May 2001
Crispus
Attucks Park
LPCA Joins City Agencies in Improvement Project
Crispus Attucks Park, at the corner of Fulton St. and Classon Ave.,
is an important local resource that has suffered neglect for several
years. Its restrooms and indoor facilities have been closed due to vandalism;
drug users and dealers have made it their hangout; and trash has piled
up in its planted areas.
Built in 1934, Crispus Attucks was named for a black Revolutionary War
soldier who was the first American battle casualty, and it was the first
New York park named for an African-American. It was renovated in 1989,
but soon fell back into disrepair, including a break-in of the park
building and theft of much of the plumbing and wiring. After that the
Parks Dept. sealed the building up, which is how it remains today.
The park is used by local day care centers, and hosts the popular Biggie
Smalls Memorial Basketball Tournament in the Summer, but much of its
potential has been going to waste. Now the LPCA, in collaboration with
Council Member Annette Robinson’s office and the Partnership for
Parks (a joint initiative of the Parks and Recreation Dept. and the
City Parks Foundation), will be doing something about that. LPCA President
James Perry has met with PFP’s Lauren Sullivan and Council Member
Robinson to design a plan for rehabilitating the park, maintaining it,
and keeping it secure from vandalism and misuse. A major repair and
renovation, budgeted at $100,000 is being proposed for the building,
as well as staffing of the park by Parks Dept. security and maintenance
personnel. The LPCA will be responsible for opening and locking the
gate at the beginning and end of the day, and will be involved in organizing
events and designating uses for the indoor facilities.
On May 19, LPCA hosted an It’s My Park Day cleanup event, at which
between 20 and 30 children and adults cleaned, painted, and planted
to beautify the park and launch its future as a major recreational center
for the community. We look forward to working with the City and other
neighborhood groups, residents, and businesses, to make this happen.
New Life
for a
Local Landmark
When Owen and Elizabeth Maitland bought #70 Lefferts Place—one of the largest and most unique houses on the block—it was a fire-damaged, broken-windowed hulk that had stood empty for 3 years. Now this historic 1854 mansion, once home to the famous evangelist Father Divine, has gone from decay to splendor in less than a year. Mr. Maitland, a professional contractor, did the entire major renovation himself with the help of a small crew. Now the Maitlands have a beautiful home, and Lefferts Place is brightened up by the gleaming new yellow-and-white exterior of this architectural treasure. (There are rumors of a secret room, but the Maitlands haven’t found it yet.)
Association Updates
LPCA is being awarded a legislative grant of $5,000.00 from Assemblyman Roger Greene’s office via the NY State Office of Children and Family services. The money will be used to cover the costs of Association projects and activities, to be determined at upcoming general meetings. The application process is underway, and we are told that we will definitely get the funds, but the process may take as long as several months.
We received two letters in response to our ongoing effort to get the Classon
Ave. entrance to the Franklin Ave. C train station opened up. One letter
was from the President of the MTA, who stated that since the Franklin
Ave. entrance had been improved, the Classon entrance would not be opened.
The other letter was from the Vice President of the Transit Workers’
Union, who was supportive of our effort. LPCA will continue to press for
the opening of this subway entrance, which would contribute a lot to the
badly needed revitalization of that section of Fulton St.
A follow-up meeting will be held May 24th with representatives of the
79th and 88th Precincts, to continue work on the drug traffic problem
at Classon and Fulton. The police have been active at the location, observing
and making arrests, but drug-related hanging out continues at that corner,
particularly now that the weather is warmer.
Representatives of the LPCA attended a meeting of the Lefferts Place Block
Association (the Classon-Franklin block), at which they discussed merging
the two groups. The LPBA voted to remain separate, but would be interested
in collaborating on specific projects and events.
The Annual LPCA Easter Egg Hunt was held on April 15th in Crispus Attucks
Park. The Grand Prize was won by Quadree Spann (shown below with his giant
Easter basket).
Community
Calendar
May 24
Youth and Community Candidates Forum, 4:00 to 6:00 PM, Long Island University
Humanities Building, Schwartz Hall (Flatbush and DeKalb).
June 2
First Saturday – free party at Brooklyn Museum with live music, dancing,
movies, talks, free access to all exhibits, food and drinks at museum
cafe. Call 718-638-5000, or go to www.brooklynart.org
on the web for more info.
June 4
LPCA General Meeting, 7 PM, 224 Lefferts Place.
June 19
88th Precinct Council meeting, 7:30 pm (location to be announced.).
Good
And Welfare
Catherine Taylor
New Neighbors!
Nazim Pierre (below, left) born to Kweli Campbell and
Jude Pierre on March 19, and Tatyana Antoinette (below, right),
7 lbs 6.8 ozs, born to Tamara Desvarieux of #107. Welcome!
Congratulations to Justin Errol Medina, born on the 4th of July
2000, baptized at St. Peter Claver church on Easter Sunday, April 15th.
L. to R.: Mindo Medina (Father), Justin Medina, Teetah James (Godfather), and Candice C. Mendez (Mother).
Happy Birthday to Golden Oldies: Louise Tarant (April) and Catherine Martin (May). Also, Honorary Golden Oldies James Perry and Vicki Archer (April).
Condolences to Barbara Russell of 130 Lefferts on the loss of her
daughter Daphanie Washington, and to Clarice Tillman of
105 on the loss of her brother.
Prayers and best wishes to Mrs. Laura Major, who is ill at Kingsbrook
Hospital, as well as Mr. Ron Brown and Mr. Henry Fernandez,
both home from the hospital and recovering quickly after heart surgery.
Please notify C. Taylor at 130 Lefferts Place, #3N (718-857-4764) of births, graduations, marriages, anniversaries, as well as illnesses and deaths.
published by the
Lefferts Place Civic Association
Box 473547
Brooklyn, New York
11247
Editor: David Conrad
Layout & Design: David Conrad
Contributors: Margaret Noldon, Catherine
Taylor