10 The QUeeNS CoUrier •january 24, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com sandy recovery s Sandy IT TAKES A VILLAGE Hearings: PARENTS FIGHT CUTS AGENCIES GIVE TO AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS TESTIMONY bY Maggie HaYes BEFORE COUNCIL [email protected] Dimick, a single mother of four, couldn’thold back her tears as she spoke of what the after- bY terenCe M. CULLen school child care Beacon program means to her and [email protected] her boys. “I find myself spreading myself thin between my four Nearly three months after the storm devas- children,” she said, as her voice cracked. “I don’t know tated the tri-state area, and with residents still what I would do without the program.” trying to recover, the City Council has begun All across the city, the group Campaign for Children investigating how various agencies handled is teaming up with after-school programs and calling Sandy. for long-term investment from elected officials to create Testimony has been given by representa- stable, sustainable, high-quality child care. tives of the Office of Emergency Management According to the campaign, city-funded child care (OEM), the New York City Housing Authority, programs, such as Beacon, face “constant uncertainty Con Edison and the Long Island Power and instability.” Authority, among other agencies. Last year, after-school programs faced a potential Councilmember Eric Ulrich, when addressing $170 million budget cut, but the campaign and its part- OEM, inquired why the West Hamilton Beach nering programs prevailed, restoring the full budget, Volunteer Fire Department had been denied after dozens of citywide rallies, phone calls and letters a request for a rescue boat, despite the antici- to elected officials. This year, although no budget cuts pated flooding in the hamlet. Ulrich also asked have been announced yet, the campaign is keeping up why OEM had not looked at the Breezy Point the pressure. Cooperative’s evacuation plan, or had better “Beacon enables me to put in more time at work,” communication with the several volunteer fire said Dimick at a town hall meeting at the Queens departments of southern Queens. Community House Beacon on Wednesday, January 17. OEM Commissioner Joseph Bruno said com- Dimick, whose four boys are all under 12 years old, missioners had been on the ground working said that when she needs to spend time focusing on with volunteer fire departments on plans dur- work, she knows she can rely on the staff to be valu- ing the lead up to the storm and had always able role models for her children. maintained communications between the vol- “They say it takes a community to raise a child, and unteers and the FDNY. It was not the office’s that’s definitely been my situation,” she said. Councilmember Karen Koslowitz ensured her support to policy to approve of other entities’ evacuation “I’m going to fight for you,” assured Councilmember fight against any budget cuts to after-school programs. plans, he said, but OEM could give input for Karen Koslowitz, who was a single parent of two and both cooperatives and volunteer fire depart- said that after-school programs “saved her” when she ments in the future, he said. had to go to work. daughter is surrounded by wonderful people, and she’s Ulrich suggested to Bruno that once recovery “This mayor has to recognize that learning as she’s growing.” is completely over, and some stability is back our children are very important,” she VISIT Fink spoke for many parents when he in the area, OEM officials begin to work with added. said that closing the program puts much these waterside communities to better prepare Warren Fink lives with just his queenscourier.com more pressure on working parents, and for future storms. 11-year-old daughter, Miriam, who Do you think could potentially put the kids on the “I think in the next year it might be a good has been going to the Beacon program child care is streets after school. time, when everything settles and the rebuild- for years. Let us know! The next step for the campaign andin danger? ing starts and life gets somewhat back to nor- “When I wake up in the morning, concerned parents is to make their voices mal, that OEM try to engage these communities I need a purpose,” he said. “And my heard, and ensure that long-term invest- and these fire departments.” purpose is my daughter. At Beacon, I feel that my ments are made in child care and after-school programs. Sandy changes Hunter’s Point library plans bY aLeXa aLtMan library, which will sit 150 feet from the shoreline, will location, which kept the building from experiencing [email protected] be built to withstand dangerous weather, as are other as much damage as the other branches. Queens Library facilities. “Anything that could have been done had been Fear of another Sandy is altering plans for the Queens “Since the lowest floor of the library will be above done in the sense that any precaution that had been Library’s upcoming Hunter’s Point destination. the level of the floodwaters from Sandy, it is not taken when they were built near the beach was The land supporting the 21,500-square-foot facil- likely that the building would be damaged by a similar taken,” said King. “There are no basements, they ity, to be located at Center Boulevard and 48th storm,” said the spokesperson. “In addition, the build- were built on one level. They were as safe as they Avenue on the banks of the East River, will be ing is designed to withstand winds considerably stron- could have been but it was a very extraordinary graded an extra foot higher to avoid any possible ger than Sandy’s. Nevertheless, out of an abundance circumstance.” flooding that could occur during another Sandy-type of caution, the project team decided to increase the Changed to the building’s plan will not affect the storm. While initial plans already placed the struc- elevation of the lowest floor by half a foot.” timeline, cost or the design at this stage of construc- ture above the 100-year-flood line, library officials, According to King, none of the branches of the tion, said the DDC spokesperson. architects and members of the Department of Design Queens Library existing in the hard hit areas of The structure will feature a cyber-center, roof ter- and Construction (DDC) agreed an extra measure of Arverne, the Rockaway Peninsula, Broad Channel race and communal garden as well as separate read- caution was necessary. and Seaside suffered structural damage. Aside from ing spaces for adults, teens and children. According “The building hasn’t been built yet,” said Queens broken glass, minor flooding and damage to interior to King, the building will place an emphasis on envi- Library spokesperson Joanne King. “There’s no rea- equipment and books, the buildings remained intact. ronmental preservation, implementing ecologically- son not to make it even higher.” The Broad Channel branch had been graded up, sim- sound features to create an entirely carbon neutral According to a spokesperson from the DDC, the ilarly to what will be done at the new Hunter’s Point structure.
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