Going Green Event

We quickly pooled our resources and, in just 3 days, put together a table for the "Going Green in Queens 2008" event. About a dozen Ridgewood Reservoir Education & Preservation Project members were in attendance to answers questions and network with city agencies and other associations. Some of our members were also there on behalf of other groups.

Dave, Gary and Heidi spoke with Queens Commissioner of Parks Lewandowski. When questioned about the current state of the parks department's plans for the reservoir, she told them that "the contract for the design of the reservoir has not yet been registered". She also said that they have not applied for any permits because there is no design and that she didn't know what is holding things up.

Dave and Heidi spoke to the Deputy Commissioner for Enforcement in NYC Parks, Kevin Jeffrey, about the ATV problem at the reservoir. Mr. Jeffrey explained that there are only 130 Parks Enforcement Officers for all of the city's parks. He said that they didn't have the man-power to have a car sitting there waiting for the ATVs. The ATVs show up every Saturday and Sunday at noon, so I guess that fact never made it back to his office. One would presume that by telling the information to the park's administrator, queens parks commissioner and commander of the 74th precinct, plus, printing it on this blog that it would make it's way to the enforcement patrols. There have also been regular calls from residences living near the park.

On a positive note, the DEC had information about Environmental Justice Community Impact Research Grants. There are lots of other grants that would be available to the group that we will be looking into.

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