FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM APRIL 11, 2019 • THE QUEENS COURIER 3
Senate unanimously
passes Religious
Attire bill
Yesterday in Albany, the New York State
Senate unanimously passed the Religious
Attire bill, which prohibits discrimination
against religious attire in the workplace.
Th e vote came aft er a group of lawmakers,
led by Senator John Liu, pushed for
the passage of the legislation in the Senate
on Tuesday, April 9. Back in February,
Assemblyman David Weprin sponsored the
identical Religious Garb bill, which successfully
passed the Assembly in a vote of 106
to 1.
“Discrimination in the workplace is bad
enough, but unaddressed it becomes far more
pernicious as people face taunts and eventually
abuse that goes beyond verbal,” said Liu.
“Th is bill expressly prohibits discrimination
by employers on the basis of religious attire
and appearance and will ultimately help eradicate
bigotry and intolerance in our state.”
Liu argued the bill along with Senators
Andrew Gounardes, Robert Jackson, Brian
Kavanagh and Jessica Ramos, Assembly members
Weprin, Simcha Eisenstein and Felix W.
Ortiz and various advocates, including Sikh
Coalition, Sikh Cultural Society, Muslims
for Progress (MFP), SAFEST, Bangladesh
American Advocacy Group (BAAG), New
York Muslim Advocacy Coalition (NYMAC),
Engage Action and distinguished Muslim
leaders from New York City and Long Island.
Under the bill’s terms, “the wearing of any
attire, clothing, or facial hair in accordance
with the requirements of his or her religion
is protected under the Human Rights Law.”
Weprin fi rst introduced the bill in the
Assembly in 2011 and it has passed every
year since 2013. Liu agreed to carry the bill
in the Senate following its passage.
Jenna Bagcal
Flushing church
hosts annual Greek
Festival in May
Th e Greek Orthodox Shrine Church of St.
Nicholas is welcoming all for a taste of Greece
and Cyprus in Flushing at its annual Greek
Festival in May.
Th e church — located at 196-10 Northern
Blvd. — will host the Greek Festival Th ursday,
May 16, through Sunday, May 19. Th is year
marks the 48th anniversary of the festival.
Greek music will set the mood of being
in an Athenian cafe or on a Grecian isle as
guests dine outside. Both Greek and Cyprus
cuisines will be off ered followed by a sweet
dessert tasting of baklava, loukoumades and
other Greek pastries.
Th e festival will also include a fl ea market
with shopping vendors selling new merchandise.
Kids will be treated to games, popcorn
and sweets.
Guests can also get a tour of the church
which was erected in 1971 and cited by the
Queens Chamber of Commerce for its architecture.
Th e festival is open on Th ursday, May
16, from 6 to 10 p.m.; Friday, May 17, from
6 p.m. to midnight; Saturday, May 18, from
noon to midnight; and Sunday, May 19, from
noon to 10 p.m. Admission is free.
Carlotta Mohamed
Photo by Carlotta Mohamed/QNS
Bayside pols blast state over sex off enders at motel
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Following the alarming news of
eight registered sex off enders allegedly
placed at a Bayside motel, local elected
offi cials on Th ursday called for
immediate removal of the individuals
by the New York State Department
of Corrections and Community
Supervision (DOCCS).
Standing in front of the Anchor Inn
Motel, located at 215-34 Northern
Blvd., state Senator John Liu joined
by Assembly members Nily Rozic and
Ed Braunstein and Councilman Paul
Vallone addressed concerned residents
at the site, where families take their children
to a day care center across the street.
“We are extremely concerned to learn
about the eight registered sex off enders
placed in the Anchor Motor Inn last
week by the New York State Department
of Corrections and Community
Supervision,” said Rozic. “Th e Inn,
located on Northern Boulevard is
diagonally across the street from an
Academy of Early Education. As the
safety of our community and our children
is paramount, we urge DOCCS to
fi nd immediate alternative housing for
these individuals.”
Th e eight registered sex off enders are
listed on the New York State Division
of Criminal Justice Services sex off ender
registry. Th ey are men who range in
age from 33 to 66. Four of the individuals
were said to be level 3, sexually violent
off enders.
Th e Anchor Inn Motel
“It’s always a cause for concern when
sex off enders are placed in a community,
but it becomes truly alarming
when their crimes are particularly heinous
and violent,” said Vallone, whose
offi ce has been receiving phone calls
about the issue. “Several of the off enders
placed at the Anchor Inn have been
convicted of sex crimes against children
and the elderly, and placing them
in direct proximity to a pre-K and elementary
schools in unacceptable.”
According to the Department of
Criminal Justice, the Sex Off ender
Registration Act does not restrict
where a registered sex off ender may
live. However, if the off ender is under
parole or probation supervision, other
New York state laws may limit the
off ender from living within 1,000 feet
of a school or other facility caring for
children.
In a statement to QNS, a DOCCS
spokesman confi rmed that the men
were recently re-located to the Anchor
Inn, which is compliant with the state’s
Sexual Assault Reform Act (SARA)
restrictions, following the closure of
their previous transitional housing by
New York City agencies.
“To date, the individuals have abided
by their conditions of supervision,
which include reporting any change
in residence. Th e Department’s parole
offi cers will continue to actively supervise
these individuals and impose any
special conditions required, in accordance
with the law and agency policy,”
the DOCCS said.
According to Liu, the motel has
claimed they have removed the individuals,
stating they had no knowledge
about the matter and that the Red Cross
potentially placed them at the site on an
emergency basis.
Residents, who claim the motel has
been operating as a halfway house for
years, expressed multiple issues with
the site and lack of communication
with the owner.
“We don’t know for sure but we feel as
though they must be operating it either
as a halfway house or half hotel,” said
Lina, who withheld her last name for
privacy concerns. “Many times we have
reached out to the hotel about problems
that we’re having with their guests walking
up the block, doing drugs in front
of our houses. “If the hotel owner
has a contract with the Corrections
Department, what other criminals are
in here that we have to know about that
there’s no database for? We don’t know
who else is in there, and when we’ve
reached out to them and tried to go
inside, they’ve thrown us out.”
Another resident, who has been living
in the neighborhood for 71 years,
said she has never encountered a situation
until now.
“I used to walk at night but I’m not
going to walk now,” she said. “No way
I’m not going to walk.”
Th e local lawmakers said they’re continuing
to further investigate the matter
and are seeking accountability of the
placement of the individuals.
“Nothing can be more alarming
than news that violent sex off enders
have been placed in your community,
including parolees who have attacked
children,” said Liu. “Worse yet, these
placements appear to be in clear violation
of state law. Nothing trumps
the safety and security for our families,
especially the protection of young
children, and these individuals must
be moved out immediately. We also
demand a clear accounting of how this
happened in the fi rst place so it doesn’t
get repeated.”
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