This Week's Forum West and South

Students Rally Against Library Cuts

Crowley: Not Enough Support to Block School

Forest Park Carousel Needs Operator

Woodhaven Woman Killed in Hit and Run

Hearing Set on Natural Gas Island Proposal

Seniors Show Gratitude for Troops

Nanny Sentenced in Shaken Baby Assault

Corona Man Accused of Molesting Girl

Ex-Cop Sentenced in Howard Beach Rape

Woman Accused of Spray Painting Trains Across Queens

Crowley: Not Enough Support to Block School

Council Approves DOE's Plan for Maspeth High School

By Conor Greene

In the end, Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley was unable to get the backing of enough of her colleagues to reject the city’s plan to build a 1,100-seat high school in Maspeth.

Crowley (D-Middle Village) maintains that by the time she took office, it was too late to convince the city Department of Education that the former Restaurant Depot property at 57th Avenue and 74th Street isn’t a good location for the school. She also said that despite her efforts, she was unable to get enough fellow council members to vote against it.

City Council voted 38-10 last Thursday to approve the DOE's plan for the school, which will include two separate 500-seat high schools and 100 special education seats. The project is expected to cost about $80 million.

“By opposing the site from day one, the end result would have worked against the community more than this end result does,” she said in an interview Tuesday in her Dry Harbor Road office. “If I opposed this one hundred percent, it would have likely been a citywide school with 1,650 students” as the DOE originally proposed. “At the end of the day, I knew I didn’t have the votes,” she said.

According to Crowley, the project was being pushed by the Bloomberg administration and had the backing of City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. In addition, Crowley said she was unable to gain support from the Council’s Minority Caucus. That group, which has 25 members, felt like Crowley was “getting a sweetheart deal” since the city agree to give priority zoning to students in District 24 and reduce the size of the school.

“I built reasonable expectations so that the DOE could meet the community at least halfway,” said Crowley. “At the end of the day, we did get more than any councilmember has ever gotten in terms of priority zoning… I knew I didn’t have the votes because the Minority Caucus wasn’t with me.”

Many residents testified at hearings over the past year that the site is not appropriate for a school due to the proximity of two existing schools within three blocks. Responding to criticism that she should have opposed a school at the site instead of pushing for it to be zoned for local children, Crowley said the process was too far along by the time she took office to block it.

In the end, the city agreed to give priority to students in District 24, which stretches from Long Island City to Corona and south to Ridgewood, but refused to set aside seats for students in Maspeth. According to Crowley, a student living directly across from the school has just a one-in-twenty chance of being enrolled there under the city’s current plan. “It’s the mayor’s fault the DOE spent a year and a half on this,” said Crowley.

The problem, according to Crowley, was that two-thirds of the council would be needed to quash the project for good. She refuted claims made in an NY1 story that she didn’t explicitly ask her colleagues to vote no. She said she contacted every member of the subcommittee and Land Use Committee and asked the full Council three times to vote no during her speech on the chambers floor.

Ultimately, Crowley says the project was essentially a done deal by the time she took office and said the process had begun during former Councilman Dennis Gallagher’s term. By the time she was elected, the mayor was pushing the plan, making it tough for a “brand new councilmember” to go “against the administration,” which had already committed two years to the project.

“I felt like the mayor and his administration were pushing this onto our community for political reasons,” said Crowley. “He tends to like things done his way and not necessarily in the most democratic way.”

Now, with the proposal apparently moving forward, Crowley has shifted her focus to lessening the impact the school will have on the neighborhood as much as possible. “Now we have to make this work for us,” she said. She plans on working with the Department of Transportation to ensure local buses can handle the influx of extra riders, especially since the Restaurant Depot site isn’t served by subway lines.

“If there needs to be service increases [including additional buses], they will have to meet those demands,” she said, adding that she will allocate discretionary funds to mitigate traffic issues and will continue to push for implementation of the Maspeth Truck Bypass Plan, which would reroute trucks away from Grand Avenue.

Students Rally Against Library Cuts

Weekend Service Threatened by Budget Woes

By Conor Greene

Chanting “No more budget cuts” and “save our libraries,” dozens of second graders from PS 87 rallied in front of the North Forest Park branch of Queens Library on Tuesday to bring attention to huge cuts the system is facing.

With the city and state facing huge budget deficits, Queens Library is facing a $13.9million reduction in its funding. As a result, the majority of branches in Queens will likely be closed on weekends starting July 1. In addition, Queens Library’s staff will have to be reduced by 279 positions, or 24%.

“The weekend is for many people the only time they can use the library,” said James Van Bramer, chief external affairs officer. “This will essentially shut people out from library services.”

About 55 students and their teachers marched along the sidewalk in front of the North Forest Park branch on Metropolitan Avenue in Forest Hills, holding signs urging officials to find a way to fund the libraries. They were joined at the rally by Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), who called access to books and educational materials “one of our nation’s most valuable resources.”

“Cutting library hours, especially on weekends, will significantly diminish the learning experience for students and community members,” said Crowley. “Where will students go after school when their parents are still at work? We need libraries to be open after school so students can do their homework and conduct research.”

The councilwoman told the students, who planned the rally after learning about democracy and the right to protest, that they “were making a difference” and helping residents of all ages by drawing attention to the budget cuts. “I’m so proud of you today and will tell the mayor how important it is to keep the library open… We all need libraries,” she said.

Crowley and Van Bramer noted that it is particularly difficult on residents to have library services cut during such a poor economic climate. “Libraries are also important for adults, especially those looking for job opportunities,” said Crowley.

“For the sake of our kids and our job seekers, the mayor needs to look at all citywide agencies and must first cut wasteful spending rather than cutting out hours for learning.” Van Bramer said the cuts will prevent the library system “from serving the people of Queens the way we need to… That is not something that should be happening in a difficult economic time.”

As the July 1 deadline approaches, Queens Library officials plan to continue spreading word of the impending service cuts. “We’re working hard to advocate the restoration of the funding,” said Van Bramer. However, a problem they are facing is that “people become immune” to the threat of budget cuts and assume it’s just political posturing. “My concern is that people realize this time that it’s for real. We could face some drastic cuts,” he said.

Queens Library serves about 2.2 million residents annually at 62 branches. It also offers services at seven learning centers and two family literacy centers. In 2007, more than 450,000 people attended the free programs offered by the library on a variety of topics.

Forest Park Carousel Needs Operator

By Conor Greene

The carousel in Forest Park will remain shuttered this summer if the city does not find a vendor to run the historic ride, which has operated for the past two decades.

The current contract with New York One, LLC, which has operated the Forest Park Carousel for the past five years, expires on May 26, according to the Parks Department, which did not receive any proposals for a new contract when bids were due in February.

“If we do not receive any bids, the carousel will be closed until we find a new concessionaire,” a department spokeswoman wrote in an e-mail to The Forum. In hopes of attracting a new vendor, Parks put out a second request for proposals on March 16, which is due back on April 20.

According to the city, the Forest Park Carousel contains some of the last surviving creations of master woodcarver Daniel Carl Muller. It was first operated in 1903 in Darcut, Massachusetts before it was taken apart and stored for future use.

A different carousel entertained park goers until it burned down on December 11, 1966. In 1972, when searching for a new carousel, vendor Restaurant Associates found the 1903 carousel designed by Muller in the possession of an architect in Connecticut. After a full restoration, the carousel operated until 1985, when it fell into disrepair and was all but forgotten for three years. It received another meticulous renovation in 1988 and began operating again the following summer.

New York One, LLC also operates the carousels in Central Park and Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The Forest Park Carousel includes 49 horses, a lion, a tiger, a deer and two chariots arranged in three concentric circles. It also contains an original carousel band organ, according to the Parks Department. It is located just inside the park on a small hill near the intersection of Woodhaven Boulevard and Myrtle Avenue.

Woodhaven Woman Killed in Hit and Run

It wasn’t money that motivated 71-year-old Virginia Montalvo — it was boredom and the thought of just siting around the house. Every morning and every night according to friends, family and people around the neighborhood, she would make the rounds through her neighborhood collecting recyclable bottles and cans.

Monday evening at about 10:30 p.m., on a rain slicked Jamaica Avenue and 98th street, Virginia Montalvo crossed the intersection with the usual oversize bundle of collected recyclables in tow. Witness say the driver of a dark cargo van, sped up to make the light striking the woman in the intersection.

Virginia was a native Peruvian arriving here in the United States about six years ago. She shared a house with her husband Mamerto and family about two blocks from the accident scene. The victim was a mother of seven children and ten grandchildren “She didn’t have to do this. She just enjoyed being out,” said Denise Rodriguez who often spoke with Virginia along the avenue.

By Tuesday evening the only evidence of the hit and run was a large electronic NYPD sign informing passersby of the fatal hit and run and asking for anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-577- TIPS.

Outside Peruvian restaurant, El Anzuelo Fino at the corner of 98th Street and Jamaica Avenue, an employee of the restaurant carried three large glass candles to the corner and placed them down on the ground. “I light them for her,” Mariella said. “I saw her everyday at the side of the restaurant. I used to give her all the cans and the bottles.” As she crouched to her knees to light the memorial candles she looked up just shaking her head. “It was so terrible.” Pointing to a short distance off the curb she said, “Her shoes they were there. All the bottles and cans wee all over the street. And she was over there.”

After being struck by the van Virginia was rushed to Jamaica Hospital where she died. Neighbors were shocked and saddened over the tragedy; some were there to witness it. It’s such a shame,” said Juan Martinez. “She was a sweet lady. How could someone just drive off.” Another neighbor on the scene was outraged. “Whoever was driving that van knew they hit somebody. To just drive off like that is unforgivable. I hope the police get the driver very fast.”

Virginia’s son-in-law- Estaban Cobos spoke to reporters through an interpreter. “We all warned her not to go out there alone into the neighborhood, especially at night.” But Virginia Montalvo did not heed the advice of loved ones. Now the family hopes that the driver will come forward.

After detectives interviewed several people that witnessed the accident, they believe the van could have been speeding, and were still trying to gather proof of that theory. Although there was video surveillance from nearby stores, the impact was not visible. Police continue to search for a dark blue or gray cargo style van, but they had not found any videotape from a nearby store showing the impact. The vehicle, possibly a dark blue or gray cargo van, had not been located as of Wednesday afternoon.

Hearing Set on Natural Gas Island Proposal

By Conor Greene

At the urging of Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn and Queens), the United States Coast Guard has agreed to hold a public hearing for city residents on a private company’s proposal to build a liquefied natural gas terminal 17 miles off the Rockaway coast.

The hearing is set for 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 19 at PS 114. Public meetings on the plan have already been held in Long Beach, NY and Eatontown, NJ, so Weiner called on the Coast Guard to go beyond the minimum requirements and ensure that city residents hear from the agencies firsthand.

The Atlantic Sea Island Group has applied for federal permits needed to build the island, which would be at least 60 acres at the surface and more than 110 acres at the ocean floor. Tankers from foreign nations would deliver the liquefied natural gas to the island, where it would be converted to natural gas and transported to consumers through a pipeline.

“This is too important an issue to permit only hearings to the east and west of Rockaway,” wrote Weiner in his letter to the Coast Guard. “If we are going to make an informed decision, my constituents need to hear the proposal details directly from the responsible federal agencies and the Atlantic Sea Island Group.”

The plan is being opposed by some residents and environmentalists who are worried about the impact the project could have on the surrounding area. Aside from the environmental implications, there is concern about the potential for a largescale accident or terrorist attack. “The bottom line is, at the end of the day nobody here benefits from this,” Dan Mundy, Jr. of the Jamaica Bay Eco Watchers told a crowd of nearly 200 residents at a meeting about the proposal last month. “It’s the first step in basically an industrialization of the ocean.”

The Atlantic Sea Island Group has never attempted this type of project in the past, something that further concerns residents. Currently, state governors have the ability to veto these projects, which is why similar proposals for off the California shore and for the Long Island Sound didn’t materialize.

According to people fighting this proposal, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine has supported LNG islands in his Energy Master Plan, but Gov. David Paterson has yet to take a position and still has the ability to nix the Safe Harbor Island proposal.

Seniors Show Gratitude for Troops

Members of the Howard Beach Senior Center spent much of the afternoon of April 2nd creating care packages for our troops fighting abroad. Over the past few months, the center’s members and the community at large donated countless toiletries, sports equipment, snacks, hand-knitted scarves and other items. Last Thursday, the seniors packed up the items into dozens of boxes, which will be shipped to California before they are sent overseas. Rosalie Hawk, administrative assistant at the center, said the response to the drive was “overwhelming.”

The effort began with the donation of dozens of scarves and quickly expanded from there, said Hawk. “We decided we wanted to do something more – I don’t understand how the government doesn’t supply our soldiers,” she said, adding that the seniors really got into the effort. “They think it’s great - anything for the soldiers. You feel like you want to do something but you don’t know what,” she said.

Each box costs about $30 to ship to California, so the center is now focused of raising money to cover that cost. Several local politicians offered to help defray the cost, and Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer (D-Queens), who stopped by the senior center, made a personal donation.

Pheffer, whose life-partner Glenn Riddell’s son is in Iraq, told the seniors that the troops really appreciate receiving the care packages. “Whatever’s in them it is wonderful,” she said. “It means so much to them – the most exciting thing is getting a care package.”

Top: Lou Mascaro, Irene Shlakman, Rose Stanton and Eleanor Martuscello pack up a box of supplies to be sent to troops fighting overseas. Right: Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer helps Tony Gugliucci use old newspapers to protect the contents of a care package.

Nanny Sentenced in Shaken Baby Assault

A Glendale nanny has been sentenced to eight years in prison for assaulting an infant girl in her care. The victim, now nearly four years old, has permanent brain damage.

Alma Calderaro, 35, of 78-37 73rd Place was sentenced last Wednesday by Acting Queens Supreme Court Justice Robert McGann. She was convicted earlier this month of first-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child after violently shaking a baby she was watching three years ago. She had faced up to 25 years in prison.

According to testimony at Calderaro’s trial, the defendant took seven-month-old Fiona Qirjako to the emergency room at St. John’s Queens Hospital on January 11, 2006. The infant was in a non-responsive state and having difficultly breathing when she was taken to the hospital. She was later transferred to Long Island Jewish Hospital where medical personal observed bleeding in the brain and eyes and extensive brain damage – injuries consistent with the non-accidental inflicted trauma of Shaken Baby Syndrome, which occurs when a baby is repeatedly and violently shaken.

At trial, Fiona’s parents testified that their daughter was in perfect health up until the time she was dropped off at Calderaro’s residence. While on the stand, Calderaro testified that the baby was gasping for air and that she shook Fiona in order to revive her. However, medical experts testified that the defendant’s account of how the baby was injured was inconsistent with the nature and severity of the injuries Fiona suffered. The child now has permanent brain damage.

“At the heart of this case lies every parent’s worst nightmare – the person they entrusted to care for their baby instead is responsible for severely injuring their child and robbing her of a normal life,” said District Attorney Richard Brown, who added that Shaken Baby Syndrome is the leading cause of child abuse deaths.

“Its victims are innocent and helpless children, often injured by those charged with protecting them. These tiny victims are often impaired for life or killed. Caregivers of children should heed the important message that these cases unfortunately bring to our attention – never, under any circumstances, shake a baby.”

Corona Man Accused of Molesting Girl

By Conor Greene

A 50-year-old man who works at a Corona preschool has been charged with sexually molesting a 9-year-old girl for whom his wife babysat.

Jose Duran, of 99-18 41st Avenue, who is a custodian at the Therese Cervini Head Start Program on 104th Street, was arrested last week on charges of first-degree sexual abuse, second-degree sexual conduct against a child and endangering the welfare of a child. If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison.

“The defendant is accused of turning a young child’s visits with her babysitter into a terrifying sexual ordeal that not only robbed her of her innocence but will forever soil her childhood memories,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown, who called the charges “very disturbing.”

According to the charges, the defendant sexually abused the girl in his apartment on multiple occasions between November 1, 2008 and this past March 30. District Attorney Brown is now asking anyone with additional information or who believes that they may have been a victim to contact his Special Victims Bureau at (718) 286-6505.

Duran allegedly warned the victim not to tell anyone, and the actions didn’t come to light until the victim told a guidance counselor that she had been sexually abused after attending a puppet show at her school about sexual abuse.

Following Duran’s arrest, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens immediately suspended him, according to a spokeswoman. While the alleged victim doesn’t attend Therese Cervini, the agency’s early childhood administrators are available to address any concerns parents might have.

“Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens takes allegations of sexual abuse against any staff member very seriously,” the spokeswoman said in a statement. “Our primary concern is the safety of the children in our care. Prior to employment, all staff working with or near children must undergo rigorous background checks. Once employed, all staff must take mandated sexual abuse and child abuse training.”

Criminal checks are performed on all staff members and are rechecked every two years. Duran’s last criminal check was completed in January, according to the spokeswoman. He has worked at the program for more than ten years, cleaning the classrooms daily after the children were dismissed.

“Our children were never left unattended,” the spokeswoman said. “Thankfully, there have been no incidents involving our children.”

The program is operated by Catholic Charities Neighborhood Services, Inc., a subsidiary of Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens.

Ex-Cop Sentenced in Howard Beach Rape

DNA Linked Woodside Man to ‘06 Attack

A former NYPD officer has been sentenced to up to 16 years in prison for the 1996 rape of a young woman in her Howard Beach home. The defendant was caught ten years after the attack as the result of a DNA cold hit.

Ronald Murgo, Jr., 38, of 35-09 Crescent Street in Woodside, who was formerly assigned to the 67th Precinct in Brooklyn until he was fired in 1995, had pleaded guilty in January to first-degree rape. Acting Supreme Court Justice Barry Kron imposed an indeterminate sentence of between 8 and 16 years in prison.

According to the charges, Murgo entered the Howard Beach home of the 21-year-old victim through a first-floor rear window at about 3 a.m. on November 6, 1996. Murgo then jumped on the victim’s bed, tied her hands with her own bra, placed a pillow over her head and told her to be quiet before raping her. He then stole jewelry and money from the victim before fleeing out the front door.

The victim immediately called 911 and was treated at a local hospital, where detectives interviewed her and submitted a rape kit for DNA testing. Under the John Doe Indictment Project – a 2003 citywide initiative that uses DNA profiles of unidentified sex criminals to indict them before they are apprehended to prevent the statute of limitations from expiring – a grand jury indicted the defendant as John Doe in 2006.

Murgo, who now works in construction, was fired from the NYPD in 1995 after assaulting a woman in Astoria. Police in that case suspected that Murgo intended to rape the victim after he dragged her to an unlit area. He was connected to the Howard Beach rape after the victim’s DNA was matched to a DNA sample Murgo submitted following a 1998 sexualabuse and child-endangerment conviction.

“The defendant who had escaped justice for nearly a decade has now been punished for his crime,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. “The use of DNA is an important law enforcement tool that proves the old adage, ‘You can run but you can’t hide.’”

Woman Accused of Spray Painting Trains Across Queens

A Sunnyside woman faces up to seven years in prison after being charged with spray painting subway cars throughout Queens over a three-year period.

Danielle Bremner, 27, of 45-50 48th Street has been charged with second-and-third-degree criminal mischief, making graffiti and possession of graffiti instruments.

“According to the charges, the defendant is reportedly well known in the international graffiti community – and to New Yorkers who have had to put up with her ego-driven vandalism of public property, which has cost taxpayers thousands of dollars to clean up,” said District Attorney Richard Brown.

Bremner allegedly spray painted her tags “Erin” and “Dani” and other markings on six subway cars between September 30, 2005 and April 7, 2008, causing more than $6,000 in damages. Specifically, she is accused of twice tagging a number 7 subway car at 111th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, a 7 car at the Main Street station, an A line car at the Broad Channel station and an F line car at Parsons Boulevard.

While authorizing a court-authorized search warrant at the defendant’s residence in July 2008, police recovered more than 450 cans of spray paint, 50 latex gloves, 10 permanent markers, bottles of acid etch, grog ink, shoe polish, a bolt cutter and pair of pliers.

In addition, police found Polaroid photographs of the tag “Dani,” 52 pieces of paper with graffiti drawings, including the tags “Dani” and “Erin,” and several digital photographs from her e-mail account depicting her tags on trains, including one that shows her spray painting her tag on a non-New York City train.

“Graffiti is a symptom of crime and negatively affects the quality of life for all citizens through decreased property values, increased taxes and a financial burden on affected businesses and homes,” said Brown. “City officials and anti-graffiti activists have done a remarkable job over the years in cleaning up New York City’s image as a graffiti-scarred city. We will not allow one individual to mar the beauty of our city or threaten to return us to the days when our transit system and our highways and buildings were covered with graffiti.”

The investigation was conducted by detectives from the Special Investigations Unit of the NYPD’s Transit Division.

This Week's Forum West and South

Mapeth School Vote Expected Thursday

UPDATE: The City Council has approved the DOE's plans to build an 1,100-seat high school in Maspeth. Voting against the plan were Councilmembers Elizabeth Crowley, Tony Avella, Eric Ulrich, James Vacca, Vincent Ignizio, James Oddo, Lewis Fidler, Peter Vallone, Jr., Michael Nelson and Darlene Mealy, according to Crowley's office, which released the following statement after Thursday's vote:

"Let me be clear, I want a school in Maspeth, but I cannot agree with this plan. In an effort to alleviate the traffic and transit concerns raised by the community I asked the Department of Education to compromise on a plan to allow this school to better address the needs and concerns of my community. They did not and as I result I do not support this plan.

As the plan stands now it does not have the approval of the community education council, it does not have the approval of the community board, it does not have the approval of the local civic association. It does not have the full support of local parents. It does not have the support of the local elected officials."


By Conor Greene

City Council is expected to vote today, Thursday, on the Department of Education’s proposal to build an 1,100-seat high school in Maspeth. The plan has been met with stiff opposition from residents who say the area is already too congested and can’t handle another school.

A City Council subcommittee held a hearing Tuesday on the proposal for 1,000 high school seats and 100 special education seats on the site of the former Restaurant Depot at 74th Street and 57th Avenue. Several dozen area residents testified against the proposal, while one Woodside resident spoke in favor of it.

Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley has said she won’t support the plan unless the city zones the school to ensure neighborhood children can attend it. But, while the councilwoman and the DOE have negotiated for weeks over how the school would be zoned, residents testified that a school shouldn’t be built in the area no matter how it is zoned.

Micah Lasher, a DOE executive director, said that the department has made a “number of substantive changes” to the original plan, including reducing it from 1,650 seats. After much back and forth with Crowley (D-Middle Village), the DOE also agreed to give first priority to students in District 24, followed by districts 27 and 28. That zoning would be “narrower than for any other high school in this administration,” said Lasher.

Crowley wants priority to be first given to students attending five neighborhood schools, to ensure that local children can attend if they wish. Under the DOE’s current plan, a child living across the street from the school has just a one-in-twenty chance of getting a spot in the proposed school, according to Crowley’s office.

In a letter to Crowley, Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott stressed that the DOT no longer creates “such narrowly” zoned high schools. “Most practically, it is simply not possible to find sites in every individual neighborhood whose students need more school seats, nor is it fiscally responsible to target school construction dollars so narrowly,” he wrote. “In this case, using the Maspeth site for a locally zoned school would not broadly address an overcrowding issue that exists throughout the borough and would not be fair or responsive to all the parents who deserve more high school seats.”

Under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the DOE has followed a policy of making high schools available to students throughout the city. Zoned high schools “have, historically, contributed to the persistence of a stratified school system and, in turn, an unequal distribution of resources,” wrote Walcott.

However, while the zoning issue has been atresidents who testified Tuesday made it clear they don’t want any school on that site. Many cited two existing schools that are within just three blocks of the Restaurant Depot site and expressed concern over congestion, transportation, parking and crime.

Robert Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Association, said “the SCA was asleep at the wheel when they sited the school.” He said that the two existing schools have already contributed to congestion in the area, including along Grand Avenue and on city buses.

“There are locations where a school won’t work,” and the Restaurant Depot site is one, he argued. “We don’t think this site works as a school. If it’s congested now and has no subway, you can’t site a school there.”

Gary Giordano, district manager of Community Board 5 – which first rejected the plan and then agreed to support it provided a number of stipulations are met – said “there are severe problems in this area with the two existing schools.”

Tony Nunziato, a Maspeth resident and businessman, said this proposal flies in the face of years of work to bring proper planning to the area. “It’s called over-saturation,” he said, adding that the school would be “shoe-horned in the neighborhood, and it doesn’t make any sense.” He feared the impact a third school would have on small businesses along Grand Avenue, where groups of students hangout after dismissal.

Woodside resident Marge Kolb, president of the District 24 PTA Presidents’ Council, was the only person to testify in support of the project. She said it is located centrally within District 24, and to existing high schools. “We need this high school,” she implored. “We need seats in Queens [and] this is a good site… We deserve a shot at a local high school too.”

Roe Dario, president of Communities of Maspeth and Elmhurst Together, stressed that the zoning is not the issue. “The issue is the siting – it’s not who goes to it. It’s where it’s located,” she said, noting that 5,000 trucks go down Grand Avenue daily. “Seniors can’t go shopping on Grand Avenue for half the day because we have this staggered dismissal. I just feel it’s going to be too congested.”

Other residents raised issues including flooding in the area, the 104th Precinct’s response time and lack of on-site parking for teachers. Resident John Kilcommons said that seniors are worried about congestion along Grand Avenue, which is the route to Elmhurst Hospital Center.

Jim O’Kane, president of the Maspeth Chamber of Commerce, said he supports keeping this site for commercial use to prevent losing tax revenue and jobs. “Maspeth has done more than its share of providing sites for schools,” he said.

Manny Caruana of Maspeth wondered why the DOE has “dumped thousands of dollars” into the project before gaining City Council approval. He is worried that the school will actually serve more than 1,100 students once it’s open.

Councilman John Liu (D-Flushing) said that the need for high school seats in Queens is the Restaurant Depot site, which may require the use of eminent domain to acquire. Liu said he has been asking the DOE for years to look into a Flushing site owned by Home Depot that has access to many bus and subway lines.

Liu called the DOE’s site selection process a “half-baked action that will only serve families in a limited capacity.” He said the “credibility of the SCA and DOE is severely undermined.” Liu also attempted to brace against potential backlash if the City Council rejects the proposal, which would mark the first time that happened during Bloomberg’s administration. “It is our job to do so to represent our constituents… If the DOE comes up with a halfbaked plan, don’t lay it on us,” he said.

Councilwoman Helen Sears (D-Jackson Heights) noted the lack of public transportation at the Restaurant Depot site and asked the DOE to look into sites in Jackson Heights “that are far more accessible borough-wide.”

Lasher conceded that “this is certainly not going to be the most accessible school in the city.” Still, “we do believe it is a very good site,” he said. Lasher claimed that rejecting the site and forcing the DOE to start over “will set us back a number of years.”

The DOE dismissed the former St. Saviour’s site near Rust Street in West Maspeth as not being suitable because of its location in an industrial area. On Wednesday, a DOE spokesman said that after two years of dialogue between the city and community about this project, the question is no longer about if the site is appropriate.

Right now, the decision that has to be made is not about the site – that conversation has come and gone,” said William Havemann. “Because the financial outlook is less and less positive, it is unclear if this site is rejected what would happen in the next capital plan. It is very possible another school just wouldn’t be built at all, and kids in Maspeth and District 24 would have to continue to go to high schools in other parts of Queens that already are overcrowded.”

By the end of the hearing, it was clear that the DOE is not willing to budge from its current stance regarding zoning. “We’re not willing to make the concessions it sounds like will be necessary,” said Lasher. “At a certain point you have to say you can spend the $80 million elsewhere. But I guess that decision is in your hands… I implore you not to make history by letting council vote this down.”

However, based on testimony provided on Tuesday, it appears a large portion of Maspeth and other area residents are hoping that Crowley does just that. “It’s going to cost $80 million to build this,” said Angelo Raneri. “Let’s build it where it is accessible.”

City Council was expected to vote on the proposal on Thursday afternoon; check theforumnewsgroup.com for updates.

Councilman: School Opponents Driven by Racism

By Conor Greene

Many in attendance at a City Council hearing on the proposed Maspeth high school were shocked and insulted when Councilman Charles Barron accused the plan’s opponents of trying to “justify segregation” and “keep their high school for their white children.”

The comments came Tuesday during a council sub-committee hearing on the Department of Education request to build an 1,100-seat high school at the former Restaurant Depot site at 74th Street and 57th Avenue. Many residents are against a school on that site due to congestion issues the neighborhood already faces in part due to two existing schools within three blocks.

“I was checking my calendar to see what year we are in,” said Barron, suggesting that the opposition from the residents - none of whom had testified yet - was driven by racism. “Race is an issue whether you like it or not.” He said the residents were trying to “turn back the hands of time” to the 1950s and “justify segregation.”

They “want to keep their high school for their white children,” Barron concluded. He then left the hearing before any residents testified. Neighbors of the proposed site would later tell the committee that they feel that location is inappropriate for a school, regardless of how it is zoned. The residents asked the DOE to look for alternative sites with better public transit access.

Barron expressed his opinion following a discussion between Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley and DOE officials on a range of issues, including her request that students in five local schools be given preference.

During that exchange, Micah Lasher, executive director of DOE’s Office of Public Affairs, said that it is against department policy under Mayor Bloomberg to restrict admissions to certain neighborhoods. Doing so has “historically led to a system of haves and have-nots,” he said. Agreeing to give first priority to students in District 24, followed by districts 27 and 28 was a “difficult compromise” for the DOE to make.

Many residents later said they were insulted by Barron’s comments, which were also disavowed by several of his colleagues, including Helen Sears (D-Jackson Heights), John Liu (D-Flushing) and Robert Jackson (D-Manhattan).

Anthony Nunziato, a neighborhood resident and businessman said he was “offended” by the comments. “It is a disgrace that a man of that [position] would say something like that,” he said.

Nunziato later said the residents are filing a formal complaint with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn demanding that Barron be publicly censured for his comments. “The guy is a racist. If it was a white supremacist who got up there and said that, they would have no problem throwing him out… I was never more offended in my life, and all of us felt that way.”

“Today I had to take offense to someone calling me a racist who knows nothing about my life,” said Bob Doocey of Middle Village.

Several other residents said they were insulted by Barron and invited Barron to visit their community. “ Then maybe, he can get his head out of... the 1950s,” said Manny Caruana. “This man has never been to Maspeth. Shame on you.”

Community Board 5 District Manager Gary Giordano said the problem was one of congestion and zoning, “not a racial issue.”

Sears said that she has “known Maspeth for many years” and “I don’t think I have ever known them to be racist people... We have to be careful we don’t label people because they are fighting for their community… I don’t think there’s any community in Western Queens we can call a segregated community,” Sears said.

John Liu (D-Flushing) said, “I don’t think race should be brought up here... It’s very serious.” He accused the Department of Education for subtly using race as a way to push for the school. “Let’s not inject race into this discussion. It’s the Department of Ed and the SCA that has raised that specter, and I find that despicable.”

Jackson, who is co-chair of the Council’s Black, Latino and Asian Caucus, noted that “obviously many people in the audience were offended by” Barron. “This is not the first time” the Brooklyn councilman made racially-charged accusations, said Jackson. “I respect your community and I respect your opinions,” he told the residents, many of whom boarded a bus on Grand Avenue that morning and waited hours for their three minutes to testify.

This isn’t the first time the project’s supporters have accused its opponents of acting on racist motives. At a prior hearing on the plan, Rosemary Parker said she felt like she was in an “alternate reality” after listening to the plan’s critics. “I’m really sorry I had to be here tonight to take this abuse and be in Archie Bunker’s house,” she said in February.

During Tuesday’s hearing, Woodside resident Marge Kolb, who is president of the District 24 PTA Presidents’ Council and supports the school, also suggested race was a factor and that the residents simply don’t want “outsiders” in their community. “To me, that means something and has resonance,” she said. “The fact is, I have heard people denigrating Corona.”

It also isn’t the first time Barron has made racially-charged comments that some found offensive. A former member of the Black Panther Party, Barron was elected to the City Council in 2001 and represents parts of Brooklyn including Brownsville and East Flatbush. He came under fire in 2002 after telling a crowd of several thousand at a rally calling for slavery reparations, “I want to go up to the closest white person and say, ‘You can’t understand this, it’s a black thing,’ and then slap him, just for my mental health.’”

Crowley said only, “I’m not surprised” when asked her reaction to Barron’s comments following the hearing.

Councilman Charles Barron speaks during Tuesday’s City Council hearing. Several of Barron’s colleagues look on as the councilman claims that opponents of the school plan want to keep minority students out of Maspeth. Many residents said they were offended by the remarks. The Forum Newsgroup/photo by CONOR GREENE

Minor Drop in Crime in 104th Precinct

Trends Discussed at JPCA Meeting

By Conor Greene

Residents at last week’s Juniper Park Civic Association meeting were brought up to date on local crime trends by members of the 104th Precinct. Recent incidents include a street robbery involving a 102-year-old victim and the theft of tires and rims from cars parked overnight on neighborhood streets.

Lt. Jerry Lester kicked off the meeting last Thursday in Our Lady of Hope auditorium in Middle Village by providing residents with statistics comparing the number of major incidents this year compared with the same time last year.

So far, there has been one murder within the confines of the 104th Precinct, when an elderly man was found murdered inside his Ridgewood home. That case has gone unsolved; last year there were no murders at this point.

There have been two rapes so far, compared with six last year. Robberies are down, with 51 this year compared to 64. Felony assaults have declined by two from the 28 reported at this point in 2008, while burglaries have dropped from 102 to 96, said Lester. Grand larceny has dropped by 25 from 110 last year, and while grand larceny auto has risen slightly, from 74 last year to 77 this year.

The lieutenant said that the majority of assaults occurred at night, with many taking place inside or near area bars. “It’s early in the morning, they’re intoxicated and the bottles come out and the knives come out,” he said.

Earlier that day, a 102-year-old woman and her 89-year-old friend were walking down Ridgewood sidewalk when somebody approached them and stole her purse. The woman wasn’t injured, and while detectives are investigating, Lt. Lester said cases involving elderly victims often prove difficult to solve. “At that age, [often] they can’t identify the person,” he said. “We’re hoping that somebody from the community saw something.”

With the warm weather approaching, Lt. Lester urged residents to be on the lookout for graffiti vandals, and to call 911 to report them. He stressed that residents should not call 311 if they see the crime in progress.

The lieutenant also reported that the precinct’s narcotics enforcement team recently carried out several drug busts. Using search warrants, they found at least a pound of marijuana along with prescription drugs and cocaine during a raid in Ridgewood earlier that day, he said. Another search had been executed in the same area just weeks prior. “They do a pretty good job with narcotics [enforcement],” he said.

Updating residents on an ongoing problem, Lt. Lester said there have been three more incidents of tires and rims stolen from cars, usually while parked overnight. “It’s a problem citywide, statewide and countrywide,” he said. Cars targeted are usually 2006 models or newer, and the problem has been ongoing in the Maspeth area for months now. Lt. Lester also reminded residents to never leave any valuables in the car, especially GPS systems and shopping bags.

There have also been several residential burglaries, with the perps often entering through unlocked ground-floor rear windows and doors. “They test it, and if no one is around, they’re going in,” warned Lt. Lester.

A resident asked Lt. Lester about the sudden increase in the number of NYPD helicopters flying low over Maspeth, something others in the audience said also bothers them. “One in the morning, I’m outside looking at a helicopter that says police,” she said. The lieutenant said it might be part of training exercises and promised that the precinct’s Community Affairs Unit would look into it.

Another resident raised another issue that seems to becoming more and more common: individuals going door to door and offering residents a discount on their energy bill. While these people are sometimes employed by a legitimate company, “there is a scam going on,” warned Lt. Lester. He said they often work in pairs, with one distracting the homeowner while the other sneaks away to steal valuables. “I wouldn’t let anyone in my house,” he said. “If you see anyone suspicious, call 911.”

A topic of concern for Robert Holden, president of the JPCA, is the amount of commercial vehicles parked overnight on public streets. The problem has gotten much worse since the precinct lost its midnight patrol, which included an officer dedicated to ticketing offending vehicles. Holden also said there is a dangerous situation beneath the Long Island Expressway, where residents are forced to walk behind a row of trucks, out of view from the street. “It’s a very dangerous situation,” he said.

A Mother's Loss: Unsettled Details Lead to Search for Answers

By Patricia Adams

In an exclusive interview with The Forum, Aaishah Francis, mother of 13-year-old Al-Haarith Atthahabi, expresses her grief and doubts over the events surrounding her sons death from after playing basketball at MS 210 last week.

“He was always here by 2:35. I could be out, but I knew he’d always be there.” On March 11 he wasn’t home at 2:35. He still wasn’t home at 3:00. In an interview with The Forum at her home, Aaishah Francis explained what happened on the day her 13-year-old son, Al-Haarith Atthahabi, didn’t come home from MS 210.

“I was so anxious all morning about him. It’s hard to explain. I wanted to tell him before he left he should come right home after school but I didn’t catch him in time. He was very self-sufficient. If he needed me he would come to ask.”

Aaishah said that by 3 o’clock she was very anxious about why Haarith wasn’t home. The phone rang at, what she says, was about five minutes past three. It was her 12-year-old son, Dihyah. He told her to “come to the school quick, something’s happened to Haarith.”

She ran downstairs to ask a neighbor about babysitting for Haarith’s brother, but the woman had to work. While Aaishah dressed the youngest of her four sons, the phone rang again. “This time it was another child,” she said. It was a friend of Haarith’s, Mark. “He said that I had to come to the school now. That Haarith had collapsed and he was on the ground. I knew it was bad.”

“I ran up to the school. I couldn’t find my key. I just left the doors open and ran with the baby.” When Aaishah got to the schoolyard, she said she remembers a lot of people standing all around. She watched a fire truck pull through at the playground. “I ran through the schoolyard. I screamed for Haarith because I saw my son on the floor. I saw the fireman with a bag. That’s all I saw, they were pumping the bag. And then I think I blacked out.”

She remembers screaming and a teacher asking what school he goes to. “He goes here. He’s at 210 in the eighth grade. What are you talking about? He’s here.” Aaishah says that the woman told her to stay back. “Let them work,” she said referring to emergency personnel. “Stay back over here. Don’t go there. Don’t go over there.”

By this time Dihyoh had come to his mother’s side at the schoolyard. She handed off his younger brother. “I told him to hold the baby,” Aaishah said. “I was flipping because I had never seen my son in my life like that. He’s never had issues in terms of medical conditions. I remember that I said he’s dead. He’s dead. He’s dead.” Aaishah says she will never forget the strength of the feeling she had at that moment.

Later, Aaishah learned that it was Rosalyn Manning, the school’s principal, who she said held her back at the schoolyard. “She said to me “Don’t go over there. They’re working on him. Just pray.” Aaishah said, “Pray? He’s dead. I just wanted to see my dead son. I know it sounds morbid but that’s it. I could tell it wasn’t working on him. All I saw was the air thing. He was not hooked up to anything to put oxygen over his brain to try and stop the brain from being damaged. I watched enough ER for that.”

Aaishah says she doesn’t really know how many emergency personnel were there. “They weren’t going to let me go to the ambulance either but I went past them and just got in.” She asked repeatedly if her son was breathing but Aaishah Francis could get no answers. “The ambulance driver told me if you make a big scene we’re not going to be able to keep you with us. You have to calm down.” But according to the boy’s mother, no one was doing anything. She said she overheard EMT’s say they were waiting for the paramedics. “I said why are we waiting for the paramedics. Then they shocked him once. And we started to drive to the hospital.”

At the hospital, Al-Haarith was taken by a team in one direction, while his mother was moved to a room near the emergency room. “There were people all around again. Traffic cops, school safety, someone the Department of Ed sent down. They were all there and then the doctor came. He told me they could not save my son.”

Since leaving the hospital, Aaishah is troubled by the fact that she feels there are many things unresolved. “The school sent a few people down to the funeral service for my son but I have never really been contacted or spoken to about what actually happened on that day.” There are many questions that remain unanswered about what happened on the basketball court after Al-Haarith first fell to the ground.

According to Rosalyn Allman-Manning, the school’s principal, “As soon as we got the word we ran to the scene with the Automatic External Defibrillator (AED). We heard the fire engines when we got to the schoolyard. At the time a staff member was doing CPR. I was with the mother,” Manning said. “It was a matter of putting the pads on. He was shocked by the fire department.” Manning admitted trying to keep Aaishah away from her son and said that she was following orders of the EMS workers who told her to keep the mother away.

When asked when Ms. Manning expected that Aaishah would be called in to finally discuss the events surrounding the tragic death, Manning responded, “Oh sometime after spring break.” Now Al-Haarith’s mother will have to wait more than three weeks to perhaps get the answers to some of the questions she seeks.

But what Rosalyn Manning could not explain were allegations raised by staff, faculty and students about another disturbing issue that has arisen in the aftermath of the tragedy. In the days following Al-Haarith’s death, a crisis team came to the school in order to counsel children who were experiencing difficulty over the loss of their friend and classmate.

Some teachers had prepared their students by telling them that Al-Haarith had suffered a tragic death but in the end had passed very quickly and with little or no suffering. But according to many at a session held in the school library, there was a quite different account of Al-Haarith’s death by a Department of Education representative.

“This man came in about twenty minutes or so after the session started,” one faculty member said. “He said he was with Security or something at the DOE.” According to the teacher, who refused to speak on the record, the rep told the more than 50-60 kids in the library and at least a dozen teachers that their “friend Al was a real fighter. I was there at the hospital with his mother all night and he really put up a fight.”

One of the teachers also present said she could not believe what she was hearing. “We had just made these kids feel better and this guy comes in and makes them think their friend struggled to live and lost his fight.” And others had comments. Students questioned their teachers as to why they had been told Al died quickly. Any faculty or staff who was in the room and willing to speak all did so anonymously because of a fear of retribution by school administration or the DoE itself.

“To say that happened," said Manning, "is absolutely incredulous. I can’t imagine why anyone would say anything like that." But Manning admits she was not even in the room when the statements allegedly took place.

According to the official death certificate issued, Al-Haarith was pronounced Dead on Arrival (DOA) Jamaica Hospital at 4:11 p.m. There was no fight by Al-Haarith at the hospital. Aaishah explained, “he died of Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD). He was dead before he got there,” said Aaishah, “He did not die in the hospital…he was dead at that school.”

“As a mom my thing was if he was in pain. Did he hurt? I have to explain to my children what happened.”

The cause of death is still listed as pending the autopsy results, however Aaishah says the medical examiner explained it would be listed as natural causes because it was a cardiac incident. She also said she was told at the hospital that his heart had never started again and that he never had a pulse. How could he fight? That boy was out before twenty seconds. His friend told me he clutched his chest, gasped and went right down to the ground.”

As we go to press, The Forum was waiting for a call back from the press office at the Department of Education to identify the man who allegedly fabricated the facts about what occurred at the hospital. A reply is also being sought from the DOE as to why the principal sent a letter home to parents and guardians saying that Al-Haarith died in the hospital.

“I can’t bring my son back. But I can find out if everything that should have been done to save him was done. I have another child in this school. Although this is a rare occurrence, I never want to hear about another mother that has to face the death of their child.”

In the weeks to come The Forum will continue to follow this story with reports and developments. Next week we will examine the differences between the two types of ambulances that respond to 911 calls and how the units dispatched and the response times have been affected, if at all, by the recent loss of ambulance tours with the closure of two Queens hospitals.

Homicide Victim Found in Lindenwood

POLICE BELIEVE MURDER IS DRUG RELATED

By Patricia Adams

On Friday, March 27, 2009 Police Officers Nolie and Fierro assigned to 106 Sector ABC, responded to a radio for an unconscious male in front of 133-24 78 St.

Upon arrival at the scene the officers were approached by Mr. Kester Papist, who left his residence on the same street at about 8 a.m., and discovered the body of a naked black male, approximately 40 years of age, lying face up with a gunshot wound to the head.

The victim was lying between a parked car and a fence. EMS personnel arrived and pronounced the time of death shortly after 8 a.m. A report from the Medical Examiners office later determined the time of death to be somewhere around 7 a.m.

A crime scene was established and a canvass for shell casings and firearms was conducted with no weapons recovered. Police obtained witness information, conducted a canvass for surveillance cameras and recorded all license plates near the scene.The deceased victim was not identified at the time of the incident.

The Crime Scene Unit collected forensic evidence and assisted the Medical Examiner with the removal of the body. An ongoing investigation was in progress to identify the deceased and establish the circumstances of the shooting.

Less than four days later, police believe they have made a connection in the shooting to yet another bullet-riddled body found dumped in Brooklyn. They have raided a Long Island condo owned by former New York Jets defensive star Jonathan Vilma, according to published reports in the Daily News.

Law officials are searching for clues in the double homicide they believe to be a pair of drug related murders. They also said there is no evidence that Vilma is in any way connected with the homicides. According to authorities, Vilma may have allowed a friend or relative to use the condo which the football star vacated in November of 2007.

Police did a canvass for witnesses in the area of the condo, asking other residents if they had heard anything strange like a gunshot or a bang.

On Friday, police found the body of Sekou Sakor, 31, dumped in the Paerdegat Basin of Brooklyn. Sakor’s body was disposed of in the same manner as the unidentified man found in the Lindenwood section. Both men were naked and shot execution style. Detectives believe both shootings were connected to a robbery in the Bronx in which Sakor was robbed at gunpoint of a suitcase full of cocaine.

Residents Upset Over Maspeth Building Rental

Variance was Based on Company's Need for Space

By Conor Greene

Some local civic and community board members are unhappy that a local business is advertising office space for rent, after gaining a variance on the basis the additional room was needed to accommodate its growing business.

In 2004, Aldona Fire Protection was granted a variance by the city Board of Standards and Appeals to build an additional three floors on top of what was a two-story building at 74th Street in Maspeth. Despite the objections of Community Board 5, which voted against the variance, permission for the expansion was granted after Aldona argued it needed the space to consolidate its operations under one roof.

Because of the impact the expansion had on the neighborhood, including the parking situation, Juniper Park Civic Association President Robert Holden was not happy to see that Aldona had hung a large For Rent sign across the building. At a press conference last Friday in front of the building, Holden and Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside) said the problem starts with the BSA.

“Towering over neighboring structures, this building is clearly out of context with the character of the neighborhood,” said Avella, who has long called for either reform or outright abolishment of the BSA. “It is blatantly obvious that BSA incorrectly granted a hardship variance to the owner of this property because they claimed they wanted to expand their fire protection business, yet now they are renting out office space. While shocking, this unfortunately occurs far too frequently throughout the city because BSA fails to take the concerns of the community into account.”

Holden noted that the building is now three stories taller than what is generally allowed under the property’s zoning. He pointed out that the company testified to CB 5, the borough president and the BSA that the space was needed for the business expansion. “Instead, we see that they are renting the building out as office space. What’s wrong with this picture?” said Holden, who is also a CB 5 member.

According to the resolution approving the variance, Aldona is required to gain BSA approval for “any change to the approved plans.” In addition, the company is required to provide for additional off-street parking if the parking conditions in the area worsen as a result of changes in the immediate area. The property, at 54-14 74th Street, is down the block from the former Restaurant Depot site, where the city wants to build a 1,100-seat high school.

“The problem is that developers claim hardships at the BSA in order to build what they want,” said Manny Caruana, a member of CB 5 and the JPCA executive committee. “Afterward, when it becomes obvious that the hardship never existed, the community is left to suffer and the BSA doesn’t do anything because they don’t care.”

A message left with Aldona was not returned by press time. However, the owner was quoted in a published report as saying that the company is considering renting out part of the building because it hasn’t yet been paid for several large contracts. The original plan had called for filing the building with the company’s 20 employees, but the third floor is now being offered for rent to account for the shortfall due to the unpaid contracts.

Avella, who is running for mayor, has been a constant critic of the BSA since taking office in 2002. Since one of the board’s five variance criteria involves the review of alleged financial hardship, Avella introduced a bill last year that would have required one of the BSA members to be a financial analyst with professional qualifications. “It only makes sense to have a member of the board who has the financial background to determine the legitimacy of any such claim by a developer,” said Avella. “Unfortunately, the bill has languished in the City Council.”

JPCA members Robert Holden, Anthony Nunziato and Manny Caruana join Councilman Tony Avella at a press conference in Maspeth last week. The Forum Newsgroup/photo courtesy of CHRISTINA WILKINSON

This Week's Forum West and South

Residents to Fight Natural Gas Storage Island Plan

In Wake of Tragedy, a Push to Prevent Unattended Car Idling

Outrage Over Engine 271 Closing

New Push for Dog Run in Juniper Valley Park

Hearing Held on Ridgewood Theater Landmarking

New Executive Officer for 106th Precinct

Contractor Admits to Underpaying Employees on City Projects

Eleven Charged in Sports Gambling Ring

Residents to Fight Natural Gas Storage Island Plan

Company Wants to Build Off-Shore Island

By Conor Greene

Environmentalists are gearing up to fight a company’s proposal to build a man-made island off the Rockaway coast that would be used to store liquid natural gas delivered by huge tankers. Concerns include environmental and security issues - and some question whether the need for natural gas imports even exists.

The Atlantic Sea Island Group has applied for federal permits needed to build the Safe Harbor Island thirteen miles off the coast. The island would be at least 60 acres at the water surface and more than 110 acres at the ocean floor, containing about 700,000 truckloads of fill – ten times the volume of the Empire State Building. Tankers from nations such as Russia and Iran would deliver the liquid natural gas, which would then be converted to natural gas and transported to consumers through an existing pipeline.

At a joint meeting Tuesday night hosted by the Jamaica Bay Eco Watchers and the Rockaway Park Homeowners/Residents Association, a New Jersey-based group called Clean Ocean Action educated residents about the proposal, and the need for residents in both states to fight it. “This is not a company that appreciates how important the ocean environment is to those who live here,” said Cynthia Zipf of Clean Ocean Action.

The project has also caught the attention of environmental groups in the Rockaways. “This particular project slipped past the radar screen,” said Dan Mundy, Jr. of the Jamaica Bay Eco Watchers. “It’s been a long road to get the ocean back – it’s amazing how much improvement there’s been in the past 20 years.” He added that it was “not by accident” that many residents are now aware of this “stealth project.”

Aside from the environmental implications, some residents and officials are concerned about the potential for a large-scale accident or terrorist attack. “It will create the perfect terrorist target,” said Mundy, Jr. during the meeting, which attracted a large crowd in PS 225 in Rockaway Park. “The bottom line is, at the end of the day nobody here benefits from this. It’s the first step in basically an industrialization of the ocean.”

Zipf echoed the sentiment that we “don’t want to turn our oceans into an industrial park” as she presented a PowerPoint presentation on the proposal. She said the key to fighting it is to “galvanize” residents in both New Jersey and along the South Shore of New York. “We have got to be loud and clear,” she said.

After hearing about these proposals for liquid natural gas docking stations, Clean Ocean Action investigated this type of energy to see if there might be a benefit to U.S residents. “What we came to was the conclusion that LNG is not in any of your interests.” Instead, it will only benefit “big corporations that stand to make millions.”

According to Clean Ocean Action, 97% of the nation’s current need for natural gas comes from sources within North American, with 86% produced within the United States. In addition, two LGN facilities that opened in the Gulf of Mexico off Louisiana and Texas are only operating at 10% capacity because the demand for imported LNG doesn’t exist, said Zipf. “We should be fighting back against becoming addicted to another foreign country” for our energy needs, she added. “We don’t want to go down that road again.”

Congressman Anthony Weiner told the crowd that there is “a lot more we don’t know about this proposal than we know” and said the Coast Guard will hold a public hearing on the proposal before any approvals are granted. “Until we know some of those answers, none of us are in a position to sign off on it,” he said. In order for it to be approved, it must be safe in terms of both security and environment, and must make sense economically. “I have not seen scrap paper one from a non-biased source answering those questions.”

In a statement, Weiner previously vowed to use his seat on the Energy and Commerce Committee “to ensure that New York City residents are not ignored in this process… If we are going to make an informed decision we need to hear from the federal agencies and Atlantic Sea Island Group.”

Company officials were not present at the meeting, and have not responded to several requests seeking comment on the proposal. Howard Bovens, chairman of Atlantic Sea Island Group, told the Daily News that the company would spend at least $700 million in contractor wages for the project, which he claims will result in cheaper energy costs. “We don’t pose a threat to people. We think we bring a lot more benefits to the South Shore than problems,” he said.

The proposal is just one of three being considered for the waters between New Jersey and New York. Exxon previously attempted to get approval to build a floating island in the Long Island Sound, which has never been attempted before, but the governor of Connecticut rejected it. The same plan was also rejected in California. In addition, a company called Excalibur is considering seeking approval for another island off the coast of Asbury Park, New Jersey. In addition, the Atlantic Sea Island Group has never completed this type of project in the past, something that further concerns residents.

Currently, state governors have the ability to veto these types of projects, which is why the proposals for California and the Long Island Sound didn’t materialize. Zipf said that New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine has supported LNG in his Energy Master Plan, but Gov. David Paterson has yet to take a position, and still has the ability to nix the Safe Harbor Island proposal.

For Zipf, the key to fighting this is for residents and officials opposed to all three proposals to band together. “They said we could never end ocean dumping [but] the power of the people won that day,” she said. “We absolutely can do it – it’s just a matter of gearing up for this battle.”