FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JANUARY 25, 2018 • THE QUEENS COURIER 3
Rozic: State agency boards
should be equal
It’s time to close the gender gap within the state’s public
boards and authorities, according to Assemblywoman Nily
Rozic.
Th e lawmaker representing areas of Bayside, Fresh Meadows
and Flushing has introduced legislation that would establish
a gender balance in leadership of the Port Authority of New
York and New Jersey. To pass, it would require the approval of
both NY and NJ state lawmakers. New Jersey lawmakers will
be introducing similar legislation in their respective legislature.
A second bill Rozic introduced would ensure public authorities
statewide, including industrial development agencies and
local development corporations, are also gender balanced.
Under the bill, women would comprise approximately 50 percent
of the membership on such public authorities and agencies.
Only three women sit on the 12-member Port Authority
Board of Commissioners, Rozic said. No public state board in
New York is composed of a majority of women.
Suzanne Monteverdi
Miller sending love to veterans
for Valentine’s Day
A local elected offi cial is hoping to show love to the men
and women who served in the armed forces by holding a
“Valentines for Veterans” drive for a home in St. Albans for
the ninth year in a row.
Assemblyman Mike Miller sponsors the drive, which will
have four donation drop-off locations in Woodhaven, Glendale
and Richmond Hill. Miller has been sponsoring the drive since
he fi rst took offi ce in 2009 when he learned about the Veterans’
Home at St. Albans and immediately noticed an area of need
that he could always support.
Items that are being collected include travel-size toiletries
and new clothing items, especially socks. In the past, Miller
said, local schools have even donated Valentine’s Day cards
from the children.
Donations can be dropped off at the following four locations:
Assemblyman Mike Miller’s District Office: 83-91
Woodhaven Blvd., Woodhaven, NY 11421, Monday through
Friday between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Neir’s Tavern & Grill: 87-48 78th St., Woodhaven, NY 11421,
between 11:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m.
H&M General Insurance Brokerage: 75-17 Myrtle Ave.,
Glendale, NY 11385, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
One Stop Richmond Hill Community Center: 110-08
Jamaica Ave., Richmond Hill, NY 11418, Wednesdays and
Th ursdays between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Ryan Kelley
Gianaris hopes to make voting
easier in NYS
New York consistently has some of the lowest voter turnout
rates in the country, but several Queens senators are trying to
change that with a package of bills that would make it easier for
residents to access the ballot box.
State Senator Michael Gianaris and other state Senate
Democrats held a press conference on Jan. 23 to announce
their eff orts to streamline the registration process, make it easier
to vote early and allow the pre-registration of teenagers,
among other initiatives.
Th e bill would allow automatic voter registration at sites like
state and city colleges and public housing; permit the pre-registration
of 16- and 17-year-olds; make it easier to transfer the
registrations of people who move to the state; make online
voter registration possible; and move the deadlines for voter
registration and party enrollment.
“At a time in our country when voting rights are under
assault from all corners, New York must live up to its reputation
as a progressive leader,” Gianaris said. “Access to the ballot
box should be easy and fair. I urge my colleagues to enact these
proposals as soon as possible to remove obstacles to voting.”
Angela Matua
Photo courtesy of state Senator Tony Avella’s offi ce
Douglaston residents call on
city to reclaim private streets
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
Douglaston homeowners facing
quality of life issues on two privately
owned streets want the city
to buy back the roadways.
Residents of Willow Place
and Stuart Lane stood with state
Senator Tony Avella to raise a
litany of complaints with their
roads, which were sold by the city
to a private owner years ago. Since
then, residents say, quality of life
has sharply declined.
“When we fi rst moved here
it was beautiful: the roads were
paved, we had garbage collection,
we didn’t have to bring our garbage
up the block, the road was
maintained,” said Peggy Kalesis,
a Stuart Lane resident. “Th en little
by little, we didn’t know the road
was sold, but started to notice
no garbage collection, pot holes
opened up and the road deteriorated.”
Residents called the city’s decision
to sell the road a mistake. A
lack of city services has opened
residents up to safety concerns,
including poor lighting and hazardous
conditions caused by
storms and inclement weather.
Aft er Superstorm Sandy, residents
noted, homeowners had to
fi nd alternative means to remove
fallen trees from the area.
“Living here has become terrible,”
Kalesis said. “Nobody
wants to come down here because
they’re afraid. Th e quality of life
is terrible.”
Avella said the city’s
Department of Transportation
(DOT) announced plans to
release a study on the status of
acquiring privately owned streets
throughout the city. He claims
he hasn’t received any updates on
the study.
A DOT spokesperson said
“Local Law 52,” which was enacted
by the City Council in March
2017, requires the agency to obtain
the location of private streets in
the city from the Department of
City Planning (DCP) and each
borough president. Th e locations
obtained are then to be submitted
to Mayor Bill de Blasio and City
Council Speaker Corey Johnson
by June 30, 2018.
“Additionally, it requires DOT
to review factors that may be
considered or necessary for the
acquisition of such streets where
they may exist,” the spokesperson
added. “DOT is taking the
necessary steps to comply with
this law.”
A spokesperson for the
Department of Citywide
Administrative Services
(DCAS) confi rmed that the two
Douglaston areas were sold to private
owners by the city. In 1979,
Stuart Lane was sold as part of a
lot of land by DCAS at auction.
Part of Willow Place was also sold
by DCAS as part of a lot of land
in 2000.
“Stuart Lane and Willow Place
are not city streets. Th ey are private
accessways,” the spokesperson
said. “DCAS only purchases
property on behalf of other city
agencies or to support a city need.
If there is no city need, DCAS
would not be authorized to make
such a purchase.”
Avella also announced plans to
introduce legislation that would
require the city to obtain private
streets facing similar quality
of-life issues in the fi ve boroughs.
Th e lawmaker is asking
residents living on privately
owned streets to contact his offi ce
to be added to the legislation.
“I would appreciate hearing
from any homeowners experiencing
this issue so that I can make
this legislation as comprehensive
as possible,” Avella said.
Avella and homeowners stand at one of the privately owned streets
