2023 Projects
Campaign to reform the NY State Democratic Party and
replace party chair Jay Jacobs
Since MAGA Republicans are climate deniers and fossil fuel boosters, they block the emergency actions needed to respond to the climate crisis. FHGT believes that environmentalists are obliged to get involved in elections at all levels.
In the 2022 midterm elections, several Democratic congressional candidates in New York districts that voted for Biden in 2020 lost to MAGA Republicans, and Governor Hochul won a surprisingly narrow victory over a right-wing extremist. The losses were widely attributed to an incompetent State Democratic Party, led by Jay Jacobs, that largely failed to campaign for its own candidates. The loss of these congressional seats contributed to the MAGA takeover of the House of Representatives. Members of Forest Hills Green Team are involved with efforts to replace Jacobs, and to prepare for the 2024 elections.
"The Democratic Party in New York is a Disaster," New York Times, 2/22/23.
"New York's Democratic Party Needs New Leadership, Not More Money,"
The Nation, 2/24/23
"The State of the NY Democratic Party," The Brian Lehrer Show, WNYC, 2/24/23
Forest Hills Green Team
Presentation at Annual Forest Hills Civic Associations Gathering
2/21/2023
Text written by Mark Laster. Excellent extemporaneous version delivered by Matt Salton.
The Forest Hills Green Team was started by Mark Laster and Dan Miner in
January 2018 to organize both on the ground activities and engage in advocacy
dealing with Climate Change. Here are the activities we have now and some
plans for the future.
1. Food Scrap Drop Off Site – Every Sunday, from 10 AM to 1 PM, we run a
food scrap drop off site in conjunction with Commonpoint Queens and
Queens Botanical Gardens. The site is located right by the Central Queens Y
food pantry, 108-13 67th Rd
2. Yellowstone Boulevard Beautification Project – On Yellowstone Boulevard,
between Burns and Austin Street, right by the 112tt precinct, we continue to
clean up this strip and we have planted various items.
3. Climate Change presentations – We have presented to PS 196; the Reform
Temple of Forest Hills; MELS High School and Bronx High School of Science
about what is climate change and what you could do about it.
4. Advocacy – We partner with numerous other climate groups, such as
Climate Can’t Wait; New York Renews; Save Our Compost; in order to
advocate to push back against climate change.
We are also involved in advocating a series of bills in the City Council called the
Zero Waste bills. Among this package includes a bill that would mandate curbside
composting throughout the City. This differs from the voluntary curbside
composting program started by the City in October 2022; paused in December
2022 and will be restarted on March 27, 2023.
Our future plans include:
Possibly applying for a grant from the Citizens Committee of New York to
do further beatification projects in our neighborhood. If any group is
interested in partnering with us, please reach out to fhgtinc@gmail.com.
We will be hearing a presentation from the Campaign Finance Board
explaining how the June primary will be working.
If you are interested in getting involved in any of our projects, email
fhgtinc@gmail.com. We meet the third Monday of the month @ 6 PM virtually.
FHGT 2023 Year in Review
January 2023
January started off with a rally calling for the reform of the New York State Democratic Party due to the loss of 5 Congressional seats. We were actively involved in organizing this event.
2023-01-03 #FixNYDems press event at City Hall (youtube.com)
February 2023
We welcomed Daisy Alter and Laura Menikoff who began cleaning up and regular maintenance at our Yellowstone Street garden site. We watched the daffodils we planted begin to grow.
March 2023
We did a presentation at the Reform Temple of Forest Hills in partnership with Fridays for Future regarding climate change.
Central Queens Against Hate, a coalition of community groups and elected officials dedicated to push back against hate crimes, started by the Forest Hills Green Team and Earth Citizens Club of Queens, held an educational event on how to report hate crimes.
GMT20230323-230232_Recording_640x360.mp4 - Google Drive
April 2023
At our monthly meeting, we heard a presentation from Ting Lin of NYC VOTES regarding the upcoming June primary.
We partnered with Big Reuse at our Food Scrap Drop Off site giving out small containers to
collect food scraps and bags of compost. We did a spot for Commonpoint about Earth Day and the Circle of Life. Facebook
We interviewed Ethan Felder and Lynn Schulman for the District 29 Council seat. After a vote of our active members, we endorsed Ms. Schulman for this seat.
May 2023
At our Food Scrap Drop Off Site, we distributed masks; test kits; compostable bags and small
bins to collect food scraps and information about the June primary.
June 2023
We welcomed student volunteers at our Food Scrap Drop Off Site from Archbishop Molloy HS.
We canvassed for Lynn Schulman who won the Democratic Party nomination for District 29.
Central Queens Against Hate held a successful Breaking Bread Building Bonds luncheon.
We organized a clean up along Metropolitan Avenue in partnership with Metro Village, a
business association along Metropolitan Avenue: Forest Hills Green Team launches initiative to clean up tree pits along Metropolitan Avenue – QNS.com.
July 2023
We attended a rally to support the full implementation of Local Law 97.
We celebrated the passage of the Zero Waste Package of Bills. Facebook
Int 244-A (Mandatory Curbside Compost Program); Int 274-A (Zero Waste Goals);Int 275-A
(Zero Waste Reporting); Int 280-A (CORE Act); Int 281-A (CORE Act).
August 2023
We assisted Food and Water Watch in advocating for the passage of the NY HEAT ACT. Facebook
What If New Yorkers Stopped Subsidizing Fossil Fuel Infrastructure? - Hell Gate (hellgatenyc.com)
September 2023
We tabled at the Queens Borough President’s Climate Expo.
We tabled at the Metro Village Street Fair.
We attended the March to End all Fossil Fuels.
We assisted in organizing a Bystander Training with Central Queens Against Hate.
October 2023
We organized a second clean up on Metropolitan Avenue - Thank you to all volunteers who
braved... - Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi.
We organized a second Breaking Bread Building Bonds luncheon.
We testified at a hearing by the NYC Department of Buildings about LL97.
November 2023
At our monthly meeting, we met with Assemblyman Sam Berger.
We became Stewards of Yellowstone Park in partnership with the Earth Citizens Club of Queens
and Partnership for Parks. We held a bench and bird house painting event.
We attended the New York State Democratic Committee’s meeting, advocating to replace Jay Jacobs and reform the party.
December 2023
Our Food Scrap Drop Off Site might end due to the Mayor cutting Community Composting
Composting’s ‘True Believers’ Jilted as N.Y.C. Curbside Program Grows - The New York
Times (nytimes.com).
We joined the Save Our Compost Coalition to protest these cuts. Facebook
We met with Councilmember Schulman regarding this cut and threats to undermine LL97.
We met with Congressmember Grace Meng to advocate for the Earth bill HR 598 in partnership
with a coalition of local clergy.
We met with Assemblymember Hyndman in partnership with NYPRIG to advocate for the
Climate Change Superfund Act (A51A/S2129A)
At the end of 2023, We have 330 people following us on FB and over 2023, we had 752 site visits with 521 unique visitors to our website!