By Forum Staff
After nearly three years of back and forth with state representatives, the Howard Beach
Lindenwood Civic said that it has has learned that the State Department of Transportation refuses to help mitigate the conditions under the overpass—home of the Sept. 11 Memorial Mural resides on 84th Street in Howard Beach, along with the Sept. 11 Survivor Tree Memorial Garden that the Civic obtained from the 9/11 Memorial Museum in 2022.
For years this area has been plagued by pigeon feces. Community members clean the area on a daily basis, the civic noted.
File Photo
“The community has put a lot of money into the site and we need everyone to help make it safe and clean,” retired City Firefighter Frango (at mic) said.
Phyllis Inserillo, po-President of the civic, noted that the civic has been fighting for this area to be relieved of pigeon feces that plague the area for over three years and is frustrated at the answers received from State officials. “We received an email from Assembly Member Stacey Pheffer-Amato’s (D-Howard Beach) office which said that they cannot put netting or any feature under the bridge that would stop the conditions of the pigeons and that they would be coming to clean again and add more spikes,” Inserillo said. “Amato doesn’t want to listen to the fact that we are done with the cleaning and the spikes. We said from the beginning that it wouldn’t work and according to her office the State DOT has spent $400K on all of this. That’s like throwing 400K in the garbage as far as we are concerned, but more importantly it’s demeaning a site that is sacred to so many; 2,977 lives were taken by murderers on Sept. 11 2001 and Pheffer Amato doesn’t seem to care. She will only care about the area when it’s time for the ceremony and she is looking for a photo-op. If you don’t stand with us regarding something related to Sept. 11th then you stand against us and the assemblywoman can stay home for the ceremony.”
Jay Frango, a retired City firefighter and civic board member responded to the attacks on the towers.
“On Sept. 11, I watched three building collapse of which the first nearly took my life. I dug for survivors and ultimately human remains for 32 days straight,” Frango remembered. “That day I lost 43 of my close friends. The 9/11 Memorial Site in Howard Beach was created to remember all the lives lost that day. All we are asking for is a remedy for the overpass on behalf of the many residents and fallen first responder’s spouses who visit this site every day in remembrance of their loved ones. The community has put a lot of money into the site and we need everyone to help make it safe and clean.”
The civic is set to host its annual Sept. 11 Remembrance on Sunday, Sept. 8 with a Remembrance Walk down Cross Bay Boulevard withand featuring a 40-foot- long flag carry ending at the mural site for the ceremony. The walk begins at noon at 165th Avenue in the area next to the Vetro parking lot.
