Pedestrian Hit By Van In Ozone Park Accident - NY1.com

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A car accident in Ozone Park, Queens sent a woman to the hospital on Friday.

Officials say two vehicles collided on 103rd Avenue and 93rd Street on Friday afternoon.

One of the involved vehicles, a white van, jumped the sidewalk and struck a pedestrian.

"I heard a big boom from an impact at the intersection. I looked up and I saw the white van across the street crashing into the stoop and the stoop being decimated, bricks flying everywhere," said an eyewitness. "I walked down the block to see what happened and in front of the van was a woman laying unconscious with serious head wounds, laying there in a pool of blood."

Fire officials said the victim was transported to the hospital in serious condition.

The driver of the car was cited for driving with a suspended license, and the driver of the van stayed on the scene and was not charged.

Bloomberg Pressing For Fingerprints On Social Security Cards by: Erin Billups - NY1.com

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h/t to Javier Castano at QueensLatino.com for alerting me to this situation by King Mike...

Mayor Michael Bloomberg says putting fingerprints on social security cards would help control the nation's borders, and give employers a way to check whether potential hires are legal citizens.

"The companies could just run it through a computer," Bloomberg said Friday morning on his weekly radio show. “And if you're an undocumented illegal, they just don't give you the job. And you're not going to come here if you cant get a job."

The mayor's remarks come on the heels of his trip to Washington on Tuesday, where he took part in a discussion on immigration policy with President Obama and other politicians.

Photo from QueensLatino.com

Advocates for immigrants rights say they're surprised Bloomberg is making this proposal.

"This is a plan that's ill advised and should not be pursued and is incompatible with some of the values that the mayor claims to be important to him," said Donna Lieberman of the New York Civil Liberties Union.

Things like preventing the marginalization of the immigrant community.

"When we add a layer of documentation in order for people to do basic activities there are people that are vulnerable ... for whom this just means they are pushed to the outskirts," Lieberman said.

One company of Bloomberg makes a device for checking fingerprints. If your proposal is approved, will increase his fortune, at the expense of undocumented migrants. Go Bloomberg ... Yes, we can!

Critics of Bloomberg's proposal say putting fingerprints on social security cards would not only be a burden for immigrants, but an imposition on all Americans.

"Once you open the door to such government intrusion what you're doing is you're allowing the Government to collect all sorts of information and we have questions about what this will mean for the future," said Jacki Eposito of the New York Immigration Coalition.

The idea of putting fingerprints on social security cards has been floated by other elected officials, including Sen. Charles Schumer.

Prostitution Sting Op Upsets Neighborhood by Stephen Geffon - Queens Chronicle

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A 106th Precinct undercover prostitution sting operation in South Ozone Park has angered some residents who live on the block where it was conducted.

Police asked the Chronicle not to disclose the location of the block to protect the undercover operation.

Several of the block’s residents voiced their concerns about the sting at last week’s precinct meeting.

A spokesman for the group, who did not give his name, said the residents were worried because people who did not know about the police sting believed the block to be a hangout for prostitutes.

“It makes our block look bad,” he said. “There are no prostitutes, no johns, no drugs [here].”

Capt. Thomas Pascale, commanding officer of the 106th Precinct, said this is the first time he has received such a complaint, despite the fact that the precinct conducts many operations.

Precinct Community Affairs Officer Ken Zorn said after the meeting that police have received complaints from residents that prostitutes are using some motels in the community.

Zorn said that based on the public's complaints, police officers have conducted prostitution sting operations at different locations throughout the precinct.

Other stings include checking retail establishments for unlawful sales of cigarettes and alcohol to minors and checking on pawn shops, Zorn said.

Another resident expressed her concern about the homeless men residing at the Skyway shelter in South Ozone Park. Residents have been upset with the city’s recent decision to house single adult males at the shelter instead of families, as had been the case.

“When we observe the homeless men doing an illegal activity we will take police action,” Zorn said.

Police have increased their patrols in the area around Skyway, Zorn said. Also, additional police officers have been assigned in and around PS 124, located two blocks from the shelter. Plainclothes officers have been assigned to patrol the area, and a police officer has been assigned to patrol PS 124 at school dismissal time.

Trespass affidavits have been secured from the gas station near the shelter, allowing officers to arrest individuals if they are trespassing there.

Police said they will disseminate information about any sex offenders at the shelter to the community.

Same-Sex Advocates Canvas In Addabbo's District - NY1.com

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 Gay rights advocates gathered in Queens on Saturday to pressure state lawmakers into approving same-sex marriage in New York State.

Members of New Yorkers United for Marriage canvassed Democratic State Senator Joseph Addabbo's district in Middle Village, getting signatures to send to Albany.

Addabbo is considered to be a crucial swing vote for same-sex marriage, and he voted against the issue in 2009.

Advocates said they are turning up the heat to get same-sex marriage legalized.

"New Yorkers all across are really speaking up and telling their senators that support is strong," said one canvasser.

"This is democracy in action. This is what needs to happen to change minds of political figures who don't perhaps have the courage to come out and do what's right," said another.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has been a vocal supporter of legalizing same-sex marriage in New York.

The state already recognizes same-sex marriages performed in other states and does allow gay couples to enter into domestic partnerships.

Volunteers Embark On Earth Day Cleanups by Roger Clark - NY1.com

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Volunteers all over the city spent Friday cleaning up recreational areas to mark Earth Day.

In Queens, the Hindu community took part in a cleanup of Jamaica Bay where offerings from religious ceremonies are creating environmental concerns.

The space, part of the National Park Service's gateway recreation area, is near the North Channel Bridge in Broad Channel.

"We come here and we make our offerings to the mother, because we believe the water for us is mother. She is a deity, what we worship. But at the same time we need to keep our mother clean, too. So after making our offerings into the water we should clean up after that," said Hindu Priest Chunelall Narine.

"We do promote a healthy environment, and although it's hard for some to understand the different situation that we're in, we do respect the community and we hope to clean up for Earth Day and to promote a good environment," said Clean-Up Volunteer Kamelia Kilawan.

For the past five years, park rangers have been working with the Hindu community to educate worshipers about the dangers posed to the environment and wildlife when leaving behind ritual items, like pieces of fruit and coconut shells.

"They can disrupt food chains and delay migration, they certainly can affect the water quality of Jamaica Bay," said Kathy Krause, Gateway National Recreation Area.

"It is our responsibility and duty to protect, to do whatever we can to protect the earth and keep the earth as clean as possible," said Hindu Community Leader Bhoj Dindiyal.

Other events across the city are focusing on green businesses and green cars.

Friday marks the 41st annual Earth Day celebration.

Vigil Held For Victim In Fatal Woodhaven (Queens) Beating - NY1.com

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Queens residents held a vigil Thursday to remember a teenager beaten to death by attackers who thought he was gay.

Family, friends, and activists gathered in Woodhaven to remember Anthony Collao, 18.

Police say he was beaten to death with an iron pipe outside a Queens house party.

They say the suspects were yelling anti-gay slurs.

Collao was not gay, but the teen hosting the party is.

LGBT activists attended the vigil as well as Diego Sucuzhanay, whose brother was killed in a similar attack.

"It's unacceptable behavior, we must keep fighting we must speak out. This shouldn't be happening," said Sucuzhanay. "We don't want any more victims and if there are more victims were are going to keep fighting."

"Because the party was associated as a gay party he was a victim of homophobia. So we're here to stand with our community and out allies because when one of us is targeted everybody is targeted," said Ejeris Dixon of the New York City Anti-Violence Project.

Five teens have been arrested and charged with the beating.

The district attorney is investigating the attack as a hate crime.

JFK Expansion Plan Unsettles Residents By Jamaica Bay by Mari Fagel - NY1. com

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NY1 VIDEO: A proposal to expand John F. Kennedy International Airport into Jamaica Bay is not flying with some bay residents and environmental groups who are urging the Port Authority to look at other options.

Petition Drive Held To Save Queens Senior Centers by: CeFaan Kim- NY1.com

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State budget shortfalls may force more than a hundred senior centers to close in a matter of months, and that has many seniors in Howard Beach angry and frustrated.

Steven Fiedler - Queens Person Of The Week: Dedicated Volunteer Keeps Juniper Valley Park In Tip-Top Shape By: Angela Chen - NY1.com

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The latest Queens Person of the Week is Middle Village resident Steven Fiedler, who for the past decade has spent his only day off from work to help maintain Juniper Valley Park.

Queens Representatives On Fight For Gun Legislation - NY1 Online: Inside City Hall - NY1.com

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NY1 VIDEO: Queens Congressmen Gregory Meeks and Joseph Crowley appeared on Monday's edition of "Inside City Hall" to discuss whether the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords should lead to a renewed discussion of federal gun laws.

NY1 on the Deny the Waiver Coalition Rally at Tweed Courthouse - NYC Public School Parents Blog

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Check out the great statement by Patrick Sullivan, Manhattan member from the Panel for Educational Policy. Other newsclips at Gotham Schools, DNA Info, and Gotham Gazette. See photos here.

Half Of Advisory Panel Recommends Denying Waiver For Schools Chancellor Pick - NY1.com

It seems the Advisory Panel respects the state education law more than Mayor Bloomberg - why does he think he's above the law..?

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At least half of an advisory panel has recommended the state education department deny a waiver to Cathie Black, Mayor Michael Bloomberg's pick for schools chancellor.

After meeting behind closed doors, two members voted in favor of granting the waiver, four voted against, and two voted "not at this time."

Those who voted "not at this time" indicated they would likely reconsider recommending the waiver if the application were to be resubmitted with new conditions -- for instance, if Black were to be joined a co-chancellor with educational experience.

The ultimate decision lies with State Education Commissioner David Steiner, who confirms to NY1 that he had told the panel before it deliberated that his first choice was to make the city reapply for Black's waiver with a different structure, like the inclusion of a chief academic officer.

It is not clear when Steiner will make his final decision.

In a statement, he said, "I want to thank all of the members for the advisory panel for the seriousness of purpose which they brought to their evaluation of Ms. Black’s qualifications for a school district leader’s certificate. I will weigh their advice and insight as I consider the decision before me."

The waiver is required by law for Black to become chancellor, since the publishing executive does not have the traditional education certification.

There had been some concerns expressed about whether those on the panel were too close to the Bloomberg administration.

Yesterday, a group of parents hand-delivered a petition with more than 12,000 signatures to Steiner, urging him not to grant Black the waiver.

Meanwhile, Black's college transcript from Trinity College has been released, and it shows that while she majored in English and took courses in Italian and theology, she did not take any courses in education.

In the transcript released publicly, the grades and grade point average have been blacked out. The state cited privacy reasons for doing so.

Also, a new poll released today finds a majority of New Yorkers do not believe Black has the right experience to be schools chancellor.

The Quinnipiac University poll found 64 percent of those surveyed think a schools chancellor needs education experience more than management experience. Only 26 percent said that managerial experience carries more weight.

The poll also found Bloomberg's approval rating has hit a five-year low, with just 55 percent of those polled approve of the job he is doing.

About 1,300 registered voters were surveyed for the poll from November 16-21, and the survey has a margin of error of +/- 2.7 percentage points.

Activists Protest Cathie Black Becoming Next Schools Chancellor - NY1.com

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Parents, educators and civil rights advocates held a demonstration on the steps of Manhattan's Tweed Courthouse on Sunday against Cathie Black becoming the mayor's replacement for schools chancellor, saying that the publishing executive lacks proper experience in the educational field.

Speaking out at the headquarters of the Department of Education, the protestors said Black was only chosen because she is a businesswoman who is friends with Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The state education commissioner would need to issue a waiver to allow Black to be the chancellor, because she is venturing for the first time into the educational field.

"Ms. Black appears to lack the educational credentials and qualifications for the appointment to New York City's schools chancellor. Second, there appears to have been no public search, contrary to what Mayor Bloomberg said on Friday," said civil rights attorney Norman Siegel.

"This unlimited claim that Cathie Black is the best is unsupported and untested in any school setting, in any classroom, by any experience on her part as a teacher or a supervisor of teachers," said Michael Meyers of the New York Civil Rights Coalition.

City Councilman Robert Jackson, the head of the council's education committee, said on Saturday that Black should not be allowed to take the post.

Bloomberg has said Black has the managerial skills to run the DOE's $23 billion budget.

Thousands Hope For Opportunities At Queens Job Fair - NY1.com

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Hundreds of businesses and thousands of people flocked to a job fair in South Ozone Park, Queens, and the applicants armed with resumes and patience tried to stand out where it was standing-room only. NY1's Tetiana Anderson filed the following report.

Some 3,800 people waited in line Friday at a job fair in South Ozone Park, Queens to hope to find work.

Job applicant Sharon Jones felt like only one of a crowd dropping off resumes and picking up contacts.

“Everybody goes around the circle and goes back around and you're right on top of the interviewer. Nobody has any privacy, it's like speed dating,” she said.

With the city's unemployment rate at 9.3 percent, it might have been easier to find a date than a job among the 250 employers from all kinds of companies gathered at the Aqueduct race track.

New York State Senator Joseph Addabbo said he started hosting the job fair three years ago to help people get employed or make the right contacts so they can get work later.

“We’re still kind of sluggish on the city, state and federal level. But when the economy picks up, we’ll have the job growth, but for now we need to get through these tough times,” said Addabbo.

Three friends who had seven degrees between them came together to the fair, but still felt that finding work is hard work.

“We're out of jobs and everyone is saying, 'Oh, we need teachers, we need social workers, we need guidance counselors.' We are the teachers, we are the guidance counselors,” said one of the friends.

Since he started the event, Addabbo said the number of clients and vendors may have doubled, and for some, so have the opportunities.

“There was actually several people that said, 'We don’t have anything, but we know somebody who might be interested in a person with your qualifications,'” said applicant Michael O'Brian.

Addabbo said the goal is to create more than 1,000 job opportunities for the people motivated enough to come out on Friday.

Whether in expanding fields like health care, security and holiday season retail work, no matter what the industry, employment experts said a job applicant has about seven seconds to make a good impression.

“The employer will change their minds about 11 times in that seven seconds, so you really want to hit them with appearance, behavior and communication,” said CEO Catherine Schuller of Your Image Power.

Even if the masses who turned out on Friday did not find opportunities at the job fair, many still left with hope.

“I think the cream of the crop rise to the top, so it's just a matter of time,” said applicant Winston Hayden.

The networking will continue long after the event, as Addabbo said he will keep working to connect the vendors with good people looking for work.

NYPD Chopper Makes Emergency Landing By Brooklyn Field - NY1.com & NY Daily News

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A police helicopter sits in Jamaica Bay after making an emergency landing on Wednesday. (Jason Andrew for The Wall Street Journal)

A New York City Police Department helicopter needed to make an emergency landing by Floyd Bennett Field in Jamaica Bay, Brooklyn this afternoon.


Officials say all five people aboard are now safe.

Some aboard the chopper received minor injuries and were taken to hospitals for observation, according to police.

It is still not clear why the pilot had to set the helicopter down on the water.

The Coast Guard and the New York City Fire Department are also on the scene.

NY Daily News - NYPD Helicopter Makes Hard Emergency Landing in Brooklyn, Cause Unclear

An NYPD helicopter made an emergency landing Wednesday near the department's aviation base in Brooklyn.

It was not clear what caused the aircraft to suddenly go down, but it appeared to land in Jamaica Bay near Floyd Bennett Field just before 4 p.m., FDNY officials said.

Five police officers were inside the chopper when it landed. There were no serious injuries.

In August of 2009, one of the helicopters in the NYPD fleet made two emergency landings in a three-day span. The first happened at a soccer field in Maspeth, Queens. The second happened in Prospect Park in Brooklyn.

Both incidents were attributed to a faulty indicator light in the chopper's control panel.

Radical Republicans Invade New York

You've seen the extreme Republicans who are running for Senate in Kentucky and Nevada, but have you seen the candidates running to challenge Kirsten Gillibrand in New York? All three of them would bring their own brand of Republican extremism to New York. We can't let that happen...

Shark Weekend Hits Close to Home as Deadly Fish Seen Near Rockaways by Corinne Lestch and Tina Moore - NY Daily News

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It was shark weekend in Rockaway Beach.

Lifeguards cleared the water at the Queens beach for about 45 minutes Saturday after sharks were spotted, witnesses told NY1.

"There was a girl on a board and the shark was tugging at her leg, her (leg)strap," a beachgoer said. "She was out with her father, and when she looked down the shark was circling her board."

The girl's father told lifeguards he saw three small sharks, said the woman, who didn't give her name.

Larry Jamieson, 48, said a Parks Department employee at the beach told him she also saw three sharks.

Jamieson, of Nyack, said it was a "little freaky" when everyone got back into the water to surf after waiting nearly an hour.

"There were 20 of us out there and I could see everybody looking all around, their heads bobbing up and down," Jamieson said. "I felt like we were on a movie set."

"Everytime a seagull dives in the water everyone's looking around for a shark."

After a while, everyone seemed to forget about sharks and enjoy the waves, he said, adding that he caught some good ones.

A Parks Department spokeswoman didn't have information about the incident but said the beach was also closed briefly Friday after a possible shark sighting.

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

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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.

Queens Merchants Blast Plan To Sell, Develop Municipal Lot by CeFaan Kim - NY1.com

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Business owners in downtown Flushing held a rally Saturday over a plan to turn a municipal parking lot into a mega-million dollar mixed-use development. NY1's CeFaan Kim filed the following report.

Nearly a hundred small business owners marched on downtown Flushing's largest municipal parking lot Sunday. A proposal to sell the land to a private developer could be approved by the City Council in a few days. The plan is to transform the lot into an $850 million mixed-use development with residential and retail space. But merchants say losing the parking spaces will cripple their businesses.

"If there's no parking spaces, we're going to go out of business. I mean that's a simple fact. People from the city keep saying 'it's going to be okay, it's going to be okay.' No it's not going to be okay," said small business owner Ikhwan Rim.

Developers of the project say lack of parking will not be a problem. The current lot has space for 1,100 cars. Flushing Commons would hold 1,600 but would also add 620 condominiums.

"We do not need anymore gridlock. Flushing is congested enough, think about it, we have the third highest foot traffic and one of the busiest transportation hubs in our city," said SJ Jung of the MinKwon Center.

The project will also include a new home for the Flushing YMCA, a hotel and open green space. It's expected to create 2,000 construction jobs and 2,000 more permanent jobs. The plan is supported by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and by local Council member Peter Koo.

The other issue is how much parking will cost. Developers have agreed to a below market cap for the first five years. Merchants are worried the price will skyrocket in year six.

"Is anybody willing to spend $7 or $8 parking to spend lunch time in this area?" said small business owner Daniel Kung.

Developers say they will not raise parking fees that will drive away business, and that in order for the project to succeed it must attract customers.

The full City Council will vote on the plan Tuesday. Sources say the proposal will likely pass with an overwhelming margin.

UFT Blasts Queens Charter School Over Letter Firings - NY1.com

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A fight is on to reinstate 11 Queens charter school teachers who were fired via FedEx.

The United Federation of Teachers says one third of the staff at Merrick Academy received termination notices via FedEx earlier this week.

The teachers were in the middle of contentious contract negotiations with the school board.

Union leaders say the firings are a direct violation of state law forbidding discrimination against employees who organize or participate in unions.

"You can't find another charter school in the state that has consistently put up the amount of grades and the performance that our students have had. So it only leads you to believe logically that since we have been speaking out about the amount of injustice that's been going on in the school that this is nothing but just personal, bitter attacks," said Merrick Academy teacher Jonathan Carrington.

The UFT is seeking to have the Public Employment Relations Board overturn the dismissals and reinstate the eight teachers and three teaching assistants with benefits and lost pay.

NY1 has reached out to the chairman of Merrick’s Board of Trustees for comment.