From: "Aliaksandr Kochatau" <mail@BikeReg.com>

Subject: All World's Fair races are in BIG DANGER!

Date: February 21, 2022 at 6:32:07 PM EST

To: mugwump@panix.com

Reply-To: pcdocstar@yahoo.com

Good evening everyone

Sorry I have some bad news, but I need a little bit of your help.

Long story short:

All Corona park races are in big danger since park administrator have changed and new administrator doesn’t understand my efforts improving the park. She ordered me to stop when I was almost done. I had no choice just to finish to make sure races are possible. I need each of you to contact Commissioner Michael Dockett 718 520 5905 michael.dockett@parks.nyc.gov to support me and make sure race permits don’t get cancelled at Corona Park.

 

Here is the long story:

Back in the end of 2018 I found this road around Meadow Lake all flooded. It looked impossible to run races there back then. Park looked abandoned, filled with garbage and had truck tire marks on the soil everywhere. I found at least 7x 8-18” deep puddles covering whole road and decided to make a few tiny cuts and see if it’s going to be possible to keep road dry. After more than a month finally park staff noticed cuts, but didn’t believe it’s going to be possible to fix all flooded areas and let me continue.

By the first race in 2021 at Corona park I finished making most of drains around the park. Most of them been made in 2019 and 2020 and looked like a cut in the soil to let water out. That was making tripping hazard and required a lot of maintenance since grass kept growing inside them and clogging them up. Tripping hazard wasn’t a major issue in the beginning since that part of park was pretty much abandoned. Only a few most recent drains were made piped, since I was fed up with overwhelming maintenance and people started rediscovering the park after most of flood was gone. Park maintenance was happy to make park safer too.

During the racing season I was too busy but still was converting at least smaller drains into piped every time I needed to clean them. By the end of the season I realized that 2021/2022 winter may be my last chance to fix the park since public is back. So, just 3 days after the last race I was already back at Corona park rushing to convert open trenches into pipes. I started with smaller systems since it wasn’t much digging, but needed precise pipe and grate installation.

On Nov 30, 2021 Deputy park administrator Latisha Williams ordered me to stop DIGGING, send her drawings of current status and park will take care of it by filling up everything with soil. I was surprised, since she was responsible for park maintenance and knew what I’m doing all these years. At that point I had 2 more small systems to put pipes in, 1 piped system to be repaired and an old deep big trench to take care of. I realized that things start going wrong way and was working my ass off next day to finish up with at least 2 small drains. Drawings were ready long time ago since I been sending plans and updates regularly to parks, I just needed to make a few quick adjustments before I send new status to Latisha. For the next month I was only doing park cleaning, planning and other stuff without DIGGING. I helped park guys to load garbage truck with phragmites grass fallen on the road, cut down dangerous fallen long time ago tree that had sharp branches at pedestrian path (guy with chainsaw certificate was sick for a long time), helped crew fixing road etc. Guys told me that old park administrator retired in December and Latisha is the new one.

Latisha promised me over the phone to make a meeting on Dec 16, 2021 with other involved divisions to discuss on how to fix the area. I went to the park on that date and waited at the location without any luck. Latisha didn’t pick up phone and maintenance supervisor came after a while and told me that he just found out that meeting was cancelled. I saw email was sent by Latisha at 9.00am (the time of appointment) that day only after I got home. I tried to get a new date for a meeting with no response. After 2 weeks Latisha called me and told me that she won’t discuss with me such questions.

Around New Years I was sick with COVID for a few weeks. In the beginning of January Latisha ordered to give me as less dates for races as possible and sounded very unfriendly despite I been following her orders. I realized, that situation doesn’t go anywhere and an essential old big trench is already clogged up causing area being flooded. So, no races will be possible for sure if I don’t take care of it, or, we still have a chance to have races if I try to put 6” pipe in it and cover everything up before Latisha will be able to do anything wrong. Weather was freezing and whole area trench is responsible for was covered with ice at that point. So, I decided to go ahead on fixing the main trench despite I was still very weak after COVID.

Yes, earlier I was counting on volunteers to help me out with that big trench, but I didn’t want to risk anyone in such situation despite a lot of people offered help. So, I was struggling with the hard clay on the bottom of the trench alone.

On Jan 19, 2022 Latisha came on pickup truck. I pointed to the all that flooded area covered with ice and explained why that big trench is essential and must be fixed. So, she told me to finish up with trench, put pipe and cover everything up. So, we ended up on a positive tone.

On Feb 10, 2022 trench was almost ready. Me, Victor and one of park users put 80ft of 6” pipe in and covered as much as we could with partially frozen soil. We couldn’t put catch basin with grate on the end of the pipe, because I didn’t know what exact size I will need there before trench was ready.

On Feb 17 I was fixing a short small open trench adjacent to the missing catch basin in order to put 4” pipe and cover it up same time with catch basin installation to fix tripping hazard. I had nothing to do since catch basin still wasn’t delivered yet, but should of arrive any day. Latisha (I realized it later) came on ATV with other 3 local people, made a loop around me on the maximum speed, almost crashed and left. Shortly, 3 ladies on 2 Park Enforcement cars came by and told me that they really appreciate all the improvements I did to the park, but have no choice to just give me a $300 Summons for damaging park property as Latisha ordered. Also, they recommended to contact her boss: Queens Borough Commissioner Michael Dockett 718 520 5905 michael.dockett@parks.nyc.gov in order to resolve the issue and wave the Summons.

Today I prepared everything at home and drove to the park. Had to play hide and find with Park Enforcement and Park Dept vehicles passing by, but still was able to finish 2 last essential spots (put catch basin and fixed damaged system).

So, at least now we have a chance to have races at Corona park vs to “no chance at all without essential drains”. I did my best (check PDFs on the bottom) to save World’s Fair races – now it’s your turn.

I need each of you to contact Commissioner Michael Dockett 718 520 5905 michael.dockett@parks.nyc.gov in a friendly manner to support my efforts and make sure race permits don’t get cancelled at Corona Park.

Thank you guys for supporting cycling as sport!

Alex Kochatau

Attachments:
https://www.bikereg.com/BR/a/10698/Corona-Park-Small-Drainages-Map-v3.1.pdf
https://www.bikereg.com/BR/a/10698/FMCP-receipts-20212022-3390.60.pdf

---

This message was sent as a service to event directors of BikeReg. Please notify Support@BikeReg.com with any abuse of the service. Thank You.

---

You are receiving this message because you have registered for events at BikeReg. If you feel you have received this message in error, or if you do not wish to receive email notifications from this event director please go to:
http://www.BikeReg.com/Unsubscribe.aspx?epa=2023&e=mugwump@panix.com&p=10698