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QueensWay Receives Major Boost with $117 Million Federal Grant

glendaleregstg on March 28, 2024

A $117 million federal grant injects new life into the ambitious QueensWay project, aiming to transform a blighted stretch of abandoned railway into a vibrant linear park and cultural greenway in Central Queens. Rendering of the QueensWay. Credit: Trust for Public Land

By MOHAMED FARGHALY

The ambitious QueensWay project, aimed at transforming a blighted 3.5-mile stretch of abandoned railway in Central Queens into a vibrant linear park and cultural greenway, received a significant boost with the announcement of a $117 million federal grant.

The grant, part of the “Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Program – Neighborhood Access and Equity Program” issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation, marks a watershed moment in the initiative’s progress.

Led by the Friends of the QueensWay (FQW) in collaboration with The Trust for Public Land, the project has garnered widespread support from various quarters since its inception in 2011. The conversion of the former LIRR Rockaway Beach Branch into a public park has been championed by local residents, civic organizations, and advocacy groups, with the aim of revitalizing the area and enhancing the quality of life for residents of Queens and beyond.

“In communities like Queens, greenspace is limited, and transportation projects have historically disconnected diverse neighborhoods and discouraged walkability, and QueensWay stands to help change this,” U.S. Representative Grace Meng said.

Mayor Eric Adams hailed the federal funding as a testament to the city’s commitment to fostering community cohesion and investing in transformative infrastructure projects.

“Our infrastructure should be bringing communities together, not tearing them apart, and that’s why we aggressively pursued these Reconnecting Communities grants, to reshape our city in a way that unites us,” Mayor Adams said. “The next phase of the QueensWay will add more greenway miles, vibrant parks, and outdoor amenities to neighborhoods across Queens, and the BQE Corridor grant we won moves us closer to undoing some of the damage that Robert Moses caused and invests in beautiful, interconnected new public spaces.”

The Rockaway Beach Branch, abandoned since 1962, once extended from the LIRR main line at Rego Park through Ozone Park and across Jamaica Bay to the Rockaways. Its construction began in 1877, with services commencing in the 1880s and full completion in the 1910s and 1920s. However, recurring track fires near Jamaica Bay in the 1940s and 1950s made maintenance financially impractical for the LIRR.

In 1955 and 1956, significant changes occurred, New York City acquired part of the line for subway tracks which is now used by the A train, while the LIRR reduced operations due to low ridership. Service ceased entirely on June 8, 1962. Despite numerous attempts to reactivate the RBB, studies consistently deem it infeasible due to high costs, commuter disruptions, environmental impacts, and adverse effects on existing communities.

The $117 million grant will specifically support the Forest Park Pass project, an extension of the QueensWay into Forest Park. This phase of the project will encompass approximately 1.3 miles of greenway, new greenway bridges, recreational amenities, and connections to existing facilities in Forest Park, including Victory Field. Once completed, the QueensWay will comprise 47 acres of new park space and seven miles of greenway, spanning multiple neighborhoods including Rego Park, Forest Hills, Glendale, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, and Ozone Park.

“My thanks to President Biden and Secretary Buttigieg for establishing this transformational grant program and investing $123 million in federal grants to support our city’s growing infrastructure needs, as well as to all of our city, state, and federal partners who went to bat for New York City,” Mayor Adams said.

The announcement comes on the heels of a $35 million investment for the design and construction of Phase One of the QueensWay, known as the Metropolitan Hub (Met Hub). This initial phase, set to transform a vacant city-owned corridor in Forest Hills into a five-acre park with 0.7 miles of greenway, aims to provide residents with enhanced access to recreational amenities and safe transportation corridors.

The QueensWay project has drawn inspiration from successful precedents such as the High Line in Manhattan, the Atlanta BeltLine, and the 11th Street Bridge Park in Washington, D.C. By repurposing underutilized rail corridors, these projects have not only created recreational opportunities but also stimulated economic and cultural development in their respective communities.

“This innovative project will create a new signature park in the heart of Queens, transforming an abandoned rail line into a vibrant greenspace where New Yorkers can enjoy all the health benefits of time outdoors,’ New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) Commissioner Sue Donoghue said. “With over a mile of new greenway paths for pedestrians and cyclists, the QueensWay will provide new connections between neighborhoods and give New Yorkers a safe way to get around and enjoy the fresh air.”

While the QueensWay project has garnered broad support, potential criticisms include concerns about environmental impact,  accessibility issues, long-term maintenance and funding and levels of community consultation.

With the latest infusion of federal funding, the QueensWay project is poised to enter its next phase of development, bringing to fruition a vision of a dynamic urban green space that promotes health, connectivity, and community engagement.

“Friends of the Queensway has been advocating for our communities and activation of this rails to trails project for more than a decade, and we commend federal and city leaders for collaborating on this extraordinary investment to activate quality park space and parks access,” Friends of the Queensway said.

For more information on the QueensWay project and upcoming developments, visit thequeensway.org.

Queens Chamber Hosts Annual St Patrick’s Day Luncheon

glendaleregstg on March 28, 2024

by Queens Ledger Staff  | news@queensledger.com

The Queens Chamber of Commerce welcomed leaders in business, politics and culture from across the borough to Antun’s in Queens Village for their annual St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon March 13. The event celebrated the contributions of Irish-Americans to Queens with food, entertainment, and recognition of honorees Jack Schlossberg and Mary Murphy.

President and CEO of the Queens Cham­ber of Commerce Tom Grech opened the event by honoring former NYC Council Member Paul Vallone, who passed away in January, before invocations from Bishop Robert Brennan and Rabbi Joseph Potasnik. The luncheon featured traditional Irish fare, performances by Fallon O’Brien of the Hagen Kavanagh School of Irish Dance, music by The Cobblers, and presentation of colors by the 2nd Battalion 25th Marines. The National Anthem was performed by Emily Kightlinger of St. Francis Prep.

Murphy is an award-winning journalist born and raised in Queens. She served as an anchor for PIX11 News for nearly 15 years and received multiple Emmy awards her reporting, spanning the opioid crisis, the September 11th terror attacks, the “Junior” case in the Bronx, the death of Princess Diana, Hurricane Sandy, the Black Sunday fire in 2005, and 1996 explosion of TWA Flight 800. Murphy said the stories that stuck with her the most were missing people and cold cases in which families were still looking for justice.

“The main reason I lasted so long on TV is because every day, New Yorkers trusted me to tell their stories and for that I am in their debt,” Murphy said. “They gave me a career.”

Schlossberg, the only grandson of President John F. Kennedy, is an activist and attorney currently serving on President Biden’s reelection campaign as part of their voter protection team in battleground states. In his speech, Schlossberg spoke about his passion for paddleboarding. He can be found in the East River in the early hours of most mornings with a few friends and said it was an essential part of his routine as he prepared to pass the bar exam last year.

With a large portion of his speech focusing on the 2024 election and his belief in President Biden, Schlossberg looked to Queens as an example for what it means to bring the country together at a tense political moment.

“Queens is the most diverse place in our country,” Schlossberg said in his speech. “These days, people like to talk about how divided they think we are. They should come to Queens, because people out here seem to get along pretty well.”

Remembering Jimmy Young

glendaleregstg on March 21, 2024

By Ed Wendell

On March 28, 1994, Engine Company 24/Hook & Ladder 5 raced to the scene of a fire at 62 Watts Street in Manhattan. It is hard to comprehend the courage it takes to run into a burning building. All of our instincts scream at us to run away from danger, yet there are those that not only face it, they stand up to it. They run towards it.

They put their lives at risk to save and rescue people they do not know.

We lost three brave souls as a result of that fire. Captain John J. Drennan, Firefighter Christopher J. Siedenburg, and Firefighter James F. Young.

Jimmy had just turned 31 that January and was a true son of Woodhaven. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Thomas the Apostle, where he also went to school. He used to deliver the Leader/Observer and even wrote for this paper for a while, delivering recaps for the neighborhood softball league.

“I didn’t have one day’s problem with Jimmy, he was close to perfection,” his mother Virginia says. “He got along with everyone. He never smoked, never drank. I can’t tell you how many of my friends wanted him to marry their daughters.”

Jimmy Young was not only a delivery boy for the newspaper you are reading, but also wrote columns for the Leader on the Woodhaven Softball League while waiting to join the FDNY.

Virginia Young says that everything happens for a reason, that life’s tragedies must be part of a larger plan. “We almost lost Jimmy in a car accident, almost 10 years to the day before the fire,” she recalls.

And to illustrate this point, Virginia Young reminds us that this accident happened at Atlantic and 87th, the street that would one day bear her son’s name. “It was touch and go, but we prayed and he survived and he made a vow to live his life to the fullest,” she said. “And he did.”

Jimmy’s sister Maureen says that her brother touched so many lives, that she hears stories about him from people she never knew. “He must have had 500 close personal friends,” she said. “He knew everybody and everybody knew him.”

She reflects on the last time she saw Jimmy at a birthday party for their brother Michael. “He was leaving to take his girlfriend home, and we said ‘See you later’ to each other, and that was it,” she remembers. “The fire was a few days later.”

Shortly after a funeral during which the streets of Woodhaven were flooded with more than 10,000 firefighters, Maureen gave birth to her daughter.

“I really wish that he’d gotten to know my kids; his nieces and nephews,” she said. “I wish they had been able to know him.”

Residents and firefighters gather for a memorial to Firefighter Jimmy Young back in 2010.

“He was so generous and outgoing, he made friends with everybody,” she said. “He touched so many people’s lives and made an impact on them.”

She finds comfort in the words of the Facebook memorial page, especially every year as the anniversary approaches. “Time heals all wounds,” she says. “It gets easier, but it never gets easy.”

And now 30 years have gone by. That’s three entire decades that have passed. And the world is a much different world than the one Jimmy left behind. It’s a much different Woodhaven now than the one that paid such a loving tribute to Jimmy in 1994.

Many of the people that paid tribute to Jimmy Young back then have gone on to their reward themselves. And many of Jimmy’s young contemporaries from 1994 have grown old and gone grey. It seems hard to believe, but Jimmy himself would have turned 61 this year.

Back in March, 2010 we held a memorial for Jimmy here in Woodhaven and the late Maria Thomson read from the statement she made at City Hall the day that the bill renaming 87th Street in Jimmy Young’s honor was signed.

The family of Jimmy Young on the day that 87th Street was officially renamed Jimmy Young Place.

“Jimmy, you were taken too soon, and we miss you,” Thomson said. “But with your name proudly displayed on Jimmy Young Place, the legacy of your winning life and your heroic death will always live on.”

And so, if you weren’t familiar with the man behind the name on the sign that has hung over 87th Street these past 30 years, you now know a little more about him and the sacrifice he made.

And we hope you will join us in honoring his memory by remembering Jimmy Young not just for how he died, but for how he lived.

A History of the Forest Park Carousel, Part 2

glendaleregstg on March 13, 2024

By Ed Wendell

Last week, we looked at the life of Master Carousel Carver Daniel C. Muller and the establishment of a carousel in Forest Park in 1924. For 4 decades, residents of Woodhaven and other communities surrounding Forest Park enjoyed old-fashioned fun at our carousel.

But on December 10, 1966, tragedy struck when the Forest Park Carousel was destroyed by fire. It was reported at 8:40 p.m. and despite a quick and massive response from the Fire Department, it was not brought under control until 9:28 p.m. And in those 48 minutes, a great deal of rare and exquisite carousel artistry was lost forever.

No cause of the fire was ever determined though vandalism was suspected. The carousel was insured for $50,000 but it was estimated that it would cost a quarter of a million dollars to replace.

Over the next few years, residents and elected officials called for the city to replace the carousel but the news was all bad and it looked like something unique and special was lost forever.

However, in January 1972 they received the miracle they were hoping for. When it was announced that the Lakeview Amusement Park in Dracut, Massachusetts was closing permanently, the City of New York moved quickly, purchasing the carousel for just $30,000.

And it wasn’t just any old carousel. Amazingly, the carousel was a Muller. A few figures were missing so a few other figures (two by Dentzel and one by Charles Carmel, another notable carousel artist of the same era) were purchased and added to the menagerie.

One of the surviving horses from the original Forest Park Carousel, which was destroyed by fire on December 10, 1966. This horse, the work of Master Carousel Carver Daniel C. Muller, can be seen in the lobby of Oak Ridge, the offices of the Forest Park Administration.

And so, the Forest Park Carousel was back, but the next few years were a bumpy ride. In 1984, the Forest Park Carousel closed indefinitely for repairs.

Four years later, the Queens-based Fabricon Design Group, led by carousel designer Marvin Sylvor restored the Forest Park Carousel, repairing and repainting figures and replacing missing pieces. Once again, the Forest Park Carousel was running and in 2004 it was entered onto the National Register of Historic Places.

But within a few years the city and the vendor chosen to maintain the carousel parted ways. When residents visited the park in Spring 2009, they found the Forest Park Carousel fenced in, padlocked and surrounded with barbed wire.

Concerned that the city would sell off this priceless gem, the community (led by the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association) brought their concerns to the attention of local elected officials and the press. And then another miracle happened. After a 3 year wait, New York Carousel was chosen to reopen and operate the Forest Park Carousel, which it did, to great fanfare, in 2012.

And on June 19, 2013, the Forest Park Carousel was officially designated as a New York City Landmark. The community came out to celebrate and support the carousel and parents and grandparents (who were lifted onto the ride as children) lifted their children and grandchildren onto the ride. The community was comforted by the fact that, as a landmark, the Forest Park Carousel would be protected for many generations to come.
And so, the Forest Park Carousel was open and landmarked, but it was still a bumpy ride. Literally. Whenever the carousel reached full speed, it tended to sway and you could hear the gears grinding.

The caretakers of the carousel knew that an overhaul was long overdue. At the end of the 2014 season, the Forest Park Carousel was taken apart by employees of the carousel and a group from Carousels & Carvings, carousel specialists from Marion, Ohio. Many pieces that needed to be replaced were driven 555 miles to Carousels & Carvings’ headquarters where they were rebuilt over the winter.

49 horses (36 jumpers and 13 standers on the outer row), 3 menagerie figures (a Tiger, a Lion and a Deer) and two Chariots were carefully removed and stored away over the winter. Every single thing was stripped off of the carousel and the center stack was lifted and suspended all winter by an indoor crane to enable the team to remove the center bearings. The entire process took nearly three weeks.

In the spring, the team reunited and began the complicated process of putting a 100+ year old carousel back together. And when it was all back together, the city’s safety chief came out to inspect the ride and after hearing the quiet whoosh as it ran at full speed, he smiled and said “That sounds like a smooth ride.”

On Saturday, June 15th the road to this beloved landmark will be co-named “Forest Park Carousel Way” and the Woodhaven Cultural & Historical Society will be sponsoring free rides for all as we celebrate a full century of the Forest Park Carousel here in Woodhaven!

Late Woodhaven community activist Maria Thomson, who fought for nearly 3 decades to get the carousel landmarked, on June 19, 2013, the day that the Forest Park Carousel was officially designated as a New York City Landmark.

NYPD Posthumously Promotes Krystyna Naprawa

glendaleregstg on February 29, 2024

By Britney Trachtenberg | news@queensledger.com

Courtesy of @NYPDChiefPatrol on X/Twitter.

On Thurs., Feb. 22, during a ceremony at One Police Plaza, Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban promoted School Crossing Guard Krystyna Naprawa to the title of Community Coordinator after her death.

Naprawa worked as an NYPD School Crossing Guard. On Oct. 20, 2023, Naprawa helped pedestrians cross the intersection at Woodhaven Blvd and Atlantic Ave. during her morning shift. Seconds after, a turning sanitation truck hit and killed her.

Naprawa’s family, friends, and coworkers attended the ceremony, during which NYPD executives announced the distribution of new safety equipment, increased training, and updated policies for the police department’s crossing guards.

Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban described Naprawa as someone who “cherished her job as an NYPD School Crossing Guard” and “loved the familiar faces she saw each day.”

NYPD School Crossing Guards stand at many of NYC’s most populated intersections and seek to protect all pedestrians, specifically, students walking to and from school. NYPD hopes to improve safety standards through an edited training program supervised by the Traffic Enforcement Training Unit. The course now takes seven days instead of six and contains a field-training element. Every School Crossing Guard must take an annual refresher course.

From the NYPD, School Crossing Guards reportedly will receive new whistles, vests, and “stop” paddles. The NYPD seeks to give each patrol borough twelve “stop” signs with detachable poles for use at truck routes and bigger intersections.

At the Woodhaven Blvd and Atlantic Ave intersection, the NYPD wants to station multiple crossing guards.

Henry Garrido, Executive Director of District Council 37, thanked Police Commissioner Caban “for this posthumous recognition of a beloved member of the DC 37 family.” Garrido said, “The investment in additional resources for the safety of our School Crossing Guards, and the increased coverage at Krystyna’s former intersection, will ensure that the impact she made – on her colleagues and on our community – will endure for many years to come.”

The city has already made changes to the Woodhaven Blvd and Atlantic Ave intersection. The city’s Department of Transportation recently installed a right-turn signal in the lane where the truck was turning from when the driver hit Naprawa, as reported on by the Queens Ledger earlier this month. The turning signal will not have a green light. Instead, it will have a red light that will turn amber, which tells cars and trucks to drive slowly and carefully.

Queens Community Orgs Host Town Hall on Tenant Right to Counsel Bill

glendaleregstg on February 29, 2024

by Charlie Finnerty | cfinnerty@queensledger.com

Credit: Charlie Finnerty

Woodside on the Move, the Right to Counsel Coalition, Chhaya, Catholic Migration Services and other Queens-based community organizations hosted a tenant organizing town hall Feb. 21 at St. Sebastian Parish Center in Woodside. Organizers spoke to tenants about Right to Counsel for ALL (A1493 / S2721), a bill proposed in the state legislature that would establish a right to legal services in eviction proceedings for all tenants across New York.

Attendees received presentations on what a right to counsel would mean for tenants and demonstrated how to provide feedback and testimony to elected officials. The bill is currently awaiting a new sponsor in the state assembly before it can move forward. District 30 Assemblymember Steven Raga and District 37 Assemblymember Juan Ardila also spoke at the event.

“The purpose and the goal of this event was really to just relaunch Right to Counsel’s legislative and budget campaign. That’s why we had the teach-in, but also it had the emphasis on statewide right to counsel and informing tenants about what that entails and providing testimony to support it and galvanize it,” Frances Hamed, policy & advocacy coordinator for Woodside on the Move, said.

Credit: Charlie Finnerty

Tenants at the event spoke about their own experiences with housing court where many felt the judges were biased in favor of landlords who had access to legal representation.

“He has rights who dare to defend them,” one tenant said, speaking into a microphone at the front of the room. “We have to change how housing court judges are put on the bench in New York City. Housing court judges should be elected, not selected. Let them pay for a campaign and be elected.”

Another tenant spoke about how economic suppression of Latino communities adds an additional obstacle to housing burdens. His testimony was translated into English by event organizers.

“I’ve been in housing court fighting my case,” the tenant said. “It has been very traumatizing as a Latino person that we are people that do not have economic power.”

Yhamir Chabur, a housing and tenant organizer for Woodside on the Move, said he is inspired by advocacy and community organizing groups across Queens working together.

“Queens is getting closer to unifying itself,” Chabur said. “We have to keep the momentum going, because all of us experience this. It’s not fair that you have the landlord class and they’re easily able to have access to lawyers to represent them. This system supposedly says that it’s democratic because it’s capitalist, but yet it favors those that have access to capital.”

Raga, who was formerly executive director for Woodside on the Move before being elected to the State Assembly, spoke in support of the bill at the event, saying he feels hopeful there is support for it in Albany.

“It’s a broad coalition of folks that know that this is a moral issue,” Raga said. “Whether or not you have constituents in your district that are fighting for it, no matter what you should know that this is about right or wrong.”

Assembly Member Steven Raga speaks at the town hall. Credit: Charlie Finnerty

Hamed said Woodside on the Move and their partner organizations fighting for Right to Counsel are focused on gaining more support for the bill in the state legislature.

“In terms of next steps, I feel it’s very important to garner the support of all the legislators who haven’t signed on,” Hamed said. “I feel confident that Right to Counsel will be something that we see implemented statewide, given all the testimonies we heard from the electeds and the tenants.”

Queens Lawmakers Rally for SMOKEOUT Act

glendaleregstg on February 29, 2024

By Celia Bernhardt | cbernhardt@queensledger.com

Credit: Celia Bernhardt

State Assemblyperson Jenifer Rajkumar held a rally with State Senator Leroy Comrie and about 20 supporters on the steps of City Hall on Friday to call for the SMOKEOUT Act to be included in the State’s enacted budget.

The SMOKEOUT (Stop Marijuana Overproliferation and Keep Empty Operators of Unlicensed Transactions) Act, first introduced in early January, is Rajkumar’s proposed fix to the state’s bumpy rollout of cannabis legalization and the proliferation of thousands of illegal, unlicensed smoke shops through the five boroughs. Under the proposed rule, local municipalities would have the power to shutter illegal shops and seize all merchandise. Currently, that power is reserved for the State’s Office of Cannabis Management, which has only 14 inspectors statewide.

“I think all New Yorkers feel right now like they’re high, because they look at the situation and it makes no sense,” Rajkumar said at the rally. “There are 1000 times more illegal shops than there are legal shops. There’s only about 60 legal shops in the whole state. And there’s 36,000 illegal shops. How can this be? Am I high right now?”

A Staten Island community leader displays her sign. Credit: Celia Bernhardt

Comrie told the crowd that the issue was consistently top of mind among his constitutents. “Every meeting I attend, everywhere I go, people want to see these places shut down,” he said. “The ones that have been inspected, they found rat feces in the basement. They found other chemicals that are being mixed in with the marijuana. You don’t know what you’re getting. You’re not getting it from a safe supplier.”

Rajkumar’s office estimates there are about 1,500 illegal shops in New York City alone. Previous estimates cited by Council Member Lyn Schulman this past summer put that number much higher, at 8,000. Mayor Eric Adams has claimed that if Rajkumar’s legislation is enacted, the city could shut down every illegal shop in 30 days.

“The state budget is due on April 1. That’s five and a half weeks from today. On April 1, I don’t want to be standing here saying ‘April Fools,’” Rajumar said. “I want to be standing here saying ‘we have put the SMOKEOUT Act in the state budget.’”

New Healthcare High School Coming to Queens: Northwell School Admissions Will Not Be Screened, Will Prioritize Queens Residents

glendaleregstg on February 22, 2024

By Celia Bernhardt | cbernhardt@queensledger.com 

Rendering of what Northwell School of Health Sciences will look like. Courtesy of School Construction Authority

A new kind of high school is coming to Queens.

Northwell Health and New York City Public Schools announced on Feb. 14 that they plan to collaborate on a first-of-its-kind school designed to prepare students for well-paying jobs in the healthcare field — the Northwell School of Health Sciences. The school is slated to open on Northern Boulevard in Woodside in September 2024.

The high school’s admission process will prioritize Queens residents, and will not use screened admissions, according to a DOE spokesperson.

Supported by a $2.49 million investment from former mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Bloomberg Philanthropies, the school will serve about 900 students at full capacity. Its curriculum will be co-developed by Northwell and the NYC Public Schools, and is set to include specialized healthcare coursework, work-based learning opportunities, industry-standard training facilities, career mentorship, and opportunities to earn industry certifications and credentials alongside more traditional academic offerings. Freshman and sophomores will have access to job-shadowing programs, while upperclassmen will have the opportunity to complete paid clinical internships.

Students will be able to specialize in either nursing, diagnostic medicine, physical therapy, or behavioral health. A press release from Northwell stated that these paths were selected based on “the availability of entry-level salaries that either offer a living wage or are a clear steppingstone to living wage positions,” as well as the projected workforce needs in New York’s healthcare industry. The idea is to graduate students directly into high-demand, family-sustaining jobs, while also creating a talent pipeline to address healthcare workforce shortages—New York is expected to face a shortage of 40,000 nurses by 2030, according to Northwell, and the healthcare sector accounts for 20% of the city’s ecnooomy.

The new  Woodside school is one of ten that Bloomberg plans to open in urban and rural areas throughout the nation. A $250 million initiative overall, the organization is set to launch healthcare career-training high schools in Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, Durham, Houston, Nashville, Philadelphia, Demopolis, and Northeast Texas. The schools should seat approximately 6,000 students all together.

“For too long, our education system has failed to prepare students for good jobs in high-growth industries,” said Bloomberg. “By combining classroom learning with hands-on experience, these specialized health-care high schools will prepare students for careers with opportunities for growth and advancement. America needs more health care workers, and we need a stronger, larger middle-class — and this is a way to help accomplish both goals.”

3-Alarm Maspeth Fire Injures Seven

glendaleregstg on February 22, 2024

By Celia Bernhardt | cbernhardt@queensledger.com

A three-alarm fire broke out in Maspeth on Monday, displacing families from a two-story residential building on 60th Rd between Mt. Olivet Crescent and Fresh Pond Road.

The FDNY received the call at 11:52 a.m. The blaze spread from its source to a connected home, doing major damage to both properties. It took a crew of 140 about an hour and a half to get the blaze under control.

A mother and two children were briefly trapped in one of the homes before being rescued by firefighters.

Five residents and two firefighters sustained minor injuries, including one firefighter who fell into the basement of the house as the floor partially collapsed. All were sent to local hospitals for evaluation as a precaution except one resident, who refused medical attention.

The Red Cross was on the scene, as well as Assemblyman Juan Ardila, the NYPD, and other agencies.

Credit: Celia Bernhardt

FDNY Deputy Chief of the 14th Division Mark Cuccurullo said that lithium-ion batteries were present on the scene, but had been kept in the backyard, outside of the home. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

“Fire Marshals haven’t determined the cause of it. They’ve ruled out that it was a lithium battery,” Cuccurullo said.

He explained that the investigation would involve draining the basement of excess water used to quell the flames before determining the source of the fire.

15-year-old Brianna Paguay, who lives close to the impacted homes, said her aunt was among those who lived in the building.

“She’s kind of sad, crying, because of her stuff. We had money in there also, like over $50,000 in cash,” Paguay said. “And all of that got burnt down. All of the clothing, shoes, all of that.”

Interim Chief Executive Officer for the Greater New York Red Cross Celena Sarillo said that her team was working on identifying people’s needs.

“We’ll be able to help them with a place to stay, possibly some other types of financial assistance, you know, some comfort kits that just have the basic needs — people that clearly ran out of the home have absolutely nothing and left with nothing. So just trying to even give them their toothbrush, soap, you know, so other things that they might need for the few days ahead of them,” Sarillo said. “It is usually immediate, temporary assistance. We hope to at least be able to give people that first or second day of help until they can find a long term housing solution.”

Credit: Celia Bernhardt

Paguay said her aunt had only lived in the house for a couple months after moving from further East in the borough. “Now she has to look for a new place…She moved over here because she thought, ‘Nice neighborhood,” Paguay said. “Material is material, you can get new clothing and stuff like that. But it’s just the money we had there, it’s a bunch of money and it’s all gone. It’s their savings from their hard work.”

35-year-old Esthefanie Giordano, who lives a block away from the impacted houses, said she made sure to touch base with some of the families impacted by the fire.

“I’m just connecting with them because they are Latin, as I am as well. They didn’t speak English — at least this family doesn’t. So I just wanted to connect them with a bunch of resources.”

Giordano told the Queens Ledger over email that Assemblyman Juan Ardila had created a WhatsApp group with the affected families, and advised those interested in donating to contact him.

A GoFundMe for one affected family, the Pazminos, had collected $3,190 out of its $50,000 goal at press time.

“I think the community— I think we’re in need of another fire workshop,” Giordano said. “These are old houses, so they tend to be very flammable.”

“Always keep a lookout, you know, you never know when you could come of use and of assistance to others,” she added. “This can happen to literally anyone and everyone.”

Update: A new GoFundMe was created by Esperanza de Vida Church to provide support to all families affected. As of Thursday, Feb. 22, $1,390 of its’ $50,000 goal was raised.

POL POSITION: Drugged Driving Battle Heating Up

glendaleregstg on February 15, 2024

While we visited the State Capital Monday, we were greeted with unexpected Senate passion for a few legislative initiatives we see as important. First; The Drugged Driving Bill is picking up steam. Senator Mannion and Woodhaven’s native son Senator Joe Addabbo are fighting to get this bill into law. It would essentially make it illegal to drive impaired on marijuana.

What, you say?

It’s not illegal now?

Nope.

The State’s definition of impairment is tied to alcohol, not drugs.

Crazy, right?

Well there is another side to this. There are those legislators who don’t trust law enforcement, and giving cops any more ability to stop and arrest someone is seen as violating the right to live free.

Hey, we’re all about being voluntarily impaired. But stay home!

Second, we were impressed to see Woodside’s freshman Assemblyman, Steven Raga speak about, and sign on to a bill that supports community media. QPTV, BRIC and Bronx Net happened to be up on Albany getting talking on what they see as a change that could put them out of business in 5-years. Cable companies have funded their existence since the mid 80’s. Their multiple cable TV channels are basically the only place for people to find out what is going on at their local library, the many cultural places in the boroughs and even community board meeting listings.

Readers can find them in our papers too, but community media like public access TV is essential to fund. ‘Cord Cutting’ has led to a lack of funding and while other states have had an excise tax (one which can not be passed along to the consumer) on streaming services we have none. Part of that tax goes to public access networks.

Public Access broadcast agencies operate programs that teach regular people to use professional video equipment to produce videos for a public need. Those videos are used on their channels. One producer, Dr. JJ Abularrage, is a doctor out of NY Presbyterian Queens. He spoke quite passionately about how his work as a producer with QPTV was essential for his passion on doctor/patient relationship. “I could not have set up these learning videos for the doctors at my hospital without QPTV,” he said. “I know it saved lives.”

“I love BRIC,” said Greenpoint Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher. “Community media is essential.”

Glad to see the support of a bunch of other Senators and Assembly members who spoke about their support at the press conference on the 4th floor of the Senate area.

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