12 C R Y D E RP O I N TDEC/JAN Pols call for safety after second subway shove death BY BILLY RENNISON put down the Twin Towers I’ve been station. Ki-Suk Han, 58, of Elmhurst, The station where Sen was killed beating them up,” she allegedly told was killed on December 3 when he did not have any working cameras; After a second New Yorker was detectives. was pushed in front of a Q train at the Menendez was captured fleeing by pushed to his death in a subway Menendez, who was seen at 49th Street-Seventh Avenue station. nearby surveillance cameras. station this month, a pair of local the station muttering to herself Suspect Naeem Davis was arrested and “In less than a month, two of pols are calling for the MTA to take before shoving Sen, is reportedly charged with second-degree murder. my constituents have been pushed measures to ensure the safety of city undergoing psychiatric evaluation to Aside from the two push deaths, onto subway tracks and killed,” straphangers. determine if she is mentally stable. 52 other straphangers were killed on Peralta said. “I urge the MTA to Sunando Sen, 46, was killed “The defendant is accused of subway tracks this year, whether by immediately act on common-sense Thursday, December 27 when he committing what is every subway accident or suicide. measures to improve rider safety and was shoved in front of an oncoming commuter’s worst nightmare — being Among the safety steps security.” No. 7 train at the 40th Street/Lowery suddenly and senselessly pushed into State Senator Jose Peralta and Installing barriers between Street station in Sunnyside. the path of an oncoming train,” said Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer passengers and the train would Police arrested and charged Erika District Attorney Richard Brown. proposed to prevent further fatalities “be both expensive and extremely Menendez, 31, of Rego Park, with “Beyond that, the hateful remarks were installing sliding doors, an challenging,” the MTA said in a murder as a hate crime after the allegedly made by the defendant and intercom system that could connect statement. The agency did say though suspect allegedly told investigators which precipitated the defendant’s riders with the Rail Control Center and that they are considering testing such she pushed Sen because of her scorn actions can never be tolerated by a more security cameras. equipment “on a limited basis.” for Muslims and Hindus. civilized society.” “It does strike me that in a post-9/11 “I pushed a Muslim off the train This marked the second incident world that there are no cameras at any — Additional reporting tracks because I hate Hindus and in December that someone was stop,” Van Bramer said at a recent by Maggie Hayes Muslims. Ever since 2001 when they pushed to their death in a subway press conference. Estelle Cooper, indicted former park administrator, dies BY TERENCE M. CULLEN through ATM withdrawals that “We also celebrate the life of a were not accounted for when the dedicated public servant and hope Estelle Cooper, the long- conservancy’s 2010 taxes were that Estelle’s 50-year legacy to time administrator of Flushing done. civic service offers an example Meadows-Corona Park who was Rumors that Cooper would be to young people around the world alleged to have stolen $50,000 from indicted for wrongful spending that hard work can truly make an organization she established, started swarming in June of 2012. dreams come true. We ask that died on Saturday, December 29. These were confirmed when she you share in understanding and She was a 82. was arraigned on Tuesday, July kindly respect our privacy, as Cooper, who was accused 17 at the Queens Supreme Court. we continue through one of the of taking money from her She was charged with second- hardest moments our family will conservatory group, Unisphere and third-degree counts of grand face.” Inc., oversaw the borough’s largest larceny, and if convicted, she The Parks Department issued park for nearly two decades before could have faced up to 15 years in a statement that expressed sorrow stepping down in January 2011. prison. She was due back in court Mike Balsamo, speaking for for Cooper’s passing and sent its In 2003, she helped establish in February. all of Cooper’s family, said the condolences to her family. Unisphere Inc., a 501(c)(3) Despite the charges and late park administrator would “The Parks Department was organization that worked on allegations in the last few months be missed and remembered for saddened to hear of Estelle sprucing up and restoring the park. of her life, Cooper will also be the years of service she gave to Cooper’s passing,” the statement It was through this organization remembered for her dedication to Flushing Meadows. read. “We extend our deepest that Cooper was accused of the park she oversaw since the “While we mourn the loss sympathies to her family during misspending funds — mainly 1990s. of a barrier-breaker,” he said, this difficult time.” 12 cryder point courier courier | deceMBer/JAnuAry 2013 | WWW.QUEENSCOURIER.COM
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