4 THE QUEENS COURIER • JANUARY 17, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Photo: Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech/THE COURIER
Firefi ghters were on the scene of a blaze on Bell Boulevard in Bayside on Jan. 15.
Two critically injured in Bell Boulevard blaze
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
edavenport@qns.com
@QNS
Two people suff ered serious injuries
during a blaze that broke out in
a Bayside building on Tuesday aft ernoon.
A representative from the FDNY
stated that aft er 3 p.m. on Jan. 15, they
received a call regarding a fi re on the
second fl oor of 42-28 Bell Blvd., nearby
the Mr. Pollo Colombian Restaurant.
As of 3:20 p.m., the FDNY deployed
their fi rst responding crew of fi refi ghters
and emergency personnel. Two
people were critically injured in the fi re
and were taken to local hospitals.
Th e Fire Department posted on
Facebook that members of Ladder
Company 167 forced open the front
door and a second-fl oor door to reach
the two victims. Both were unconscious
when the fi refi ghters located
them.
Th e fi re was under control by 4 p.m.
At this time, it is not known what
caused the fi re.
Ray Garcia, a resident of Bayside,
was eating at the restaurant with a
friend when the fi re started.
“We ran out, the food was on the
table and everything,” said Garcia, who
works as a super at Pear Tree Co-op.
“We just started eating and a woman
just came in with a baby screaming
fi re, fi re!”
Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech contributed
to this report.
Sign up now to work
for 2020 Census
BY ZACHARY GEWELB
zgewelb@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Th e U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting in
Queens and across the country to fi ll temporary
paid jobs as we inch closer to the 2020 Census.
To be eligible for a 2020 Census job, candidates
must be at least 18 years old, have a valid
Social Security number, be a U.S. citizen, and
have a valid email address.
Candidates must complete an application
and answer assessment questions. Some questions
will be available in Spanish, but an English
profi ciency test may also be required.
Th ose interested in applying must be registered
with the Selective Service System or have
a qualifying exemption — i.e., if you are a male
born aft er Dec. 31, 1959.
Candidates must also pass a Censusperformed
criminal background check and a
review of criminal records — including fi ngerprinting
— commit to completing training and
be available to work fl exible hours, which can
include days, evenings, and/or weekends.
Additionally, most jobs require employees to
have access to a computer with internet and an
email account to complete training. Applicants
must also have access to a vehicle and a valid
driver’s license, unless public transportation is
readily available.
Th ose who are selected for employment must
not engage in any partisan political activity
while on duty.
Applicants who are veterans — those who
served on active duty in the U.S. armed forces
and were separated under honorable conditions
— may be eligible for veterans’ preference.
Documentation supporting your claim
for preference must accompany your application.
Th e Census Bureau is an equal opportunity
employer.
Th e 2010 census saw dramatic undercounts
in Queens neighborhoods with particularly
high immigrant populations, such as East
Elmhurst and Jackson Heights, where thousands
were overlooked.
As a whole, the 2010 census reported the
population of Queens rose by only 1,300 people
over the prior decade, a dubious number
thought to be inaccurate, according to
Borough President Melinda Katz, who stressed
the importance of an accurate count for the
2020 Census.
“Th e census impacts everything we do here
in Queens, and we have so much at stake,” Katz
said in November. “It determines how much
representation we will have in the U.S. House
of Representatives, how much funding we will
receive for infrastructure and health services
and for our schools over the next decade, and
much more.”
Installing ‘Cadillac of Mailboxes’ in Bayside
As reported last week, the United
States Postal Service is installing the
“Cadillac of Mailboxes” across northeast
Queens to combat mailbox theft
— and their eff orts were documented
by police last week.
On Jan. 10, the 111th Precinct posted
photos on their Twitter account of
new high-security mailboxes that were
being installed to prevent incidents of
mailbox fi shing. Each box features a
“small slit” measuring three-eighths of
an inch to drop mail into as opposed to
the larger opening that the traditional
boxes have.
To date, northeast Queens neighborhoods
including Little Neck and
Oakland Gardens have had mailboxes
replaced and retrofi tted but USPS said
that they plan on swapping out all 206
mailboxes in Queens.
— Jenna Bagcal Photo via Twitter/@NYPD111Pct
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