FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com JANUARY 3, 2013 • THE QUEENS COURIER27 oped HALL OF SHAME BusinessWestern Queens Growth Fuels our Economy BY SENATOR MIKE GIANARIS Western Queens is home to a growing number of large and small Between 252nd & 253rd ery. I am proud to be an advo-businesses that have aided in ourneighborhood’s economic recov- cate for job creation in western Queens, whose diversity makes us Incidents of graffi ti have risen. The Courier invites you, our readers, to submit photos of vandalism one of the most welcoming neigh- — or addresses where you see graffi ti — for our “Hall of Shame.” a hub for economic development.borhoods in the country, as well as Conversely, if a home or business has “cleaned up their act,” submit them for induction into our “Hall Our community is an example of Fame.” of the kind of responsible devel- Send all high resolution JPG images (300 DPI) to [email protected] with a location and a opment that allows large corpo- contact number. Otherwise, contact us at 38-15 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, NY 11361. rations and small businesses to Help us take our borough back from the vandals! thrive off each other. Partnering with local Business Improvement street talk BY THE QUEENS COURIER STAFF borhood, in recent years we saw the arrival of major organiza-Districts, the Queens Chamber of Commerce and my fellowelected offi cials to draw more businesses and jobs to the neigh- tions like jetBlue, the New York City Department of Health The Queens Courier asked the City Council what they wish for and the CUNY Law School. Coupled with the opening of the Frank Sinatra School of their constituents in 2013. Here are some of the responses: the Arts and the renovated Museum of the Moving Image, these projects have increased the number of jobs available to western Queens residents, while causing more people to reeling from Sandy recover Queensboro Bridge back, make sure our additional infrastructure keeps pace with thebusinesses. As the effort to create more jobs continues, I willI hope for theTo help New Yorkers stillcome to our neighborhood every day and frequent our localfully and quickly, & rebuildand I hope other bor-overall growth of the neighborhood.New York City to protect New Yorkers from the Thanks to the state’s fi lm tax credit I championed, the fi lmoughs keep their hands impact of climate change. industry has been an economic success story in an otherwiseoff of our stuff. Speaker Christine Quinn diffi cult economy. Western Queens is home to three majorPeter Vallone Jr. fi lm production companies, Silvercup Studios, Kaufman To see comprehensive Astoria Studios and Broadway Stages, which produce the immigration reform includ- Health, happiness, and bulk of New York City’s fi lm and television projects. In ing the Uniting American prosperity in the new year New York City alone, more than 100,000 New Yorkers are Families Act (for families and a return to normal- employed each year to work on an average of 200 fi lms and headed by same sex cou- cy for those affected by more than 100 television shows. ples) and the Dream Act Sandy. Local businesses also benefi t from the additional custom- passed by Congress in 2013. Eric Ulrich ers working on the many nearby fi lm projects. Last year, Daniel Dromm the fi lm industry generated $6.9 billion in economic activity across the state and brought 30,000 new jobs to New York My New Year’s wish I wish all a very happy, City— a huge number for an industry that employs 130,000 for my constituents is that healthy and prosperous people overall. a bipartisan spirit will New Year. I am hoping One of the most exciting new elements of our neighbor- appear in Washington, that the year 2013 brings hood is its growing tech culture. I have been deeply involved leading to fi scal sanity and new opportunities, friend- in developing that industry to ensure it improves our neigh- sensible gun laws. ships and successes for all. borhood, maintains our quality of life and responsibly adds Mark Weprin Karen Koslowitz to western Queens’ growing reputation as a hub for tech- based businesses and entrepreneurs. The construction of the They should have good Cornell-Technion Applied Sciences campus on RooseveltI wish my constitu- ents a New Year full of Island, as well as the tech-based Coalition for Queens and health, the comfort and peace of a strong faith, the new Factory of the Future, owned by the world’s largestpeace, prosperity and a renewed sense of pride in 3-D printing company, will enhance western Queens’ tech abiding happiness, free- dom from want and love environment, bringing more industry experts, businesses andour neighborhoods, as we continue to preserve our jobs to the neighborhood and establishing western Queens and compassion for others. community’s character. as the next Silicon Valley.James Gennaro Dan Halloran The boom in business development occurring in western I wish for my constituents a I hope that we have a Queens has helped us weather the recession and made our healthy and happy year full of healthy, happy, prosperous, neighborhood a destination for residents and visitors alike. I joy and with far fewer trage- and protective new year. Also believe western Queens is a model of the kind of community dies. I want more understand- that people stay charitable, whose residents, small businesses and large corporations work ing and appreciation of our that we can continue to look together to fuel our economy while enhancing our quality of life. uniqueness as people, a safer out for each other and be sup- Michael Gianaris represents the 12th Senate District, world at home and abroad. portive of those in need. which includes Astoria, Woodside, Sunnyside, LIC and Jimmy Van Bramer Leroy Comrie parts of Ridgewood and Maspeth.
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