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Riis
Park Natatorium
Rockaway Park will be represented by our civic group to create
a state-of-the-art swimming pool and diving center through the
efforts of Congressman Anthony D. Weiner. Currently we are trying
to secure funding from Congress. Letters to the Chairman of the
House Subcommittee on Interior, Ralph Regula have been in support
of the future of Riis Park.
Jamaica Bay
At our March meeting, we heard from
Friends
of Rockaway, Inc. There seems to be a bureaucratic agenda
for using Jamaica Bay for contaminated dredge spoils disposal
and calling it restoration. We would appreciate your writing
a letter to the Army of Engineers about such tidal flow restoration
for wetlands restoration and mosquito control. A sample letter
is found below for your convenience. Please write to: Thomas
J. Shea, III, Project Planner, Flood Control and Navigation Section,
USACOE-NYD, Jacob K. Javits Federal Bldg., New York, NY 10278-0090.
Dear Mr. Shea: We oppose the disposal of contaminated dredge
spoils from NY/NJ Harbor into Jamaica Bay Borrow Pits or for
other purposes. Disposal is not restoration and there is no faith
in the testing devised for permitting such disposal. The National
Park Service has opposed such disposal into the bay pits even
with clean fill given its mandate to protect Gateway NRA and
its confidence that the pits are not as degraded as some agencies
believe. We, therefore, agree with the Parks Service and others
that the management strategy of the installation of culverts
(big pipes), through Runway 22R/4L and Broad Channel should be
emphasized in the study and JABERP. The Park Service, we are
informed, has cautioned against pit falling also because of its
view that flooding will result from overflow and changes in bay
hydrology. Since the Runway Bypass and that at Broad Channel
culvert are listed among the Jamaica Bay sites for JABERP to
restore the circulation, please have them retained and explored
for this important goal in this study too. Thank you for your
attention. Sincerely.
Please send a copy to Robert Will, USACOE, JABERP Scientist,
Jeanne Fox USEPA Region 2 Administrator, Robert Nyman-Chair Ioxics
Work Group all at 290 Broadway NY, NY 10007-1866, Henry Stern-Parks
Commissioner, 830 5th Ave., The Arsenal at Central Park, NY,
NY 10021, Bernard J. Blum-president, Friends of Rockaway Inc.
67-11 Beach Channel Drive, Arverne, NY 11692.
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Videotape
John Baxter videotaped our last monthly meeting. If you would
like to view a copy, please contact John Lenihan at our next
general meeting or by writing to Post Office Box 940820 Rockaway
Park Station.
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