An Unguarded Fort, and Neighbors Who See a Risk

New York Times
March 22, 2009
Fort Totten
An Unguarded Fort, and Neighbors Who See a Risk
By JAMES ANGELOS
FORT TOTTEN in Bayside, Queens, sits atop a hilly peninsula near the Throgs Neck Bridge, where the waters of the East River meet Long Island Sound. The fort was built during the Civil War to guard the city against attack [...]

Bayside activists protest lack of security at Fort Totten

Times Ledger
Bayside activists protest lack of security at Fort Totten
By Christina Santucci and Stephen Stirling
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 4:37 PM EDT
Dozens of residents and community leaders descended on the security gates at Fort Totten Saturday morning to protest the recent termination of private security services in the historic park — a move they say could [...]

Rally to Protect Fort Totten

*IMPORTANT RALLY*
PROTECT THE FORT!
ORGANIZED BY
BAY TERRACE COMMUNITY ALLIANCE
&
FRIENDS OF FORT TOTTEN PARKS

DATE: SAT., MARCH 7, 2009 AT 11:00 AM
PLACE: FORT TOTTEN FRONT GATE
CROSS ISLAND PKWY @ 212TH ST.

GUARD SERVICE IS GOING TO BE REMOVED FROM THE ENTRANCE TO FORT TOTTEN PARK DUE TO MAYOR BLOOMBERG’S BUDGET CUTS!
THE INCREASED POTENTIAL FOR VANDALISM, ARSON [...]

Relay to Fight Cancer

Queens Courier
BY VICTOR G. MIMONI
Thursday, February 19, 2009 6:08 PM EST
There’s a party on Bell Boulevard in Bayside, but it’s serious.

It’s a complimentary informational kick-off party, at the Outback Steakhouse, to spread the word for the American Cancer Society (ACS) 5th annual “Relay For Life,” scheduled for this June, at Fort Totten.
The Kick-Off Party will [...]

Fort Totten Gate Security: An Ever Changing Story

At a meeting held on Tuesday, February 17, 2009, Fire Department Chiefs and Unit Heads decided to completely eliminate gate security at Fort Totten. This is contrary to earlier reports from official FDNY sources that the security would be provided by light duty fire fighters.
At this time attempts are being made to obtain copies of [...]

Fort Totten Gate Security – Update

According to reliable sources, the FDNY has decided that terminating Fort Totten gate security is a bad idea. Light duty firefighters will continue to protect the Fort’s front gate. Fire marshals will share some of the responsibility.
BLOOMBERG TO FORT TOTTEN & BAY TERRACE: DROP DEAD

BLOOMBERG TO FORT TOTTEN & BAY TERRACE: DROP DEAD

BLOOMBERG TO FORT TOTTEN & BAY TERRACE: DROP DEAD
Gate security at Fort Totten will be discontinued on Sunday, March 1, 2009. Fire Commissioner Scoppetta is taking this action in response to the Mayor’s recently announced budget cuts. Termination of the security contract will threaten Fort Totten and the surrounding community.
Both FDNY and NYPD house units [...]

19th Council District: Throw Another Hat in the Ring

The race for City Council in the 19th CD is really heating up. Tom Cooke will be officially adding his name to an already crowded field of qualified candidates. He joins Jerry Iannece, Paul Vallone, Steve Behar & Debra Markell who are all seeking the Democratic nomination for the seat being vacated by Tony Avella. [...]

Fort Totten Park won’t need natural gas station unless Parks Decides Differently?

Despite verification that the compressed natural gas tanks proposal was dead, a statement from Parks said: “The Parks Department has not made any decisions about implementing temporary or mobile fueling stations at this time.” Customers in the Cafe commented that Parks Department seems to have mastered the ability to talk out of both sides of [...]

Assemblywoman Ann-Margaret Carrozza: Deputy Majority Whip

The Bay Terrace Cafe has learned that Assemblywoman Ann-Margaret Carrozza has been appointed Deputy Majority Whip. This is a prestigious Assembly leadership position.
Congratulations Assemblywoman Carrozza!

Avella: Legalize Sports Betting as a Cash Cow for the City

Queens Chronicle
02/05/2009
Avella attacks mayor over budget proposal
by Peter C. Mastrosimone , Editor-in-Chief
A key Queens lawmaker who intends to run for the city’s highest office blasted Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s budget plan this week as unnecessarily draconian.
City Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside) contends that the spending cuts and layoffs Bloomberg proposed for fiscal 2010, which begins July 1, [...]

15th Annual Little Neck Bay Beach Clean-Up

Bayside Anglers Group Ltd.
Proudly presents

15th Annual Little Neck Bay Beach Clean-Up
“Bayside Waterfront Day”
10 AM on Sunday, April 19, 2009
(Rain or Shine)
We welcome all volunteers and their families to help us in
the Spring-cleaning of one of our most popular local fishing spots.
Through the support of the NYC Dept. of Parks, Partnership for
Parks and the [...]

Fort Totten on the “Fringe”

FORT TOTTEN ON THE “FRINGE”
On Thursday February 5, 2009 the TV show “FRINGE” is  scheduled to shoot interior and exterior scenes at Fort Totten Park.
Approximate time:    9am – 6pm

Vandalism = Adult Sports?

The  individuals responsible for this illegal posting in Bay Terrace seem to believe that vandalism is now an Adult Sport. Our community is dedicated to stamping out graffiti, illegal posting, stickers and any other form of vandalism. The irresponsible people who deface our neighborhoods should face criminal charges, pay for the clean-up and be publicly [...]

FDNY: Mayor’s Budget Proposal “Is Not Good” – Fort Totten Security to be Cut

FDNY: Mayor’s Budget Proposal “Is Not Good”
From MSNBC
FDNY Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta reacted quickly to Friday’s budget announcement by Michael Bloomberg.
The mayor proposed heavy cuts in city jobs, cuts in services and increases in costs for everyday New Yorkers.
Among the agencies that would face heavy losses is the FDNY.
Scoppetta said that included in the cuts [...]

“Idiots, start your engines!”

From the Daily News
Just ‘Idiots’ in shopping cart race in Queens
BY CAITLIN MILLAT and JOE JACKSON
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Sunday, February 1st 2009, 4:00 AM
“Idiots, start your engines!”
That’s what hundreds of contestants heard Saturday at the start of New York’s sixth annual Idiotarod – a local take on Alaska’s Iditarod dog-sled race that replaces dogs with [...]

Fire Damages Baybridge Condos

Update From NY1
The Blaze occurred in the Baybridge Condos.
Several Queens residents were left out in the cold after a fire in Clearview Friday evening.
Witnesses say the fire started at Jordan Road.
As firefighters battled flames on the second and third floors of a condo, the flames it spread to a neighboring building.
“They crashed our [...]

Fire Engulfs Homes in Bay Terrace Queens

FOX NEWS
Fire Engulfs Homes in Queens
NEW YORK CITY – Firefighter fought a fast-moving fire that tore through some houses in Bay Terrace, Queens, Friday night. The fire went to three alarms, authorities said.
SkyFoxHD was over the scene, where firefighters battled the flames while engulfed in thick smoke. The fire spread quickly from one house to [...]

Watch Super Bowl Ads Today, Get Stuff Done on Sunday

If you’re one of the many who aren’t that into football but stay glued to your TV on Super Bowl Sunday for the commercials, you can head on over to Adweek right now to catch several of this weekend’s big campaigns.
This is the Bay Terrace Cafe’s way of thanking all our loyal customers for their [...]

New plans announced for Bay Terrace Shopping Center at community meeting

Queens Chronicle

New plans announced for Bay Terrace shopping
by Laura Shin, Chronicle Contributor
01/29/2009

Consumers who frequent the Bay Terrace Shopping Center have several changes to look forward to in the coming months. Cord Meyer Development Co. representatives revealed new plans for the property and addressed concerns at the Jan. 22 meeting of the Bay Terrace Community Alliance.
Empty [...]

City accused of bias against blacks, Hispanics in ex-con jobs ban

New York Daily News
BY THOMAS ZAMBITO
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, January 27th 2009, 3:24 AM
A city ban on hiring ex-cons for hospital jobs is unfair to blacks and Hispanics, a city woman claimed in a complaint to the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Shanae Leath, who was convicted for her role in a mugging nine years ago, [...]

Smoking Ban Hits Home. Truly.

January 27, 2009
Belmont Journal
Smoking Ban Hits Home. Truly.
By JESSE McKINLEY
BELMONT, Calif. — During her 50 years of smoking, Edith Frederickson says, she has lit up in restaurants and bars, airplanes and trains, and indoors and out, all as part of a two-pack-a-day habit that she regrets not a bit. But as of two weeks ago, [...]

Civilians, cops tag-team vs. graffiti

Queens has made major strides in the war on vandalism.
Graffiti complaints dropped dramatically across the borough in 2008 — including a 20% decline in Queens’ northern precincts — even as citywide totals jumped more than 10%, according to preliminary NYPD stats.
The number of graffiti complaints includes calls from the public to report vandalism to the [...]

Parks Dept. Says Fort Totten Compressed Natural Gas Fueling Station Unnecessary

Customers of the Cafe were pleased to learn that NYC Parks & Recreation has decided an on-site CNG fueling station in Fort Totten is not necessary. According to Queens Parks Commissioner Lewandowski, the Fort Totten tram will fuel at Park’s fueling site in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. It’s possible that community pressure had a [...]

Jack Fein Documentary and Last Interview

On March 28, 2008 at 5:32 in the morning, Jack Fein the unofficial historian of Fort Totten passed away. Fein who spent 36 years in the military is now buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Jack Fein has been higlighted as Fort Totten’s last protector since the bases closing in 1995. Jack Fein has devoted his time [...]

Bay Terrace Community Alliance – Meet Your Local Merchants Night

It was standing-room-only at the BTCA’s January meeting. The huge turn-out on January 22nd, solidified the BTCA’s reputation as the “Voice of Bay Terrace.” In addition, the organization’s credibility was further enhanced by the presence of State Senator Stavisky, Gene McSweeney from Assemblywoman Carrozza’s office, Rabbi Yossi Blesofsky, four announced candidates for City Council in [...]

No Explanation Needed

This was submitted by one of the Cafe’s regular patrons.

No Explanation Needed!

Thieves target running cars

BY VICTOR G. MIMONI
Wednesday, January 21, 2009 6:31 PM EST
Numbers of northeast Queens residents don’t want their cars to get cold, so they leave them running with the keys in the ignition and the doors unlocked – and then find that they are suddenly “hot.”
Crime prevention officers in both the 109th and 111th precincts report [...]

January 22nd Meeting in Bay Terrace – Important Shopping Center Updates

BAY TERRACE COMMUNITY ALLIANCE, INC.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
THE BAY TERRACE COMMUNITY ALLIANCE WILL WELCOME REPRESENTATIVES FROM BOTH CORD MEYER DEVELOPMENT & WALDBAUM’S WHO WILL ANSWER QUESTIONS AND PROVIDE UPDATES CONCERNING THE BAY TERRACE SHOPPING CENTER.
Special Guests Include:
State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky
Rabbi Yossi Blesofsky

The next meeting of the Bay Terrace Community Alliance will be held on [...]

Councilman proposes community service be required for high school graduation

By Kathleen Lucadamo
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Saturday, January 17th 2009, 8:49 PM
City Councilman Eric Gioia is calling on Schools Chancellor Joel Klein to make community service a requirement for graduation.
City high school students would need to complete 20 hours of volunteer work to earn a diploma under Gioia’s plan, which he will release today.
“The service requirement [...]