28 The QUEE NS Courier • february 26, 2015 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com Steve Piorkowski, energetic Bayside coach, dies from cancer at 54 BY ERIC JANKIEWICZ [email protected] @EricJankiewicz Steve Piorkowski, a Bayside High School softball and basketball coach known throughout the athletic league for his winning teams and his determination to fight a life-threatening disease, died at 54 after struggling with cancer for three years. “He would push us all to be the best we can be,” said Gayle Bernstein, a former student athlete from Bayside High School who was coached by Piorkowski. Bernstein attended the funeral that was held on Feb. 23. “He taught us to put our passion into something that makes us successful,” she said. “He helped shape me to be the woman I am today.” Piorkowski was diagnosed in 2012 with an aggressive form of cancer that damaged his spine and broke his neck. From a wheelchair, the Bayside coach succeeded in fighting back the cancer and eventually regaining his ability to walk. But the cancer resurged in November 2014, and his long battle ended on Feb. 18 when he died. With 23 years of coaching experience, Piorkowski often led the Bayside Lady Commodores to the city championship. Many of his players have gone on to win s c h o l a r s h i p s to universities across the country. After his diagnosis, and while he continued to coach, Piorkowski was invited to Citi Field where he was honored by the Mets with their Spirit Award. He was joined by his family and more than 250 Bayside High School alumni at the event. His fight with cancer was noted Legally Speaking By: Scott Baron, Attorney at Law FOR TWENTY DOLLARS Q: In the dusk of the evening, I was driving on a highway. Abruptly, the car immediately ahead of me shifted into the right-hand lane. As I started to apply the brakes, I saw a car stopped in the center lane, dead ahead of me. Unable to pull over in time to avoid a collision, I rear-ended the disabled car. The driver of the disabled car has said that, just before his car slid to a standstill, he observed pieces of his car’s transmission rolling down the road. Just after the accident, the driver saw that his front right wheel was sideways. The driveshaft linking this wheel to the transmission was disconnected, dangling from the undercarriage. Two months before the accident, a mechanic had performed the required annual state motor-vehicle inspection. The inspector had issued the certificate stating that the car was in proper and safe working condition. Can I sue the inspector? A: Please take a look at the DMV’s Inspection Groups and Fee Chart (Form VS- 77), effective on January 1, 2011. The fee for a safety inspection is no more than twenty dollars, often less. Bearing this in mind, our courts have not been willing to impose liability. Otherwise, the modest revenue from an inspection would be prohibitively outweighed by the liability insurance premiums that a station would need to pay. But perhaps there was more to the mechanic’s work than a mere inspection, and more than twenty dollars changed hands. Take this case to an attorney. As with any case, the right facts can make or break it. Advertorial The law responds to changed conditions; exceptions and variations abound. Here, the information is general; always seek out competent counsel This article shall not be construed as legal advice. Copyright © 2015 Scott Baron & Associates, P.C. All rights reserved. 159-49 Cross Bay Boulevard, Howard Beach, New York 11414 1750 Central Park Ave, Yonkers, NY 10710 718-738-9800, 914-337-9800, 1-866-927-4878 by national publications like ESPN and MSG. His doctors diagnosed him with multiple myeloma and he was given radiation treatment. “We are sad to announce that Mr. Stephen Piorkowski, our beloved physical education teacher and coach, passed away Wednesday evening after a long bout with cancer,” Bayside High School Principal Michael Athy wrote to the school community. “Steve taught and coached at Bayside for over 20 years, turning frightened freshmen into starring seniors. He will be missed by our entire community and our thoughts are with the Piorkowski family during this sorrowful time.” SEARCH FOR MISSING MAN ENTERS SECOND WEEK BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] @aaltamirano28 Heather Arabadjis hasn’t given up hope as the search for her missing 63-year-old father, who suffers from various mental disorders, reaches its second week without any leads. Philip Arabadjis, who is about 5 feet 11 inches tall, 290 pounds, and has brown and grey hair, was last seen leaving his apartment complex on 20th Avenue and 20th Street in Astoria on Feb. 12 at around 10 p.m., according to his daughter. He was wearing a flannel shirt with black sweatpants and was without shoes or a jacket. Arabadjis has a medical history of schizophrenia, diabetes, related symptoms of dementia, and Chronic O b s t r u c t i v e P u l m o n a r y Disease (COPD), making it hard for him to breathe. Since he went missing, Heather has set up Facebook page called “Findphil” where she posts updates on the search for her dad. Feeling like the response from police is slow, she has conducted two organized searches and visited hospitals Philip Arabadjis in Queens and other boroughs, as well as homeless shelters. She plans to continue searching subway and train stations such as Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station. She is currently waiting to hear back from the NYPD’s Missing Persons Unit on video feeds in the area that could have caught her father walking away from his home. The Alzheimer’s Association also has their own detective on the case as well. “We don’t really know where he is. We’re not sure if he stayed in Astoria or Long Island City,” Heather said. “I’m just trying to do everything on my end to see what we can do to find him. Whatever anyone says I’m doing, I’m searching on any tips, still putting up flyers and contacting hospitals. Volunteers are contacting hospitals daily and recording notes.” Heather describes her father as a homebody who likes to keep to himself and did not have friends. He has no identification on him, is not aware of where he lives or his name and may be unresponsive to questions and look lost. “He was kind of scared of people. I believe he didn’t feel accepted. He didn’t like to take trains and buses because of other people,” she said. “Growing up, people were scared of him – that’s how it is in society when you don’t know what something is, you are afraid of it.” Heather added that her mother is staring to lose hope after these two weeks have brought no leads. She added that she hopes to bring her father home soon so she can help provide a better future for her parents. Heather said she has felt a large amount of support Photo courtesy of NYPD and love from people volunteering to help in the search during what has become a dark time of not knowing what has come of her dad. “I’m so thankful knowing that there are so many kind-hearted people out there,” she said. “To all the people that are helping me, I always say God bless them. It makes me warm inside during such dark moments. That’s what keeps me not depressed. It keeps me going, because there is so much positive energy and you need that in a time of sadness.” A $10,000 reward is being offered for any information that leads to finding Arabadjis. Photo courtesy of Steve Piorkowski’s family
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