Courtesy: Paul Pogozelski
By MOHAMED FARGHALY
mfarghaly@queensledger.com
Last summer, an unexpected situation unfolded in Middle Village when several camper trailers appeared overnight near Juniper Park. The trailers, which lacked proper registration, license plates, inspection stickers, and brake lights, were parked across the street from a house of worship, a public school, and a park pathway. The presence of the trailers immediately sparked complaints from local residents.
Paul Pogozelski, a Middle Village resident and City Council candidate for District 30, took immediate responsibility for addressing the situation. After hearing about the trailers, he sprang into action, knocking on doors and alerting local authorities to the issue. His proactive approach included mobilizing neighbors and coordinating with law enforcement to ensure the trailers were removed swiftly.
“Removing the campers from our streets was a victory for our community to come together in a peaceful manner and achieve a goal for our entire neighborhood,” Pogozelski said. “If we didn’t act swiftly and cooperatively as a unified front who knows how long these campers would have been stationed on juniper boulevard south. I want to thank all our neighbors who supported this effort.”
Silva Martocci, a longtime Middle Village resident, recalled first hearing about the trailers from a close friend, Eileen Moloney, who was deeply involved in the community.
“I was watching TV when I got a call from Eileen saying there were trailers parked near the park, and they weren’t supposed to be there,” Martocci said. “I immediately called the news, but no one seemed interested in covering the story at the time.”
Martocci visited the site and confirmed that there were two old trailers parked across from the Lutheran church, seemingly abandoned.
“I didn’t see anyone around at first, but later, I saw people inside. They spoke Spanish, and I tried to ask them who brought them there, but they couldn’t communicate,” she said. “The police arrived, and I suggested they investigate who was responsible for bringing the trailers to the area, as it could be more than just a simple case of people living in campers.”
Eileen Moloney, another local resident was instrumental in addressing the issue, shared her perspective on the incident.
“I had just returned from upstate when Paul, a local resident, knocked on my door and told me about the camper vans,” Moloney said. “I immediately told him to call the police, but when they didn’t respond quickly enough, I started reaching out to neighbors.”
Moloney approached the people inside the trailers, speaking to them in broken Spanish. “I told them they needed to contact the person who brought them there to have the trailers removed.”
As more neighbors gathered, Moloney and Paul worked together to coordinate the removal of the trailers.
“We had about 30 people, including some from the local church, who were all concerned about the trailers in our neighborhood,” Moloney said. “We waited until the police arrived, but by that time, they had already been informed by our efforts, and the trailers were moved. Paul even followed them to make sure they weren’t just relocated across the street to the park.”
Vincent Melle, the sexton at Trinity Church, also witnessed the events that day from his proximity to the scene.
“At first, I thought it might be a film crew because we get a lot of movies filmed here, but as night came, it became clear this was more serious,” Melle said. “Paul took charge and called the cops. He followed the trailers to ensure they weren’t just moved to another spot in the area.”
Although the police eventually responded, Melle noted that the situation was outside their immediate control. “Paul really took the lead in making sure the trailers were removed from that area.”
The community’s quick action prevented the trailers from becoming a longer-term issue, and since then, no similar incidents have occurred in the area.
“If it weren’t for Paul’s persistence and Eileen’s outreach, who knows how long those trailers would have been there,” Moloney said.
