28 The Queens Courier • march 27, 2014 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier. ‘SON OF THE CITY’ Brother remembers Avonte BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO aaltamirano@queenscourier.com @aaltamirano28 One of Avonte Oquendo’s older brothers said his family suffered “years of torture” every minute the 14-year-old autistic boy was missing. Daniel Oquendo, Jr. described the agony in a March 21 blog post for the advocacy organization Autism Speaks. “Every minute we spent in the dark about the whereabouts felt like years of torture,” Oquendo wrote. He recounted the fear and pain his family felt as they tried to find Avonte, who could not verbally communicate. During the first few days the family did not sleep, barely ate and felt as if they had nowhere to turn, Oquendo wrote. The teen was last seen at the Center Boulevard School in Long Island City, across the street from the East River in October. Almost four months later his remains were found washed up in College Point. According to Oquendo, Avonte may have been in a frightened and panicked state after running out of his school, possibly falling or jumping into the East River. The medical examiner ruled the cause and manner of Avonte’s death as undetermined. Oquendo wrote that as his family FILE PHOTO Avonte Oquendo’s brother, Daniel, recounts what his family went through during the four months searching for the autistic teen. was “overcome with grief and hopelessness,” they turned to the people of New York City to work together and gather volunteers to search for Avonte. As word began to spread, they encountered help from New Yorkers and out-of-state volunteers, and he thanked everyone for their dedication and prayers. “It turns out that before it was all said and done Avonte did indeed become the beloved son of the city,” Oquendo wrote. Shorter travel for P.S. 11 students BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO aaltamirano@queenscourier.com @aaltamirano28 Woodside parents and politicians are asking the Department of Education to consider renting space in a nearby former Catholic school building rather than busing the kindergarten and first-graders miles away to Astoria. Last week, a group of elected officials sent a letter to the DOE asking it to send the students from P.S. 11 in Woodside to the former St. Teresa School building, instead of P.S. 171 in Astoria. The letter came as the agency announced the vote on the Woodside school’s partial colocation and re-siting had been postponed until April 9. The 3-year relocation of the students, expected to begin for the 2014-15 school year, is a result of the School Construction Authority’s plan to build a brand new minibuilding addition to P.S. 11 with a capacity of 856 seats. In the letter the officials wrote the new option would provide the students adequate space needed for a safe and positive learning environment, together with keeping in mind the concerns of parents. It would also keep the children in the same neighborhood. P.S. 199 in Long Island City currently rents the first floor of the St. Teresa building for its kindergarten classes. The second and third floors are unoccupied, according to the officials. Martin Connolly, father of three, was happy to hear about the DOE’s vote postponement and believes moving the children to the St. Teresa building would make it manageable for both the families and students. “We as a family are more comfortable with Photo by Julianne O’Riordan Students like Enda, 4, and his 5-year-old brother Luke will have to go to P.S. 171 next year, if the Panel for Educational Policy votes on the temporary relocation of P.S. 11 students. the idea. We would like to keep our kids close by, we don’t believe our children are old enough to travel that distance every day,” said Connolly, who has a daughter in second grade and a son in kindergarten at P.S. 11. His youngest son is expected to start kindergarten at the school next year. “They’re toddlers, they’re still babies.” The Woodside father also said other parents have not been told what will happen during the three years of the co-location and that when parents sign their children up for P.S. 11, they are not made aware of the re-siting. The DOE did not respond to request for comment by press time. American Society of Appraisers and Garden City Antiques and Fine Arts, Ltd. Buyer of Fine Arts and Antiques for Over 30 Years Careful management of your precious estate heirlooms and buying and liquidation of your estate is our top priority. In addition to antique buying, we also can provide estate clean out services. We’re your premier antique buyers. • Antiques • Oil Paintings • Sterling Silver • Jewelry • Porcelains • Bronzes • Carved Furniture • Clocks • Bronze Statues Member of the the Better Business Bureau HIGHEST CASH PRICES PAID IMMEDIATELY 718-347-0900 www.gardencityantiques.com IF BUSY 516-524-6000
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