- Brookville Park was left in disarray following a picnic organized by Assemblywoman Michelle Titus and Council hopeful Jacques Leandre. Photo courtesy of Fred Kress
By Ivan Pereira
Thursday, September 3 (original URL)
Southeast Queens civic leaders and parks advocates are slamming City Council candidate Jacques Leandre and state Assemblywoman Michelle Titus (D-Far Rockaway) for allegedly allowing a wild party to take place at Brookville Park during an outdoor family day event they sponsored two weeks ago.
Fred Kress, president of the Queens Coalition of Parks and Green Spaces, was scheduled to hold a meeting this week with the two elected officials and other community members to discuss the massive cleanup the city Parks Department had to undertake following the family day held there Aug. 22 between noon and 9 p.m.
A tent was set up in the park advertising an open bar for ladies, hard liquor was given away to dozens of participants and several empty bottles and trash were left behind the next morning, according to Kress.
“The debris field was one square block. I’ve never seen something like this in the park,” he said.
Among the garbage left at the park were sexually suggestive pamphlets with color photos of scantily clad women. It was not known who exactly set up the tent and sold the alcohol, according to the Parks Department.
Other sponsors for the family day picnic included a promotion company called June Ballon, an Avis car rental dealership on Long Island and a company called “Crazy Joint.”
“It’s so disturbing to see them not respect our community,” said Laurelton community activist Barbara Morris.
Titus condemned the alcohol distribution and littering of the park and said she did not see any of those activities when she visited the event with her daughter. The assemblywoman, who has hosted the family day picnic for the last three years, said there were many other groups using the space that day for other events.
“Shame on them. This was a beautiful day,” she said of the litterers. “Every event I hold, I make sure before we leave that it is cleaned.”
Several calls to Leandre, who is running against incumbent Councilman James Sanders (D-Laurelton) in the Democratic primary in two weeks, were not returned.
Sanders said he was appalled by the incident after his office received several phone calls from constituents who complained about the wild party that went into the late hours of the night.
“I’ve been informed that one person passed out and the park was left in disorder,” he said. “I do not condone the use of drugs or alcohol in public venues.”
While Kress was overseeing the damage done to the park, he said he saw two of Leandre’s associates argue with park officials, asking for their money back. The park members declined and the men left, according to Kress.
“They were yelling, saying that, ‘They are the community [sic].’ Well, you’re not with the community if you’ve done this,” the civic leader said.
Kress said he tried to reach out to Leandre to get him to address the incident, but the political candidate said he was busy. The civic head said that was no excuse and called on him and Titus to take responsibility, regardless of who sold the contraband.
“Well, if you rented a hall and the people who stayed at the hall wrecked the place, you’re responsible,” he said.”