4 APRIL 20, 2017 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM City’s taking action to remove a Ridgewood homeless hangout Personal Personal Injury Injury -• Workers'Workers’ Compensation Compensation •- Criminal Defense Defense •- Real Real Estate Estate ARRESTED? INJURED ON THE JOB? INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT? INJURED AT A CONSTRUCTION SITE? INVOLVED IN A BUS OR TRACTOR-TRAILER ACCIDENT? OUR LAWYERS ARE AVAILABLE WHEN EMERGENCIES HAPPEN 24 HOURS A DAY AND WE HAVE RECOVERED MILLIONS FOR OUR INJURED CLIENTS! WE ALSO SPEAK FRENCH-CREOLE, GREEK, RUSSIAN, AND SPANISH! The Grigoropoulos Law Group PLLC, is a law firm serving clients in all five New York boroughs, as well as Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester counties. We represent clients who are seriously injured as a result of motor vehicle accidents, slip/trip and fall accidents, constructions accidents or accidents in the workplace. Our experience coupled with our "shark" attitude sets us apart from other firms and our attorneys know what will drive litigation and what wins cases. riminal cases defending felony and misdemeanor charges! Call today for a free consultation! Chrissy Grigoropoulos, Esq. THE GRIGOROPOULOS LAW GROUP PLLC 60-93 Myrtle Avenue - Suite 1 Ridgewood NY 11385 (718) 249-7447 (929) 900-LAW1 www.GrigorLawGroup.com �������������������������������������������� Founding Partner WASHER GAS STOVE LANDLORD SPECIAL FREE DELIVERY FREE DELIVERY All Appliances In Stock HARRY’S DISCOUNT APPLIANCES We Deal With Family, Builders & Developers FREE 1-DAY DELIVERY ANYWHERE Landlord & Real Estate Specialists. Shop at home . Taking Care Of The Tri-State Region. One Family At A Time 718-496-2272 / 718-236-5150 / 718-236-3507 [email protected] BY ANTHONY GIUDICE [email protected] @A_GIUDICEREPORT For many months, homeless individuals have been loitering at the corner of Fairview and Putnam avenues in Ridgewood — and aft er repeated calls for action, the city’s working to have them removed. The homeless people have sought haven on the corner underneath the elevated tracks of the M train for some time, and are of a concern to the leaders at the Greater Ridgewood Youth Council (GRYC), the Queens Library at Ridgewood, and nearby I.S. 93 — but there isn’t much the organizations can do to make them leave. Now, the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) is stepping in to take action. In a notice dated April 13 left on the fence at the corner, DHS announced that they will be holding a cleanup of the area on Thursday, April 20, also indicating that it may be illegal to stay at that location. GRYC President Bob Monahan recently raised issue with the homeless group in an email to Community Board 5, outlining a number of concerns he has and asking what could be done about the situation. In the email, Monahan cites that the people on the corner are drinking during the day, and have been seen urinating in public, as well as collecting mounds of garbage and belongings underneath the M train. “They had a couch, an ottoman, and garbage up on the support of the M train,” Monahan told QNS in a Tuesday phone interview. “I wrote to a bunch of people asking what can be done.” The site has since been cleaned, and there are no longer piles of trash or any signs of furniture. The youth organizer relayed his concerns that the homeless are causing problems for the parents who bring their children to the GRYC Universal Pre-K program each morning, as well as the students who attend I.S. 93 and those that visit the Queens Library at Ridgewood. Being homeless is not a crime, so police can only do so much. Of course, if there is an infraction the police can make an arrest, but short of that, they can only ask the homeless to move along; but they come right back within 24 hours. Cops oft en visit the area and off er to bring the homeless to shelters, but they refuse. “We have a quandary,” Monahan said. “These people don’t want to go to a shelter of any kind. They drink at all hours of the day. They pee out in public. It really is a terrible situation. I know they don’t have any place to go, but my parents can’t walk down the block without being somewhat harassed.” Neither the MTA nor Parks Department owns the part of the sidewalk where the homeless congregate, so they are not responsible for making them leave. Photo via Bob Monahan Community leaders are concerned about homeless people staying at this corner in Ridgewood.
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