FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com march 7, 2013 • THE QUEENS COURIER 25 full stop BY MELISSA CHAN [email protected] A dicey intersection near a Whitestone elementary school just got a little safer. The city installed a four-way stop on 154th Street at the intersection of 11th Avenue after residents petitioned for more controls. The accident-prone school crossing is half a block away from P.S. 193. “This has been a problem location going back to my days in the City Council, and the community has been very vocal on the need for additional traffic controls at this location for years,” said State Senator Tony Avella. “Ensuring the safety of our children as they go to school should be one of our top traffic priorities.” Before the change, there were only two stop signs for vehicles going east and westbound. Residents said cars constantly parked illegally in a “No Standing” zone impaired the vision of drivers trying to go straight on 11th Avenue or make a right turn, The Courier reported last September. Having to slowly inch up halfway into the intersection, they said, makes them sitting ducks for speeding cars zooming down 154th Street. There were no reported injuries at the location between 2006 and 2010, said a spokesperson for the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT). There was only one crash in 1996, which resulted in one injury, according to crashstat.org. But Devon O’Connor, president of the Welcome to Whitestone Civic Association, said he witnessed at least four collisions there last summer. The intersection, he said, has been a problem for over a decade. Support for the traffic controls came from the school, parents, elected officials and Community Board 7, O’Connor said. “It’s definitely going to reduce speeding and car crashes,” he said. “I stood there for a while watching the intersection with the new stop signs. You can definitely tell it’s a whole different vibe.” THE COURIER/Photo by Terence M. Cullen A four way stop has been installed at a dangerous Whitestone intersection. Dismal budget has disabled distraught BY MAGGIE HAYES [email protected] The Shield Institute taught Sui Chan to walk and talk. Now she fears budget cuts may take away from the program she calls her lifeline. The organization for the developmentally disabled, along with over 600 others citywide, are currently subject to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s budget amendments that will result in a $240 million cut in funding, effective April 1. “The Shield is where I find my voice,” said Chan, 52, through an electronic speaking device. “I am asking Cuomo to not cut the services that I receive because, to be honest, my life depends on it.” Programs for developmentally disabled individuals were also victim of budget cuts three years ago and have since received no increase in funding. Between that slash in funds and the current one, it amounts to a $400 million loss. Groups such as The Shield Institute aim towards helping these people live a progressive lifestyle, becoming more active and independent. Each day, they have different activities such as painting, cooking and exercising. Patients also meet with physical therapists, speech therapists and psychologists. Officials fear with the looming spending slashes, their staff may have to take the fall. “We have people that have complex needs,” said Dr. Susan Provenzano, executive director at The Shield. “We pride ourselves on being able to provide good, quality service, MERCY VISA Meng helps family bring body home BY TERENCE M. CULLEN [email protected] Congressmember Grace Meng is working on getting emergency visas for the brother and the son of Junwoon Li, whose body was discovered floating in Flushing Creek on Tuesday, February 26, so they can bring her home. The U.S. Embassy in Beijing has already approved a visitor’s visa for Li’s brother, according to Meng’s office. “This terrible loss of life is a horrible tragedy,” THE COURIER/Photo by Maggie Hayes Sui Chan, who can only communicate via an electronic speaking device, fears budget cuts may affect her daily programs. said Meng. “We send our thoughts and prayers to the victim’s family and friends, and we’ll do all we can to assist them.” Li, 46, was a Korean national of Chinese descent, and her brother and son both live in China, according to Meng’s office. Li came to the United States on February 5 for what was expected to be a threemonth stay. She was last seen on Friday, February 22, however, leaving a Flushing karaoke bar. Police currently do not believe the death was a homicide, nor was any foul play involved. Assemblymember Ron Kim was contacted by friends of Li and, because it is a federal issue, reached out to Meng for help. “This is a terrible and sad tragedy,” he said. “I will assist Congressmember Meng and her staff with any local or state matters that can help alleviate some of the burden facing the victim’s family.” There is no set time frame on when Li’s brother, and possibly her son, will arrive in New York to bring her body back to China. Hollis co-op says butts out BY MAGGIE HAYES [email protected] Queens could be going smoke free, one apartment at a time. The Queens Smoke Free Partnership has converted 220 apartment homes into smoke-free zones and is furthering its work throughout the borough through various initiatives. “Smoke-free housing is very up and coming,” said Yvette Buckner, the Queens borough manager at the Partnership. “We’re helping to formalize a policy and make Queens a healthier place.” The Hilltop Village Cooperative in Hollis is one of the new smoke-free sites. Melvin Doby, board president of Cooperative Building 1 at Hilltop Village, sees the new initiative as a movement towards better health and one in which residents need to compromise. Before the smoke-free space was implemented, Doby went out and spoke with his shareholders in Building 1. He admitted that some people had issues, but regardless, the motion passed with a significant majority vote. “People say, ‘It’s infringing on our rights, our liberties,’ but when you signed on the dotted line, you signed to play well with others,” he said. “It’s a shared space. Our apartments are not air-tight. Second-hand smoke is a problem.” After the building was made smoke free, designated smoking areas were put in place around the vicinity. Doby said that the co-op has a large elderly population, many of whom rely daily on oxygen tanks. If smokers are free to roam as they please around the property, Doby said it could be a great health concern. “It’s just something to accommodate everyone,” he added. “It’s also a common courtesy.” Within the next year, the Partnership plans to work with the Queens Co-op and Condo Association and the Queens Civic Congress to create more smoke-free units. Aside from smoke-free housing, the Partnership is working on limiting tobacco marketing and exposure to youth and working in conjunction with community groups and youth organizations. “We’re trying to keep them healthy where they live, work and play,” said Buckner. and this would put a strain on that ability.” Louise Young’s 55-year-old brother, Fred Lotti, has been going to The Shield Institute’s day program for 30 years. Young said Lotti, who has cerebral palsy, throughout his entire life, he has not been left alone for even five minutes. “He needs, what I call, a shadow,” said Young. “They need to dress him, prepare his food, drive him places. If they start making cuts, these people are not going to be able to function.” Genevieve Murphy, an aide at The Shield Institute, said that after she told her group about the cuts, they all became very concerned. With Murphy’s help, the group compiled a letter to send to Albany, urging Cuomo to reconsider the budget proposal. “Just take a second to close your eyes and imagine yourself not being able to walk, eat by yourself, or communicate what you feel,” they said in the letter. “We are just asking you to please think twice.”
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