Dateline : Thursday, June 21, 2007
Board 5 Elects New Faces To Lead
By Phil Guie
The executive committee of Community Board 5 got a little more diverse last week, befitting the city agency that represents Maspeth, Middle Village, Glendale and Ridgewood.
Community Boards are considered the arm of the city government in which members are appointed by the Borough President and the City Council representative to make sure city services are on track with the wants of the residents who live there. CommunityBoards have a 'say' through recommendations on zoning issues, transportation,traffic, housing, sanitation, public safety and City Parks. Each of these services has a Community Board committee. Community Boards typically issue priorities on capital projects and funding for city services. Each of the 14 community boards in Queens has 50 members, of which nine are elected by that board to serve as its leaders - to shape the committees and the direction of its focus.
In elections that took place at the Greater Ridgewood Youth Council at 62-04 Myrtle Ave. on Wednesday, June 13th, board members elected Kathy Masi of Glendale their new Treasurer, and Peter Comber of Ridgewood to Executive Committee as a new Member-At-Large. Meanwhile, Walter Sanchez of Maspeth was elected the new 1st Vice-Chairman. Masi, who also serves as president of the Glendale Civic Association, said she is ready for action. "I have been an activist all my life," said Masi. "I think the community board is a great way for civic leaders to bring their case to the city for services. The executive committee is going to get a bit of a jolt with me in there."
Along with her goal of securing more representation for Glendale, Masi said she also ran because the committee, with the exception of Peggy O'Kane, is composed entirely of men.
Comber claimed his nomination - and subsequent victory - were a complete surprise, and said he would need the first part of his term just to consider how best to assist his community.Amidst a crowded field of candidates for Executive Committee Member-At-Large posts, he prevailed on a tie-breaking ballot. But as the newest Ridgewood appointee to the current executive board, Comber promised to address his neighborhood's traffic problems, including poor signage on Putnam Ave., Decatur St., and Traffic Ave, and trucks that occasionally ride the sidewalks.
Echoing the sentiments of his fellow appointees, he swore to be responsive to local problems, and to listen to the people's needs above all. Sanchez, who replaces Robert Holden, said his goal would be making newer board members feel more "included" in decision-making and committee assignments. "Part of our job as a leader of any organization is to give a chance to others to take over so they can use their own skills for the good of the goals of that organization," Sanchez said. "In my twenty years as a member of CB#5, I think there are more leaders on the 50-person board now than ever before. They were feeling excluded, and I think their votes showed that [tonight]."
With regards to the Board's ousting of Holden, Sanchez - who is publisher of the Glendale Register and seven other newspapers in Queens and Brooklyn - credited board members becoming disenchanted with Holden's personal attacks against him, Councilman Gallagher and others who might dare have differed on how to plan for the future of the neighborhood. A series of personal attacks have been regularly published in his civic newsletter and through blogusations on anonymous blogs allegedly operated by Holden's allies.
For Holden, however, the evening was doubly disappointing; after failing to be re-elected 1st Vice-Chairman, he also failed to claim any of four vacant Executive Committee Member-At-Large posts - getting the lowest number of votes of the six candidates.
Councilman Dennis Gallagher, who was on-hand, agreed that Holden's politicizing his own group, the Juniper Park Civic, may have made many CB5 members uncomfortable. "Deep down, people are not comfortable when - in order to boost themselves, a person needs to put down others with personal attacks," he said. "Members of the executive committee and some very important members of the Community Board said loud and clear that they reject these tactics."
Gallagher also pointed out that someone Holden had been outwardly attacking for over two years was elected in his place. "This vote was a clear sign that the Community Board wants civility, not divisiveness," Gallagher said.
Others re-elected were Vincent Arcuri, from Glendale as Chairman, Michael Hetzer, from Ridgewood as 2nd Vice Chair, Peggy O'Kane as Secretary and members at large members remaining are Ted Renz, Fred Haller and Manuel Caruana
16 comments:
Bobby H: How does it feel to fall so hard from grace?
You could have been a contender, you could have been somebody. But because of your own selfish, self-centered, self-important behavior, you've bought yourself a one-way ticket to Palukaville. Enjoy the ride. You have no one to blame but yourself (and the support of your merry band of misfits on the JPCA exec board).
In your face, Holden.
A lesson for Bob Holden to heed.
In 1723, Cotton Mather, Boston's most influential minister, was entertaining a young Ben Franklin in his study. Mather admired Franklin's voracious appetite for knowledge. As Benjamin was taking his leave, Mather accompanied him through a narrow corridor of his house. In the midst of conversation with the minister, Benjamin suddenly heard Cotton Mather yell "Stoop! Stoop!." However, it was too late: Benjamin slammed his head against a beam straddling the cramped hallway. The pious Mather never refused an opportunity to expound some good advice. He told the young Franklin: "Let this be a Caution to you not always to hold your head so high: Stoop, young Man, stoop-as you go through the World-and you'll miss many hard Thumps."
Benjamin would heed this advice until the day he died.
It is apparent that people have had enough of Bob's constant attacks and creating community turmoil. Thank you to all the community board members for doing what is right
It was the Juniper Berry that once called for change... be careful what you ask for it may come true.
This change is a clear indication that people are tired of all of Bob Holdens Crap
Bob Holden has been on the Executive committee of CB 5 since Ognibene propped him up in the 90's I am glad a change has occured
One less organization that will be used in a political fashion by "Bob I wanna get Elected Holden"
Holden Elected are you crazy? He is insane everyone hates him. He may want to run for City Council to fuel his deflated ego, even Elizabeth Crowley would beat him.
Three Cheers for all the Community Board members who stood up for change and denounced the angry rhetoric spewed by Holden and his cronies.
Could the wind of change reach the Juniper Park Civic Association? Once people realize how the civic funds are spent, change may occur.
The Community Board has always been effective despite Bob Holden Vincent Arcuri is a good leader that keeps Bob quiet in the corner.
Do you think that Bob Holden would be more effective if he learned that no man is an island and we need to work with others?
No way Holden was the type of kid that if he was unhappy while playing ball and struck out he would take his ball and go home. He will never learn because he believes everything is about him!
To Ben Franklin: The problem is Bob Holden follows that same advice only to the extreme he stoops too low!
Did I miss something? No mention of the CB5 elections on the Crapper? I guess if it isn't mentioned on that blog it never happened. I'm sure Christina and Bob have to think hard about who to blame before going on the "record."
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