the robbery was stolen from the 94th Precinct in
Brooklyn. These perpetrators are likely to be career criminals and we hope
they are sentenced to some well-deserved jail time.
Most importantly we would like to thank both Officers Shoy and Nisbett
for their outstanding service to the community.
Reviving Newtown Creek,
This is really happening.
Those of us familiar with Newtown Creek know this to be a stinking body
of water polluted and befouled beyond redemption. This may no longer
be true thanks to the volunteers of The Newtown Creek Alliance (NCA)
who seem determined to revitalize the creek and its shores.

On Friday, November 13th the Special Victims Unit of the 102nd Precinct
announced that they had a suspect in custody being charged with
forcible touching, attempted rape and acting in a manner injurious to a
child. The suspect’s step-father assisted the police in apprehending the
suspect.

Thank you to all involved in getting this suspect off the street so quickly. Richie Polgar, a member of both COMET and The Newtown Creek
Alliance, has documented some of the work the NCA has been doing and
it’s pretty impressive. Last August Richie noted that members of the NCA
got together and spruced up the banks on Newtown Creek in Maspeth.

Pg. 4 Winter 2021 COMET


The site is known as Plank Park, where the Penny Bridge was before it
burned down and some of the structure is still visible. The NCA is finding
locations along the creek that will allow the public to get close enough
to the shore to get up close views of the creek, the boats, and the Long
Island City skyline.
In October, members of the NCA cleaned up an area in Dutch Kills in
Blissville near the Borden Avenue Bridge. This was on a dead-end street
that skateboarders use frequently but the site has good views of the
waterfront. A lot of trash and debris was removed and the volunteers
planted plants that were native to the area.
These are positive developments to say the least and we’d like to
thank Richie Polgar and The Newtown Creek Alliance for their efforts.
The quality of the water in the Newtown Creek has improved greatly
over the past several years. A few fish have even ventured back into
its waters. If you would like more information about revitalizing the
creek and its shores or would like to get involved please contact them at
newtowncreekalliance.org.
Assemblyman Brian Barnwell’s Snow Removal
Efforts for the Elderly & Graffiti Cleanup
Every winter Assemblyman Brian Barnwell organizes volunteers to
shovel snow for the elderly and/or disabled residents in our community.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic that we’re living through has
made it difficult to get people to volunteer. It’s understandable that
people do not want to risk getting infected while driving from one
location to another with other volunteers. Due to a lack of volunteers,
the program has been formally cancelled but Mr. Barnwell is still actively
looking for volunteers to commit to shoveling snow for one of their
elderly neighbors. Most of our elderly neighbors are living on a fixed
income and cannot afford to hire someone to shovel their sidewalks
so any and all volunteers would be greatly appreciated. If you’d like
to volunteer to keep one of your elderly neighbor’s sidewalk clear of
snow please contact Assemblyman Barnwell by calling his local office at
718-651-3185 or you can email his office at barnwellb@nyassembly.gov.
We would like to thank Assemblyman Barnwell for his efforts in
organizing and actually participating in cleaning up graffiti in our
community. In some areas Mr. Barnwell personally operated a pressure
washer to remove graffiti and then repainted the areas. We would also
like Dave Rosasco for his work as well as Christina Wilkinson and Harry’s
Paint and Hardware for their donation of paint and supplies.
Vandalized, Out-of-Service, Graffiti Covered
Pay Phone in front of the Maspeth Library
finally removed
The pay phone in front of the Maspeth Library has finally been
removed. Mobile phones have made public pay phones all but
obsolete these days. Most have been removed but there are still
a few to be found out there. Until recently the out-of-service pay
phone in front of the Maspeth Library was one of those holdouts.
Several years ago, the phone was vandalized and rendered inoperable.
It was never repaired and became a magnet for trash and graffiti.
COMET member Richie Polgar reached out to Assemblyman
Barnwell’s office to see if anything could be done about this
eyesore. After some back and forth Assemblyman Barnwell’s office
managed to have the phone removed. We’d like to thank Richie
Polgar and the Assemblyman’s office for their efforts in this matter.
Building up on Grand Avenue in Elmhurst
The owner of 84-52 Grand Avenue near Haspel Street in Elmhurst is
adding one additional floor to the building. This is the site of the old
Winnemore Electronics store. It’s a retail storefront building with a
residential apartment on the second floor. For reasons we won’t get
into, this building was essentially vacant for almost three decades. It was
purchased a few years ago but the building was sealed off.
In mid-November a COMET member saw that contractors were building
a third level on top of the structure. The permits are in order but
unfortunately this third story is going to be out of character with the
rest of the houses along this row.
It’s also worth noting the COVID-19 pandemic has had an adverse effect
on the NYC real estate market. Since March, 2020 well over 300,00
people have moved out of the city and as of this writing there are 16,000
vacant apartments in Manhattan alone. This may not be the best time
for residential development in NYC unless you have the capital to wait
out the crisis.
Massive Sinkhole on 70th Street
Swallows Car on Thanksgiving
On Thursday, November 26th, 2020 a homeowner on 70th Street in
Maspeth woke up at 5:00 am and was astonished to see that his brother’s
COMET Winter 2021 Pg. 5
 car was swallowed whole by a huge sinkhole
overnight. Happy Thanksgiving!
The owner of the car was shocked but he was
also grateful that no one was hurt. The NYPD,
FDNY and National Grid were on the scene that
day to evaluate the street’s infrastructure. The
contractor, working on the massive sewer project
there, completed the repair work by 5:00 pm that afternoon according to
Ian Michaels from the NYC Department of Design and construction.
According to Councilman Robert Holden, the
NYC Department of Design and Construction
is investigating the matter to determine what
infrastructure issue(s) need to be addressed. As
most of us know, there is a massive sewer project
underway on 70th Street. Whether or not this
particular sinkhole is related to the sewer project
is yet to be determined.
Ian Michaels of the NYC Department of Design
and Construction does not rule out the possibility
that the sinkhole is related to the sewer project
but he won’t rule out other causes either. There’s
nothing unusual about sinkholes in New York City
but sinkholes of this size are rare. The NYCDDC is
investigating the matter. We will be monitoring the
investigation and pass on any updates.
70th Street in Maspeth looked more
like a Creek than a Road after a Heavy
Rainstorm
As if there weren’t enough problems
on 70th Street in Maspeth, we have
another one to tell you about.
On December 1st, we had a significant
rainstorm. Normally a heavy rainstorm
is an inconvenience but on 70th Street
in Maspeth the rainstorm literally
transformed the street into a creek. The entire breadth of the roadway
was under running water and in some areas the water was almost one
foot deep. Additionally, a second sinkhole was discovered near the curb at
70th Street and 53rd Avenue. Luckily the contractor discovered it before
another vehicle was swallowed.
COMET President Roe Daraio saw this as a great opportunity to reach out
to the Department of Design & Construction (DDC) and point out the flaws
in the infrastructure and drainage systems in the area that she raised prior
to the start of the construction.
The agency immediately took action and sent the following statement to
Assemblyman Barnwell, Councilman Holden and COMET. “We wanted to
summarize conditions and how we plan to move forward. Please note that
work on 70th Street between 52nd and 53rd is almost complete - we are
moving rapidly, and we expect to finish up this area in early January. We
will then move to other parts of the project.
Since the sinkhole developed on Thanksgiving Day, we conducted the
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) report (will send as a separate link)
throughout the entire project area. Based on the report, we found two
areas with soil anomalies on 70th Street; one area revealed clay deposits,
Pg. 6 Winter 2021 COMET
and the other had large rocks.
These are entirely safe conditions.
Neither area showed any signs of
compromised soil. Each area was
excavated, carefully examined,
and then refilled with new soil,
compacted, and covered up again.
While the GPR report is helpful, it does not identify every issue. Being
proactive, the contractor noted a small depression in the roadway
yesterday and investigated - it led to the discovery of another location with
a small void. This sinkhole was immediately filled in and compacted and
will be completed as soon as National Grid completes the necessary gas
main fixes. Going forward, we will continue to be proactive, by conducting
a probe throughout the upcoming micro tunneling area by doing a probe
50 feet down approximately every 10 feet to test the stability of soil
conditions on the rest of 70th Street. We will then retest these locations
after the micro tunneling work has been completed. These proactive steps
will be continued throughout the rest of the micro tunneling project.
In regard to vibrations, we have
installed monitors on individual
homes within the zone of influence.
We also have seismography
equipment throughout the area
to provide another real-time
measuring tool. If the monitor
reads vibrations at .3 inches per second, it causes an alarm to go off and
the issue is investigated - we are required to stop if the reading hits .5
inches per second. Note that we have not seen readings above .1 inches
per second. Please note that based on the complaint from Saturday night,
we reviewed our logs, and the micro tunneling machine was stopped by
6:25 PM”.
The micro tunneling did cause some noticeable vibrations along 70th
Street between 52nd Drive and 53rd Avenue one evening. Homes were
vibrating and a shutter fell off one of the houses and crashed down to the
pavement. Luckily no one was outside, but the homeowner’s vehicle was
scratched. Two homeowners noticed cracks in their walls. COMET urged
them to file a claim with the Comptroller’s Office and reach out to the
agency’s liaison who will provide contact information for the contractor’s
insurance company.
Traffic Signals at a three-way Intersection
in Elmhurst Cause Confusion for Motorists
The traffic signals at the three-way intersection
of Queens Boulevard at 51st Avenue and
Codwise Place at Queens Boulevard in
Elmhurst have always been confusing. Most
local motorists have simply gotten accustomed
to this and know when and where to turn. This
isn’t the case for drivers unfamiliar with the
area.
A motorist driving northbound on 51st Avenue
may not know if the traffic signal at the intersection is for the drivers on
51st Avenue or for the drivers on Queens Boulevard. There was actually a
serious accident at this intersection late last summer.
COMET has reached out to the Department of Transportation and
Councilman Dromm’s office and suggested turning the signal light further
to the right so it becomes more apparent that the signal is for the traffic
travelling northbound on 51st Avenue.
COMET has also suggested putting a shield of some sort on the traffic
signal meant for traffic in the eastbound local lane on Queens Boulevard
at the intersection of Codwise Place. The reason for the shield is so that
drivers in the center lanes don’t get confused thinking the signal is for
them. Local residents say it’s not uncommon to see drivers stop in the
center lanes of Queens Boulevard thinking the signal in the local lane is
meant for them. This is a potentially dangerous situation.

Our Community in Pictures

Maspeth Plaza
2020 has been a challenging year but there is always beauty to be found
if one is willing to see it. COMET Treasurer Geraldine Walsh has managed
Saint Adalbert’s Nativity Scene in Elmhurst Saint Adalbert’s Rectory in Elmhurst
to capture some of the beauty in our community in these photographs.
This something we can all appreciate!

FDNY Memorial at Maspeth Plaza

View of Manhattan from Maspeth Plaza

Winter Night in Maspeth

Printed by www.MaspethPress.com
Our Lady of Hope
Church in Middle Village

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Report Plane Noise Newsletter Spring 2012

WebTrak website https://www.planenoise.com/panynj/daPRAbr9/qs114wbt.php is reviewed every
Friday. WebTrak system allows the public to track ights and view noise readings at noise monitoring
sites. The same site can be used to le noise complaints. Noise complaints can also be led via their
toll-free phone number (1-800-225-1071). All noise complaints received are loggedin into a database
and monthly statistical reports are prepared and shared with the FAA and other stakeholders.
C.O.M.E.T. Meetings
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic there are no meetings scheduled at this time. Traditionally meetings
have been held at 7:00 PM at The St. Adalbert Parish Center, 52-40 84th Street, lower level on the rst
Monday of the month except for January, July & August. Please visit our website at www.cometcivic.com
to see important updates within our community.
Newsletter Committee
Editor, Paul Hogan, Chief Photographer, Geraldine Walsh - Contributors, Mike Fordunski,
Richie Polgar, Christina Wilkinson, Lucille Winsko, Howard Moskowitz, Roe Daraio, Maspeth Press
Special Thank You
This newsletter is made possible by funding from Council Members Daniel Dromm, Jimmy Van Bramer
and Robert Holden through the Department of Youth & Community Development