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QC05052016

4 The QUEE NS Courier • MAY 5, 2016 for breaking news visit www.qns.com Night lockdown for drug-plagued park in Astoria By Angela Matua amatua@qns.com/@AngelaMatua An Astoria park long known for being a nighttime hangout spot will now be locked every night to discourage trespassers. Councilman Costa Constantinides, Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas and state Senator Michael Gianaris announced on May 2 that Park Enforcement Patrol (PEP) officers would now lock the gates of Sean’s Place every night and open them every morning. Though the park closes at 9 p.m., the gates were not locked. Parents would find everything from broken beer bottles to condoms and crack pipes in the park, located at 38th Street between 31st Avenue and Broadway. In March, Constantinides wrote a letter to the Parks Department explaining the issue and asking Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski to lock the gates every night. Though the 114th Precinct does regular patrols, they could not be expected to stand guard at the park for 12 hours every night. “Despite the best efforts of all involved, this problem cannot be solved only with more patrols and parks cleaning staff,” Constanidies said in the letter. “It is clear that we need a more viable solution.” The community has experienced these problems as far back as 2012 and Constantinides said he will propose a bill requiring every gated playground to be locked by the Parks Department. “After years of advocacy and cooperation between the Parks Department, the NYPD and the community, I am happy that we were able to come to this solution,” Constantinades said. “This policy will greatly improve the Photo courtesy of Councilman Costa Constantinides Sean’s Place will now be locked every night after parents continuously found broken beer bottles, drug paraphernalia and used condoms. park-going experience for families and benefit our neighborhood’s vital green space.” Local parent Jenn Schulte told CBS2 news last month that her friend’s 2-year-old daughter found a crack pipe on the floor of the park and put it in her mouth. Schulte, a mother of a 2-year-old and member of Friends of Sean’s Place, said she is very thankful that the park will now be locked. “Our kids deserve a safe, clean place to play,” she said. “We are so grateful and relieved to know that our Councilman Constantinides and now the Parks Department support us in this endeavor. Locking the gates at night is the first step and we are all very hopeful.” Queens shoppers fear the proposed grocery bag tax would put added strain on their wallets Whitestone Church sells half of its parking lot to pay off its $3M debt By Brianna Ellis bellis@qns.com @briinformed Parishioners at St. Luke’s Church in Whitestone may have to peruse the area for parking before Sunday Mass, as the institution has officially sold more than half of its parking lot. The deal will close on May 5, according to Monsignor John C. Tosi, the church’s pastor, in a notice included in the parish’s April 24 bulletin. The church, located at 16-34 Clintonville St., will sell a portion of the parish property that is directly across from the St. Luke Catholic School. “The selling price will enable us to pay off the parish debt of $3,000,000; complete the necessary repairs to parish buildings and hopefully put money in the bank for future needs.” Pastor Tosi explained in the notice. The construction project will include the development of one or two family homes, after extensive buyer negotiations and dealings with the Diocesan Real Estate Office. The final decision resulted from consultation with the Parish Pastoral Council, the Parish Trustees and Parish Finance Council. “Change is never easy so I am sure that there will be a necessary period of transition,” Tori said. He added that he will work closely with St. Luke’s Principal Barbara Reiter and Sister Katherine Burke, director of religious education, to organize new procedures for the pupils. The readjustments will include alternations for the arrival and dismissal of students from both the school and religious education program. “Hopefully, as always, working together we can adjust to this new reality and in fact use it for the betterment of the parish and school now and for years into the future,” Tori wrote. St. Luke’s Roman Catholic Church was built in Whitestone and operated since October 1866. QNS attempted to contact a spokesperson at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, but a response was denied. By Miguel Vasquez editorial@qns.com/@QueensCourier The City Council is nearing a decision on a proposed 5-cent tax on paper and plastic bags used by grocery and retail stores, but Queens residents have mixed feelings over the idea. Councilman Brad Lander and Councilwoman Margaret Chin, the bill’s sponsors, indicated that the tax provides an incentive for shoppers to use reusable eco-friendly bags. According to Lander’s office, more than $12.5 million worth of city resources are spent on cleaning up plastic bags from streets, parks and beaches every year. The concern surrounding this tax however, is that it will be yet another financial burden placed on New York residents. “The proposed plastic bag fee is just another way to nickel and dime New Yorkers, who already pay some of the highest taxes and utility rates in the nation,” Councilman Eric Ulrich said. “It’s a regressive tax that will burden seniors and low-income families the most.” A number of New Yorkers have rallied against the bill, also feeling that there is a more beneficial way to be progressive. The “Bag the Tax” movement looks to promote the idea that these bags can indeed be recycled and that putting in more of an effort to do so will help the economy while keeping our city clean. Shoppers at the Bay Terrace Stop & Shop had mixed feelings about the bag tax becoming a reality. “I would never want to pay that. On days where I have 10 or 15 bags, I’ll have to pay 50 cents or more. That’s way too much,” exclaimed Yvette Franco. Another shopper, Sue Feliciano, felt that the bill might be a good way to convince New Yorkers to be more environmentally conscious: “I think it’s a great idea, as long as it’s really helping the environment. There’s too much plastic floating around this city.” Councilman Donovan Richards has a similar hope for this bill as he fully understands the dangers of neglecting our environment. “As a representative of Far Rockaway, I saw firsthand after Hurricane Sandy, how much damage climate change can have on our coastal cities,” he said. “Plastic bags are polluting our oceans at disastrous levels, so we need to do our part in New York City to eliminate our plastic bag waste like so many other cities around the globe have done already.” Both City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Mayor Bill de Blasio have indicated their support for a 5-cent tax on every bag. The original bill called for a 10-cent tax, but it was later reduced to 5 cents. The City Council could vote on the tax during its meeting this week.


QC05052016
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