Addabbo Partners with Local Girl Scout Troop to Revive Rundown Glendale Intersection

Howard Beach, NY (October 13, 2016) After nearly two months of working together with various city agencies to address the problem, Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. recently partnered with a local Girl Scout Troop to bring much-needed restorations to a run-down street corner in Glendale.

The Senator first received complaints about the intersection of 81st Street and 77th Avenue, adjacent to the 80th Street overpass, from a group of constituents at the Sacred Heart Senior Group, who brought to his attention how the corner was ridden with weeds, overgrown trees and garbage. Addabbo reached out to multiple city agencies and eventually learned that the land was owned by the Department of Transportation (DOT), who subsequently agreed to let his office partner with Girl Scout Troop #4791 of Glendale to revamp the area.

After working with both DOT and the Parks Department, which is responsible for maintaining the area, Addabbo successfully lobbied to have the city remove an overgrown dead tree from the lot that was leaning into the street, causing a hazard to both drivers and pedestrians who pass by this corner. Last month, the troop met with Addabbo’s office to continue the process of cleaning up the area by removing the litter, raking the leaves and getting rid of the weeds throughout the lot.

When the initial clean up was complete, Addabbo’s office once again met the Girl Scouts on earlier this month to plant more than 500 daffodil bulbs, which the Senator’s office obtained for free through the New Yorkers for Parks Daffodil Project. Materials for the project – including rakes, shovels and other gardening supplies – were purchased with gift cards donated by Home Depot.

“Not only was this intersection a serious eyesore in the community of Glendale, but it also had the potential to become a major public health hazard with the amount of garbage and overgrown weeds that had piled up over the years,” said Addabbo. “Too often, areas just like this one get ignored and are left to become rundown blemishes in the middle of an otherwise beautiful neighborhood. I am pleased that through hard work and cooperation, my office was able to make sure that this neglect does not continue to happen at the corner of 81st Street and 77th Avenue.”

In addition to helping spruce up the area through some clean up and planting of new bulbs, the Girl Scout Troop has also committed to maintaining the intersection in the future to ensure their community remains clean and safe for years to come.

“This scenario is proof that when we work together, we can shed light on even the smallest of community issues and get past the bureaucracy that sometimes stands in the way of solving them.” Addabbo said. “I extend my deepest thanks to Girl Scout Troop #4791 for their dedication to this project and to the neighborhood of Glendale, as well as to Home Depot for their generous donation that helped make this project possible. I was delighted to see the finished product and to know that from now on, this area will be a bright spot of the community rather than an eyesore.”