Manhattan Beach Community Group

The MBCG will have its Jan. meeting this Wednesday night at 8 PM, PS 195. Some topics that we will discuss are:

Cameras-Eyes on every block

Traffic-New Bike SIgns

Special Election Again

Hope you can make it.

Here we go again.

Another special election on March 20, 2012 for our state senator vacancy. No one has officially declared but it’s the same scenario as last time. The Democrats and the Republicans get to pick their own candidates.

We get to pick the winner.

Also, keep in mind our Jan. meeting is next week on the 18th at 8PM, PS 195.

We, the MBCG leadership, was granted an audience last year with the Bklyn DOT Czar. He made promises and he has broken promises. Simply said, we have thousands of thousands of visitors, students, beachgoers and others just looking to enjoy our community. The DOT KIng puts them all in harms way. He is not hurting just Manhattan Beach but hurting all of Brooklyn who drive and walk our streets. The following is an adult repsonse form our traffic comm. chairperson Judy Baron.

The Brooklyn Borough Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner has decided that the major priority for our community is to encourage people to use the currently non-used dangerous bicycle lanes on Oriental Boulevard, bicycle lanes that come from nowhere and go nowhere!  DOT hasn’t bothered to listen to the years, and we mean YEARS of MBCG letters and telephone calls to DOT explaining that there are extremely serious traffic related problems in our community.  Bike lane signage is not one of those priorities unless DOT’s signs state: “dangerous bike lanes!”The “King” of Kings County DOT has ignored deaths, ignored speeding; ignored the fact that Manhattan Beach is home to a 40 acre public park and beach that includes two children’s playgrounds; ignored the recreational facilities that include basketball, tennis, baseball; ignored the fact that children and parents with carriages are unable to cross Oriental Boulevard at the two largest entrances to the park; ignored the fact that thousands of people use the beach; ignored the four schools that are located on or near Oriental Boulevard; ignored the fact that there are only two east/west routes through the community; ignored three bus routes with many speeding and “out of service” buses; ignored the fact that the two east/west routes are emergency routes for fire, ambulance and other vehicles; ignored the fact that Kingsborough Community College is at the terminus of Oriental Boulevard and everyone, except DOT, knows that most of the speeding in our community is student related.  All of these conditions could have been ameliorated by DOT with a comprehensive traffic program with controls and signage.  However, to date, this has not happened.

Did you know that the DOT Brooklyn (Kings County) Commissioner met with the MBCG President, Traffic Committee Chairperson and the Chairperson of Community Board 15 several months ago?  In addition to the Commissioner, a Deputy Commissioner and the Community Relations person were present at that meeting.  We presented photographs, data, maps and the like.  Among other things, we told the Commissioner we have a speed gun that targeted trucks, cars and passenger vehicles travelling over 50 miles per hour in a 30 mph zone.  We made concrete suggestions for changing the zebra lines to make Oriental Boulevard safer; we suggested moving the bike lanes to an historic location within our community that would be safer for everyone.  We informed the Commissioner that we had met with a Traffic Consultant who told us of the many new, cost efficient technical devices that can be used for our traffic problems.  Can you believe that no one from DOT took any notes?  The result of the meeting was that DOT would do a comprehensive “study” but no real timetable was presented to us!  Yes, ANOTHER STUDY!  For the uninformed, a “STUDY” IS WHAT DOT SAYS IN ORDER TO IGNORE THE COMMUNITY.

To think that the most important action DOT Kings County could come up with is BIKE LANE signs is incomprehensible!  Tell that to the parents of the small child who was killed last year on Oriental Boulevard.  Tell that to the 1500 people who signed our petition to the Mayor to DO something to stop the speeding in our community!!!  Tell that to the people who can’t cross Oriental Boulevard.  Tell that to the families of those who have been killed, maimed or hurt on Shore Boulevard.  Tell that to the people whose homes and property have been destroyed on Oriental and Shore Boulevards as a result of drivers losing control of their speeding vehicles.The first obligation of government is to keep its citizens safe and secure.  No one is safe or secure on the streets of Manhattan Beach where safe passage is concerned.  The “in your face” bicycle lane signage just placed on Oriental Boulevard is out of line with what is needed in this community.  Protect us FIRST and then DOT can discuss bicycle riding, especially when the current bike lanes are not only dangerous, add to the problems and are virtually unused.

Judy Baron,
Chairperson, MBCG Traffic Committee

Hail to the Chief! Long live the King of KINGS! We kiss the ring of the Brooklyn Lord of the Department of Transportation. You have won DOT KINGS King (get it Kings County?). Can any other Kings elected official put up signs faster than a speeding bullet, faster than a speeding train? No one can screw signs like KINGS King DOT Commissioner.

In the event that you are wondering what the heck is going on. Let us inform you of the latest traffic news from MBCG.  While you were asleep or enjoying a hot cup of something, a DOT crew in camouflage beach clothing installed Bike Lane Signs on every block on Oriental Blvd in both directions. Most signs were screwed on existing poles near the street corners. Some alone, statuesque and glimmering in the sunshine, on new poles in the middle of the block. Cost in man hours? Cost of signs? Price of discovering the signs? Priceless.

Some residents have stated that the KING has stuck it to us. He has shown us who is boss. He is telling us the bike lanes are here to stay. When he acts, it is forever. Think Jared commercial.

We the leadership of the 70 year old wise Manhattan Beach Community Group do not agree with these pessimists.  We always look to see the bigger picture. We believe that DOT Boss of Bosses needed for his workers to practice screwing signs when no one was looking.  How were they going to get their A game in shape without practice? From an inside DOT source we hear the KIngs’ Elves are making Drive Slowly Children At Play signs, Dangerous Curve Ahead signs, Drive Slow School Zone, Speed Zone Ahead and Behind and Speeding is for Losers signs. The loser sign is to see if you’re paying attention. These signs require many more screws, more intense screwing and sensitive placement. Is DOT up to the task? Can the KNIGS King get his men ready before the first snow fall.

We in the MBCG who have been screwed by DOT often believe the answer is yes. Yes. Yes. YESSSSSSSSSSS.

When you wake up tomorrow, it’ll be a new day. Look for a sign. Look not to the heavens but no higher than 6 feet. Maybe radar signs with blinking numbers to deter speeding? Hail to the KINGS KING! Long live the King of Screwing. No one can do it better than him.

The MBCG still has the magic touch. It only took one visit to the Manhattan Beach Community Group and whamo, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and his lovely wife get a baby boy. Congratulations to the entire Stringer Family on this wonderful great superb fantastic news.

Come visit us again, if you want your son to have a sibling.

This will always be a great Holiday for your family but we are happy to offer some more best wishes. Enjoy every second.

Warmly,

MBCG

The 20th BIG Celebrity Caroling Concert & Toy Drive will be Sunday Dec 18th from 5-7pm St Mark RC auditorium, East 19th Street between Jerome Av & Ave Z, admission is free with one new unwrapped toy.

The MBCG presented a vital Congressional Debate this past August 2011 open to all. The Bay News sent a reporter and a photographer but decided the evening was not even worth an inch of reporting. It seems the 9th Congressional District going from democratic to republican was newsworthy for the entire country but not interesting enough for the Bay News.

Last Wednesday, the MBCG accomplished a feat that few community groups in this great country of ours will have an opportunity to reach. We celebrated 70 years of continuous community service. This is not the accomplishment of one person but hundreds and maybe thousands from 1941 to today. We asked the Bay News to cover the event. We tried to inform them of our guest speakers but they weren’t interested. So be it. Life goes on with them or without them.

Each call we receive from the Bay News is in the context of a fight between us and the other group, MBNA. Our official position as stated by our President is, NO COMMENT. We can be presenting ideas for solar energy in the defunct MB Bath House and the Bay News writes- Battle of the Bath House between the 2 Groups. The list goes on for over 4 years of stories about the 2 groups even when its not about the  groups. Obviously, they believe the theory; if it bleeds it reads. Make it bleed…

This week they called again and asked for a comment about an argument that occurred at a recent Police Council meeting. We said no comment. We didn’t witness it. Both participants in the Bay News article you will read below are members of our group. One also belongs to the other group and claims to be their spokesman. Edmond Dweck, who is the official spokesman for the other group, unfortunately did comment in the article about a 4 year old election and not even the supposed fight. Old news is not new news.

We want to save you 50 cents and the trouble of going out in the cold to get a copy of the Bay News. Below is a link to the story, pictures et al. We only hope they’re trying to be funny. But the story is not funny, not even a bit newsworthy. The story should be about cars speeding on Oriental Blvd, about the children who are not going to be accepted to their neighborhood junior and senior high schools the next few months, renewable energy, crime and maybe a story about the hundreds of hours people sacrifice to help their neighbors. You want a laugh? Click below.

http://www.brooklyndaily.com/stories/2011/50/bn_eisenbergbellybump_2011_12_16_bk.html

Many people have worked hard with very little or nothing in return to maintain the beauty and safety of Manhattan Beach. This week we honored and received proclamations and citations from our friends of today. In our hearts we thank and remember those brave people who came before us.

The 70 year young MBCG would like to thank those of you who recognized this extraordinary accomplishment. Our keynote speaker and new friend Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer who braved the elements and crossed the raging East River. Thank you for your kind words. We thank Councilman Lew Fidler for making the effort to not only give us a Citation but also to give one to all the community award winners. Thank you for your generosity. We also received Proclamations from New York City Comptroller John Lui which was presented to us by our friend Ari Kagan. Thank you and we appreciate the warm wishes from the Comptroller. Our good friend NYS Assemblyman Steve Cymbrowitz stuck in Albany saving us money (way to go Steve) made sure we received a Proclamation from the New York State Assembly. We missed Steve but it is always great to see Ilia and hear his words of wisdom. Our Councilman Mike Nelson came late due to prior commitments and we thank him for his citation.

Last but not least, we received yesterday a Proclamation from our own Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. We thank him for the kind words of our accomplishment. We remember warmly that his in-laws, may they rest in peace, were members of the Manhattan Beach Community Group for many years. And by one degree or two degrees of separation that makes Marty a member of our group. Thus as President of this very very  small corner of the globe, I do hear by state that Marty Markowitz has an open invitation to attend any or all of our meetings. Thank you Marty and don’t be a stranger.

Thank you all.

Our very very best wishes for good health to all this holiday season.

US Senator Chuck Schumer was detained in Washington last night and unable to attend our meeting. This was his introduction.

Happy Seventieth Birthday!

This message is traveling 1300 miles, but is nonetheless enthusiastic. 

Seventy years ago, a small group of Manhattan Beach homeowners agreed to do battle with the developers who were turning their community into an aggregation of large scale apartment houses.  The group sought, with the help of their political representatives, to modify the local zoning rules in order to protect the nature of their bucolic neighborhood.  One has only to look around to see that, for the most part, their efforts were successful. 

Sadly, there now are forces attempting to subvert these same protective designations, and we, at the age of seventy, must again gird ourselves for battle.

We welcome all of our guests tonight.  Many of you are, like Chuck Schumer, friends of long standing.  (I remember contacting Steve Solarz, and meeting Chuck at our monthly Manhattan Beach Community Group meetings during my term as President.)  It is our joy to greet you at our Birthday Party, and have you  join us in celebrating this event. 

Incidentally, the house and patio (109 Jaffrey Street) in which many of these early meetings took place, are right across the street from the building in which you are meeting tonight.

Love and best regards,

Jean Saltzman, (past president)