A copy of the following letter was received by the Gazette. Hon. Lee Sander Executive Director and CEO Metropolitan Transportation Authority 347 Madison Avenue New York, New York 10017 Dear Mr. Sander: The [Metropolitan Transit Authority] MTA recently proposed a fare and toll increase in its financial plan for 2008. As civic groups concerned with decent transit, we write to […]
Zoning Isn’t Going Green
A copy of this letter was received by the Gazette. Hon. Michael Bloomberg Mayor City of New York City Hall New York, NY 10007 Dear Mayor Bloomberg: On Monday night Commissioner [Adrian] Benepe spoke at our meeting of civic presidents from throughout Queens. It was an excellent discussion of issues facing our parks. Commissioner Benepe presented the 1-million tree program […]
DOE Bypasses Community
To The Editor: When the Department of Education [DOE] opened North Queens Community High School in a former parochial school building for students who have failed to function in a regular school environment without informing the community, school officials should not have been surprised that the Kew Gardens Hills community was outraged. According to DOE and its social service partners, […]
China Avoids U.S. Import Tax
To The Editor: We are now faced with the specter of a huge auto plant being built by China in Mexico that will flood the U.S. with 250,000 cars and trucks a year; thereby, further damaging our already fragile automotive industry. By building this plant in Mexico, Chinese producers will enjoy a provision of the North American Free Trade Agreement […]
Homeless Gone From Westway Motel
Responding to complaints made by City Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr. on behalf of his constituents, the Westway Motor Inn in Astoria will no longer be used as a longterm homeless family shelter. Instead, it has been converted into an overnight intake facility for families seeking a permanent shelter. Vallone said last week that after his office had corresponded with the […]
Gioia Honors Hero Cabbie For Aiding In Arrest Of Violent Felon
At about 5 a.m. on Friday, September 28, Adil Aboussalham, who drives a yellow cab for a living, was driving up First Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets in Manhattan when he saw a man beating a woman severely. The assailant hailed Aboussalham’s cab in an attempt to get away as his alleged victim, her face bloodied, stood nearby. Aboussalham […]
Crowley Urges Board 2 To File Storm Damage Claims
Congressmember Joseph Crowley brought a flooding update to the October meeting of Community Board 2, alerting those who hadn’t yet heard about it of the damage the August 8 rainstorm did to the Winfield section of Woodside. He promised it would be explained at length at a meeting in Winfield in the week after Thanksgiving. He spoke about that other […]
Despite Brooklyn Tornado, August Storm Damaged Queens Most
A month after President George W. Bush declared Queens a major disaster area because of severe flood damage from an August 8 storm that brought a tornado touchdown in Brooklyn and Staten Island, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is taking over Disaster Assistance Service Centers set up by the city Office of Emergency Management (OEM) right after the storm. […]
Garden School Holds Merit Scholarship Exam
On Saturday, November 17, more than 100 students will converge on Garden School in Jackson Heights for the school’s annual Merit Scholarship examination. Begun 15 years ago through Garden School’s board of trustees, the Merit Scholars program provides up to four full scholarships to top candidates who take the exam and can be worth as much as $100,000 in Garden […]
5 Outstanding Principals To Be Honored By Time Warner
Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX) Chairman and CEO Dick Parsons will highlight the achievements of five exceptional principals in the New York City school system at a reception and dinner in honor of the recipients of TWC’s inaugural “Principals of Excellence” Awards on Wednesday, October 10 at 5:30 p.m. at Time Warner Conference Center, Manhattan. Chancellor Joel Klein of the […]