QNE_p020

QC01172013

20 The QUeeNS CoUrier •JANUARY 17, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com QUEENS DOT A BOARDWALK WITHOUT BOARDS COMMISH RETIRES > PoLitiCs jetties along the water. and con-In fact, according to local residents,They claim that both woodcrete were damaged by Sandy, andthat the real necessity is to build moreDICKbrennana jetty at Beach 86th Street seems to have stemmed the damage in that dickbrennan74@aol.com area. The logic is that the jetties hold The Rockaway boardwalk was onto the sand, and sand helps stop shredded by Sandy. The damage the surging storm. But more jetties between 110 Street and Beach 88th mean more money, and there is not a Street was overwhelming. lot to go around. I was stunned to stand at Beach 99th Runners love running on Street across from the St. Camilus boardwalks, but concrete is school gym. For the past five years notoriously hard on the knees, and I’ve participated in a February “polar would no doubt send many off the plunge” there to raise money for cystic beaten path. fibrosis. But the boardwalk at Beach The Rockaway boardwalk is five- 99 Street is now hardly recognizable. and-a-half-miles long and has a his- So much of the wood is gone with the tory that dates to the 1920s. Many wind, and concrete pillars still stand amusement parks popped up in the with nothing to support. area, including the iconic Rockaway This year there will be no plunge, Playland at Beach 97th Street, which due to the devastation. had one of the most fearsome roller Photo courtesy of the Queens Borough President’s office The boardwalk will no doubt be coasters in the tri-state area. Borough President Helen Marshall honored DOT Queens Commissioner Maura rebuilt. But it will not be the same, Rockaway Playland disappeared McCarthy, who retired last week. if Mayor Bloomberg gets his way. in the 1980s, but the neighborhood For one thing, the boardwalk won’t surrounding the boardwalk endures. bY MeLissa CHan police to identify accident-prone loca- mchan@queenscourier.com tions, especially those near schools, only a concrete structure can survive will look like when Memorial DaySadly, we don’t know what the beachbe made of boards. The mayor saysaccording to the city DOT’s website. The Department of Transportation’s McCarthy was employed by several another storm like Sandy. rolls around. (DOT) Queens commissioner has city agencies since 1979, beginning as And a judge recently cleared the Could the boardwalk be rebuilt by The lifelong Queens resident over- day before her retirement, thanking That seemingly makes sense, since The people of Rockaway have made itPhoto courtesy THEWHO.comRockaway will be on its way back.But some critics say, not so fast. retired. Maura McCarthy has a 9-1-1 operator for the NYPD. way for the city to use plastic and then? Maybe not entirely. But it will stepped down from her post after six Borough President Helen Marshall concrete in rebuilding the Coney surely be a symbol of revitalization of years of service on Friday, January 11. honored McCarthy with a citation one Island boardwalk. the peninsula. saw transportation services in the bor- her for her “invaluable” service and the most resilient parts of the struc- clear: they will be back. But we all await ough, serving as the community liai- “legacy of care.” ture that survived Sandy were the the return of the boardwalk, be it wood, son for the agency and working with The DOT did not immediately comment. cement pillars underneath it. concrete or plastic. When it returns, 2013 Estate Tax Law Changes- Are You At Risk? Costly Mistakes You Cannot Afford to Make! What if you LIVE ALONE Come to a Free Workshop on Wills and have an EMERGENCY? Living Trusts & Medicaid Planning Just One Push of a Button can AS SEEN ONProtect You from Emergencies!TV January 22, 2013 January 23, 2013 January 24, 2013 January 29 2013 4 Medical 4 Falls6:30 p.m.3:00 p.m.6:30 p.m.1:00 p.m. 104-70 Queens Blvd., 104-70 Queens Blvd., 104-70 Queens Blvd., Adria Hotel 4 Fire 4 Burglary Suite 312 Suite 312 Suite 312 121-14 Forest Hills, Forest Hills, Forest Hills, Northern Blvd., NY 11375 NY 11375 NY 11375 Bayside, NY 11361 Seating is Limited. Refreshments Served. Call now to reserve your seat 718-275-7779 “I’m never alone with LIFEWatch.” Serving Learn how to avoid costly mistakes regarding: –Dick Van Patten Metro NY • Probate & Taxes • 2nd Marriages • Divorced Children • Money Management • Joint Tenancy • Long-Term Care Costs Sign up for our Annual Plan and get PROTECT YOUR HOME, CHILDREN, BANK ACCOUNTS & SAVINGS 2 FREE Months!• Transferring Property to Children Law Firm of Albert Cohen, P.C. 104-70 Queens Blvd., Suite 312 SWITCHOVERS You’re never alone with LIFEWatch! Forest Hills, NY 11375 WELCOME! 800.716.1433 718-275-7779 www.cohenestateplanning.com on facebook www.lifewatch-usa.comVisit us


QC01172013
To see the actual publication please follow the link above