Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Activists Meet with Senator Joe Addabbo to Discuss Marriage Equality...

(left-right) Pastor Longan - Trinity Lutheran Church, Middle Village,  Rev Thomas C. Goodhart - Reformed Church in America, Ridgewood,  Monica Siu - Maspeth, Senator Joseph P. Addabbo and David M. Quintana - Ozone Park

On April 26th, activists from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) met with Senator Joe Addabbo at his Howard Beach office to advocate for his support for Marriage Equality when the same sex marriage bill comes before the New York State Senate during this legislative session...All of the HRC activists are constituents in Senator Addabbo's 15th Senate District...


This marked the beginning of HRC's "in district meetings," a series of sit-downs with state senators, in which their constituents will explain to them personally why Marriage Equality is a necessity for New York...


Future HRC events include Post-Carding and 'Stop and Dials' at the Atlas Mall in Glendale.on Friday between 5pm-8pm...

Power Lines Need to be Underground, Pols Say by Michael Cusenza - Queens Chronicle

Read original...

Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, left, and Rep. Anthony Weiner, right, discuss the dangers of overhead power lines with Middle Village residents on Monday. PHOTO BY MICHAEL CUSENZA

Tornadoes and a macroburst tore through parts of Queens on Sept. 16, leaving structural and arboreal damage on a massive scale. Streets and sidewalks in some areas, such as Middle Village, were also littered with tattered, downed power lines, highlighting what some elected officials and residents on Monday called a vulnerability with a clear, long-overdue remedy: putting overhead wires underground.

“It’s time for Con Ed to move us into the 21st century,” said City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), just outside Juniper Valley Park. “Residents were left without electricity for days, while areas with power lines underground did not have to live with that situation.”

Crowley added that the overhead wires in Middle Village are unsightly, and when compromised by any storm, can be extremely dangerous.

“Downed power lines hampered the cleanup,” Crowley reported.

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Queens and Brooklyn) and state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) also signed a letter that Crowley sent to Con Ed President and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Burke back in October asking for the conversion.

“This is a common-sense proposal,” Weiner said on Monday, before noting how overhead lines have been a part of the area’s landscape for more than 100 years. “The time has long passed that we become a modern community in this modern city. The simple fact is Con Ed is trying to do things on the cheap.”

But a spokesman for the utility told the Chronicle that the conversion from overhead to underground is prohibitively expensive: $6 million per mile of line and it would require customers to pay electricians anywhere from $7,000 to $20,000 to complete the switch.

“Outages would be fewer but take 60 percent longer to repair, and there’s a higher maintenance cost,” said Con Ed spokesman Alfonso Quiroz regarding the underground system.

Quiroz went on to say one of the positives of overhead lines is that repairs are made quickly, because engineers can see and access the lines more immediately.

Community Board 5 member John Schell said that area residents are not only concerned about Con Ed power lines.

“When we have a storm, it also interrupts the service of the telephone and cable television,” he noted.

Additionally, Crowley said in the letter that the removal of the overhead grid would benefit commercial districts.

“The upgrade to safe, reliable and sightly power will be a dramatic boost for local small businesses,” she wrote.

Weiner characterized Con Ed as being “comfortable with the status quo.”

“This is not about convenience, it’s also about quality of life,” he said.

Devastation from Tornado in Forest Hills and Middle Village...

I was traveling to North Shore Forest Hills Hospital last Thursday during the tornado and micro-burst that hit Middle Village and Forest Hills hard...It took about 1 hr and 45 mins to get to the hospital and about 2.5 hours to get home to Ozone Park...Trees and power-lines were down everywhere...

Click here to view these pictures larger

Here's a video taken during the storm by a friend, Alex Maureau...




Some stuff from the tornado in Queens New York City on September 16, 2010. It came out of nowhere. Missed some of the action due to trying to get the darn camera ready to record but caught a power pole near my neighbors house sparking. Trees down all over my area and the power went out momentarily.

Video filmed by Alex Maureau

This is a collection of photos from the aftermath of the Middle Village, Glendale Queens tornado that came roaring through in the evening rush hour on September 16, 2010. Thousands were without power and many, many more are still dealing with downed trees and other damage to their homes.

All photos taken and slideshow designed by Alex Maureau.

This is a collection of photos from the aftermath of the Middle Village, Glendale Queens tornado that came roaring through in the evening rush hour on September 16, 2010.

All photos taken and slideshow designed by Alex Maureau.




This is a collection of photos from the aftermath of the Forest Hills, Rego Park Queens tornado that came roaring through in the evening rush hour on September 16, 2010.

All photos taken and slideshow designed by Alex Maureau.

National Weather Service Confirms Tornadoes, Microburst Hit New York City » WireUpdate Local | Local Breaking News | Local Breaking Wire -

Read original...

The National Weather Service on late Friday confirmed that two tornadoes touched down in New York City during a powerful storm that caused widespread damage on Thursday, killing one person and injuring others.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said one of the tornadoes touched down near Park Slope in Brooklyn with maximum wind speeds around 80 miles (129 kilometers) per hour. "The tornado touched down in Park Slope and lifted 2 miles [northeast] of Park Slope," the agency said.

The second tornado touched down about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) south of Flushing in Queens and lifted about one mile (1.6 kilometer) northeast of Bayside. This tornado was slightly stronger with maximum wind speeds of around 100 miles (161 kilometers) per hour.

A woman, identified as Iline Leuakis, was killed when a tree crashed into her car on the Grand Central Parkway in Queens as the tornado hit. "The severity of the storm may have caught us by surprise, but New Yorkers are a resilient people and we will get through this ordeal together," said New York Governor David Paterson.

In addition to the two tornadoes, a microburst hit near Middle Village in Queens. "The path of the microburst was from Middle Village to Forest Hills," the NWS said.

"A microburst is a convective downdraft with an affected outflow area of less than 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) wide and peak winds lasting less than 5 minutes," the agency explained. "Microbursts may induce dangerous horizontal/vertical wind shears which can adversely affect aircraft performance and cause property damage."

The powerful storm left more than 30,000 people - most of them in Queens and Staten island - without power. "This is one of those things that while it may be an act of God it doesn't make it any easier for us," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg as he surveyed storm damage on Thursday. "People are concerned, they have every right to be concerned. The good news is that most people were safe, just annoyed – traffic being bad or a tree coming down in their yard."

Paterson said he requested the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide teams of federal inspectors to determine the extent of damage in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. "As part of the federal disaster process, both the individual boroughs and the State must reach a threshold of damage before any federal assistance can be requested," he added.

Tornadoes are extremely rare in New York City, and Thursday's tornadoes were the first time one record that a tornado caused a fatality in the city. The last time a tornado hit New York City was in July, when a weak tornado swirled through the Bronx.

Prior to that, two tornadoes touched down in Staten Island and Brooklyn on August 8, 2007. Other tornadoes touched down in 2003, 1995, 1990, 1985 and 1974. No other tornadoes were recorded since records began in 1950.

Gas Tanker Strikes, Kills Teen In Queens - NY1.com

Read original...

A 13-year-old boy was killed Monday after being hit by a truck in Queens.

Police say the teen was riding his bike when he was struck by an 18-wheel gas truck at Fresh Pond Road and Eliot Avenue in Middle Village.

He was pronounced dead on arrival at Wykoff Medical Center.

The driver of the truck stayed at the scene.

Middle Village Car Crash Claims Life? by Holly Tsang & Shane Miller - QueensLedger

Read original...

The residential intersection of Juniper Boulevard South and 70th Street was blocked off for hours Friday morning after a car crashed into a tree at approximately 10:30 a.m., killing the driver.

“I was watering the flowers in my yard when I heard a big bang,” said a witness, who was standing about 15 feet from the site of the crash. “It’s a different sound when metal hits wood.”

He noted there are usually four cars parked in front of the tree on any given day, but today for some reason, all the spots were unoccupied.

Details on the cause of the crash were not yet available, as police are still investigating. An officer on the scene estimated that the male victim was in his sixties.

The witness pointed out that there was no collision except with the tree.

“He lost control. Maybe he had an attack or something,” he said.

The force of the impact was so great that the car was completely destroyed, and emergency crews had to cut the victim out of the wreckage. One of the car's headlights was still lying on the sidewalk on 70th Street, about 100 feet from the scene of the accident, hours after the incident.

The witness, who asked that his name not be printed, was surprised that no relatives of the victim had arrived nearly two hours after the accident, admitting that he himself was a little shaken up.

“Every accident is a shock because it’s something you don’t expect, and you try to wish it away, but it happens,” said the witness, adding that he was so close to the site that fluid from the car sprayed the back of his shirt. “If that tree hadn’t been there, I’d be dead.”

Input Sought by NYC DOT on Woodhaven Blvd. by Bryan Yurcan - Queens Chronicle

Read original...


The city Department of Transportation is seeking the public’s comments on improving Woodhaven Boulevard.

The DOT conducted a public input session seeking ideas and concerns on a range of topics, including safety, traffic flow, mass transit, street layout, parking and walking conditions pertaining to Woodhaven Boulevard. The meeting was held at 6:30 p.m. at the Forest Park Cooperative, Section 1, located at 83-55 Woodhaven Blvd.

Residents, business owners, commuters and other local stakeholders attended.

Pedestrian crossing of the boulevard, a major thoroughfare in Rego Park, Middle Village, Glendale and Woodhaven, has long been a contentious issue.

Last month, state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) called for changing the timing of the lights at certain parts of the boulevard to allow pedestrians more time to cross, during a press conference with senior citizen groups.

Seniors and others have complained that there is not enough time allotted to cross Woodhaven Boulevard, which is as wide as 10 lanes in some areas.

The DOT has been studying the problem since 2008.

Read previous postings: Senator Addabbo and Assemblyman Miller Team with AARP to Make Our Streets and Sidewalks Safer

Woodhaven Blvd Unsafe for Pedestrians by Lisa Fogarty - Queens Chronicle

City Finishes $20 Million Sewer Upgrade for Maspeth - Queens Ledger

Read original...


Two years and $20 million later, a flood-prone section of Maspeth has a new sewer system.

The city has finished replacing combined sewers, water mains and catch basins along 54th and Maurice avenues, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Cas Holloway announced June 21.

The infrastructure project, started in August of 2008, targeted the section of 54th Avenue between Maurice Avenue and 58th Street, and Maurice Avenue between 54th and 56th avenues.

It was started in August of 2008, one year after severe flooding hit Maspeth and Middle Village. Since then, civic groups and elected officials have lobbied for a better sewer system.

The upgrade includes 35 new catch basins, 2,692 feet of new combined sewers, and the replacement of 3,392 feet of distribution water mains.

Holloway said it would “substantially reduce flooding in Maspeth, and ensure that the water supply network continues to deliver healthy, great tasting drinking water for years to come.”

The project is part of a larger effort to overhaul aging sewer and water distribution networks in Queens. The DEP has budgeted another $1.7 billion through fiscal year 2014 to carry out the work.

“Investments in our infrastructure make our communities safer, reducing sewage backups and providing our residents with a quality water distribution system they deserve,” said Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer. “The completion of this project marks a great day for Maspeth residents.”

Senator Joe Addabbo Cuts the Ribbon for New Satellite Office in Middle Village...

Read original...

On Saturday, May 8, NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., cut the ribbon for the grand opening of his second, satellite office in Middle Village to better serve the northern part of his 15^th Senate District. The Senator’s family, friends, staff and constituents join NYS Assembly Members Andrew Hevesi, Mike Miller and Audrey Pheffer for the ceremony.

“We’re open to conduct the people’s business in the center of the northern part of my district, five miles from my main Howard Beach District Office. Residents are invited to make appointments to visit with me or my friendly staff to get help with problems, complaints or just to get things done. To make sure my constituents have quality service, my new office has three full-time staffers and one part-time staffer, who is a notary public. We’re open weekdays from 9-5 at 66-85 73rd Place, off the corner of Metropolitan Avenue. I’m delighted to have finally fulfilled a campaign promise I made in 2008 by opening this satellite district office.”

**State Senator & Senate Majority Conference Leader John Sampson also stopped by the office to wish Joe good luck in his new office.

Senator Addabbo's Middle Village Town Hall on May 20: 8pm - 10pm...

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., will host a Community Discussion on Thursday, May 20, from 8 - 10 PM at Our Lady of Hope gym located at 61-21 71^st Street, Middle Village.

Addabbo will discuss issues that are important to his Middle Village constituents: jobs, transportation, Juniper Valley Park, education, public safety, traffic, parking, sanitation, the new voting machines, the 2010-2011 state budget, the 2010 Census, and programs to benefit our veterans and seniors.

The current legislative session in Albany will also be covered during an anticipated lively exchange with the audience. “There are residents who are unable to see me during working hours and have issues they want to have addressed. I want to be there for them,” Addabbo stated.

For further information on the community discussion, please call Senator Addabbo’s Howard Beach district office at 718-738-1111 or his new Middle Village office at 718-497-1630

CURES - Civics United for Railroad Environmental Solutions Earth Day Event at Mafera Park...

Click here to view these pictures larger

CURES (Civics United for Railroad Environmental Solitions) Earth Day Event included a march from Middle Village to 69th St. and Otto in Glendale to Mafera Park. After the march there was a press conference with local elected officials, Senator Joe Addabbo, Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi, Assemblyman Michael Miller, Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley and community leaders. The electeds and and civic association leaders spoke about solid waste legislation that closes loopholes in state environmental law, education and outreach followed by a public lands cleanup in Mafera Park.

CURES Mission Statement

Civics United for Railroad Environmental Solutions -- CURES -- is a coalition of 13 civic associations from Maspeth, Middle Village, Ridgewood, Glendale, Elmhurst, Woodside, Forest Hills, and Woodhaven -- all communities along the local railroad corridor. CURES believes that increased railroad traffic is coming as both a cost-saving and environmentally sound measure.

However, our organization is dedicated to ensuring that this increase in railroad traffic does not come at a cost of increased environmental burdens for our communities. Our communities already are suffering from noise, the stench of garbage left sitting on sidings for long periods of time, health-threatening diesel emissions from outdated locomotives, and security threats from easy access to rail yards that store dangerous cargo, such as liquefied petroleum gas.

Therefore, we pledge to work with federal, state, and local agencies, our elected officials, and the railroads themselves to lobby for funding to retrofit old diesel locomotives to reduce their polluting emissions and cut back on idling; to ensure that the rail yards themselves are free of hazards and threats to neighborhood health and security; and that the railroads are proactively utilizing cleaner technologies and new controls in an efficient and responsible manner for the good of their own businesses as well as the health and welfare of our neighborhoods and NYC.

CURES Members - February 2010

Citizens for a Better Ridgewood - COMET - Farmers Oval Civic Association – Forest Hills Cooperatives

Glendale Civic Association - Glendale Clean & Green – Glendale Property Owners Association

Juniper Park Civic Association - Liberty Park Home Owners – Maspeth/Middle Village Task Force

Maspeth West End Civic Association - New Ivanhoe Civic Association – Ridgewood Property Owners Association

State Senator Joe Addabbo: Metrocard Van Is Coming To Middle Village, Howard Beach and Woodhaven...

For the disabled and senior members of our community, it can be difficult to get around town. In an effort to provide more accessible service, New York City Transit has a mobile outreach program designed especially to serve their needs in their own communities. NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., is sponsoring the agency’s MetroCard Bus to visit his district again this year.

A specially-equipped MetroCard bus will park at Howard Beach and Woodhaven locations on listed dates/times, and MetroCard Mobile Sales staff will assist residents 65+ and disabled customers in applying for Reduced Fare MetroCards. All customers may purchase and/or refill MetroCards; report a lost or stolen card; or have a damaged MetroCard replaced on-site. Seniors applying for a reduced-fare MetroCard will need to bring at least 2 types of identification to the MetroCard bus: Medicare Card, Social Security Card, Birth Certificate, Driver License, or Non-Driver License. A photographer is available on MetroCard buses to complete applications on-site, free of charge. Disabled passengers can get an application on-site, which they must then have completed by their physician, acknowledging their disability.

WHEN: Wednesday, March 31 (rescheduled, due to Passover holiday)

WHERE:

• St. Margaret's Church, 66-16 80th Street, Middle Village (10 AM to 12 Noon)

• NE Corner Forest Parkway & Jamaica Avenue, Woodhaven (1 - 3 PM)

and

WHEN:

• Wednesdays, June 30, September 29 and December 29

WHERE:

• Howard Beach Senior Center, 156-45 84th Street (10 AM – 12 Noon)

• NE Corner Forest Parkway & Jamaica Avenue Woodhaven (1 – 3 PM)

For more information about these events, please call Sen. Addabbo’s office at 718-738-1111.

Transportation Commissioner Ruled Out All-Way Stop at Hazardous Middle Village Corner Before Crash by Nicholas Hirshon - NY Daily News

Read original...

Rescue workers assist a preschool girl who was hurt when her schoolbus overturned in an accident at 69th Road and 76th St. in Middle Village on Tuesday. Farriella for News

The Queens transportation commissioner ruled out an all-way stop for a hazardous Middle Village corner just months before a bus carrying preschoolers overturned in a traffic accident a block away Tuesday, leaving the tots bumped and bruised.

Commissioner Maura McCarthy rejected the all-way stop in June after the Transportation Department studied car and pedestrian volumes, accidents and other factors at 76th St. and 69th Road.

"Based upon our evaluation of the data collected, it is our judgment that all-way stop controls are not recommended at this time," McCarthy wrote in a letter to City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village).

McCarthy pledged in the same missive to install a "Stop Ahead" sign and "Stop" pavement markings on 76th St.

Crews soon erected the "Stop Ahead" sign, but the markings had still not appeared Tuesday afternoon when a sedan struck the schoolbus on 75th St.

No charges were filed, but the children, the bus driver and the bus matron were treated for minor injuries, authorities said.

Crowley had warned the city in four letters - the first on Feb. 3 - to investigate whether "traffic calming measures" would improve safety on 69th Road.

McCarthy's June reply was the city's only response to Crowley.

"I'm going to demand a four-way stop sign right here as soon as possible," Crowley told the Daily News about an hour after the crash. "We can't wait for a more serious accident to happen."

Transportation Department spokesman Scott Gastel said the city is evaluating safety improvements for three local intersections at Crowley's behest.

The pavement markings will be installed by the end of the month, weather permitting, he said.

Witnesses described a chaotic scene Tuesday as locals desperately rescued the crying youngsters from the wreckage.

"They're all screaming for their moms," said Dorothy Leddick, 35, who lives at the corner. "It started pulling my heartstrings."

Leddick and neighbor Melissa Licausi, 36, tried to comfort the traumatized tots with blankets, juice boxes and reassuring words.

"My heart was in my mouth," Licausi said. "They were all crying. They were very scared."

Jerry DeStefano, 66, who lives down the block, said residents had unsuccessfully lobbied Crowley's predecessors, Dennis Gallagher and Anthony Como, to fund a traffic light or speed bump.

10 Cherry Trees Downed: Vandals at Root of Growing Problem Around Queens by Lisa L. Colangelo - NY Daily News

Read original...

Robert Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Assn., left, and Dorothy Lewandowski, Queens Parks Commissioner, in Juniper Valley Park where young cherry trees were cut down by vandals. The circular brown spots are where the trees once stood. Pokress for News

Someone really hates trees in Queens.

Dozens have been destroyed in the past few months - their roots torn up, branches snapped and trunks hacked.

Most of the damage has taken place at Juniper Valley Park in Middle Village, which lost 10 young cherry trees and two oaks a little more than a week ago.

Parks Department officials said this is the worst case of arborcide in recent memory.

"It looked like carnage," said Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski. The saplings had toppled over after being cut off at the base.

"It appears premeditated," she added. "They came in the park with a power saw."

A few days ago, someone ripped the limbs off several small trees at Lefferts Playground in South Ozone Park. The six plum and one redbud trees had been planted in 2003 as part of a 9/11 memorial site.

"There are a lot of disturbed people running around," said Robert Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Association.

Parks officials said more than 20 trees have been destroyed at Juniper Valley this year. Some were older trees but many were new plantings.

Parks officials and police are investigating, Lewandowski said. There are no suspects but community watchdog Holden said he had some ideas.

"There were a group of young people drinking in the park and they were chased out of here," he said. A short time later, several young trees were ripped from the ground, he said.

The incidents have dismayed locals, who use the 55-acre park like a community backyard. It is one of the most meticulously maintained parks in the borough.

"Everyone is talking about it," said Lewandowski, who lives in the area.

The Juniper Park Civic Association, along with City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley and former Councilman Tom Ognibene have offered a $2,500 reward for information about the incidents.

Crowley and Ognibene are set to face off in next month's election for the Council seat.

The young trees cost about $1,000 apiece, Lewandowski said. She expects all of them to be replaced by next spring.

"This was planned to be a grove of cherry trees," she said. "We never even got to see them bloom."

lcolangelo@nydailynews.com

Senator Joe Addabbo to Meet with Constituents at Neighborhood Libraries...

Senator Joe Addabbo will be meeting with constituents on three successive Saturday afternoons (11 am - 1 pm)...No Appointment Necessary

Maspeth Library - September 26th
Middle Village Library - October 3rd
North Forest Park Library - October 10th

For more info call 718-738-1111 (District Office)

Town Hall Meeting on Mayoral Control - Sponsored by Senator Joe Addabbo - Our Lady of Hope - May 21st

TOWN HALL MEETING Sponsored by Senator Joe Addabbo

When:Thursday, May 21 2009 7PM - 9PM
Where: OUR LADY OF HOPE
61-21 71 Street - Middle Village, NY 11379
(Enter through the Parking Lot on Eliot Avenue)

Council Member Elizabeth Crowley and Parents of Victim Introduce Legislation to Make NYC Safer...

Council Member Elizabeth Crowley, today introduced legislation to raise the penalty for anybody who leaves their vehicle running and unattended. The bill came in response to a tragic hit and run by a drunken thief who stole an idling car and fatally struck Alex Paul of Brooklyn and Robert Ogle in Middle Village, Queens, early in February. Another similar tragedy occurred weeks before in Chinatown when an unoccupied van was left in reverse and mounted a sidewalk, ramming into a group of preschool students, killing two of the children and injuring at least eleven other people.

“A few weeks ago, a seemingly avoidable tragedy struck my district,” said Council Member Elizabeth Crowley. “Sadly, the death of the two young men, Robert Ogle and Alex Paul, may have been avoided if a man had not left his car running while shopping in a store. The current fine for leaving your car ignition on and unattended is five dollars. With this new legislation that I am proposing, the fine will be raised to two-hundred and fifty dollars to deter anyone from being careless with their vehicles. Leaving your car running and unattended seems like a minor, careless mistake but all New Yorkers must understand that it is irresponsible, dangerous and potentially deadly.”

Council Member Crowley was joined by Council Member John Liu, Chair of the Transportation Committee, as well as Mei and Brendan Ogle, in honor of their late son Robert Ogle, on the steps of City Hall on Tuesday before the bill’s introduction. Robert Ogle, 16, of Middle Village, was a junior at the elite Brooklyn Technical School, where he was a football player and an aspiring journalist. The other victim, Alex Paul, 20, of Cypress Hill, Brooklyn, had met Robert on Saturday night and the two were part of a group having fun around the neighborhood.

In partnership with the new law, Council Member Crowley is working with Council Member John Liu to implement an awareness campaign to prevent people from leaving their cars running while unattended.

PHOTO CREDIT:William Alatriste

Statement from Council Member Elizabeth Crowley on Recent Meeting with DEA...

“I met with members of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) this week regarding the recent arrests in Middle Village. I am impressed with the scope of the investigation which has showcased the DEA’s ability to work with and lead joint task forces with city, state and federal agencies to bring down a massive drug trafficking operation. The drug bust in Queens started with a small arrest that uncovered a huge, far reaching drug ring. The take away message from the meeting today was: ‘if you see something, say something.’ Over the next few months I will work with the DEA to make sure our community understands the dangers posed by drugs. We will host drug awareness programs for our schools and make sure parents and community members know what to look for and how to report suspicious activity.”

Statements from City Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley on Atlas Mall & the Recent DEA Drug Bust in Middle Village...

Statement from Council Member Crowley on DEA drug bust

March 2, 2009; Queens, NY – Council Member Elizabeth Crowley released this statement:

“I want to congratulate the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for their ongoing efforts to squash the drug trafficking problem in Queens. I am working with the DEA and will continue to provide them with full support from the City Council to ensure that our community and our kids are safe.”

Statement from Council Member Crowley on Atlas Management

March 2, 2009; Queens, NY – Council Member Elizabeth Crowley released this statement:

“I look forward to working with the Mattone Group over the coming weeks to maintain the quality of shops at Atlas Park,” said Council Member Elizabeth Crowley.

"I trust that they will attract and retain stores and restaurants that will help serve as a positive economic engine for our community’s small businesses and local residents.”

Drunken Joy Ride in Queens in Stolen Car Ends with One Teen Dead, Another Critically Injured by Barry Paddock - NY Daily News

Read original...

Police rope off the car stolen by a drunken thief. Iudici for News

"A drunken car thief stole an idling car early Sunday before striking and killing a teen and a young man who were walking in Queens, police and witnesses said.

Then the boozed up driver sped off, nearly returning to the scene of his first crime - the Middle Village bodega where police say he stole the Kia Spectra.

Paramedics raced to 80th St. between 62nd Ave. and Juniper Blvd. North about 1:30 a.m., but Robert Ogle, 16, couldn't be saved. Alex Paul, 20, was taken to Elmhurst Hospital where he died hours later, cops said.

Robert Ogle, 16, died at the scene. Egan-Chin/News

Kenneth Guyear, 27, was arrested about six blocks away from where he mowed down the pedestrians and a block from the Super Deli where he stole the car, cops said.

Guyear was charged with manslaughter, DWI, assault, leaving the scene of an accident, grand larceny, and driving without a license.

'We left the car running and someone took of with it,' said Joe Guerrero, 26, one of three men who got out of the vehicle and went into the store at Woodhaven Blvd. and Dry Harbor Road.

The trio saw an inebriated man inside the store and believe he was the one who stole the car, Guerrero said. They called 911 after the driver peeled off.

It was the second time"