We didn't hear good news tonight.

1. We are #1 in the city in Grand Larceny Autos (car thefts).  In one area of the 104th three cars were stolen off one block in less than 28 days!  The car thefts are precinct wide and we were told some cars are being stolen right out of driveways.  Car thefts usually occur between the hours of 1 am and 5 am.  Most of the autos stolen are mini vans.
2. We are #2 or #3 in the city in home burglaries which usually occur between 10 am and 4 pm and this is occurring precinct wide.  Most entries are made through windows or through the rear of the house.

Please alert the neighbors and tell them if they see anything that doesn't look right to call 911 immediately.

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Con Edison crews continue working day and night restoring service to customers impacted by this week's intense heat wave. The company has hundreds of extra crews and support personnel available 24/7 to respond to any service problems that may arise. 

As of 6:30 a.m., the company had restored power to approximately 18,700 customers over the past 24 hours and was working to restore about 6,300 who were without power.

Con Edison urges customers to report power interruptions or service problems, as well as view service restoration information, online at www.conEd.com, or on their cell phones and PDAs. Customers can also call 1-800-75-CONED.

Con Edison yesterday broke its 2010 record for peak electricity use when the company delivered 12,963 megawatts at 5 p.m. Usage would have been even higher if not for the efforts of Con Edison’s customers, who responded to the company’s request for conservation.

If you experience a power outage:

Turn off all light switches and appliances to prevent overloaded circuits when power is restored. Leave at least one light switch in the on position to alert you when power has been restored;

• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. Each time the door is opened, heat enters and speeds the thawing process;
• Have a battery-powered radio and a supply of extra batteries handy. Have flashlights available for every member of your household;
• Listen to your battery-operated radio on for updates on our restoration progress and safety tips;
• Fill spare containers with water for cooking and washing;
• Use candles and storm lanterns carefully. Keep them out of drafts, away from flammable materials, and out of the reach of children.

Here are some steps the company is recommending to stay cool this summer:

Make sure air conditioner filters are clean for peak efficiency;

• Set thermostats no lower than 78 degrees.  Each degree lower increases cooling costs by 6 percent;
• If you have a room air-conditioning unit, close off the rooms not being used; if you have central air, block the vents in un-used or vacant rooms;
• Also turn off lights and other appliances, use a timer to turn them on as necessary, and turn your computer off when not at home to conserve;

To reduce heat and moisture, run appliances such as ovens, washing machines, dryers, and dishwashers in the early morning or late at night when it’s generally cooler. Use a microwave to cook, or barbecue outside if possible.

Wednesday, 6/30, at 1:55 pm, a female was robbed at gunpoint on 74th Street/53rd Road.    As she was sitting in her car a male white, bald, blue eyes, stocky build, about 160 lbs, a tattoo on his neck, wearing a gray sweatsuit approached her with a gun and demanded her pocketbook.   The perpetrator possibly fled in a gray Impala with tinted windows.  A partial plate number was "ED". The car fled towards Queens Boulevard.   Anyone heading to Stop & Shop or other stores in the immediate area should be alert.  Side streets in our area are quiet and a perfect spot for robbers.  If you are walking in the area or prefer to park on the street rather than the parking lot, make an effort not to carry a purse or anything that might make you a target for robbers.  If you have any information about this incident, call the 104th Squad immediately.  All information will be kept strictly confidential.  Please alert your neighbors and forward this to everyone you know in the area!!

As per the Queens Ledger, "Amalgamated Bank received approval to begin construction work at its newest branch at 69-73 Grand Avenue on February 5 of this year. The building at that location has been vacant since Comprehensive Health Care of Maspeth left the space over a year ago."

Maspeth was one of the towns selected to participate in a survey to determine how the funds from a legal settlement pertaining to Newtown Creek will be spent on area parks.  Click here to take the survey.  Responses due by July 14th, 2010.

The following information was released by the NYC Department of Environmental Protection:

Environmental Environmental Protection Commissioner Cas Holloway today announced the completion of a $20 million reconstruction project in Maspeth, Queens to alleviate street flooding and reduce sewer backups. The infrastructure project features new combined sewers and catch basins and replaced aging distribution water mains. Work on the project funded by DEP and managed by DDC began in August, 2008.

"The 54th Avenue project will substantially reduce flooding in Maspeth, and ensure that the water supply network continues to deliver healthy, great tasting drinking water for years to come," said Commissioner Holloway. "Local investments like this underscore Mayor Bloomberg's commitment to maintain and upgrade the critical infrastructure that keeps our city working each day. I want to thank Commissioner David Burney and his team at the Department of Design and Construction for their hard work on our behalf all year to improve water and sewer infrastructure in all five boroughs."

"The Department of Design and Construction is devoted to maintaining the city's infrastructure," said Commissioner David J. Burney, FAIA. "These upgrades to sewers and catch basins will alleviate flooding conditions for the residents of Maspeth."

"The completion of this project marks a great day for Maspeth residents," said Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer. "Investments in our infrastructure make our communities safer, reducing sewage backups and providing our residents with a quality water distribution system they deserve."

The reconstruction took place along 54th Avenue between Maurice Avenue and 58th Street, and Maurice Avenue between 54th Avenue and 56th Avenue. The project added 2,692 feet of new combined sewers, replaced 3,392 feet of distribution water mains, and installed 35 new catch basins. Additional work included the installation of sidewalks, curbs and a street repavement.

Upgrading water distribution and sewer infrastructure is a central part of DEP's upcoming capital plan. In Queens, DEP has budgeted an additional $1.7 billion for Fiscal Years 2010 through 2014, including $330 million for new sewers, $200 million for water mains and more than $800 million for upgrades to Queens wastewater treatment plants and combined sewer overflow facilities.

DEP manages the City's water supply, providing more than 1 billion gallons of water each day to more than 9 million residents. New York City's water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the City, and comprises 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,400 miles of sewer lines take wastewater to 14 in-City treatment plants.

by Assembly Member Marge Markey

There are hopeful signs that, at long last, this will be the year that we get a commitment to mve dangerous truck traffic out of the main commercial area of Grand Avenue. 

Everybody knows that big trucks don't belong on local shopping streets.  They kill retail business; they create hazardous conditions for pedestrians, and they pollute the air.  It is important to do everything possible - as soon as possible - to reduce truck traffic on Grand Avenue.  

Getting those big trucks off this street has been the community's goal for more than a decade.  Frank Principe and Community Board 5 developed a Maspeth Bypass Plan a decade ago to reduce dangerous truck traffic through the heart of the community.  

We have now been notified that the long-awaited "Maspeth Bypass" may finally be implemented by the city Department of Transportation (DOT).  

A decade of pressure and lobbying by elected officials and community leaders is finally getting us results as the city has announced a timetable for completing its engineering analysis of alternatives for the bypass, including the Community Board 5 proposal.   The City will present a final plan to the community in September.  In October, the agency will make a final recommendation of a plan for implementation.  

With community frustrations over the long delay in resolving the long-standing threat to the community posed by the dangerous truck traffic, I joined other elected officials and civic leaders at a press conference on Grand Avenue earlier this year to suggest a change in the designation of the street south of 69th Street to a "local route" for truckers.  This is something the city can do right now to reduce the number of big trucks that cut through the heart of Maspeth on their way to other boroughs and the DOT has promised to give us an answer to the proposal this Spring.  

But changing the designation of the street immediately to make it a local route for truckers will require more than signs if it is to be successful; the regulations must also be vigorously enforced.  It's up to the police to catch truckers who violate the ban and make sure they are fined.  

To help do this I am sponsoring a bill in the Assembly that will permit the City to place cameras at key intersections - like Grand Avenue and 69th Street - and make it possible for the police to track down owners and operators and fine them when they break the law.  

In these tough economic times, it is important that we do everything we can to help neighborhood businesses survive.  Getting trucks off this street now will make a difference to Maspeth and I join with my colleagues in asking the Department of Transportation to support the request we are making - and to enforce it.