Fall News

Everyone wants to live in the best community. Homebuyers spend countless hours researching which areas are low in crime, well-kept, with access to stores and transportation, have the best schools, and will maintain high property values. In reality, they are not only purchasing a home, but a community as well. Good communities are in short supply, so there is usually a high premium to pay for the best.

However, it seems that once some homeowners purchase their home, they do little to contribute to the maintenance of their community. They forget the very criteria that drew them to the neighborhood and engage in the “private property” syndrome; it’s mine and I’ll do with it as I please. Yes, you should feel free to do with your property as you please, but not to the detriment of your community. In the 1960s, African-Americans who moved to Laurelton literally risked their well-being just to live here. They proved the “naysayers” wrong when they said the community would go down. They nurtured it and it continues to flourish and remains among one of the most desirable places to live even today.

Good communities do not just happen. They are carefully nurtured and sustained by caring residents. Remember what it was that brought you to this community, and follow our tradition of keeping it one of the best. Be a responsible community member; know our history, participate in a community organization, start a block association, maintain your property to the community standard, teach your children to respect the property of others, know and communicate with your local elected officials; VOTE.

On July31st, the Association hosted its 6th annual block festival. The beautiful, sunny day added to the spirit of the occasion. Over 500 participants joined in the festivities, including our local elected officials, State Senator Ada L. Smith, Assemblyman William Scarborough, Councilman James Sanders and Leroy Comrie, District Leader Professor James Blake and Jacqueline Boyce. There was also a representative from State Senator Malcolm A. Smith’s office and a visit from former District Leader Elmer H. Blackburne.

As usual, the free food and drink were a big hit, along with the musical sounds of Sound Expressions. There were some real culinary masterpieces entered in the bake-off contest this year, making the judging a difficult but tasty one. There were numerous new games and contest for the kids, and thanks to the efforts of Lulu’s Daycare, this year each child was able to create their own hand puppet and participant in a parade to show them off.

We would like to thank the residents of 225th Street, and our host house (the Tilghmans) for their hospitality; the many volunteers, block captains, our community police officers, and our beat officer and resident cook, Robert Olivieri, for helping to make our block party a great success.

We would like to give a special thanks to all of our sponsors who continue to help us make this possible:

A number of mini yellow school buses are being parked illegally overnight night on our streets, and in the driveways of some residents. These mini yellow school buses are commercial vehicles and cannot be parked on the streets overnight, or in anyone’s driveway.

TURN ON THE LIGHTS…

As part of the effort to make our blocks safer, we implemented a lighting program to assist residents in obtaining dusk-to-dawn lighting along the community drives on our blocks. A number of you have taken advantage of the program, but are not maintaining your lights. A number of the lights along the drive are out, creating an unsafe condition. As the Police Department has reiterated many times, the best deterrent to crime is light. When the lights are out, it is not safe for anyone to put out trash or walk along the drive at night. It creates places for criminal activity to take place, and it also makes it unsafe for police to patrol. If you have a light that’s not working, or wish to have a dusk-to-dawn light installed, please contact the Association and we will put you in touch with a licensed electrician who will install or repair your dusk-to-dawn light for a nominal fee.

Check your fixture to make sure it has a working bulb, and for those of you who do not have dusk-to-dawn lights, but have other outdoor lighting, please put them on at night. Consider switching to dusk-to-dawn lighting, as these lights require very little maintenance, don’t require that you turn them off and on at night, and cost literally pennies a year to burn.

We’re having a party! Save the date. The Association is having its second annual semi-formal fundraising gala New Year’s Eve Friday December 31 2004 10pm to 3am at Le Cordon Bleu, 96-04 Jamaica Avenue , Woodhaven , New York . Tickets are $100.00 per person and will include the following:

For additional information or to purchase tickets, call our hotline at 1-718-670-3303.

Avoid the last minute rush, purchase your tickets early. No tickets will be sold at the door.

The single most important thing you can do to ensure that our community will continue to thrive, is to vote. Voting allows you an opportunity to elect someone who has your best interest in mind; someone who will bring your issues and concerns to the “powers that be”, and ensure that your voice is heard.

Stop letting others decide your future, and the future of your community. If you are concerned about taxes, healthcare, education, the economy, national security, the war status; vote about it.

We are asking our children to risk their lives around the world daily so that others can have the right to vote while we at home are taking that vote for granted. Let’s practice what we preach. Let your voice be heard on November 2^nd.

A healthy community is a thriving community. To raise health awareness, quarterly, we will be providing health information on some of the more common illnesses. Make it a practice to be aware of your health and practice prevention for yourself and your family.

FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY! INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM THE AMERICAN DIABETES ASOCIATION WEBSITE. ALWAYS CONSULT WITH YOUR PHYSCIAN TO DETERMINE THE BEST COURSE OF TREATMENT FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

There are 18.2 million Americans with diabetes -- and nearly one-third of them (or 5.2 million people) do not know it! Diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.

TYPE 2 DIABETES
Results from insulin resistance (a condition in which the body fails to properly use insulin), combined with relative insulin deficiency. Most Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.

Symptoms can include:

§ Frequent urination

§ Excessive thirst

§ Extreme hunger

§ Unusual weight loss

§ Increased fatigue

§ Irritability

§ Blurry vision

Complications can include:

§ Heart Disease

§ Kidney Disease/Kidney Transplantation

§ Eye Complications

§ Neuropathy and Nerve Damage

§ Foot Complications

§ Skin Complications

A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME…

For the past two years, we have had two vacant New York City Housing Authority homes at 131-25 and 131-27 224^th Street . Since their vacancy, these homes have not been consistently maintained, and are now becoming an eyesore as well as a breeding ground for unsavory activity, especially at night.

We have contacted the NYCHA and our Councilman to try and speed up the process of getting these properties sold, to no avail. As you know from past experience, “the squeaky wheel gets the oil”. Abandoned buildings are a breeding ground for all kinds of activities that we don’t want in our community. Call your Councilman and let him know that we want these properties sold.

Call the NYCHA at 718-276-7700 and ask for the Manager, Joseph Carrington, to voice your complaints about the conditions of these properties, as well as to report any unsavory activity that you may witness.

Annoucements:

Happy Birthday

Eliyah Rogers, Marlene McGee, Malaya McGee, and Jai-ne’ Tilghman of 225^th Street

Vernel Bennett of 224^th Street

N E W S L E T T E R

If it happens in our community, we know about it! Fall 2004