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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

A Tree Once Grew in Queens

Much of Fort Totten’s landscape is now scarred with the remains of what were once large, majestic trees. According to Parks’ Forestry Division, the trees could not be saved. Random observers have described the wood and stumps as appearing to be healthy. In all fairness to Parks, those were not expert opinions.
Everyone seems to be [...]

World’s Fair map could be in peril

From NY Daily News

The city has let ice blanket a faux-marble road map from the 1964 World’s Fair multiple times this winter instead of dishing out $20,000 to protect the cartographic curiosity, Queens News has learned.
Preservationists fear frost will dislodge or fracture panels on the 9,000-square-foot map in the New York State Pavilion, a [...]

The Secret Haunting of Crocheron Park

Two of the Cafe’s regular customers were overheard having this conversation:
Milhouse: (as he sips his morning coffee) Hey Corn, you know the Halloween event that goes on every year in Fort Totten?
Cornelious: (biting into his bagel) You mean the one where all the vehicles have no place to park and end up driving up and [...]

Turf War Brewing in New York City Parks

Customers in the Cafe are starting to wonder if Parks & Recreation will ever get it right.

From 1010 WINS
Posted: Sunday, 08 February 2009 7:16PM
Turf War Brewing in New York City Parks
NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A turf war is brewing in New York City.
The city council will hold a hearing Monday on a bill [...]

There Used to be a Ballpark

There Used to be a Ballpark – Shea Stadium, Yankee Stadium and Ebbet’s Field, home to the “Boys of Summer.”
It’s called progress!
EBBET’S FIELD & THE BROOKLYN DODGERS

SHEA STADIUM

YANKEE STADIUM

“Last Summer at Coney Island”

“Last Summer at Coney Island”
(aka, Mayor Bloomberg never met a developer he didn’t like)

Marshall Backs Effort To Honor Park Activist David Oats

Queens Tribune

Marshall Backs Effort To Honor Park Activist
David Oats
By Brian M. Rafferty
David Oats loved Flushing Meadows Corona Park. One of his first assignments as a young reporter was to speak with Robert Moses, the visionary power broker who masterminded so much of the development in the city – as well as the creation of the [...]

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 [...]

Winter Jam NYC

Let it snow! Come take part in this popular annual event.

Winter Jam NYC will feature a 70-foot long Snow Flume for sledding, a professional snowboarding competition on a 90-foot tall Snowscraper structure, a winter snowfield with snowshoeing and cross-country skiing*, a snow sculpture contest*, a Warming Hut with free samples from NY State farmers and [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Caffe on the Green Looking to Expand

Caffe on the Green Looking to Expand
According to an article in the Daily News, Caffe on the Green will be renamed Valentino’s on the Green and is looking to expand.
“I don’t know what to expect,” said Community Board 7 Chairman Eugene Kelty, who is worried about possible expansion on the site. “The other restaurant worked [...]

Pick the Parks Mascot!

Parks is looking for a new mascot and asking for the publics’ help. You can submit your ideas by visiting their Mascot Website.

New operator tapped for famed Queens restaurant

From Crain’s New York:
January 05, 2009 3:23 PM
New operator tapped for famed Queens restaurant
Site is the former mansion of Rudolf Valentino, Fiorello LaGuardia and others.
The city’s Parks & Recreation department has tapped a new operator to run the popular restaurant in the Bayside, Queens mansion that was once the home of silent-film star Rudolph Valentino, [...]

“Please Excuse My Appearance! I Am A Candidate For Historical Preservation.”

Scouting NY has published pictures of existing buildings on Fort Totten. Unfortunately, some of these wonderful structures may not survive the Department of Parks & Recreation. Willets Farm House, the oldest building on the fort, which is all but ready to collapse, has a sign that proclaims “Please Excuse My Appearance! I Am A Candidate [...]

Workers Ordered to Give Up City-Owned Cars

“As the Bloomberg administration scrambles to cut spending, it is ordering city agencies like the police, parks and health departments to give up nearly 700 city-owned cars, a cherished perk for their workers.”
“Many city agencies operate their own fleet of cars, which they assign to employees for official use. Buildings inspectors use city-owned cars to [...]

Caffe on the Green

The following full page notice appeared in the January 1st, 2009 edition of the Queens Courier:
Effective Thursday, January 1st, 2009, Caffé on the Green will cease operations and will not reopen at this location. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the New York City of Department of Parks, has decided to prematurely terminate our license agreement unjustifiably [...]