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The Richmond Hill Block Association

Newspaper articles from the L.I. Daily Press and the Daily News reporting on the beginning of the Richmond Hill Block Association in 1973-74. 

Articles courtesy from Richard Galvani, first acting president in 1973

Published Newspaper Article from 1973
New Block Association wins praise
"The middle-income families today are in deep trouble unless they can organize," City Councilman Walter Ward said Saturday night.
Addressing 500 members of the newly-formed Richmond Hill Block Association. Ward said the group had done an amazing job of organizing, coming up with a membership of over 1,000 in the first month of its existence.
The immediate problem, said Councilman Arthur Katzman, is survival - or, more specifically, the threat that unscrupulous real estate agents (blockbusters) pose to many middle-income families today. The next problem, he said, is getting the city to deliver services.
Both problems, Katzman said, could be better handled by organized civic and block associations. A lot of people seem to have realized of late, Katzman said, pointing out that "these organizations seem to be shooting up all over east and south Queens."
They were addressing a standing-room-only crowd at the South Queens Boys Club on Atlantic Avenue in Richmond Hill.
State Sen. Martin J. Knorr of Ridgewood sounded similar sentiments when he told the overflow crowd that "blockbusting is a threat which hangs over every Queens community today - and certainly it hangs over Richmond Hill".
"We must also be aware of the threat of the selling of Aqueduct Raceway," Knorr said, "and you can be assured there will be many selfish builders who will be looking to make a quick buck, and put high risers there in the middle of a fine residential community."
Assemblyman Alfred DelliBovi of Richmond Hill told the group he is introducing in the next session of the legislature a bill which would, hopefully, help alleviate the problem caused by the manipulation of welfare families to cause panic selling. His bill will set a maximum that welfare officials can pay for housing.
DelliBovi warned, however, that homeowners should not be too optimistic about any state legislation taking care of this problem completely. "We have certain federal regulations," he said, "because so much of the welfare payments come from federal funds."
There are, nevertheless, a number of effective measures which can be taken by legislators, city councilmen... and homeowners, DelliBovi said. "If somebody on Jamaica Avenue takes an apartment house and suddenly converts it into a boarding house, let us know about it," he said. "Let's get the goods on these guys," he continued. "If you will let us know about these things, maybe we can nip it in the bud. Maybe we can find some building violations if we send the building inspector down. Or maybe we can find some fire or health violations.
"We fixed a guy like this last month. He's doing a lot of renovating - he has to. He's going to get hit with a big bill, and I'll guarantee that it will be a long time before he tries that kind of stuff again.
"You let us know when you spot these things, and we'll take it from there. But we need some eyes and ears. We need people to tell us what is going on. And maybe this organization _ and others like it _ can provide the information that we need."
The acting president of the Richmond Hill Block Association is Richard Galvani, the vice-president is Donald DeLoca. In response to their questions, Katzman said the city is still dragging its feet in the matter of a city takeover of the local waterworks (a bill pushed through the last legislature by DelliBovi gives the city the power to take over by condemnation the water works from the private utility company that now owns it).