My Very Dear Queens Villagers,

          Despite winter’s late departure with its blustery cold and snow, our dreams of warm days with beautiful flowering plants and trees and joyful outdoor activities will soon become reality.

          I have some very disturbing news to report. Our Veterans Memorial Plaza, located at Springfield Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue, was defaced by graffiti vandals. This is disgusting and unconscionable as our soldiers are fighting for freedom and justice throughout the world.  We thank the Department of Parks for doing a nice job of removing the paint. If you have any information about the perpetrators, call the New York City Graffiti Hotline at 1-212-374-5914.  If the information you provide leads to an apprehension, prosecution, and conviction of graffiti vandal, the City will pay an award of up to $500.00.

          We will have the luxury of two guest speakers at this month’s meeting: Joann Ariola, Queens Borough Director of the Community Assistance Unit of Office of the Mayor, will be on hand to hear our complaints and suggestions. She reports directly to Mayor Bloomberg. Monica Prendergast, a social worker for the Department of Psychiatry at Queens Hospital Center, will speak about her work and services available.

          Nominations for the officers who will serve us for our 2003-2004 civic year will be accepted at this month’s meeting. Members who are interested in these position should let us know at the meeting.

          Unscrupulous developers are seeking to buy one- and two-family homes in our community to tear them down and build multiple dwellings on the sites. Such buildings are illegal as they are in violation of zoning laws. These builders try to get the Buildings Department and local Community Boards to grant them a variance to make the dwellings legal. Zoning laws are in place to preserve the character and density of our neighborhoods and our quality of life.  If you know of such construction, call Community 13 at 1-718-464-9700 or us at 1-718-468-2160.

          We have advertising space in our Newsletter. You can take out an ad by calling 1-718-343-2580.  We gratefully appreciate your support.  And we support our advertisers.

         Keep well.  Pray for our armed forces in Iraq for their safety and speedy return to their families.  I hope to see you on April 15.