4 The QUEE NS Courier • APRIL 14, 2016 for breaking news visit www.qns.com Water outage map would help keep Queens keep track of problems, says lawmaker By Miguel Vasquez editorial@qns.com/@QueensCourier New York City should create a special map to let residents know where there are planned or surprise water outages, according to a bill introduced on April 7 in the City Council. This bill will require the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to create a map depicting exactly where the water outages are occurring and an approximate time of when they will end. All notifications will be posted on the DEP and city’s website. Previous to the introduction of this Intro. 1156 bill, the DEP’s main method of informing the public was by posting flyers. Unfortunately, due to external circumstances, flyers would often be blown away or damaged, and residents would not receive these notifications. According to Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, the bill was brought about in response to complaints from residents who felt that they were left in the dark when these outages occurred. “It’s a quality-of-life issue,” Van Bramer said. “It’s not difficult or complicated for DEP to provide this data to New York City residents, but it’s incredibly frustrating to turn on the tap, have no water come out, and not be able to find any more information.” Deputy Leader James Vacca, who also sponsored the bill, feels that it is more than necessary: “In the case of planned outages, it’s a no-brainer to have this information online and available ahead of time. In the case of unplanned outages, it’s critical that status updates be made available as quickly as possible.” MAN DIES AFTER HIS DIRT BIKE COLLIDES WITH A TREE AT LITTLE BAY PARK By Alan Burton editorial@qns.com/@QueensCourier A man’s life was tragically cut short this morning in an early morning crash at Little Bay Park. A man was found unconscious and unresponsive after he lost control over his motorcycle and struck a tree near the intersection of Utopia Parkway and Cryders Lane at Little Bay Park in Bayside. The incident occurred at around 7 a.m. on April 7, police reported. After responding to a 911 call, officers of the 109th Precinct discovered that the driver had sustained significant body trauma. EMS arrived at the scene and pronounced the man dead. The man — whose identity was not disclosed pending family notification — was riding a Honda dirt bike. The medical examiner will determine the exact cause of death. NYPD’s Collision Squad is conducting an investigation. Photo by Mark Mellone Police examine the scene where a 31-year-old man was shot to death in Woodside on April 9. Man takes fatal bullets in an early-morning shooting on a Woodside block, cops say By Robert Pozarycki rpozarycki@qns.com/@robbpoz Detectives continue to search for clues and suspects in connection with a deadly shooting on a Woodside street early in the morning of April 9. The homicide took place at 3:07 a.m. on April 9 in front of a home on 47th Avenue between 67th and 69th streets. Responding officers from the 108th Precinct found the 31-year-old male victim, whose identity was not disclosed by police pending family notification, lying in the street with gunshot wounds to his head and torso. Paramedics rushed the man to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Eyewitnesses claimed to have observed an unknown number of people running from the scene following the shooting. No arrests, however, have been made, and police said a description of the shooter and a possible motive were unknown as of the afternoon of April 9. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information regarding the murder is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS, visit their website or send a text message to 274637 (CRIMES), then enter TIP577. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
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