28 The Queens Courier • MARCH 28, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com Walcott to meet with parents over G&T cuts BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] After weeks protesting proposed cuts to the gifted and talented program at P.S. 122, the voices of the parents in District 30 have finally been heard by Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott. The parents, along with other concerned and outraged school and community members, confronted Walcott at a Panel for Education Policy meeting in Brooklyn on Wednesday night, March 20, where the chancellor agreed to meet with them at a later date to go over the changes. “We are feeling cautiously optimistic, given the chancellor’s previous thoughtful interactions with parents from District 30,” said Deborah Alexander, a District 30 parent whose son, Augustus, is set to attend the prestigious program in middle school. “A united community can really make a change.” The group of District 30 parents has been getting together for over a month to speak against the Department of Education’s (DOE) plans to extend P.S. 122’s general education classes from the fifth to eighth grade, cutting down classes at the gifted and talented middle school program, The Academy. “It’s just the first step, but we’re really proud of what we’ve accomplished and thrilled that the chancellor listened and heard us,” said Alexander. In order to extend P.S. 122 into the eighth grade, by 2019 there will be room for only one class per grade in The Academy, down from the three to four classes offered now. These changes would go into effect in 2019 and would begin with this fall’s incoming kindergarten class. The DOE has stated that the changes are required in order to allow each student the chance to stay in the same K-8 until they finish middle school. The meeting between parents and the chancellor was confirmed by DOE spokesperson Devon Puglia, yet no date has been set. Photo Courtesy of Isaac Carmignani District 30 parents hope to meet with Chancellor Dennis Walcott to discuss the changes for P.S. 122. “Chancellor Walcott and his team are very responsive and listen closely to feedback from families. We look forward to meeting with this community once again and articulating our rationale for this plan: equity and fairness for all students,” said Puglia in a statement. Yet, worried the meeting will not bring negotiations, as the parents wait for the date to be announced they will be filing a petition with the State Education Commissioner. “The day we can withdraw that petition because the DOE has heard the unified voice of District 30 will be a joyful day,” said Alexander. Website takes aim at CB1 BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] A website passing itself off as the site for Astoria’s Community Board 1 is claiming its board members are out of touch with the community it serves. “Cb1queens.org” is a parody website that at first glance can be mistaken to be the official website address for Community Board 1 with its “formal” design and information, but is not associated with the board. Amid the various claims, the website states the Community Board “is proud to represent the interests of business and property owners” and the only way to truly become a member is to “know somebody.” Although requesting to remain anonymous, the website designer stressed through an email that everything on the website is true and mostly comes from the Community Board’s official website or actual quotes said by board members. The designer said no quotes are attributed to any board members to not seem like individuals were being picked on. “The main purpose of the website is to highlight what the board says and does,” the designer said. “I’m sure many of them board members mean very well. The site isn’t vindictive. It’s humorous. But it’s only funny because it’s true.” But for Lucille Hartmann, district manager of Community Board 1, and Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr., this is no laughing matter. “Everyone is entitled to their opinion but the way it is being presented is underhanded,” said Hartmann. “They put their spin on it, that doesn’t mean that it’s right.” The district manager said the City Council is looking into the issue and that the recently added statement at the bottom of the website saying the site is “a parody and does not have any HUNTERS POINT RESIDENTS SPLIT ON ALTERNATE SIDE BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] Hunters Point residents are taking sides when it comes to a proposal for alternate side parking. At a Community Board 2 meeting in January, residents became aware of the Department of Sanitation’s (DOS) proposition for alternate side street parking west of Jackson Avenue between 45th and Borden Avenues due to requests made by some residents in fall 2011. As part of the proposal, the streets would be swept twice a week, the south and east sides on Wednesdays and the north and west sides on Thursdays. Streets in the area south of 47th Road would be cleaned from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and streets to the north would be cleaned between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Blocks with meters would be cleaned in half-hour segments between 7:30 and 9 a.m. Dr. Moitri Savard, Community Board 2 member and a local family doctor, has been leading the battle for cleaner streets for about two years and is taking matters into her own hands. “We just want our streets to be cleaner,” said Savard, who has now started the LIC – Environmental Community Organization (LIC-ECO) to clean the streets as they wait for the changes. But other residents are worried about the vehicle congestion as cars do the “double parking dance,” switching in and out of spaces. Longtime resident Diane Hendry believes the community should be accountable for litter and more trash baskets should be added. Hendry also suggests residents get parking permits, as well as resident short- and long-term parking to alleviate congestion. According to spokesperson Kathy Dawkins, the DOS is still waiting for recommendations from the Community Board after its next public hearing. “The Department of Sanitation prepared the plan in response to requests by the Community Board and the local councilmember who sense the changing nature of the area,” said Dawkins. The LIC-ECO group is planning “LIC Cleanup!” for Saturday, May 11 to clean 48th Avenue between 5th Street and Vernon Boulevard. Community Board 2 did not respond to calls for comment. Parody website cb1queens.org criticizes Community Board 1 of Astoria for being out of touch with the community it represents. relation to any Community Board or governmental agency” does not suffice as a disclaimer. Although Vallone has not seen the site himself, he looks down upon the creators who attack the Community Board online and says he wouldn’t dignify anything they say anonymously. Screenshot by cb1queens.org “I think it’s a shame that this very hardworking volunteer board can get attacked by anonymous cowards on the Internet,” he said. “Anyone who has a complaint should feel free to come to me or the Community Board and we would handle it like we do all complaints.”
QC03282013
To see the actual publication please follow the link above