News From City Council Member Eric Ulrich

NYC Council Member Eric Ulrich Celebrates Opening of Rockaway Beach for Summer

Council Member Eric A. Ulrich (R-Queens) joined Parks Department officials, residents and colleagues in government on the boardwalk at Beach 97^th Street in Rockaway on Friday to celebrate the annual opening of the city’s public beaches. After reminders from Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe to stay safe this summer, the officials and residents sampled some of the food available on the boardwalk this summer and tried their hand at beach tennis.

Ulrich said, “As we all know, Rockaway continues to be one of the city’s best kept secrets. It’s a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family, and to enjoy the beach. There are lots of new and exciting amenities this year, and I encourage everyone in Queens to visit this summer and discover the beauty Rockaway has to offer.”

In all, the City boasts 14 miles of beaches that attracted 19 million visitors last year. New this year will be food concessions run by Rockaway Beach Club, LLC, which will serve tacos, po’ boys, arepas, enchiladas, Italian ices and more at snack bars at Beach 86^th, 97^th and 106^th streets. In addition, a mile of new boardwalk is open this year along stretches between Beach 23^rd and Beach 81^st streets.

NYC Council Member Eric Ulrich: Additional Police Presence Needed at Aqueduct

Council Member Eric A. Ulrich (R-Queens) is asking the NYPD to assign additional police officers to the 106th Precinct in advance of the planned September opening of video lottery terminals at Aqueduct Race Track in Ozone Park.

The new racino is expected to draw more than eight million visitors each year, and local residents and Community Board 10 have already expressed concerns about the current staffing levels at the local precinct.

Ulrich said, “In order to keep our streets safe, we are going to need more cops at the 106^th Precinct. My constituents should not have to worry about any rise in crime that might emanate from Aqueduct. We need to do everything we can to guarantee a good quality of life for the neighborhoods surrounding the track. This request is more than reasonable.”

Ulrich had the opportunity to speak directly with Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly during a recent Public Safety Committee hearing and in a May 18 letter to the department. He requested that the new officers be assigned beginning in the new fiscal year so they will have time to acclimate themselves to the area before the racino opens.

In the letter to Commissioner Kelly, Ulrich wrote, “While the new racino is scheduled to open later this summer, many of my constituents are still concerned about the level of police protection the community will receive from the NYPD. Despite the fact that vehicular and foot traffic will increase, it still remains unclear if and when the local precinct will receive additional police personnel. Undoubtedly, more police officers will be needed to patrol the residential neighborhoods surrounding the facility… I believe this request is warranted given the size and scope of the new venue and the necessary planning that will go into maintaining a good quality of life for area residents.”

NYC Council Member Eric Ulrich Statement on Mayor's Plan to Close Engine 294 and Other Fire Companies

Council Member Eric A. Ulrich (R-Queens) released the following statement on the Mayor's plan to close 20 fire companies around the City, including Engine 294:

“The Mayor’s plan to close Engine 294 and other fire companies around the city is downright dangerous. Response times will go up and lives will be put at risk. Woodhaven and Richmond Hill desperately need adequate fire protection and emergency services, especially since many of the homes there are attached, wood-frame structures. We simply cannot balance the budget by putting people in harm’s way. Mark my words - budget cuts like these can be deadly and I will do everything in my power to fight them.”

NYC Council Member Eric Ulrich Co-Sponsors Bill to Prevent Children from Being Exposed to Pornography in Public Libraries Council Members Eric A. Ulrich (R-Queens) and David G. Greenfield (D-Brooklyn) announced bipartisan legislation on Sunday that will protect children at New York City’s public libraries from exposure to Internet pornography. The legislation would make it a misdemeanor criminal offense for any adult to view pornographic materials within 100 feet of a minor in a public library. Ulrich said, “This is a common sense piece of legislation aimed at protecting our children while they spend time at the library. Kids shouldn’t be exposed to sexually explicit content, and taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill for it either. This is a serious concern for many people who don’t want their children subjected to this form of public indecency.” Greenfield said, “I am a strong supporter of our public libraries and the value and rich experiences that they provide to New Yorkers. Part of that experience, however, should not be traumatizing children by exposing them to sexual predators and debasing pornography. Our bipartisan legislation would send an unmistakable message to sexual predators: expose yourself to children and you will go to jail.” The legislation would make viewing pornography within 100 feet of a child a misdemeanor carrying fines of between $1,000 and $10,000 and the possibility of jail time, as determined by a judge. Because the proposed legislation is narrowly tailored to protect children, it is expected to pass any constitutional challenges.

NYC Council Member Eric Ulrich Statement on Mayor’s Proposed Budget

Council Member Eric A. Ulrich (R-Queens) today released the following statement in response to Mayor Bloomberg’s FY 2012 Executive Budget:

Ulrich said, “This is a very difficult budget. Even though years of prudent fiscal planning helped the city weather the recession better than most, cuts still seem inevitable. I’m especially concerned about the impact potential teacher layoffs will have on class size in our schools, and I’m also worried about the proposed firehouse closings. As an alternative, I am encouraging my colleagues to seriously consider some of the recommendations that have already been made by the Independent Budget Office. Rest assured, before the City Council adopts the budget, I will do everything in my power to protect vital services and persuade the Mayor to find money elsewhere.”

Totally Unnecessary Library Anti-Porn Bill Introduced by Jamie Feldmar - Gothamist

Remember how some people are really convinced that kids are watching tons of porn at the library? And how that's not actually the case, like, at all*? Well, turns out a few Councilmen didn't get the message, and they'reintroducing a bill that would make it a misdemeanor to watch porn within 100 feet of a child in a public library.

Council Members David G. Greenfield and Eric Ulrich were spurred to sponsor the bill "to protect minors from sexual predators who are accessing pornography on the Internet in full view of children," after New York's public libraries supposedly "refused to use Internet filters to block pornographic websites from view." But we could have sworn that the library's computers are fitted with privacy screens and do have a filter, one that's so strong it actually sometimes blocks even non-porn websites by accident!

Furthermore, "I have had a number of outraged constituents call me about their children encountering perverts viewing pornography in full view of library patrons," claims Councilman Greenfield. We're still awaiting comment from the Brooklyn libraries, but Queens Library spoksewoman Joanne King says the libraries receive "so few complaints about this issue that it's practically nonexistent," echoing similar feedback made by the NYPL.

What's next, Councilmen? Taking art books off of shelves because they show a bit of nipple? "l am a strong supporter of our public libraries and the value and rich experiences that they provide to New Yorkers," said Councilman Greenfield. "Part of that experience, however, should not be traumatizing children by exposing them to sexual predators and debasing pornography.

*A library spokeswoman tells us that they have gotten "almost zero" complaints about minors using computers to look at porn, "no matter what an anonymous patron says." She further explained that blocked sites make up a whopping .5% of their internet use, and of that .5%, they're not even all porn! Sometimes, for example, art websites with nudity get blocked, because the library's filter is so strong. On top of that, without strictly "monitoring" what people are watching, library staffers keep a close eye on computers in general and, just like the MTA, "if they see something, they'll say something. Minors are not allowed to watch porn in our libraries, period," wrote NYPL Public Relations director Angela Montefinise in a statement.

"We Are One" - Queens Solidarity Rally and March - April 4, 2011 04:00pm to 08:00pm

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Dr. King died in Memphis in April 1968. He was killed standing with sanitation workers who were fighting to form a union to bargain for a better life. They were demanding their dream of dignity, respect, and a pathway to the middle class.


In April 2011, that same dream--and those same rights and freedoms--are under attack in Madison and other state capitols. The American middle class is in danger, threatened by a corporate and political assault on the fundamental belief that if you work hard in this country, you deserve a good job with a decent wage, affordable health care and dignity in retirement.


That's why on April 4th in New York, we will rally to show that WE ARE ONE, from Memphis to Madison and beyond. We will remember Dr. King, rally for the rights of all workers, and march for the middle class.


Join Amalgamated Transit Union 1056, SEIU 32BJ, and South East Queens County Young Democrats, and The Jamaica Branch NAACP as we will meet at the Rallying point at 4:30 pm at the bus depot on Merrick Blvd. across from the Queens Public Library;


We will then March To 89th Ave; Go up 89th Ave; To Parsons Blvd.; To Jamaica Ave. to Grace Episcopal Church.


We will enter the church at approximately 6:00 pm.


Grace Episcopal Church, 155-15 Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica, NY 11432 Rev Darryl F. James


Rev. Darryl F. James and Min. Corey Terry will both preach a word, there will be music as well. This will begin at 6:30 - 8:00/8:30.


Sponsored by: City Councilman Leroy Comrie and a host of South East Queens elected officials.

Sponsored by:
Amalgamated Transit Union
Local 1056

Location:
Jamaica Bus Terminal
Queens, NY
11432

Directions:
89-11 Merrick Blvd btwn 89th and 90th Aves

Queens Library at Flushing to Host "Be The Match" Marrow Registry on March 28th

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Queens Library HealthLink Flushing Cancer Action Council and the New York Blood Center invite healthy adults to give someone a second chance at a healthy life by registering for the BE THE MATCH Marrow Registry. Registration will take place on Monday, March 28, 2011, between 2 and 8 pm at Queens Library at Flushing, 41-17 Main Street and Kissena Boulevard. Registration is quick, safe, painless and free. To sign up, please call Queens Library at Flushing, (718) 661 - 1200, extension 0.

Each day, thousands of people with serious illnesses search for a bone marrow donor to make a life-saving transplant possible. Because tissue types are inherited, patients are most likely to match someone of their own race and ethnicity. Donors representing diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds are needed so that every patient has a second chance at life. A patient's likelihood of having a suitable donor on the Be The Match Registry who is willing and able to donate on their behalf is estimated to range from 66% to 93%, depending on race and ethnicity. Most patients (about 70%) do not find a match in their families. They need your help.

Volunteers need to be between the ages of 18 and 60, be willing to donate to any patient in need and meet the health guidelines. Registration only means that the volunteer will be in a database for possible contact at a later date. You are not committing to donate. For more information about The National Marrow Donor Program, please call 1-800-MARROW-2 or visit BeTheMatch.org.

Queens Library HealthLink is a collaborative initiative of Queens Library, the American Cancer Society, the Queens Cancer Center of Queens Hospital and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. It is a five-year federally funded research project based in Queens Library that will explore the potential to partner with libraries as a vehicle for community health outreach to fight cancer.

Queens Library is an independent, not-for-profit corporation and is not affiliated with any other library. Queens Library serves a population of 2.3 million in the most ethnically diverse county in the U.S. With 23 million items in circulation for FY 2010, the Library has among the highest circulations of any public library system in the world. For more information about programs, services, locations, events and news, visit the Queens Library Web site at www.queenslibrary.org or phone 718-990-0700. Queens Library. Enrich Your Life (r).

Joanne King, Queens Library
89-11 Merrick Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11432
718-990-0704; fax 718-990-5147;
joanne.king@queenslibrary.org

WRBA Holds First Meeting of 2011 Snow Tops Concerns by Lisa Fraser - Leader-Observer

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Resident David Quintana asks representative from Congressman Anthony Weiner's office to communicate to the the Congressman that we need to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan wars at WRBA's first meeting of 2011.

The Woodhaven Residents Block Association held their first meeting of 2011 last Saturday, January 8, at the Woodhaven Richmond Hill Ambulance Corps. Topping concerns: the slow snow removal process on many of the blocks in Woodhaven.

Residents complained of uncleared snow on their respective blocks days after the storm, and one, Maria Concolino, said she noticed that some vendors on Jamaica Avenue and along the side streets didn't bother to shovel the snow to make a walkway for pedestrians.

Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley was on hand to discuss the frustrations residents faced and stated that she would confront the Mayor and sanitation on why the streets were not cleared in a timely fashion.

"When EMS workers cannot get to an emergency because the snow is now plowed, I do not believe that is the fault of the emergency service people," she said.

She informed the residents that a hearing would be held in the borough regarding the snow cleanup at Queens Borough Hall on January 21.

Assemblyman Michael Miller was also present and shared with residents, his experience with the storm – his block in Glendale was not plowed until Wednesday night because of a stuck car that the sanitation crew refused to move.

Edward Wendell, president of the block association, urged residents to become block captains so that they could be the eyes and ears of their block in situations such as the blizzard. Captains will report on to the WRBA what's happening on the block.

"The idea is to prepare ourselves for the next storm, whether it be a snow storm or a rain storm that we had last year ripped down trees," Wendell said. "We need to be able to quickly assess the damage in the neighborhood."

The WRBA would then get in touch with the captain so that in the event that sanitation or a local official contacts them, they know which blocks to hit first, and which trees are down or which blocks are without power. A map outlining the blocks that need a block captain can be found on the association's blog, wrba.wordpress.com.

Another nuisance that has been bothering a few residents in the recent weeks centered around a food truck vendor parked on 85th Street and Jamaica Avenue next to the J train station.

Vamce Barbour, treasurer of the WRBA, pointed out that he recently saw the vendor selling food at 10 p.m. one night. Another resident also reported seeing the vendor a few nights later. Maria Thomson, financial secretary of the WRBA said that he has no right to be parked on a residential street.

"I was able to get him off of Jamaica Avenue after many months," she said. She contacted Crowley's office in hopes to rid the vendor, who sells Mexican food, because he disrupts business on the avenue. She's now aiming to get him off of the residential block.

The next residents association meeting will be held on February 12. The meetings are held on Saturdays now because it is more convenient for residents to attend on the weekend instead of after work on a winter weeknight.

Buffalo Library Director, Bridget Quinn-Carey to Take Job in Queens - The Buffalo News

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Bridget Quinn-Carey’s new job amounts to a big promotion — she will be chief operating officer of Queens Library in New York City.

It also will mark a return to the borough where she earned her degree in library science.

Queens Library made the announcement Wednesday, a day after Quinn-Carey said she would leave as director of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library when her three-year contract ends March 4.

Quinn-Carey, who was recruited for her new job, will leave behind a cash-strapped library system with a $4 million budget gap being covered by a rainy day fund and facing stiff reductions in staff and services. She will join an institution named “Library of the Year” in 2009 by Library Journal magazine.

“Queens Library is one of the premier library systems in the world, known for the quality of its collections, innovative programs that serve a diverse community, world-class facilities and cutting-edge technology,” said Thomas W. Galante, Queens Library’s CEO.

“Ms. Quinn-Carey earned her master’s degree in library science right here in St. John’s University. I am pleased to welcome her back. I know that leveraging her skills, we will continue to enrich lives.”

Quinn-Carey will start her new job April 15, filling a position that has been vacant since last July. The married mother of two plans to commute from her Buffalo-area home.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Queens Library as [chief operating officer],” she said in a statement. “I

look forward to continuing the critical work of developing quality programming, collections and services for the Queens community, and to working with such an esteemed group of library professionals.”

Queens Library serves 2.2 million in a county that claims to be the most ethnically diverse in the United States.

In fiscal year 2008, it had 23 million items in circulation, nearly three times that of the Buffalo & Erie County system. Just three years ago, Quinn- Carey left the Essex Library Association in Essex, Conn., with a circulation of just 56,000 items.

The surprise announcement of her departure follows a much-publicized, four-month funding crisis, in which County Executive Chris Collins had proposed slicing $4 million out of the 37-branch system’s budget despite record use.

Quinn-Carey declined Tuesday to discuss what role, if any, county politics may have played in her decision to leave.

She said the professional opportunity that presented itself was, in the end, too good to pass up.

Rally to Save the Woodhaven Branch of the Queens Borough Public Library from Disastrous Budget Cuts...

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I'm hoping that the NYC Council will be able to convince Mayor Bloomberg that the library system is far too important to face the dreadful budget cuts he has proposed which would force the closure of many libraries around the City...Mayor Bloomberg, We need our libraries...!!

If you haven't signed the petition to save the libraries, please do so now...This is your call to action: join the fight to save our libraries by signing a petition at petitiononline.com/nyclibs/petition.html or calling 311.

Photos by: Manny

Bloomberg Plans Cuts to Libraries by Ilya Marritz - WNYC - News

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As New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the City Council negotiate next year's budget, advocates are raising the alarm about deep cuts to libraries. Mayor Bloomberg's spending plan would reduce aid to libraries by $74 million.

The Queens Borough Public Library says it could close up to 14 branches, and let go of more than 300 employees--about 40 percent of its staff.

The libraries have long been a bargaining chip in budget discussions between mayors and the City Council. But the Council usually manages to soften the fiscal blow, and there haven't been widespread layoffs in libraries since the early 1990s. This year could be different, warns Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, who himself used to work in the Queens library system.

This Tuesday, library workers will rally to protest the proposed cuts, and Van Bramer will hold hearings on library budgets on Friday

Queens Borough Library To Put Its Archives On Net by Robert Pozarycki - Times Newsweekly

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History buffs and researchers will soon be able to look through old books, news articles and photographs in the Queens Borough Public Library’s archives from their own computers as the library is in the process of digitizing their collection.

Thousands of documents and images in Queens Library’s Long Island Division dating back to the 1800s will be scanned and published online in order to be accessed by Internet users all over the world. To mark the effort, the library also announced that it is renaming the Long Island Division as The Archives at Queens Library, a title which the organization stated “better reflect[s] the true scope of the collections.”

For years, students, historians and others seeking to learn more about Queens’ past have had to travel to the Central library in Jamaica to browse the Long Island Division’s trove of primary documents depicting life in Queens County as well as Brooklyn, Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Queens Library has assembled a Digital Assets Team to organize, scan, archive and digitize the collection for publication on the Internet. John Hyslop, digital asset manager for QBPL, observed that while the task before them is great, there are “hundreds of thousands of primary and secondary materials documenting Queens’ social, economic, political and physical history that historians, students and genealogists from around the world want to see.”

“I am very excited because we will be giving our customers what they want: Internet access to the library’s unique and valuable documentation of Queens and Long Island history, which they can see in their homes, schools or offices,” said Hyslop.

According to Queens Library, the first archive to be digitized is the Hal B. Fullerton Photographs, a collection of 399 images taken between 1880 and 1910 which show various scenes around Long Island, including old Long Island Rail Road cars and stations, original automobiles and car races. It is anticipated that the collection will be published online later this year.

Next, the Digital Assets Team will tackle the Queens Library’s own collection of more than 4,300 photographs depicting life in Queens County between 1880 and 1996. The collection includes images of the first Flushing library branch housed in a bungalow at the corner of Main Street and Kissena Boulevard in Flushing, where the more modern, multi-story branch now sits.

Also included in the library’s collection are images of notable politi- cal figures in Queens and New York over the years. One photograph shows then-Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicating the first book bus.

Images provided by the Queens Borough President’s office will also be digitized in the weeks to come, the library noted. The borough president’s collection includes 1,916 images taken between 1898 and 1958, capturing a wide variety of events from major storms to commercial development.

The library also announced that it will digitize documents housed at the Langston Hughes library in Corona as well as music scores at the Central Library.

Among the other materials to be scanned are documents belonging to Wilson and Jane Rantus, an African- American couple who resided in Jamaica between 1834 and 1883. The collection, which contains receipts, bills and letters gathered by the couple over the years, are known to be the only records for an African- American family living on Long Island during that period of time.

For more information on the Queens Library’s archival efforts, visit www.queenslibrary.org.

Meet Your New Members — Jimmy Van Bramer by Chris Bragg - City Hall News

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Diehard Mets Fan and Union Child Heads to Council

On the evening of Nov. 2, Jimmy Van Bramer made one last trip to an apartment building in Sunnyside that he had canvassed frequently during his Council campaign.

In a matter of hours, polls would open in Van Bramer’s general election face-off against an unknown 24-year-old Republican in a heavily Democratic district.

But taking nothing for granted, Van Bramer went for one last round of door-knocking—and upon seeing Van Bramer, a supporter broke into laughter.

“She said, ‘Dude you are hardcore! 8:30 at night, running against a Republican?’” Van Bramer recalled.

A relentless work ethic helped Van Bramer, 40, win a spirited primary over Queens County-backed Deirdre Feerick. He then coasted to a general election victory.

Van Bramer, head of outreach for the Queens Public Library, credits this work ethic to growing up in a large Irish Catholic family in Astoria: the examples set by his mother, who worked at the check-out counter of two different grocery stores, his father, a press operator for the New York Times, and his step-father, a public school custodian.

Van Bramer’s parents were also both active union members, which has given the Working Families Party-backed Van Bramer a strong appreciation for the role unions can play in working peoples’ lives.

“We didn’t grow up with lots of money, but I was aware that the opportunities to pay the rent, or to have health care, were there because we were a union family,” he said.

Those who know Van Bramer say his working class sensibilities also shaped the campaign he ran.

“He didn’t have big-money friends or a lot of personal resources to draw on,” said Brad Usher, a close friend who serves as chief of staff for State Sen. Liz Krueger. “He built his own success through hard work.”

Van Bramer and Danny Dromm broke new ground this year by becoming the first two openly gay Council candidates to win election in Queens. They are part of a circle of gay activists that began taking shape in 1991, when Tom Duane became the first openly gay Council member, in a campaign run by a young Christine Quinn.

In 2001, Van Bramer ran an unsuccessful Council bid against Helen Sears in the neighboring Jackson Heights district. He later moved into the district represented by Eric Gioia, whom he was elected to succeed.

This year, Dromm defeated Sears. But though they blazed a new trail together, Van Bramer and Dromm also have a longstanding political rivalry and a somewhat frosty relationship.

Since they both won election, however, the two have met up several times and have begun to iron out their differences, Van Bramer said.

“What’s important is that we both made it,” Van Bramer said. “We both got to where we wanted and that’s an enormous victory.”

Now that the campaign is over, Van Bramer, a die-hard Mets fan, is also hoping to catch a few games next year after missing all of this season because he was too busy canvassing. At the least, Van Bramer says, this spared him from having to witness to the team’s dreadful season.

During an hour long interview, the normally forthright Van Bramer dodged only a single question: whom he rooted for in a World Series that featured the Yankees and Phillies, the Mets’ two biggest rivals.

“I’m going to take the fifth,” Van Bramer said. “I have some supporters who are Yankees fans.”

Boro Residents Protest Planned $17M Library Cuts by Anna Gustafson - YourNabe.com

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More than 100 borough residents rally against proposed cuts to the Queens Library in Flushing Monday. Photo by Anna Gustafson

More than 100 Queens residents and legislators protested Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposal to cut $17 million in city funding for the Queens Library at a rally Monday afternoon, saying the move would force all borough library branches to shut their doors on weekends and cut back weekday hours.

“With these cuts, every community library would have to close Saturdays and Sundays,” Borough President Helen Marshall said at the rally outside Flushing Library Monday. “These are the days people can go to the library, when they’re not working. Sixteen libraries will go from being open five days to two days. There will be deep reductions in books purchased.”

Marshall was joined by City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D−Middle Village), Queens Civic Congress President Cory Bearak, Queens Library Director Tom Galante, library activist and Community Board 8 member Patricia Dolan and about 100 area residents for the rally that is one of several events the library is holding to launch criticism at the mayor’s proposal.

The elimination of $17 million in funding for Queens Library could force the country’s busiest library system to reduce its workforce by 31 percent and sustain major service cuts, according to James Van Bramer, Queens Library’s chief external affairs officer.

Thousands of borough residents have raised concerns about the cut, and Galante said 85,000 people have signed an online petition calling on the funding to be restored. Galante said library officials plan on delivering the petition to the City Council in a few weeks.

The Council would have to approve the mayor’s proposed budget cuts before they would be implemented.

“I’m here to say no more cuts,” Crowley said to a crowd that frequently broke into chants of “Save our library.”

“People are out of work, and the first place people turn to when they’re out of work is the library,” Crowley added.

Van Bramer said the library has seen about 50,000 people turn to it for rÉsumÉ and job help in the past year.

“We must have libraries open because more people use the libraries when the economy is not good,” said Ethel Chen, president of the Friends of the Flushing Library.

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Chen has helped to collect 10,000 signatures in support of Queens Library in the past couple of months.

“We wouldn’t have anywhere to go after school,” said Flushing resident Madison Freeman, a 10−year−old student from PS 20. “If you don’t want to go to the park, you can come here and learn. It would be really sad if we didn’t have it.”

Marc LaVorgna, a Bloomberg spokesman, said in a previous interview with TimesLedger Newspapers that the city is “still maintaining strong support for the library system, but no entity is immune from having to find ways to be more efficient.”

Youth Service Providers in Queens Hold Press Conference on the Devastating Impact of Budget Cuts...

“BUDGET CUTS HURT YOUTH!”

In support of Richmond Hill Public Library, NY Alliance for Healthcare Reform (AHR) speaks against the devastating proposed budget cuts to essential services in communities across the state. Rafael Gomez Luna and Jocelyn Bueno, outreach committee members of AHR stood in solidarity with a contingency of community-based organizations. The message sent was: "Stop Draconian cuts that will hurt the future of our youth with Fair Share Tax Reform"

Black, Latino, Filipino, and South Asian immigrant youth service providers throughout Queens gathered today at the site of the Queens Library in Richmond Hill to speak out against the massive cuts on youth services. The Queens Library is a place many youth in Queens turn to for homework help, after-school programs, yet the Queens Library stands to face over 18% in state budget cuts that will be augmented by city budget cuts. This will cut the number of hours the Library is open as well as the number of free programs to youth it can provide. Groups spoke about how the youth service cuts will cut off windows of opportunity in their communities.

“The Queens Library is not just a place to keep books but a full-service community center,” said Children’s Librarian Laura Bultman from the Corona Branch. “We provide homework help to kids whose parents don’t speak English. The library is a quiet place for these kids to work if they don’t have a place to do schoolwork at home.”

Chief External Affairs Officer of the Library, James Van Bramer sent a clear message to elected officials in the Capitol: “The Queens Library serves more children in Queens County than any other organization. We implore our friends in Albany to find a more equitable way to avoid these drastic service cuts.”

The Executive Directors of South Asian Youth Action (SAYA) and Filipino-American Human Services, Inc. (FAHSI) were joined by Peter Fontanes of the League of Latin-American Citizens (LULAC) in describing how cuts in library and after-school services will affect their communities.

Fontanes warned of consequences from the Governor’s proposed cuts: “The after-school programs provided by this library open up the minds and spirits of our people. Children and immigrant families are being told that the doors of opportunity will be shut on them. I ask the Mayor and Governor not to budget out families. If our kids don’t have a library and community center to go to, they will end up on the street.”

Community member Buddha Allah had the last word: “Youth service cuts are of concern to me as a grandfather. There is an alternative. The cuts can be avoided by fairly taxing those 3 percent of New Yorkers making more than $250,000 annually. New York State already has a form of progressive taxation because a couple making $30,000 doesn’t pay income taxes. Passing Fair Share Tax Reform will be in keeping with the progressive tax philosophy we already have in New York.”

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Construction at Former Queens County Family Court Building - 89-14 Parsons Boulevard, Jamaica

This is the site of the former Queens Family Court house, also formerly QueensBorough Public Library under construction by Bovis.

The New York City Housing Development Corporation is putting up more than $130,000,000 for the benefit of the Dermot Corporation and the AFL-CIO Building Investment Trust.

The Project will consist of three condominium units in a four unit condominium (the “Condominium”): (i) a residential unit containing the Low Income Rental Apartments, as defined below (the “Low Income Unit”), (ii) a second residential unit containing apartments to be rented initially at market rates (the “Market Rate Rental Apartments”) and the Middle Income Rental Apartments, as defined below (collectively, the “Market/Middle Income Unit”) and (iii) a non-residential unit containing an above grade retail space, a below grade commercial storage
space, parking facilities, and a community facility space (the “Non-Residential Unit”). The fourth condominium unit will be a residential cooperative unit (the “Co-Op Unit”) containing sixty-nine (69) for-sale residential cooperative apartments, initially to be owned and developed by an affiliate of the Mortgagor. The Co-Op Unit, which is located at the Project site, is expected to be separately financed through a construction loan by Citibank, N.A. and through a permanent mortgage loan by the Corporation pursuant to the Corporation’s Affordable Cooperative Housing Program and is not part of the Project. The four condominium units shall be contained in one 12-story building.

The Project will contain a total of 277 apartments (82 studios, 139 one bedrooms and 56 two bedrooms, with one of the 1 bedroom apartments to be occupied by the building superintendent). At least twenty percent (20%) of the total residential apartments in the Project (56 apartments) are required to be made available for occupancy by households whose gross income will not exceed fifty percent (50%) of the area median income for New York City, adjusted for family size (the “Low Income Rental Apartments”). Of these 56 apartments, 9 apartments (at least 15% of such apartments) are required to be made available for occupancy by households whose gross income will not exceed forty percent (40%) of the median income for New York City, adjusted for family size. In addition, at least forty percent (40%) of the total residential apartments in the Project (excluding the superintendent’s apartment) (110 apartments) are required to be made available for occupancy by middle-income households whose gross income will not exceed one hundred and seventy-five percent (175%) of the area median income for New York City, adjusted for family size (the “Middle Income Rental Apartments”).

Posting and Photos by Manny

Rowdy Teens, Break-ins Concern the 106th Pct. by Stephen Geffon - Queens Chronicle

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Members of the 106th Precinct Community Council learned during their meeting last week in Ozone Park that a group of rowdy teenagers has been disturbing the tranquility of the Lefferts branch of the Queens Public Library, located at 103-34 Lefferts Blvd in Richmond Hill.

Their antics, out-of-control behavior and rebellious attitude have frustrated library patrons, area residents told board members. “It’s really getting out of hand,” said a resident who only gave her name as Nicole. The teenagers, she noted, wrestle, block the library entrance and push and shove each other.

Residents also expressed concern about children riding bicycles with speakers blaring loud music, disturbing those trying to read in the library.

But the library isn’t the only place the rowdy teens can be found, Nicole told the board: they are also a problem on Rockaway Boulevard between 124th Street and 127th Street, where they have reportedly broken several store windows.

The commanding officer of the 106th Precinct, Capt. Joseph Courtesis, said the Lefferts library and the 124th Street area are part of the city’s Safe Corridor Program, which provides an additional measure of protection and safety for students as they travel to and from school.

Under the program, the primary streets on which students travel are identified and officers are deployed along them to ensure students’ safe passage.

Courtesis also noted that a police officer is assigned to a post at the Lefferts branch library. But when the precinct is short on personnel, the officer is assigned to 124th Street and Rockaway Boulevard since that location has triple the number of young people and therefore more potential for trouble.

A group of residents from 134th Road between 97th and 99th street in Ozone Park were concerned about suspicious individuals with tools in their back pockets looking in driveways, walking through private properties, looking through garbage cans and ringing doorbells.

One resident noted that in the last two weeks there have been two attempted house break-ins in the area. Another said 134th Road is a quiet block with no through traffic so there should be no reason for any non-resident to be there. The person asked for police presence on the block.

Sgt. Donna Nugent, coordinator of the precinct’s Community Police Unit, said since the attempted break-ins, patrol cars have been directed to include 134th Road in their daily rounds. Nugent told resident that she herself has driven through the block in an unmarked car.

Courtesis asked area residents to aid the precinct by providing any information they have about the person or persons attempting the break-ins. He also told residents to call 911 if they see suspicious individuals. “We’ll arrest them for trespassing,” he said.

$1m in Grants for Libraries Revamp by Lee Landor - Queens Chronicle

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Renovation plans for two branches of the Queens Borough Public Library are in the works, thanks to two hefty grants in the amount of $500,000 each, secured by state Sen. Serphin Maltese (R-Glendale), third from left.

The funding will enable the QBPL to renovate the Ozone Park branch, located at 92-24 Rockaway Blvd., and the Richmond Hill branch, located at 118-14 Hillside Ave., across the street from the former Richmond Hill Republican Club building.

Joining Maltese are, from left, Jimmy Van Bramer, QBPL’s director of Government and Community Relations; QBPL Director Tom Galante; and Maryellen Borello, the Ozone Park branch manager.

One for the Books: Queens Librarian Gets Tresses Axed for Two Good Causes by Chad Smith - NY Daily News

Queens librarian Sueli Zaqem donated hair to charity after losing bet kids wouldn't read 1,000 books. Barcelo for News

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This haircut is one for the books.

A Queens librarian chopped off her long hair and donated it to charity yesterday after the kids in her summer reading program won a bet.

Sueli Zaqem had wagered that the children couldn't finish twice and many books as they did last year - and said she'd cut off her black tresses if proven wrong.

When the youngsters at the Hollis branch read 1,000 books - compared to the 490 they tallied last summer - Zaqem kept her word.

"I was proud," said Zaqem, 48, of South Ozone Park. "I had to live up to my end."

The kids clapped and cheered as she sat in a chair and let a colleague snip off a 13-inch ponytail for Locks of Love, which donates hair to kids made bald by illness.

"She still looks really good," said Campbell Goin, 11, of Queens Village, who read 30 books this summer.

Zaqem said when she first made her pledge at the beginning of the summer, the kids thought she was a "little crazy."

"But after I told them about the cause, they got excited and promised to read more," she said.

"I'm not interested in doing the least amount of work for this job," said Zaqem, who came to New York from her native Brazil roughly 20 years ago

"I'm interested in being a mentor and a role model. Ideally, I want to inspire kids to one day take part in charitable work, too."

Fans of Zaqem - who also organized a talent show and dance competition at the library - weren't surprised by her challenge.

"Sueli has been an asset to this community the second she stepped into his library," said Lorraine Smith, 55, of Queens Village, who brought grandkids Jasmin, 9, and Kaymari, 3, to watch Zaqem's mane come off.

"She is always encouraging kids to read and stressing how crucial it is to keep your mind active," Smith said.

A former model, Zaqem said she's happy with her new look, especially because she knows where her locks are going.

"I don't care that my hair's gone," she said. "I'm just happy knowing that I'm going to make a kid smile when they get this hair."

Addabbo Secures Funds for Junior Tennis League & Richmond Hill Library Ribbon Cutting - Events of August 15th

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Councilman Joe Addabbo paid a visit to the New York Junior Tennis League at Charles Park

City Councilman Joseph Addabbo Jr. visiting the New York Junior Tennis League, to which he recently presented a grant for $5,000, during morning practice at Frank M. Charles Memorial Park on Friday in Howard Beach. He has also secured $1.5 million in funding for youth activities and athletic teams across the district, as well as $11 million for area parks.

Councilman Addabbo enjoyed a lively read with children at the Richmond Hill Library

Later that day, Councilman Joe Addabbo joined with local community leaders to cut the ribbon on the new Richmond Hill Library.

Shown above, from left, are Community Board 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton, Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer, Addabbo, Tom Galante of Queens Library,Assemblyman Rory Lancman and Margaret Finnerty, president of Richmond Hill South Civic Association.

An avid reader and long time supporter of public libraries, the Councilman secured $1.5 million in funding for district libraries.

(photos courtesy of Alexis Grenell)