8 THE QUEENS COURIER • FEBRUARY 16, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM Photo by Suzanne Monteverdi/QNS 3/23/17 3/23/17 3/23/17 3/23/17 VISIT US FOR PRESIDENTS' WEEK COME IN AND SEE OUR GREAT VALUES Encore Premium VARILUX PROGRESSIVE LENSES $169 (No-Line Bifocals) w/metal frame.Select frames with clear plastic no-line lenses +/- 4 sph, 2 cyl. Not valid with any other offers, sales, vision plan packages. Must present prior to purchase. Offer valid at location only. Some restrictions apply see store for details. Offer ends 3/23/17 QC Election Day should be a holiday: Meng BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI smonteverdi@qns.com @smont76 A congresswoman who represents areas including Middle Village, Flushing and Bayside wants to modernize voting across the country. On Feb. 8, Congresswoman Grace Meng announced a package of legislation to “modernize and streamline” the voting process in the United States. Titled the “21st Century Voting Act,” Meng’s bill would create a Congressional “Commission on Voting” tasked with proposing new legislation pertaining to voter registration and election guidelines — including making Election Day a national holiday. Th e proposal aims to remove potential barriers, allowing more Americans to cast ballots in their local, state and national elections. Th e commission would also be in charge of legislation that would automatically and permanently register every American to vote at the age of 18, or upon receiving citizenship if older than 18. Meng also proposes that voter registration be made portable, polling place and registration status be made available to individual voters online and a review of voting in America be conducted each year following a presidential election. Th e commission would consist of 15 members appointed by the president, the majority and minority leaders of the Senate, the speaker of the House of Representatives and the minority leader of the House of Representatives. “It is way past time that Congress pass meaningful voting reform,” Meng said. “It is ridiculous that in this day and age such troublesome hurdles exist that restrict access to the ballot box. My bill would address key priorities to modernizing our voting systems, including establishing automatic and portable voter registration, and making Election Day a national holiday. Th ese commonsense reforms would allow every American the opportunity to participate in our electoral process, which is one of the hallmarks of our democracy. We must fi nally overhaul our disparate and complicated voting systems.” A copy of Meng’s proposal can be read in full at http://meng.house.gov/. Th e legislation has been sent to the House Administration and Rules Committees. Voters casting their ballots in Bayside. Extension cord sparked Corona fi re that hurt 14 BY ANGELA MATUA amatua@qns.com @AngelaMatua A malfunctioning extension cord is believed to have ignited a fi re at a Corona apartment building on the morning of Feb. 12 that left 14 people injured and forced tenants to improvise when making their escape, Fire Department sources said. According to FDNY, the fi re broke out at 9:52 a.m. on Feb. 12 in the basement of a building at 56-14 Waldron St. Out of the 14 people injured, one was in serious but stable condition, seven refused medical attention and the remaining patients were taken to North Shore Hospital. CBS New York reported about the experience of Ramonita Rosa, a mother on the second fl oor, whose daughters Adrianna, 16, and Gianna, 10, escaped from the fi re. Th e girls found a mattress in an alleyway next to the apartment and handed it over to their super, Roberto Flores, who placed it below their apartment. Th e mother then threw her nieces and two dogs out of the window and onto the mattress. She climbed out through an FDNY ladder with her nephew, she told CBS New York. An FDNY spokesperson said they heard this story but cannot confi rm because the incident happened before they were on the scene. A photographer for the Queens Courier saw the mattress that was used at the scene. Th e fi re was put out at 10:22 a.m. aft er 12 units and 60 personnel responded. Photos by Robert Stridiron Adrianna Rosa, 16, and her sister Gianna Rosa, 10, were checked out by EMS after a fi re in Corona.
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