34news $50M expansion for Woodside school BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO Overcrowding may soon be one less problem to solve at one Woodside school. Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer gathered with other elected offi cials, School Construction Authority (SCA) representatives, school administration, parents and students to announce the expansion of I.S. 125, located at 46-02 47th Avenue. The SCA plans to build a 600-seat annex at the middle school for approximately $50 million. The school has dealt with overcrowding for many years, according to offi cials. The annex is expected to replace the trailers located in the school’s playground and a “temporary” mini-building, which was erected more than 20 years ago. “I.S. 125 is fi nally, after years of advocacy and fi ghting, going to get the expansion and addition that it truly deserves,” said Van Bramer. “Students deserve to learn in a modern, stateof the-art facility that will make everyone proud, that will only enhance learning.” Construction of the annex is expected to begin as early as this year, including the demolition of the current mini-building, said Van Bramer. The new addition will feature a brand new cafeteria, gymnasium and state-of-the-art classrooms. “I’m so happy to be able to replace those with a brand new state-of-the-art addition for these children,” said Lorraine Grillo, SCA president. “They deserve it, they have deserved it.” Seventh grader and vice president of the student government Alysia Quan, 13, said the students are really excited to have the outdoor classrooms removed because they are freezing as they make their way to class. Currently, more than 200 seventh grade students have to walk in and out of the school building, through rain and snow, in order to attend their classes inside the trailers. Around 240 students have classes in the mini-building. “We had a hope at 125, we had a hope that we would be able to have classrooms that weren’t in the cafeteria, we had a hope that there wouldn’t be classrooms in the library so that children could visit the library whenever they wanted to, we had a hope that in the auditorium we could have shows, we wouldn’t have to have classrooms,” said I.S. 125 Principal Judy Mittler. “In this world, the fact that a hope becomes a reality, and becomes a reality so quickly, is mind boggling. Thank you isn’t enough.” I.S. 125’s expansion is part of Van Bramer’s efforts in western Queens to renovate or build six new schools, which will all be fully operational by 2016. “What’s more important in life than your children,” asked Mittler. “And the students they’re my children too.” THE COURIER/ Photo by Angy Altamirano The School Construction Authority announced the addition of a 600-seat annex at I.S. 125 in Woodside. Call for traffic study of Astoria street BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO One local politician is calling on the Department of Transportation (DOT) to conduct a study to increase traffi c and pedestrian safety on one busy Astoria street. Councilmember Costa Constantinides gathered on January 17 at 21st Street and 33rd Road with local offi cials, leaders, advocacy groups and residents to call for a traffi c study. The group wants the DOT to examine traffi c calming effects, countdown clocks and a traffi c light for pedestrians, along with a fl attened crosswalk for pedestrians with disabilities or parents with strollers. “We need to work together to improve the conditions of 21st Street,” said Constantinides. “Traffi c fl ow needs to be improved, whether it’s through better-timed countdown clocks for pedestrians, well-maintained crosswalks or traffi c lights.” The corridor of 21st Street that runs from Queens Plaza to 20th Avenue is “notorious for pedestrian fatalities,” with seven deaths from vehicular collisions over the last decade, according to Constantinides. “Nothing is more important than keeping our streets safe, and it is clear that more needs to be done on 21st Street,” said Senator Michael Gianaris. “We can’t have a city street looking like a highway in an area fi lled with senior housing, schools and museums and parks that are citywide destinations.” The need for improvement in traffi c fl ow and pedestrian safety is crucial because of the increase in young and senior populations, and combined commercial and cycling traffi c. The corridor is home to Long Island City High School, I.S. 126, Bishop Iakovos Senior Housing, and Queensview North and East. “The increased vehicular and pedestrian traffi c along 21st Street is a boon to our local economy,” said Constantinides. “Any additions to our business and residential communities bring benefi ts to all. We need to work together to make sure our infrastructure keeps up with this increase in traffi c. There is no excuse for us not to reduce the number of pedestrian fatalities by vehicles to zero.” The DOT did not respond for comment as of press time. Photo Courtesy of Assemblymember Aravella Simotas' O ce Local elected offi cials, leaders, advocacy groups and residents are calling for a Department of Transportation traffi c study of 21st Street in Astoria.
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