Photo Courtesy of Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato’s Office
The new “Welcome to Ozone Park” sign was stolen Monday night—hours after elected officials and community leaders gathered to unveil it.
By Michael V. Cusenza
A new “Welcome to Ozone Park” sign was stolen Monday night—hours after elected officials and community leaders gathered to unveil it.
“Last night’s brazen theft of the newly installed ‘Welcome to Ozone Park’ is not only despicable – it is a slap in the face to all residents of Ozone Park. This sign was much more than a greeting – it served as a symbol of the strength and resiliency of this great community and its residents. Police are currently investigating the matter. Make no mistake about it – the heartless individual(s) responsible for this selfish act will be identified and punished to the fullest extent of the law,” wrote City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach), and Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach) in a joint statement issued Tuesday.
On Monday morning, the pols were joined by Community Board 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton and Howard Kampf, president of the former Ozone Park Civic Association to unveil and reinstall a refurbished “Welcome to Ozone Park” sign. The sign, located at the intersection of 149th Avenue and Cross Bay Boulevard, had been deteriorating since it was first installed in 2003.
The refurbishment of the sign was funded by the former Ozone Park Civic Association. The sign had been temporarily taken down for a project to reconfigure the street. It was restored by Cannon Signs & Awning Inc., located on Rockaway Boulevard in South Ozone Park. According to a representative from the business, refurbishing the sign was an extensive process that took approximately three to four weeks. Their work included tracing, cutting and lettering the sign. The company also applied a PVC coating to the sign so that the wood cannot expand. This special coating ensures the sign is protected from any type of weather.
“For over 100 years, my family tree has grown its roots deep within Ozone Park. Ever since my grandparents settled into Ozone Park after arriving from Italy around 1910, I have been proud to grow up here and raise my family mere houses from where I was born,” Addabbo said. “During his lifetime, my father moved five times, all within a one mile radius within Ozone Park. While much has changed since my grandparents came here, Ozone Park is still a predominantly working-class neighborhood with a lot to offer its residents and visitors. I want to thank Councilman Eric Ulrich, Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato and Betty Braton, Chair of Community Board 10, for working in tandem for the benefit of our Ozone Park neighbors, who now have an outstanding ‘Welcome’ sign to be proud of, courtesy of the fine work of Joe Cannon at Cannon Signs & Awnings, and the generosity of the Ozone Park Civic Association.”
Braton added, “This newly refurbished sign is a great addition for the completion of a new project that this community has been waiting for several years.”