Best of Times; Worst of Times

The best of times… the worst of times. How else can I describe the past few days here in New Dorp?

The worst of times. Peter and Lillian Sabados killed on New Dorp Lane as they crossed the street on their way to Our Lady Queen of Peace Church on the eve of Thanksgiving. With so much to be thankful for, we are deprived of that joy as we mourn this tragic event.

Much less tragic but troubling nonetheless is the threat to Pouch Camp and its integral part of our Island’s Greenbelt. But how do we protect that land in these difficult financial times?

But wait. All is not lost.

It is also the best of times. The holiday season is upon us. New Dorp Lane is decked out with new holiday lights – brighter and more numerous than ever! What a magnificent scene at night! Make sure you journey on the Lane at night during this holiday season.

And new street toppings for some of our roads. First Street. Rose Avenue. Eighth Street. We can all do without extra bumps and potholes.

Our meeting in December will be on the 17th. We will review these and other issues of the neighborhood and celebrate the arrival of the holidays with a little party and good cheer. Instead of the usual holiday grab bag I am asking everyone to bring some items for our troops overseas. But more on that in the next blog entry.

Have news to share? Concerns? Comments? Email us at newdorpcentralcivic@yahoo.com or call 718-979-6011.

> Joe Markowski

The History of Staten Island

Thinking about catching up on your knowledge of Staten Island? Then you want to look into these programs being offered by the SI Institute of Arts & Sciences:

The Staten Island Museum invites you to attend:

The History of Staten Island Part II

(Participation in The History of Staten Island Part I – NOT necessary!)

Sign up for the series or sign up for individual programs!

Tuesdays, January 5th – Transportation Staten Island Style: The Staten Island Ferry

Tuesday, January 12th – Institutionalization on Staten Island

Tuesday, January 19th – Our Environmental Past: The Museum, Parks, & Preserves

Tuesday, January 26th – Cultural Institutions and Historic Preservation on Staten Island

Tuesday, February 2nd – Historic Movie Houses/Movies Made on Staten Island

Programs begin at 7:00 p.m. at the History Archives & Library of the
Staten Island Museum, Building H, Snug Harbor Cultural Center Campus,
1000 Richmond Terrace

Led by Staten Island Museum Curator of History, Patricia M. Salmon. Advance registration is required. Series cost: $12/$8 Museum members per program or $50/$30 Museum members for the series of five. Advance payments can be mailed to: Staten Island Museum , 75 Stuyvesant Place , Staten Island , NY , 10301 . Credit card payments accepted at 718/727-1135.

The Staten Island Museum has been fostering and sustaining the scientific and cultural heritage of Staten Island since 1881.

So mark your calendars and catch up on some of these programs.

> Joe Markowski

Meeting Notice, Streets, Cafe's and Laughs

Our monthly membership meeting will be this Thursday at 8pm at the Kells-Grennie American Legion Hall at 2750 Amboy Road. Our guest speaker will be from the 122 Precinct Community Affairs Department and will be speaking about holiday safety. Plan on attending and bring a neighbor.

We’ve seen a few of our streets milled in preparation for re-surfacing. Let’s hope the re-surfacing gets done before the cold and nasty weather gets here.

By the way, any deer sightings lately?

Have you had a chance to visit any of the new cafes on the Plaza? Dominick’s Bakery & Cafe and Alan & Andrews Café now provide a light dining option for us. Try them.

Speaking of dining, we dined at Restaurant on the Plaza on Thursday the 12th. It was part of our Dining Through New Dorp program. Wow… it was a wonderful night filled with good company and plenty of food. Thanks to Chris and his staff for making it such a joy.

And speaking of joy, Uncle Vinnie’s Comedy Club opened in the Lane Theatre on Friday the 13th. They also had two shows on Saturday. Did you get a chance to go? What did you think of the way the theatre looks? What did you think of the experience? Speak out. Let us know.

Have information you want to share with the community? Send us a email at newdorpcentralcivic@yahoo.com or a voicemail at 718-979-6011 and we will help you spread the word!

> Joe Markowski

Preservation League Pasta Night

The Preservation League of Staten Island invites you to attend and enjoy:

Preservation Pasta Night, Saturday, November 14, 2009, 6 p.m.
Eltingville Lutheran Church , 300 Genesee Avenue , Staten Island.

Cost: $19.77 for adults/$4.95 for children 10 and under.
Adults will receive a complimentary glass of wine or beer.

Featuring the old world recipe of Grandma Angelina Fiorelli! Delicious pasta and meatballs, insalada mista, Italian bread, soft drinks, demitasse, coffee, tea, and desserts are included. Additional beer and wine will be available for sale.

The festivities will include a lively talk with the one and only Maria Fiorelli on The Italians of Staten Island !

Make checks out to the Preservation League of Staten Island and mail to Patricia Salmon, 45 Sawyer Avenue, Staten Island , New York , 10314 .

For information write to: SalmonF@aol.com or call Bonnie Nalwasky at 917/335-9917.

Seats are going fast!

Join us for this special fundraiser that enables the Preservation League of Staten Island to promote and advocate for Staten Island's historic built environment!

Elections Over? What do we do now?

With the elections behind us, what is there to look forward to - you ask? Well plenty if you happen to live in New Dorp. We have new places to eat and new sources of entertainment.

First. Let’s talk about food.

There are two new places on New Dorp Plaza that you can visit for a meal or late night snack. There is Dominick’s Bakery & Café at 31 New Dorp Plaza. It offers fresh bakery goods and an extensive lunch menu. Have questions? Call them at 718-351-0040.

Then there is Andrew and Alan’s Café located at 61-63 New Dorp Plaza. They also have a wide selection of pastries and a nice lunch menu Have questions? Call them at 718-667-9696.

My wife and I have eaten in both places and enjoyed them.

Then there is entertainment.

There is the opening of Uncle Vinnies Comedy Club located at 168 New Dorp Lane. The premiere show stars Gilbert Gottfried and has its auspicious beginning on Friday the 13th of November. On Saturday there will be two shows at 8 and 10 pm featuring Joey Kola. You can find out all you want to know about the venue at www.unclevinniescomedyclub.com or you can call for info at 1-877-UNCLE-VIN.

And did you catch the Advance tonight (Thursday, Nov 5) ? There is mention of our last blog entry concerning deer in the neighborhood. And you heard it here first!!!

Share your news about the neighborhood and I will share it will all in this blog. Write to newdorpcentralcivic@yahoo.com or call 718-979-6011.

So enjoy New Dorp… it’s a wonderful place to live!

> Joe Markowski

Oh Deer... Literally !!

I wanted to share an incredible story that I was told tonight at the Community Board meeting. Last Thursday morning, a colleague was waiting for the 15X express bus at Amboy Road and First Street when he was suddenly confronted by a large male deer. Yep, a full-antlered, multi-point buck. There was a brief moment of indecision for my friend as he was confronted with this relative of sweet Bambi. What do you do? The animal is significantly larger than you are. And there is no place to hide. Fortunately he was rescued by the approaching express bus which provided the necessary shelter.

This same person said that a few days earlier his wife had seen a large male deer at the top of New Dorp Lane by the gas station. Was that deer also waiting for the bus? Do we need to supply our deer population with Metrocards? Or will we need to provide shelters at the bus stops to protect our citizens? Perhaps the merchants are planning on gracing the Lane with live reindeer this holiday season instead of the traditional streetlights. Wow.

You have to love this neighborhood!

> Joe Markowski

Meeting Notice (Its Tomorrow Oct 15)) and other Comments

So here comes the second newsletter of the new year and we are already feeling the first touches of Autumn. It is dark in the morning when we rise and the sun sets so much earlier than it did just a few short weeks ago. I don’t know what it is about sunlight but its absence makes everything seem not quite as full of life.

The newsletter last month was a little different from the usual fare. It was more of a call for some dialogue or a quest for suggestions than anything else. And in all candor it did not elicit a great outpouring of comments or suggestions.

I ended my remarks last month by asking for three things. Well, our membership renewal envelopes have been mailed so I hope you will take out a few minutes and renew your commitment to this community. I then asked that you let me know what you think. Hey, don’t be bashful. Let me have it! What ideas do you have? And lastly I asked each of you to pass along the enclosed membership form to a neighbor and ask them to join. Remember? Let me refresh your memory.

I am going to ask you for three things:
Renew your membership in our organization. At $18 per year that is a little less than 5 cents per day.
Let me know what you think. What ideas do you have for this organization? Leave a voicemail at 718-979-6011… or send a note to… NDCCA, PO Box 060245, SI, NY 10306… or send an email to newdorpcentralcivic@yahoo.com. Speak up! Share your thoughts and suggestions.
Pass the enclosed membership application to someone in the New Dorp area and encourage them to join.

Our guest speaker this month will be David Shear from LifeWorks. What is LifeWorks? It is a Wellness Arts Center providing holistic healthcare for body, mind, heart, and spirit. What does all that mean and how does it pertain to you? Come join us and find out. Thursday. October 15. 8pm at the Kells-Grennie American Legion Post at 2750 Amboy Road.

We have set up our next Dining Through New Dorp event. As you recall, we started this program over fifteen years ago in May 1994 as a way of supporting the restaurants in our neighborhood while providing our members and their family and friends an opportunity to get together socially for food and good conversation. Over those years we have purchased over 1300 meals and spent over $32 thousand on our restaurants. So plan now on joining us.We will be eating at Restaurant On the Plaza at 50 New Dorp Plaza on Thursday November 12 – not Wednesday November 11 as originally mentioned - at 7pm.
What will we be eating? Assorted hot appetizers, antipasto salad, an assortment of pizzas, soda, coffee, tea and desert… all for $23 per person. Mark your calendars and plan now on joining us. Call Linda at 718-351-3714 to make your reservation.

An article in October 7th’s NYTimes talks about declining involvement in our civic life. Specifically it talks about the poor turnout for the runoff in the Democratic primary. In a number of polling districts not a single voter showed up. Zero. None. Let’s make sure we do not suffer the same fate here in our community.

I sometimes worry about these appeals. Isn’t it like preaching to the choir? Well, I need you to sing aloud the need for civic involvement and invite your neighbors to join. The more voices the smoother and richer the sound.

Thank you for your interest in our neighborhood. You live here. You know why it is a respected and desirable community. Be proud of it.

See you around the neighborhood…

Joe Markowski

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Our next meeting is Thursday, October 15, 2009 at the Kells-Grennie American Legion Post, 2750 Amboy Rd at 8pm.

More Movie Info

Speaking of entertainment and films, there is some equipment temporarily being placed on the former Frank's/A&P/Waldbaum's property on NDLane that is being used by Columbia Pictures. They are filming a movie - starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg (?) - at various locations throughout Staten Island and they needed a spot to locate some of their equipment for a short period of time. Thought you might like to know.

> Joe

Excitement in New Dorp: Movies and Parades

And for those of you who do not feel there is enough excitement in our neighborhood, how about the movie they are filming on Sterling Avenue by Clawson? It’s for a Feature Film Production entitled “The Other Guys”. Current plans call for them to be taking everything down on Friday.

Sunday is the 19th Annual Columbus Day Parade up New Dorp Lane sponsored by Borough President Jim Molinaro. Plan now on watching this wonderful event which starts at 1pm at New Dorp High School. The Grand Marshall this year is the Honorable Thomas D’Addone , Mayor of Crespina, Italy. Make sure we line the streets of the Lane as we welcome this wonderful event.

Lastly, our dues envelopes are in the mail. Please renew your membership and invite a neighbor to join. This is a terrific community and we need to remain strong and protect it.

Have news to share? Need a membership application? Leave a message at 718-979-6011 or email us at newdorpcentralcivic@yahoo.com.

> Joe Markowski

SIAdvance, Alzheimer's and Dining

I hope you had a chance to catch the article in last Sunday’s SI Advance about Anne Finnerty, her late husband Bill and her bus driver friend. Ann is currently a member of Community Board #2 and the former President of the New Dorp Central Civic Association. Make sure you check it out.

There will be an Alzheimer’s Walk this weekend on Sunday October 4 at Pouch Camp at 1465 Manor Road at 0930 am (the rain date is Oct 11). For more information call the Alzheimer Foundation at 718-667-7110.

We have set up our next Dining Through New Dorp event. As you recall, we started this program over fifteen years ago in May 1994 as a way of supporting the restaurants in our neighborhood while providing our members and their family and friends an opportunity to get together socially for food and good conversation. Over those years we have purchased over 1300 meals and spent over $32 thousand on our restaurants. So plan now on joining us.

We will be eating at Restaurant On the Plaza at 50 New Dorp Plaza on Wednesday November 11 at 7pm. What will we be eating?
• assorted hot appetizers
• antipasto salad
• an assortment of pizzas
• soda, coffee, tea and desert…
• all for $23 per person.
Mark your calendars and plan now on joining us. Call Linda at 718-351-3714 to make your reservation.

Heard anything new? Give us a call at 718-979-6011 or drop us a line at newdorpcentralcivic@yahoo.com

See you around the neighborhood.

> Joe Markowski

Alas! Summer Moves On!

Then summer came to an end. Maybe not technically ended – that will happen on the 22nd. But we all know that once school resumes in September the end of summer cannot be far behind. And a strange summer it was - filled with rain at the start and nice days at the end.

As we begin our 33rd year as a Civic Association there is much to ponder.

What has been happening in our neighborhood? I can remember when I was associated with the 122 Pct Community Council. I said that I would welcome the day when we had a meeting and no one came because there were no issues to discuss.

Can the same thing be said about a neighborhood? Perhaps not because good things can also be happening in a neighborhood and a neighborhood such as ours is in a constant state of change.

• Shall we talk about the PS41 schoolyard?
• Or the new Sports Bar on New Dorp Lane across from Miller Field?
• Or the new car service also on New Dorp Lane across from Miller Field?
• Perhaps you noticed the new tennis courts being installed at S.I. Technical High School?
• Or the closing of Ocean3 and its new paint job? And a new restaurant?
• Could you be thinking about New Dorp Beach and the nice spread in the SI Advance about the history of that area… something that we experienced firsthand at our May meeting?
• Or the recent story (also in the SI Advance) about Cedar Grove and its unique status in Staten Island?
• And then there was the return of Pathmark.
• And a comedy club coming to the old Lane Theatre.

A lot is happening in our neighborhood – even in the best of times

Then there is the whole issue of membership in an organization such as ours. We face enormous challenges. We need to find better ways of spreading the word and involving our citizens.

• How do we reach the parents of our schoolkids who have such a large vested interest in our community?
• How do we squeeze ourselves into their busy schedule? They are already involved in their kids’ sports programs and music programs and who knows what else.
• How do we ask them to give us a night a month when there are no extra nights? How do we reach them?
• As our membership ages, how do we get those younger community members involved? That is a major challenge of this and every organization.
• Whenever a major challenge or threat surfaces, everyone comes out of their house to protest and fight the beast! But once the beast is met, everyone returns to their regular life. Can that behavior be changed?
• How do we involve everyone in the neighborhood when there is no common information source for the neighborhood? Newspapers once filled that role but we have seen their use decline.
• How much can we depend on the new electronic outlets? Websites? Blogs (such as ours)? And what will come next? How do we link all these people together and support the needs of this neighborhood?

I am going to ask you for three things:
1. Renew your membership in our organization. At $18 per year that is a little less than 5 cents per day.
2. Let me know what you think. What ideas do you have for this organization? Leave a voicemail at 718-979-6011… or send a note to… NDCCA, PO Box 060245, SI, NY 10306… or send an email to newdorpcentralcivic@yahoo.com. Speak up! Share your thoughts and suggestions.
3. Pass the enclosed membership application to someone in the New Dorp area and encourage them to join.

Thank you for your interest in our neighborhood. You live here. You know why it is a respected and desirable community. Be proud of it.

See you around the neighborhood…

Joe Markowski

Mrs. Rosemary

We mourn the passing of a wonderful lady who made our neighborhood a better place and enriched the lives of thousands of dancers. Our condolences to her family.

> Joe Markowski