4 THE QUEENS COURIER • JANUARY 5, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM Huge blaze destroyed more than a dozen Kew Gardens Hills shops BY ROBERT POZARYCKI rpozarycki@qns.com @robbpoz The investigation continues regarding the start of a fast-moving, Photo via Google Maps Macy’s storefront in Douglaston Plaza shopping center. Whitestone group to host free block watcher training class next month BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI smonteverdi@qns.com @smont76 A Whitestone civic group and a local precinct want to empower residents to be the eyes and ears for their community. Th e We Love Whitestone civic association and the 109th Precinct will co-host its third annual NYPD Block Watcher training class on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 11 a.m. Th e class will be held in Whitestone; the exact location has yet to be announced. Training takes approximately two hours and is open to Whitestone residents. Th ere is no enrollment fee or commitment after training. Certifi cation expires every two years. Th e class will teach attendees how to help police in the event of an emergency situation. Aft er training, each participant is given a block watcher identifi cation number, which is to be referenced when reporting crime or dangerous conditions in the neighborhood to authorities. NYPD Shield notes that many participants of the Block Watcher program are elderly or disabled and “make their observations without venturing far from their homes.” Th ose interested in participating should email welovewhitestone atgmail.com, subject line “NYPD Block Watch Class,” and should include their full name, email address, telephone number and whether or not they have taken the class before. Individuals who send the email will be contacted with the latest information. “As with any successful community, active participation is vital,” civic president Alfredo Centola said. “Th is program allows citizens the opportunity to learn and be proactive members of their community while looking out for their neighbors. We Love Whitestone civic prides itself on our ‘Get up, get out, get involved’ motto, and this is one perfect way to do so.” five-alarm inferno that engulfed a row of storefronts in Kew Gardens Hills last week. Fourteen businesses were destroyed, and three fi refi ghters were injured while battling the blaze that broke out at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 30 on Vleigh Place between 77th and 78th roads. The flames quickly spread throughout adjoining buildings on the block, including Kosher Moshe’s Pizzeria, King David Bakery, Jay Ambe Convenience Store, Paragon Cleaners, Tolmas Restaurant and Prestige Men’s Boutique. A law offi ce, a laundromat and a barber shop were among the businesses also destroyed. More than 175 fi refi ghters responded to the inferno; three of them were reportedly hospitalized with minor injuries while battling the blaze. No civilians were injured. Th e fi re was fi nally brought under control just aft er midnight on Dec. 31, the Fire Department tweeted. Lowe’s replacing Douglaston Macy’s & movies BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI smonteverdi@qns.com @smont76 Th ere are some big retail changes coming to Douglaston in the new year. Douglaston Plaza shopping center, located at 242-02 61st Ave. at the intersection of the Long Island Expressway and the Cross Island Parkway, is losing its Macy’s department store and the MovieWorld movie theater, but gaining a big box home improvement retailer. Susan Seinfeld, district manager for Community Board 11, said that the Macy’s will close in April and MovieWorld will close soon thereaft er. Seinfeld also said that Lowe’s Home Improvement is looking to take over both of these storefronts and open up a new location at the shopping center. Department of Buildings records indicate that Perry M. Petrillo Architects fi led a work application “to convert the multi-theater complex … on the sub-cellar level into a retail sales (Lowe’s Home Improvement Center).” Seinfeld also noted that the work may require a variance. Reports emerged late last year of the Douglaston location is one of 100 Macy’s stores across the nation that would close in 2017 due to increased competition with the online market. Th e owner of MovieWorld was not available for comment at the time Th e Courier reached out. The Douglaston Plaza shopping center is owned by Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation (AAC) and takes up a total of 300,000 square feet. The shopping mall is also home to a Fairway Supermarket, Toys R Us and Modell’s Sporting Goods. Th e Courier reached out for AAC and Lowe’s for comment and is awaiting a response. Photo via Shutterstock Photos by Mari Estrella/RHS News Firefi ghters on a ladder pour water on a 5-alarm inferno in Kew Gardens hills on Dec. 29. Photo via Twitter/@FDNY
QC01052017
To see the actual publication please follow the link above