Around 500 people attended this weekend’s Memorial Day Parade and Observance on Emmons Avenue this Sunday, honoring the courage of service men and women from the neighborhood.
The parade and ceremony are organized annually by the Sheepshead Bay / Plumb Beach Civic Association. The high attendance numbers hint at a return to a neighborhood tradition that has been falling off the map in recent years.
“I’ve been doing this since I was in the boy scouts,” said SB/PB Civic Boardmember Tom Scalese. “[Attendance] dwindled to nothing the past few years,” but the group worked harder this year to usher in a rebound. “I’ve got to thank the board,” he added.
Honorees at the event included veterans from World War II, the Korean Conflict, Vietnam War, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan). The veterans – men and women – spoke of their experiences and the need for resolve and support for our troops in our current conflicts.
Students from the following schools were also presented awards for winning their Memorial Day art and essay contests: St. Mark School, Our Lady of Grace, P.S. 52 and I.S. 14 Shellbank Junior High School.
Neighbors are gathering to honor those who defend our freedom with a parade, ceremony and celebration tomorrow morning.
The annual event is organized by Sheepshead Bay / Plumb Beach Civic Association. Plans include a parade of classic and antique cars, color guard, wreath ceremony, children’s essay and poster contest, invocation and refreshments.
Observers will begin lining up at 11 a.m. on Emmons Avenue at East 23rd Street. The parade kicks off at noon, and the route continues down the avenue until it reaches the Plumb Beach / Sheepshead Bay Veterans Memorial near Haring Street. There, organizers will hold a ceremony and give out special awards to children from our neighborhood schools.
For more information, call (718) 891-6498 or (718) 891-8400.
Sergeant Doyle of the 61st Precinct’s Community Affairs division touched on car theft and party boat issues during his monthly report to the Sheepshead Bay / Plumb Beach Civic Assocation’s April meeting.
United States Congressman Anthony Weiner has no doubts about whose duty it is to repair the Belt Parkway following environmental erosion and infrastructural decay.
“There’s no dispute about whose responsibility this is … it’s the city’s responsibility,” he said at last night’s Sheepshead Bay / Plumb Beach Civic Assocation (SBPB) meeting. “The problem is they’re not taking it seriously … The longer we wait the tougher the conversation becomes.”
Anthony Weiner came to discuss repairs to the Belt Parkway, the Plumb Beach bike path and the beach itself after a season of heavy storms ripped away at the shoreline. This winter saw the bike path crumble and water seep under the highway. So far, the city’s only response has been to place emergency sandbags to buffer the current.
“In case you haven’t noticed, the Belt Parkway is disappearing,” said Weiner. “Now about two feet and a bunch of sandbags are what separate the Atlantic Ocean at high tide in a storm from the Belt Parkway, and it’s gotten worse, not better.”
Congressman Anthony Weiner visited the Sheepshead Bay / Plumb Beach Civic Association last night during their April meeting. His two main topics of conversation were the erosion at Plumb Beach and its threat to the Belt Parkway, and his vote on health care reform. He also briefly discussed immigration and other topics.
The above is an unedited video. Later today we will release an edited version of just the Plumb Beach/Belt Parkway information to go alongside an article, and other parts of his appearance will also be published in shorter clips later on.
Sheepshead Bay/Plumb Beach Civic Association invited Congressman Anthony Weiner to tonight’s meeting in order to get some answers about the fate of Plumb Beach. While the congressman himself isn’t likely to show, a representative may be dispatched to discuss progress on the issue. Since pounding waves tore away a section of the bike path in the wake of Hurricane Ida – and during more recent storms – little has been done to secure the beach or the particularly vulnerable section of the Belt Parkway. Sandbags were added, and now there is a request to add boulders as support, but beyond that a long-term solution hasn’t moved forward. The inaction is angering many in the community who want to see both the important ecological reserve and the vital transportation infrastructure preserved.
The civic association will also be discussing this year’s Memorial Day parade, scheduled for May 23.
When: Tonight, April 6 @ 7:30 p.m. Where: Baron DeKalb Knights of Columbus; 3000 Emmons Avenue
REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED!
GerritsenBeach.net is reporting that there were approximately 80 arrests in August 2009 at Plumb Beach as part of an undercover sting operation. Agents of the National Parks Service charged suspects with sex-related crimes, including propositioning or “in the act.” The number of arrests is higher than any whole year in the National Parks’ history at Plumb Beach
We’re told by sources that the arrests were made as part of an operation spearheaded by a new unit commander who sought to halt anonymous homosexual meetups at Plumb Beach. We’re told that the operation “got sloppy,” and fishermen and other innocent visitors to the beach were snared in broad roundups by the National Parks patrols.
GerritsenBeach.net writes, “The arrests may have something to do with the threat that the National Parks Service would lose its funding in our area. So to justify their existence they arrested more people in on month than they did all of the previous year.”
Many of those captured paid fines and/or accepted deals, while others are currently defending themselves in court.
The site of the proposed mosque at 2812/2814 Voorhies Avenue
Opponents of a proposed mosque in Sheepshead Bay came before the Sheepshead Bay/Plumb Beach Civic Association last week to rally support for their fight, but instead found little sympathy for their struggle.
A handful of neighbors came to the Tuesday night meeting to present their case against the mosque, which may soon be built at 2812 Voorhies Avenue and will also include a school and community center. But board members of the civic association and Community Board 15 chairperson Theresa Scavo bristled as the opposition turned towards race-baiting and ethnic fears.
“On what grounds are you opposing them?” said Scavo. “You can’t turn around and say ‘Oh they’re Muslim.’ Who’s going to look like the bad guy?”
Though initial statements from the mosque’s opponents emphasized potential traffic, parking, and noise problems as the cause for their concern, racist undertones began to bubble to the surface of the debate.
Though a member of SBPB Civic said they hadn’t received confirmation as recently as yesterday, if the official does come it may be interesting to see the interrogation he faces as the project moves forward simultaneously with other projects. In addition to the work we wrote about yesterday, other parts of Belt Parkway are seeing changes to drainage systems and road repairs, possibly leading to detours into the streets. And in 2011, several overpasses in our neighborhood will be renovated as well.
When: Tonight @ 7:30 p.m.
Where: Knights of Columbus Baron DeKalb; Nostrand Avenue and Emmons Avenue
Contact: (718) 891-1937
The silver lining in the recent devastation of Plumb Beach is that community leaders, and city, state, and federal agencies are finally considering long term solutions to erosion issues at Plumb Beach.
Congressman Anthony Weiner once again brought together officials from Department of Transportation, Parks Department, National Parks Service, Community Board 15, and Sheepshead Bay/Plumb Beach Civic on Tuesday, December 1, to survey erosion’s threat to the important ecological zone and the Belt Parkway.
After surveying the damage, all came to a consensus: more needs to be done to protect the beach and highway. Continue Reading »
