Whitestone WWII veteran visits memorial in D.C.
BY BILL PARRY
Queens Public Library has
closed the book on late fees.
QPL joined Brooklyn Public
Library and The New York
Public Library to announce
that it will no longer charge
late fines on books and other
circulating materials, eliminating
a barrier to access and
ensuring that all New Yorkers
have free and open access to
knowledge and opportunity.
“For far too long, late
fines have generated fear and
anxiety among those who can
least afford to pay, preventing
them from opening library
accounts, checking out books
or even coming through our
doors,” Queens Public Library
President and CEO Dennis M.
Walcott said. “Until today,
countless New Yorkers have
been denied the opportunity
to share in the great promise
of public libraries — that anyone,
no matter their circumstances,
can have free access
to sources of learning and
ideas that will help them find
success and joy in their lives.”
New York City’s three public
library systems have also
cleared all prior late fines
from patron accounts, allowing
New Yorkers to enter a
new chapter of recovery and
renewal with clean slates.
“Late fines tell people they
don’t belong, and that shutting
them out is simply the cost of
doing business,” Walcott said.
“This is not only unacceptable
but also totally inconsistent
with our mission. We are
thrilled to be able to make it
possible for even more people
to take part in everything we
have to offer.”
In Queens, the communities
with the highest number
of blocked cards — Corona,
Jamaica, Far Rockaway and
Elmhurst — all have median
incomes well below the borough
average.
“Late fines have prevented
far too many New Yorkers
from accessing books, resources
and materials they
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.32 COM | OCT. 15 - OCT. 21, 2021
need to learn and thrive,”
Councilwoman Adrienne Adams
said. “Eliminating these
fines and clearing existing
charges will go a long way
toward making our libraries
more equitable for all communities.”
The goal of this major policy
shift includes encouraging
increased usage of the library
systems, as well as creating
a more equitable system that
does not disproportionately
impact high-need communities
.F
ines had been in place
since the library systems
were created at the turn of the
20th century. Under the previous
model with late fines, patrons
would have their cards
blocked if they accrued more
than $15 in fines. At the time
of Monday’s announcement,
about 400,000 New Yorkers
would fit into this category,
more than half in high-need
neighborhoods, according to
QPL.
“Exciting day for Queens
and New York City; goodbye
late fines!” Queens Borough
President Donovan Richards
said. “Our libraries historically
enriched the minds of
the young and the young at
heart, and eliminating late
fines gives us more opportunities
for knowledge and enjoyment.
The late fine elimination
is the good news we
needed during these trying
times, and I thank all the library
systems for making this
happen.”
The New York library systems
collected about $3.4 million
in late fines revenue in
2019, the last non-pandemic
year. Since March 2020, the
systems have suspended fines
to accommodate patrons during
the COVID-19 pandemic.
As they have not collected
late fines in over a year, they
have found ways to absorb the
lost revenue from fines.
Reach reporter Bill Parry
by e-mail at bparry@
schnepsmedia.com or by phone
at (718) 260–4538.
BY JENNA BAGCAL
A Whitestone resident
was one of nine World War II
veterans to take a special trip
to visit the nation’s capital
earlier this month.
Over 75 years after the
end of the war, army veteran
Constantine “Gus” Efthimiades,
95, and his fellow distinguished
guests had the opportunity
to go on the Oct. 3 day
trip, where the group visited
the World War II Memorial,
witnessed the changing of the
guard at Arlington National
Cemetery, attended a special
wreath-laying ceremony and
ended with a visit to the Iwo
Jima Memorial.
Upon their return to Islip,
the nine veterans were met
with a welcome by the Long Island
Bagpipe Band and a rousing
welcome from hundreds of
supporters.
The veterans took off
from Islip MacArthur Airport
with Honor Flight Long
Island (HFLI), an Arlington,
Virginia-based nonprofit that
has provided free D.C. trips to
veterans since its inception
in 2005. HFLI’s operation was
put on hold during COVID-19
and returned Aug. 15, with the
board putting forth a unanimous
vote to reinstitute their
biannual D.C. flights starting
in the spring of 2022.
Many of HFLI’s trips for
2020 and 2021 were canceled
and the nine veterans were
placed on a waiting list for
trips to D.C. The organization
reached out to the vets and
their families and booked a
special one-day flight to the
nation’s capital.
“I enjoyed the excitement
of the day. I was impressed by
the changing of the guards at
Arlington Cemetery,” Efithimiades
said. “The World War
II Memorial was bigger than
I expected. I felt really good
when they talked about the
fighting 69th my division. I
felt like I belonged with this
group of people. I appreciate
and thank all the volunteers
and organizers who put so
much into this and were so
helpful. I love the patriotism
in the USA!”
Joining Efthimiades was
army veteran Dominick
Critelli, 100, of Floral Park;
army air corps veteran Vincent
DePalo, 98, of Bethpage;
navy veteran Robert Harms,
95, of Carle Place; army air
corps veteran Louis Peretz,
100, of Commack; army
nurse Eleanor Rizutto, 100,
of Franklin Square; navy
veteran Stephen Samsel, 94,
of Fairfield, CT; army Air
Corps veteran Vincent Tolve,
98, of Mastic Beach; and army
veteran Eugene Zanger, 93, of
Massapequa.
“Gus Efthimiades and
these veterans are part of
the greatest generation who
fought for and put their lives
on the line for our American
ideals of freedom and democracy,
and upon their return
from World War II worked
to rebuild our nation and
strengthen our communities,”
Senator John Liu said. “We
owe them a continuing debt of
gratitude and I am honored to
join the Honor Flight Network
in sending them off to our nation’s
capital to see the memorial
erected in their honor.”
During the war, Newsday
reported that Efthimiades
was an army corporal who
fought in France, Belgium
and Germany. Over a decade
after the end of WWII, he and
his wife Ellen bought a house
in Whitestone in 1956, where
they still live today.
The pair have been married
for 66 years and have
three sons, seven grandsons
and two great-grandchildren.
“This special Honor Flight
gives nine of our ‘Greatest
Generation’ Americans an opportunity
to contemplate their
military memorials, meet representatives
of their service
branches, commiserate with
fellow veterans and exchange
WWII stories,” said Bill Jones,
president of Honor Flight
Long Island. “What the flight
really represents is a big hug
to these veterans from Honor
Flight, their families and all
our supporters who make
such flights possible.
Reach reporter Jenna Bagcal
by e-mail at jbagcal@
schnepsmedia.com or by phone
at (718) 260-2583.
(From l. to r.) Constantine Gus Efthimiades, Senator Liu and
Stephan E. Efthimiades Photo courtesy of Liu’s offi ce
Queens Public Library is no longer charging late fines on books and
other materials at its branches across the borough.
Photo courtesy of QPL
Queens Public Library turns the
page on late fi nes at all branches
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