Prayer Gets A Bike At 114th Precinct Christmas Party
BY THOMAS COGAN

Some of the speakers on the schedule at Community Board 1's cabinet meeting for December failed to show up on a damp day when snow was expected. Those who did make it to the Kaufman Studios commissary were talkative or had presentations of their own, so the meeting's allotted time was easily filled. Among those on the schedule who did appear were the Department of Transportation's Felix Okolo, who covers matters that can get people excited; those not on schedule who had announcements to make included City Year, which spoke of a community service day in Long Island City on January 21, Martin Luther King Day 2008.

One of the first speakers was Ann Bruno, who reported on the 114th Police Precinct's party for underprivileged children, held Saturday, December 8. She said that $4,200 was raised, and three bicycles, in three sizes, were raffled. She told of a child who dropped to his knees at the party and prayed he would win one- and did. Jim Pollack, of the 114th Civ-OP group, reported on recent graffiti clean-ups, vehicle identification number (VIN) etchings on car windshields and pothole fillings. News about graffiti prompted George Delis, Board 1 district manager and moderator of the meeting, to ask about Kiko, the Manhattan-based graffiti tagger who put his name all over Astoria but was eventually arrested, tried and convicted. Pollack said he did six months on Rikers Island and had to serve another four and a half years under surveillance as a felon. But, Pollack said, others have taken his place and graffiti incidents are on the increase.

Athina Krikeli of the Ellopia Media Group described EMG as being active in documentary filming internationally and publishing a magazine about Greek-Americans in New York out of Room 123 in Kaufman Studios. Christian Corniel of the city Department of Youth and Community Development, said YCD's budget was recently increased greatly from just above $250 million to $400 million, with funding for Queens increased 69 percent. City Year, which is part of Americorps, was represented by Andrew Curtis, its civic engagement manager, and Shante' S. Smith, an outreach coordinator. On the day dedicated to Martin Luther King, City Year and the Mayor's Volunteer Center will run a Day of Community Service out of Long Island City H.S., 14-30 Broadway. Registration is at 9 a.m., service projects and activities are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., followed by an official celebration at 3:30.

Tara Sansone, director of education and community relations at Socrates Sculpture Park, Vernon Boulevard and Broadway, was at the meeting to propose a bicycle parade for children, to be run from Socrates to Queensbridge Park one Saturday in May. It would be coordinated in part by Bike New York. She was not specific about the date and was proposing the parade months in advance, knowing that she would need police permission to have any such event on Vernon Boulevard or any other street. Officer Paul Chatham of the 114th Precinct reminded her of the permission they would need. Jim Pollack of 114th Civ-OP said it would be a good occasion also for identification engraving on the bicycles, which service his group could perform.

Delis described DOT's Felix Okolo as "the sort of guy people like to pick on"- a flak-catcher for the bureaucracy, taking complaints with a smile. Complaining on this occasion was George Stamatiades, a board executive, who deplored the metal gates put on the bus stop medians at 39th Avenue and 31st Street and swung into the roadway between median and curbside, to block automobile traffic that might endanger bus passengers going to or from the median. They are not working, Stamatiades maintained, especially because they are open a good deal of the time, and when closed are rickety eyesores that could be replaced with a few parking spaces. Ann Bruno talked about parking spaces too, asking Okolo why space designated for parking beneath the Triborough Bridge has not been opened yet. Okolo said there were procedural delays. He told Fran McDonald, who brought up the subject, that he had no further news about the proposed truck route along 81st Street near La Guardia Airport, which had caused distress at the November meeting.

José Batista, another Board 1 member, reported that disused automobiles had some time ago been dumped in front of the new library on 21st street by auto repair businesses along adjoining 38th Avenue. At the time of the meeting, they were still there, despite requests that the dumpers properly dispose of them. At least one of the vehicles is inhabited by a homeless person. Batista's description of the scene was enough for Chatham, who said he had talked to one of the car shop owners about clearing the vehicles away, but now it was no more Mr. Nice Guy, he'd have them hauled and the shop owner fined. In the same vicinity as the library and P.S. 111 next to it is 14 Oaks Park, and R. Lea Singer, a community information specialist, declared it to be in poor shape; but, she said, the park could be restored to elegance by funds from Partnership for Parks.

A Partnership for Parks representative, Janet Overton, announced that the annual post- Christmas Mulchfest would be held in several borough parks on Saturday, January 5 and Sunday, January 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Christmas trees could be brought to chipping sites in each of these parks. In Astoria, the designated park would be Astoria Park, 19th Street and Hoyt Avenue.

Stamatiades said the statue of Aristotle that is a gift from Greece would finally be installed in Athens Park, 30th Avenue and 30th Street, during April 8 and 9, the first full weekend in April. George Delis said an English model of an ancient Greek ship would also be displayed there, though he didn't say when. The ship, being sent from England, is 120 feet long and 17 feet wide.