woodside herald 1 15 16

To Advertise E-mail [email protected] or call 718-729-3772

FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2016 THE WOODSIDE HERALD PAGE 1

VOL. 83, NO. 3 WOODSIDE, L.I.C., N.Y. FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2016 FREE

SERVING SUNNYSIDE-WOODSIDE AND LONG ISLAND CITY

(continued on page 8)

Mayor de Blasio and theState Courts announced“Project Fast Track,” a strat-egy to drive down the re-maining gun violence in NewYork City through a targeted,system-wide focus on thelimited number of individu-als driving gun violence.

Key features of this strat-egy include a new Gun Vio-lence Suppression Division tointensify the NYPD’s capac-ity to investigate shootings,gangs and illegal guns, anddedicated judges who willrapidly resolve illegal guncases within six months.

“New Yorkers in everyneighborhood in this city areunited in their desire for safestreets,” said Mayor Bill deBlasio. “To the few individu-als responsible for New YorkCity’s remaining gun vio-lence, our message is clear:you will be found and youwill be quickly prosecutedto the full extent of the law.”

Quickly apprehendingand swiftly sentencing theriskiest individuals is notsomething that any one partof the criminal justice sys-tem can do alone. Today’sannouncement representsthe first time in New YorkCity history that the Mayor,law enforcement, and thecourt system have an-nounced a unified plan toconcentrate resources on thefew street crews and gangsthat drive the City’s remain-

ing violent crime. The Mayormade this announcement inpartnership with NYPDCommissioner WilliamBratton; New York StateChief Administrative JudgeLawrence Marks; RichardAborn, President of the Citi-zens Crime Commission; theCity’s five DistrictAttorney’s offices; the Spe-cial Narcotics Prosecutor;the United States Attorneysfrom the Southern and East-ern Districts; New York At-torney General EricSchneiderman; and the Spe-cial Agent in Charge of theBureau of Alcohol, Tobaccoand Firearms, to announceProject Fast Track.

The strategies an-nounced include:

ENHANCINGINTELLIGENCE-

DRIVEN POLICINGNew Gun Violence Sup-

pression Division within theNYPD. A new division with200 NYPD personnel withinthe NYPD will focus on po-lice investigations related toillegal firearms, as well asshootings and gangs. Thisdivision will house enforce-ment efforts related to ille-gal gun sales, an extensivedatabase that will aggregateforensic evidence from avariety of sources and helpthe police to track trends andidentify offenders andgroups, and long-term inves-tigations into the 15 precincts

with the highest concentra-tion of gun violence.

Expanded investigationsinto interstate gun traffick-ing. Detectives and analystsfrom the NYPD will expandon its success with the NewYork Attorney General’sOrganized Crime Task Force(OCTF), which has success-fully investigated and pros-ecuted some of the largestmultistate gun traffickingnetworks in northeast. TheNYPD gang unit, along withthe Attorney General’s of-fice, will work with the FBIand the Federal Bureau ofAlcohol, Tobacco, and Fire-arms (ATF) to share, coor-dinate, and develop intelli-gence and investigative leadsto better identify illegal guntrafficking networks.

ENSURING AG-GRESSIVE PROSECU-

TION OF ILLEGALGUN CASES

Dedicated police officerfor duration of every illegalgun case. For the first time inNew York City history, theNYPD will assign a dedi-cated officer to each gun casefrom start to finish. Theseofficers, assigned to the newGun Violence SuppressionDivision, will work closelywith prosecutors to aggre-gate all relevant intelligenceand expedite support for eachcase. Previously, the NYPDdid not have individual of-ficers or a division dedicated

explicitly to building strongcriminal cases against ille-gal gun possessors.

Feedback loop betweenprosecutors and police. Toensure that illegal gun pros-ecutions are successful, theNYPD’s dedicated officerswill track illegal gun caseoutcomes, obtain feedbackfrom District Attorneys’ of-ficers about why cases suc-ceeded or failed, and utilizethis feedback to improveevidence gathering and in-form police training. Thisnew analysis and trainingwill further enhance theNYPD’s ability to providesupport for illegal gun cases.Expedited prosecution of il-legal gun cases. Prosecutorsfrom each DistrictAttorney’s office will workwith the NYPD to enhanceand expedite the prosecu-tion of illegal gun cases.

Expanded capacity toquickly test DNA in guncases. The Administration isfunding an additional $2million a year for the Officeof the Chief Medical Exam-iner – including 21 new staff– dedicated to quickly test-ing DNA from all gunsswabbed for DNA by theNYPD. It will be reflected inthe Mayor’s FY17 Prelimi-nary Budget. Strategic co-operation with federal lawenforcement. The new GunViolence Suppression Divi-sion will continue the

NYPD’s strong relationshipwith federal law enforce-ment partners, ensuring thatfederal racketeering and gunlaws are used, where appro-priate, against the groups andindividuals driving crime inNew York City. The U.S.Attorney’s offices from theSouthern and Eastern Dis-tricts of New York haveworked with the NYPD todismantle numerous neigh-borhood-based gangs re-sponsible for countless mur-ders and other violent crimesthroughout the city, includ-ing the Southern District’sconviction of 151 membersof the Trinitarios Gang oncharges including 11 mur-ders and dozens of attemptedmurders, and the EasternDistrict’s prosecution of vio-lent crimes committed by theBloods gang and membersof MS-13.

FAST-TRACKINGILLEGAL GUN CASES

THROUGH THECOURT SYSTEMDedicated judicial teams

to handle illegal gun cases.Beginning in Brooklyn, thecounty will have a dedicatedcourt tasked with process-ing illegal gun cases quickly.For the first time, the courtsystem will match JudicialHearing Officers with des-ignated trial judges who willwork together as a team toadjudicate all cases charg-ing unlawful gun possession.

Brooklyn’s court will beclosely evaluated to deter-mine effectiveness beforedeciding whether to expanddedicated judicial teams toother boroughs.

Expedited adjudicationof gun cases. If a pretrialhearing is required, the Judi-cial Hearing Officer willconduct the hearing and re-port the findings and recom-mendations to one of twodesignated trial judges. Thedesignated trial judge willthen expeditiously eitheradopt or reverse the recom-mendation. If the case is notthen resolved as a result ofthe hearing determination,and no plea is agreed to, thedesignated trial judge willconduct an immediate trial.This team approach will al-low for cases to be fully andfinally resolved within sixmonths of their inceptionwhile ensuring due process.The program in Brooklynwill be evaluated by theCriminal Justice Agency inthe next nine months, withan eye toward expanding toadditional boroughs if theprogram is successful.

SENDING A CON-SISTENT DETER-

RENCE MESSAGE TOSHOOTER NET-

WORKSBroadcasting illegal

gun enforcement over so-cial media.


FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2016THE WOODSIDE HERALDPAGE 2

43-11 Greenpoint Ave., Sunnyside, NY 11104Telephone (718) 729-3772

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSMary Caulfield, Peter A. Ross, Rob MacKay

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERSJoe Gurrado, Robert Flanagan

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Sherilyn Jo Sabba ................................................................. Editor

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(continued on page 5)

Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer took a pledge to be accessible,accountable, and transparent. For the sixth year in a row, he shares hisannual report card with the community. He provides a snapshot of thework his office has accomplished for all New Yorkers on top of anoverview of the major victories achieved for the 26th District in 2015.This is just a glance at some of these things…

MAKING HIS MARKS

-WORKING FOR YOU:THE HEART OF THE OPERATION

The office has successfully assisted 20,821 constituents. No case hasbeen too small for our team to handle and we will continue to field yourconcerns every single day to maintain your quality of life.

-ON THE JOBHe served on 6 committees (Finance, Public Housing, Transporta-

tion, Parks & Recreation and Health) including serving as the Chair ofthe Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations. Last year, as a memberof those committees he led and/or participated in 133 hearings with a 96% attendance record.

-KEEPING YOUR STREETS CLEANSince taking office, the Council Member allocated over $250,000 toward securing additional trash baskets

and street cleaning services, as well as coordinated community clean-ups in Astoria, Dutch Kills, Long IslandCity, Sunnyside and Woodside. In 2015, his office announced the allocation of $30,000 to install additionallarge litter baskets throughout the 26th District. These additional resources will provide neighborhoods andcommercial corridors with the sufficient services they need to keep our communities clean.

- CITYWIDE 6-DAY LIBRARY SERVICE RETURNSThe fight for more funding for our City’s three library systems has always been personal to me. For the

last six years as a Council Member and for 11 years prior to that as a staff member for the Queens Library, theCouncil Member always believed in the importance of having six-day library service. As Chair of theCouncil’s Cultural Affairs and Libraries Committee, he secured $343 million to reinstitute six-day libraryservice, hire hundreds of more librarians and provide more programs and services.

Van Bramer points out “this would not have been possible without you. Your letters, your calls, your rallies,your posts and your emails made the difference. They always do. I also want to thank Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, and my colleagues in the Council for joining me in making the right decision to reestablish our City’spledge of maintaining our local branches to allow more patrons to reap the benefits of these great institutions.”

-BUILDING BETTER SCHOOLSDuring 2015, significant progress was made in expanding the amount of school seats for our students here

in Western Queens. This past fall, PS 361 – the first school to be built in Woodside in 60 years – opened tostudents in Sunnyside and Woodside. The $45 million facility will serve over 470 students and is a milestonein our efforts to provide over 2,600 school seats to our children.



DOCTOR SHORTAGEBILL SURPASSES

100 CO-SPONSORS

CALL FOR 1ST WOMANU.N. SECRETARY GENERAL

Next Leader of the UN MustChampion Gender Equality

Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney(D-NY) is leading 57 Members of theHouse in a call for the next SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations to be awoman who has a strong record of pro-moting global gender equality. Since theUnited Nations inception in 1945, all sec-retaries general have been men.

In a letter to U.N. General AssemblyPresident Mogens Lykketoft, U.S. Am-bassador to the United Nations SamanthaPower, and Security Council PresidentElbio Oscar Rosselli Frieri, the Housemembers define the great impact that awoman with these qualifications as Secre-tary-General would have in building uponthe United Nations’ progress advancingrights of women and girls around the world.

“Over the years, the UN has played acritical role in advancing women’s rights,”the House Members wrote. “It is essentialthat the next Secretary-General of theUnited Nations be a woman who supportsthe full implementation of all existing UNagreements and resolutions that empowerwomen and girls around the world, includ-

ing the 1994 International Conferences onPopulation and Development Programmeof Action in Cairo, the Key Actions for itsimplementation adopted by the UN in 1999,the 1995 Fourth World Conference onWomen’s Declaration and Platform forAction in Beijing, the Sustainable Devel-opment Goals, and the UN Security Coun-cil Resolution 1325 on women, peace andsecurity adopted in 2000.

The letter continues, noting: “The WorldEconomic Forum Global Gender Gap Re-port for 2015 shows we are still a long wayfrom achieving global equality for women.Since 2006, another quarter of a billionwomen have entered the labor force, andyet the annual pay for women only nowequals the amount men were earning tenyears ago. The report also notes that themost progress toward closing the gendergap has been in the political world, butwomen only make up 19 percent of parlia-mentarians and 18 percent of ministers.There is still much more work to be done toachieve global gender equality, and the UNmust continue to help lead the way.”

Bill Expands Current CapOn Medicare-SupportedTraining Slots For Doctors

Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Queens, theBronx), Vice Chair of the DemocraticCaucus, announced his Resident Physi-cian Shortage Reduction Act (H.R. 2124)surpassed a milestone today as over 100bipartisan members of Congress havesigned on to cosponsor the bill. Co-authored by Rep. Charles W. Boustany,Jr. (R-LA), the bill addresses the loom-ing doctor shortage by expanding thecurrent cap on the number of Medicare-supported residency training slots fordoctors, helping to ensure teaching hos-pitals can meet the growing demands formore physicians.

“A doctor shortage is something wejust can’t ignore,” said Rep. Crowley.“Completing a residency in a chosenspecialty is required to become a li-censed doctor, yet each year, more andmore qualified medical school gradu-ates find that there are no residencypositions available for them. This bottle-neck means that no matter how manyqualified, talented would-be doctorsgraduate medical school, many will le-gally be unable to complete their train-ing and go on to care for patients. Takingaction to increase the number of resi-dency slots will enable us to continuedeveloping the highly-trained physicianworkforce our nation needs.”

According to the Association ofAmerican Medical Colleges, the U.S. is

expected to face a stunning shortage ofas many as 90,000 doctors by 2025,including shortages in both primary andspecialty care. Medical school enroll-ment is growing, yet the number ofresidency positions is still subject to anoutdated cap, meaning that these medi-cal school graduates will have no placeto finish their required training.

The Crowley-Boustany legislationwould increase the number of Medi-care-supported hospital residency posi-tions by 15,000 (3,000 slots per year,over five years), bringing the total num-ber of slots available to approximately102,000. The legislation also places anemphasis on expanding residency slotsin primary care and other specialtiesnecessary to meet the needs of a grow-ing civilian and veteran population.

Crowley first introduced the Resi-dent Physician Shortage Reduction Actin 2009 and again in subsequent Con-gresses. The bill was reintroduced in the114th Congress in April 2015.

The legislation is supported by overtwo dozen leading national organizations,including the American Hospital Asso-ciation, American Medical Association,American Osteopathic Association,American Association of Colleges of Os-teopathic Medicine, and Association ofAmerican Medical Colleges, as well asnumerous physician specialty groups.



THIS WINTER WE’RETHINKING SUNSHINE!

CODE BLUE

New Yorkers should call 911if they see someone in need ofmedical assistance, and 311 tohave a HOME-STAT outreachteam engage a homeless individualabout going to a shelter and re-ceiving homelessness services.

A Code Blue Emergency in-cludes the following options forthe homeless:

Shelters: During a Code Blue,homeless adults can access anyshelter location for single indi-viduals. Beds are available sys-tem-wide to accommodate any-one brought in by outreach teamsor walk-ins. Drop-in centers: Alldrop-in centers are open 24 hoursa day when Code Blue proceduresare in effect, taking in as many aspeople as possible for the durationof inclement weather. Drop-in staffalso can make arrangements forhomeless individuals at othercitywide facilities. Safe havens andstabilization beds: Chronicallyhomeless individuals may be trans-ported to these low-threshold hous-ing options, where they may godirectly from the street to a bed.

New Yorkers are also encour-

aged to take the following stepsduring cold weather:

When outdoors, wear warmclothing and cover exposed skin.Use multiple layers to maintainwarmth. Wear a hat, hood, or scarf,as most heat is lost through thehead. Keep fingertips, earlobes andnoses covered if you go outside.Report any loss of heat or hot waterto property managers immediatelyand call 311.If homes lack heat, getto a warm place, if possible, andwear extra layers of dry, loose-fit-ting clothing, hats and gloves tohelp stay warm. Never use a gasstove to heat your home. Never usea kerosene or propane space heater,charcoal or gas grill, or generatorindoors or near the home. If yourbuilding is cold, check on yourneighbors. If you know someonewho is vulnerable and lacking heat,help them get to warm places andnotify the building manager and/orcall 311 to get heat restored. If yousee someone with signs of hypoth-ermia, such as confusion, shiver-ing, slurred speech and drowsiness,call 911 for help and help the personget warm while waiting for help

The River Fund New York is a client choice food pantry and socialservice organization. We serve all of Queens and Brooklyn. Ourpantry serves anywhere between 800-1000 families every Saturday.We’re partnering with Rock and Wrap it Up for their Mardi Brainitiative. Feminine hygiene products are expensive and necessary;and not covered by Food Stamps. Girls/ladies who need food fromour pantry cannot afford feminine products. We, here at The RiverFund will be a drop off site and also a donation site. We’re lookingfor other sites to hold their own Mardi Bra initiatives. Won’t you,your office, your organization, your restaurant please consider beinga drop off site or holding a drive? Donations can be collected thru 2/9 and we will gladly come and pick up the donations sometime afterMardi Gras. We can provide posters and receptacles. Please call krisat 646-552-8165 for more information.

Photo by

Joan Barker

The Fresh Air Fund is morethan just an escape from the city,it’s more than just Fresh Air; it isan opportunity to unlock a child’slimitless potential. Join thousandsof New York City families in thefive boroughs of New York for our140th summer, and sign up yourchild for a Fresh Air experience

“It’s just different to be insuch a wide open space, with lotsof grass and trees. You don’t getthat in the city,” says eleven-year-old Kennedy, of Manhattan.

The Fresh Air Fund, an in-

dependent, not-for-profitagency, provides free, enrich-ing summer experiences andacademic programs for NewYork City children year-round.During the summer, studentsattend five Fresh Air camps inFishkill, NY or visit volunteerhost families along the EastCoast and Ontario, Canada,where they learn about newenvironments and skills thatthey can bring back to theircommunities. When school isin session, Fresh Air students

participate in supported aca-demic programs at camp andin New York City. Since 1877,1.8 million children have par-ticipated in Fresh Air experi-ences, where each day is anexploration of nature and jour-ney of discovery.

For more information on howto sign up your child this sum-mer, please contact The FreshAir Fund at 800-367-0003 or visitThe Fresh Air Fund online atwww.freshair.org to find a regis-tering partner near you.


FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2016 THE WOODSIDE HERALD PAGE 5(continued from page 2)

MAKING HIS MARKS

This past summer construction an on IS 125’s new $50 million annexproject that will house 600 seats and replace the dilapidated trailers witha state-of-the-art facility for students in Sunnyside and Woodside.

P.S. 11 in Woodside is undergoing an expansion that will provide anadditional 350 seats to students in Sunnyside and Woodside in 2017.

In September we expanded the footprint of PS/IS 78 in Long IslandCity to provide hundreds of local children with an outdoor place spaceto exercise. The new $350,000 outdoor playground at the Early Child-hood Center will healthy learning experiences.

-VISION ZEROACCOMPLISHMENTS

Last year, as a result of our City’s Vision Zero initiative, New YorkCity experienced a 12% decrease in traffic fatalities. Here in Queens, inthe 26th District we have continued our work investing millions intoredesigning Queens Boulevard to ease congestion, improve safety andexpand space for pedestrians while implementing and expediting safestreets projects in every neighborhood.

2015 ACCOMPLISHMENTSINCLUDE:

-Council Votes to Strengthen our “Justice For Hit-and-Run Vic-tims Act” - Increases Penalties of up to $20,000 to City’s mostreckless drivers-Expansion of the City’s Speed Camera Program to 130 camerasin local neighborhoods-Traffic Calming Measures Installed along 21st Street-Traffic Light Installed at 51st Street and Skillman Avenue inWoodside-Speed Bump Installed on 47th Avenue by the Big Six in Woodside-Increased Enforcement on Illegal Parking on Northern Boulevard-Increased Enforcement on Reckless Cyclists and Speeding Driv-ers on Queens Boulevard



• LEGAL NOTICE • LEGAL NOTICE • LEGAL NOTICENotice is hereby given that an Order enteredby the Civil Court, Queens County on NOV12, 2015, bearing Index Number NC-000749-15/QU a copy of which may beexamined at the Office of the Clerk, locatedat 89-17 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY11435, grants me (us) the right to: Assumethe name of (First) AARON (Middle) PENG

CHENG (Last) XIE My present name is(First) AARON (Middle) PENG CHENG(Last) ZHENG AKA AARONPENGCHENG ZHENG My present addressis 4061 62nd Street, 1 Fl, Woodside, NY11377-4962 My place of birth isMANHATTAN, NY My date of birth isMay 17, 1997

The “It’s In Queens” column is produced by the Queens Tourism Council with the hopethat readers will enjoy the borough’s wonderful attractions.

IT’S INWESTERNQUEENS!

A member of Gospel music’s royal family performs inFlushing this week. Maybe he’ll attend a new exhibit on the

King of Jazz in Corona while in town. Then again, maybehe’ll participate in a ping pong/art project. Or he might

check out a new documentary on Jackson Heights afterlistening to live music by Cuban rappers, an Irish folk

legend, a jazz pianist, and the Iroquois.Here’s the rundown...

Rigoberto Cardoso

Tel: (718) 457-6334

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INCOME TAX PREPARERBOOKKEEPING SERVICES

Jan. 15, Irish Movie Night: Forget the Multiplex, 7:30pmA collection of 19 performances by Luke Kelly, one of the Emerald Isle’s most

influential folk singers, with contributions from groups like Ralph McTell & TheDubliners. $11 suggested donation/$8 for seniors, students, and the unemployed. NewYork Irish Center, 10-40 Jackson Ave., LIC.

Jan. 15, This Is What It Is, 7pmThis documentary informs on Cuba’s leading hip-hop band, Los Aldeaños. It goes

beyond enthralling performances to take a close, candid look at the realities of daily lifeon the Communist island. The filmmaker will be in attendance. $12. Museum of theMoving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Kaufman Arts District.

Jan. 15-18, In Jackson Heights, times vary(more screenings next week)

This documentary offers a kaleidoscopic, novelistic view of one of the world’s mostethnically diverse neighborhoods. The film shows the daily life—businesses, commu-nity centers, religions, and political, cultural, and social issues. $12. Museum of theMoving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Kaufman Arts District.

Jan. 16, Center of Attention, 4pmVisitors engage with the collection through an hour-long conversation around a

single work of art during this monthly program. This month’s focus is on Heart ofDarkness. $10. Noguchi Museum, 9-01 33rd Rd., LIC.

Jan. 16, Standard Gauge, 1:30pmStandard Gauge presents — in a single continuous close-up — a succession of

pieces of 35mm film that the filmmaker collected for a few years starting in the late1960s. He will be in attendance. $12. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave.,Kaufman Arts District.

Jan. 17, Toponymy, 7pmIn 1974, shortly after Juan Peron’s return to power, Operation Independence created

rigidly designed villages in northern Argentina to thwart guerilla resistance. In this film,Jonathan Perel demonstrates the sinister politics behind this plan with no narration ordialogue. Perel will be in attendance. $12. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35thAve., Kaufman Arts District.

Jan. 17, Opening of Devotion/Destruction:Craft Inheritance, 2pm to 5pm.

On view through March 27, this exhibit features artwork created as a result of formalinvestigations into the materials and methods historically affiliated with craft. Includingglass, wood, clay, paper, yarn, cloth, thread, metal, and mirror, the works transcend theform and function of their craft pedigree through a devotion to, and destruction of,inherited techniques. Dorsky Gallery, 11-03 5th Ave., LIC.

Jan. 17, Long Island City Tour, 1:30pm.This three-hour, small-group walking tour goes through LIC’s thriving arts and

culinary scene. Meet interesting local artists, makers, and entrepreneurs, and enjoyadditional stops for light bites and local microbrews. $65, advance booking required,www.bqetours.com.

BIG GAME DAYCELEBRATIONSON A BUDGET

It’s that time of the year to gear up for theBig Game. But hosting a great football watch-ing party doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

With these helpful money saving tipsfrom the retail experts at Dollar General,you can easily throw a get-together that willscore big with all your friends.

Prep for the Big DayThe secret to a great gathering is prepa-

ration. To reduce the stress, plan early andstock up. Make a list of everything you willneed and slowly purchase items each timeyou run to the store.

For easy clean-up on game day, usethemed paper goods — from plates to cupsand plastic cutlery — and decorate withmatching disposable table cloths. Use gameday décor to add an extra fun atmosphere tothe gathering.

Game Day FareMake your party food memorable

without a lot of effort by offering deli-cious dishes that will keep your guestscoming back for more. Try your hand atcrockpot taco chili with ground beef, red

beans and taco seasoning. Add in yourfavorite chili ingredients like sour cream,hot sauce, cheese and avocado for gueststo customize.

Create a drink station where guests canaccess their favorite beverages throughoutthe game. Stock up on the essentials like ice,soft drinks and a variety of beverages for alltastes. There are many great ways to feedthose hungry fans. Use your imaginationand have fun with it.

Save Like a ProSave on the cost of all party items with

private brand items at a discount retailerlike Dollar General that offers a 100 per-cent satisfaction guarantee. Take advan-tage of extra savings with digital couponoffers on your favorite game day items.They are a great way to save on everydayessentials with a quick download fromyour mobile device or home computer.Check out dg.com/coupons to start down-loading savings.

Enjoy the Big Game this year with con-fidence. Throw a fun celebration with sav-ings in your pocket. (StatePoint)



Gateway Pest ManagementInc. Is Looking To HireLicensed Exterminators

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Be Heard!To submit your

Letters to the Editor:Mail to:

43-11 Greenpoint Ave.Sunnyside, N.Y. 11104

Email them [email protected]

The following letters are the opinionsof its author and not necessarily those

of the Woodside Herald.

Letters To

The Editor

14-Hour ParkingDear Editor,

The Sunnyside Chamber ofCommerce strongly supports StateSenatorπs Michael Gianarisπ callto remove 14-hour parking underthe Queens Boulevard elevated #7line. The current use by commut-ers removes spots for short termparking for shopping and errandsby locals and visitors.

Past President Ira Greenberg

reminds us that as in the past ≠when Majority Leader Jimmy VanBramer was successful in gettingparking duration increased to twohours so that one could shop, dine,or see a professional in Sunnysidewithout getting a fine, and illumi-nation was added as requested byCouncilman Walter McCaffrey ≠our stores and residents benefitted.

The Sunnyside Chamber isproud that we worked to get park-ing in the viaduct long ago. Wenow concur that substantially re-ducing parking duration will be abenefit to Queens businesses andresidents, and visitors who drivehere as a destination, and wethank the Department of Trans-portation for considering thiswelcome change.

Patricia Dorfman, Director,on behalf of the Sunnyside

Chamber of CommerceBoard of Directors, as so

moved by DorothyMorehead, affirmed

unanimouslyJanuary 11, 2016



WOODSIDE YOUTH POWER MULCHING

by David Rosasco

Ongoing advances of the work by theyouth of this community have revealedspecific locations within the area of opera-tions that have posed persistent problemsin mitigating and making lasting improve-ments, and the discouragement of return-ing to them to find disorder is not withoutprecedent, as Edison Salazar, 12th yearstudent at the Youth Leadership Academyand a long-time member of the team ob-serving “I can’t count how many times wehave been to these same places, but, we

come anyway, and, actually we can findother new things to improve while fixingthe problems.”

The youth assembled as they alwayshave on Saturday, January 9 to transit two ofsuch difficult locations. The small hourswere devoted to cleaning 41st Avenue be-tween 70th and 72 Streets, with its manybridges and common areas and the treegrove at 71st Street established by the youth,which always produced many bags of gar-bage, but, as Edison suggested, providedopportunities to add value, with further

mulching of 23 trees using 20 bags of natu-ral cedar mulched procured fromGardenWorld in Flushing, while also re-moving any graffiti which may have ap-peared from the last visit.

After the youth retired from this locationand gathered the remaining material sup-plies, they transited to the north side ofQueens Boulevard near 67th Street whereanother round of mulching of 22 trees withthe remaining 10 bags of mulch occurred, aswell as the necessary cleaning of the sur-rounding road. The tree care work itself was

based on the warmer temperatures whichpermitted such activities.

Having deployed all of their operationalskills, the youth retired for the day havingachieved verifiable improvements and theunity of their members, with SuemayaHusein, 3rd year student at St. John’s Univer-sity and a leader of the work stressing “Thereis always something that could be done tomake these locations better, and as we seekto add value everywhere we go, there isnever a reason to say that there is nothingmore left to do.”

Latter-day Saints MissionariesMichael &Christian

Chelsea Juan

Allison, Joshua& Charlie

Michael, John& Christian

Sisters Bush& Bandeaux

Suemaya Husein

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To enhance the deterrent effect of fast-tracking illegal gun cases, the NYPD willstrategically target social media contentdocumenting illegal gun case outcomes.Research has shown that consistent rein-forcement of the certainty of apprehensionand immediacy of punishment can influ-ence behavior, preventing future violence.

The City, working with the CriminalJustice Agency, will closely evaluateProject Fast Track over the next ninemonths to refine and determine whetherexpansion is appropriate.

New York State has some of the stron-gest gun control laws in the country, andNew York City has added additional regula-tions even more rigorous than State law.These laws, combined with evidence-drivenpolicing, have led to shooting incidents plum-meting by 78 percent over the last two de-cades in New York City. Despite these suc-cesses, New York City still experiences iso-lated shooting spikes concentrated in a fewneighborhoods and largely committed by afew gangs and street crews. This announce-

ment aims to end the remaining gun violencein New York City by adding new deterrenceand apprehension tools targeted toward thelimited number of individuals driving gunviolence in New York City.

Project Fast Track builds upon the suc-cesses of the Brooklyn Gun Court announcedin 2003 by working to appropriately sen-tence defendants in illegal gun cases, withheavier penalties for high risk defendantsand quicker disposition where the evidencedoes not support a charge. The former guncourt successfully focused on ensuring con-sistent penalties for illegal gun cases: withinits first seven months, jail sentences wentup, on average, from 90 days to one yearwith only 4 percent of defendants receivingno jail time, and average case durationdropped from 131 days to 81 days. Despitethe success of this model, the gun court wasended because New York State law changedto mandate consistent penalties. The guncourt announced today will focus on pro-cessing illegal gun cases quickly throughthe court system, which will allow for therapid evaluation of the strength of a case andensure that the narrow category of danger-ous offenders is sentenced swiftly and cer-tainly. Project Fast Track will deploy theeffective strategies used by the 2003 guncourt in Brooklyn, as well as expand uponthe recent progress that Justice Reboot – aCity partnership with the state courts, pros-ecutors, and defenders – has achieved inreducing case delay.

There are currently 203 defendants de-

tained in City jails whose illegal gun casehas been pending for longer than six months;for these cases, the average length of deten-tion is 358.6 days. Resolving these caseswithin six months could safely reduce theaverage daily population in City jails byapproximately 98 inmates.

“The goal of the NYPD’s new Gun Vio-lence Suppression Division and the City’sProject Fast Track is to identify, investigate,arrest and successfully prosecute people withillegal guns. Precision policing – efforts likeour violence reduction task forces, gangtakedowns, and our Summer All Out – hasseen results. But precision policing has to beaccompanied by precision prosecution. Andthat’s what we hope today’s announcementwill achieve,” said Police CommissionerWilliam Bratton.

Queens District Attorney Richard A.Brown said, “One illegal gun on the streets

of our city is one too many. Mayor deBlasio’s plan to strengthen identificationand prosecution of illegal gun cases can onlyfurther enhance our own committed effortsto combat gun violence, prosecute thosewho terrorize communities, and protect in-nocent people from becoming the victims ofgun tragedies.”

“Our city continues to make unprec-edented progress in combating crime andthe Administration and the NYPD’s focuson finding and prosecuting violent crimi-nals has been a central focus in making NewYork City safer,” said Council MajorityLeader Jimmy Van Bramer. “The de BlasioAdministration’s ‘Project Fast Track’ strat-egy will build on the success of keepingNew York City the safest big City in thenation by streamlining the prosecution ofviolent gun criminals and punishing them tothe fullest extent of the law.”

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