Hamilton Beach: Still Under Water

By Patricia Adams

The residents of Davenport Court in Hamilton Beach have had enough. After more than 20 years of flooding along their street, frustration rises with the dangerous and destructive tides that threaten their safety and continue to destroy their quality of life.

“I used to have a basement,” says Michael Caspare, who lives with his wife and daughter near the end of the street. A quick tour of Caspare’s home leads to a small staircase and what has now been transformed into little more than a crawl space. “I filled it in with six feet of dirt and then poured four inches of concrete over that.” Without the fill, the basement would have kept taking on water—eroding the foundation and inviting a host of complications into the family’s home.

Caspare’s wife, Margarita Bravo stands nearby holding a stack of correspondence that’s been sent to “every city official I could find.” But she says the writing, the meetings, the complaints and the outcries have not resulted in a remedy. She has been fighting — seemingly in vain — for years. Despite the deaf ears she has faced, Bravo continues to be hopeful the damaged duct pipe at the end of the street will be repaired. “It should be draining the water from the street into the adjacent canal,” Bravo explains. “The last time it was fixed was more than ten years ago.”

But on Monday night at a site meeting with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Councilman Eric Ulrich may have brought a little hope to the hearts of Hamilton Beach residents—that is until the tide rises again. The situation is extremely difficult and complicated according to Ulrich. A long term solution would involve reconstruction and repair of a faulty, inadequate drainage system, installation of a proper seawall and bulkheads and elevating and pitching streets affected by constant flooding. Problems arise in the fact that the job that would have to be handled as a collaborative effort between the DEP and the Department of Transportation (DOT).

“The long term solution is obvious,” Ulrich said.” In addition, he notes, there are environmental laws in place that regulate what is permissible construction for the area. But he says, for the people who live with this on almost a daily basis, what is far more crucial is what can be done now.

“I am determined to put a short term solution in place for now. The people who live with this deserve and have every right to demand immediate relief.” To that end, the freshman Councilmember arranged for DEP Deputy Commissioner James Roberts - who directs the city’s Bureau of Water and Sewer Operations - to attend the site meeting.

The man that runs every sewer in New York City listened to the complaints of a group designated to represent the community. One by one they reiterated what they say they have been telling city officials over and over for years.

“We had 18 inches of fill on this street but some of the neighbors decided they didn’t want that so the city came in and took it out,” said Roger Gendron, whose life on Davenport Court for the last two decades has been punctuated by a painful lack of response from the city. “If the check valve was on the pipe at the end of the block like it’s supposed to be, we’d be fine. Pointing to the pipe, Gendron uses his hands to show the diameter of the holes he says contribute to the pipe’s inability to drain water from the street. “This is more than mechanics,” Gendron says. “There are serious issues of toxicity connected to this water.”

The rain and high winds that have plagued much of the city in recent months has caused flooding on many streets in other neighborhoods, but in Hamilton Beach, the floods come year-round, rain or shine. The area’s close proximity to Jamaica Bay causes flooding in the area as often as two weeks out of every month.

Now, at the urging of Councilmember Ulrich, a meeting to address the problems between the DEP and DOT will be scheduled in the upcoming weeks. “The fact that Commissioner Roberts has come to the site himself is encouraging to me and should be to the community,” said Ulrich. “We are going to address this problem and give these people some of what they want. They have to get something to alleviate their problems. And they have to get it now.”

According to Ulrich, Roberts will return to the site — most likely during high tide -as will DEP’s citywide Commissioner Caswell Holloway, to assess the situation further and determine what measures can be put in place readily to combat the flooding problems.

Although Hamilton Beach residents can say they’ve heard that song before — from a string of Ulrich’s predecessors — there seems to be an air of confidence in the young elected official who is trying to put a plug in the situation now. “He’s pushing for us and we have faith in him,” says Margarita Bravo. “People say we should just move out—that we are like prisoners in our own homes. But we’re not going anywhere. And we want it fixed.”

Storm Report: Damage Control and the Aftermath

By Patricia Adams

The storm that hit the city this weekend damaged cars, homes, roads and subway lines throughout our readership area. Coastal areas experienced hurricane-like flooding conditions and electricity outages.

The New York City Parks Department has labeled it as one of the worst storms of the past decade, based on volume of calls. As of Tuesday morning, Parks had received more than 3,000 phone calls citywide about emergency tree conditions through 311. More than 1,458 trees down, split, or uprooted, including more than 150 calls about trees down on houses, and hundreds of limbs hanging or down.

Brooklyn had the most recorded calls with 1,201, Staten Island with 908, Queens with 817, the Bronx: 258 calls and Manhattan with a total of 38 calls. Citywide there were more than 1,600 trees that suffered damage.

About 350 staffers were assigned by Parks to work exclusively on storm response including 36 forestry crews and 50 field managers. An emergency contingency plan was activated and private tree service contractors assisted in removing trees from houses, streets and sidewalks. Parks is now concentrating on trees that landed on homes, cars and playgrounds.

According to the Parks Department the hardest hit areas were in Southeast Queens especially at Bayswater Park and Brookville Boulevard. One tree fell on two houses at 126th Street and 104th Avenue and at King Park in Jamaica one of five surviving trees planted more than 200 years ago by Rufus King, in honor of the 13 colonies, was toppled during the storm.

Council Member Eric Ulrich’s district which covers Howard Beach, parts of Ozone Park Richmond Hill, Woodhaven and Rockaway was especially hard hit by the storm. “We have experienced severe rain and high winds throughout this city, but my district has been hit extremely hard,” said Ulrich. “My office has received a number of calls from Hamilton Beach and Woodhaven during and after the storm, and we are dealing with each constituent on a case by case basis. I am asking all of my constituents to report any property damage to 311 and to report continued power outages, should they re-occur, to Con Edison as soon as possible.”

As of early Wednesday morning 26,000 customers remained without power. Thousands of company support personnel continue to work around the clock to help the crews that are addressing the most destructive rain and windstorm to hit New York City and Westchester in decades. Utilities from Michigan, Ohio, Georgia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Kentucky and Massachusetts are assisting Con Edison’s crews. All Queens and Brooklyn customers affected by the storm have been restored.

Signs of Relief in Hamilton Beach

Streets Will Bear Two Names

By Patricia Adams

The confusion and frustration over renamed streets in Hamilton Beach is finally nearing an end, according to the office of Councilman Eric Ulrich. At the heart of the street naming issue was the growing concern of Hamilton Beach residents over numbered streets that shared the same names in nearby Howard Beach. Community residents feared that like addresses would be confused and emergency vehicles would go to the wrong neighborhood and that delays in response time would translate to lives lost.

Late in 2008, then councilmember Joe Addabbo requested legislation for a ceremonial street name change to remedy residents concerns. Under such a provision named signs would be installed as an accompaniment to the numbered ones already in place.

But in early 2009, the city removed the numbered signs, e.g. 164th Avenue, 165th Avenue, and replaced them with new signs bearing names like Burlingham Court and McKee Avenue The city claimed Addabbo’s request was for a mapping change which would require the numbered street signs to be removed and new named street signs to be hung in their place.

According to a spokesman from the Department of Transportation (DOT), when the Councilmember’s office submitted the requisite forms, the wrong box was inadvertently checked and the request was not for a ceremonial change, therefore the original signs had to be removed.

John Bluemke, president of the New Hamilton Beach Civic Association, was quick to respond to the city’s unexpected sign removal—Bluemke simply painted the familiar street numbers onto wood signs and affixed them to the same telephone poles which bear the official city signs.

After a string of correspondence with DOT Queens Borough Commissioner Maura McCarthy, Councilmember Ulrich’s office told The Forum that the problem is soon to be a thing of the past. “We heard from Commissioner McCarthy on this matter and the DOT is going to install numbered street signs and leave the named street signs in place,” said Matt Hickey, Chief of Staff to Ulrich.

The councilman will now have to pass another local law and work with the Council’s legal department to correct the original request to that of a ceremonial change ensuring there will be no further map changes.

“This is a great relief for the residents who had understandable safety concerns over this issue,” said Ulrich. The councilmember will now pass the legislation allowing for both signs to be displayed at thoroughfares in Hamilton Beach is underway to formally complete the process.

The streets which will bear two street signs are:

Burlingham Court (163rd Road), James Court (163rd Drive), McKee Court (164th Avenue), Calhoun Court (164th Road), Mancriff Court (164th Drive), Lockwood Court (165th Avenue), Ocean Avenue (104th Street).

West Hamilton Volleys Get Life-Saving Equipment

Local Attorney Donates Suction Units in Memory of Kevin Delano

By Patricia Adams

Friends, family, elected officials and members of the West Hamilton Beach Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Corps gathered at the firehouse on Wednesday afternoon for a special dedication. Just over a year ago to the date, one of the department’s “favorite sons”, Kevin Delano, passed away after a lengthy battle with leukemia. The career Delano was so devoted to began in 1971, as soon as he was eligible to join the West Hamilton Beach Volunteer Fire Department and over the years, he worked his way up to be named chief of the department.

“After Kevin died,” said local attorney Marge Centrone, “I thought that somehow his name should forever be associated with the department he loved so much.” To that end, Centrone donated the money for the purchase of two suction units to be place aboard the departments rescue vehicles.

A plaque with Delano’s name is mounted to the portable life-saving units that will be used to remove blockages from airways of emergency patients. “These units would really make Kevin happy,” said former department Chief Jonah Cohen. “It’s very fitting that they should bear his name and that such a great friend of the department, Marge Centrone, is responsible for this.”

Among others who praised Delano for his work and commitment, as well as thanking Centrone for her generous donation were state Senator Joe Addabbo, Assemblymember Audrey Pheffer and WHVFAC Chief Bruce Stock.

Roseann Delano attended the ceremony honoring her husband with son Kevin Jr.

Hamilton Beach Woman Escapes Danger

By Patricia Adams

Editor's Note: The family referred to in this story have asked to have their names withheld because of concerns for their safety. Throughout the story we will refer to the family representative who was interviewed by the name of Ms. B.

On Monday afternoon at about 2 p.m., a 19-year-old resident of Hamilton Beach, walking over the bridge with her infant in a carriage, had just made the turn onto Russell Street when she heard a man’s voice say “Excuse me.” When the young woman turned around to see who was talking to her, she was met with a most unwelcome and dangerous situation.

According to the girl’s mother, Ms. B, a long time resident of Hamilton Beach, the man said “disgusting things of a very graphic sexual nature and began groping himself”. The man was described as being in his 30’s, about 5’5", heavy set with a shaved head, big nose and wearing denim pants and a t-shirt. Fearing for her safety and that of her child, Ms. B’s daughter started to run toward her home, less than one block away. She turned back to see if the man was behind her, but he seemed to have just vanished.

When she reached home, the frantic young mother told her sister what had happened. Getting into the car immediately, they searched the area to no avail.

Ms. B said she notified police immediately. “They were here in record time. They searched the area and found nothing.” She said that police informed her that if they had caught the man the only action they could have taken was to give him a summons for disorderly conduct.

The woman said that police told her they would not have been able to arrest the man unless he had exposed himself or actually touched her. “The thing that really eats at me is that I have told my daughter over and over, never to walk along the boardwalk. I always said to stay on the street because people are around.”

Now Ms. B says she is very concerned over the fact that this could happen again to someone else who might not be lucky enough to get away. “Let’s face it. If a man could come up to a woman with a baby carriage and say these things to her, there has to be something drastically wrong with him.”

She further urges anyone who sees a man fitting the description to call the police right away. “I believe this man lives right here in our neighborhood. Years ago everyone knew everyone here, but now, with all the new houses being built and sold, we have a lot of new people.”

“I want to make my neighbors aware of what happened here today,” said Ms. B. “Let them know that there could be this type of predator in our midst. I would hate to have anything like this happen again. Not to anyone.”

Ms. B said she strongly believes that the man could resurface in Hamilton at any time. “Look at the way this happened. You think this guy just came from out of nowhere? I am sure he wasn’t just hanging out in broad daylight, with no jacket, no car, nothing, waiting for a victim to pass by,” she said with resolve. “I believe he saw my daughter coming over the bridge and went out to get her. He’s sick and if he’s living somewhere around here, he’ll be found.”

Anyone seeing a man who fits this description is urged to call police immediately. The number for the 106 Precinct is 718-845-2211.