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QC07112013

30 The QUEE NS Courier • juLY 11, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com editorial letters   THE QUEENS Victoria Schneps-Yunis Joshua A. Schneps Bob Brennan Tonia N. Cimino Amy Amato-Sanchez Nirmal Singh Graziella Zerilli Stephen Reina Ron Torina, Jennifer Decio, Cheryl Gallagher Melisa Chan, Terence Cullen, Cristabelle Tumola Maggie Hayes, Angy Altamirano Cliff Kasden, Samantha Sohmer, Elizabeth Aloni Cristabelle Tumola Bill Krese Jan DiGeronimo Maria Romero Louise Cavaliere Celeste Alamin Maria Valencia Daphne Fortunate Victoria Schneps-Yunis Joshua A. Schneps Publisher & E ditor Co-Publisher Associate Publisher Editor-In-Chief VP, Events, Web & Social Media Art Director Assistant to Publisher Assistant Art Director Artists Staff Reporters Contributing Reporters Web Editor Editorial Cartoonist Director, Business Developm ent Events Manager Senior Acc ount Executive Classified Manager Controller Office Manager President & CEO Vice President Schneps Communications, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361 718-224-5863 •  Fax 718-224-5441 website: www.queenscourier.com e-mail:editorial@queenscourier.com ads@queenscourier.com queenscourier@queenscourier.com Entire Contents Copyright 2013 by The Queens Courier All letters sent to THE QUEENS COURIER should be brief and are subject to condensing. Writers should include a full address and home and office telephone numbers, where available, as well as affiliation, indicating special interest. Anonymous letters are not printed. Name withheld on request. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, AS WELL AS OP-ED PIECES IN NO WAY REFLECT THE PAPER’S POSITION. No such ad or any part thereof may be reproduced without prior permission of THE QUEENS COURIER. The publishers will not be responsible for any error in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Errors must be reported to THE QUEENS COURIER within five days of publication. Ad position cannot be guaranteed unless paid prior to publication. Schneps Communications assumes no liability for the content or reply to any ads. The advertiser assumes all liability for the content of and all replies. The advertiser agrees to hold The Quens Courier and its employees harmless from all cost, expenses, liabilities, and damages resulting from or caused by the publication or recording placed by the advertiser or any reply to any such advertisement. Unfair practice I found it distressing to read about another NYC teacher accused of allegedly abusing another innocent child. Many teachers who have reached tenure and are accused of violating the rules are not being fired, but instead sent off to so-called “Rubber Rooms,” some for years. We are letting go of good teachers who are dedicated to the principles of education, while others could care less and do unspeakable acts against these children. This is so sad. New York City’s students are the ones who are paying the price. Therefore, I say bring back the good teachers that care and kick out those who do not. Frederick R. Bedell Jr. Glen Oaks Village Under Siege As I write this, I am fighting back tears, as I do daily now. My nerves are raw and I am in a constant state of heightened anxiety. I am a lifelong resident of Flushing and my quality of life has been ruined by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Last December, with zero community input, the FAA unilaterally approved new departure routes from LaGuardia Airport, without conducting any kind of environmental study. It implemented these new routes after a six month testing period from February to August 2012, during which thousands of residents of northeast Queens vehemently protested to no avail. As a result of the FAA’s actions, a typical day in the life of a resident of Flushing, Auburndale, Bayside, Douglaston and all areas of northeast Queens consists of loud, low-flying airplanes overhead every minute (sometimes every 30 seconds) from 6 a.m. until midnight or later. This constant disruption occurs daily, with no relief. Opening one’s windows or sitting on one’s terrace is out of the question. Enjoying a stroll in the neighborhood park is a pipe dream. Sleep is difficult to come by, especially for elderly residents. Children are frightened by the constant barrage of noisy aircraft. Headaches are the norm. The list of mental and physical ailments caused by this bombardment is endless. We, the people of northeast Queens, feel like we are under siege. Our rights have been violated. The decision to turn our neighborhoods into an extended runway of LGA was made without our consent and, for many people, without their knowledge. We are also the most densely populated area of Queens. More and more people move to Flushing every year. No thought was given by the FAA, which purports to “reach the next level of safety, efficiency, environmental responsibility and global leadership,” to the effect its cruel and short-sighted decision would have on the hard-working people of this area. We deserve better. We DEMAND better! Susan Carroll Flushing Thanks are in order Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer deserves enormous thanks for his work in the most recent city budget negotiations. As executive director of Sunnyside Community Services, I have seen his tireless devotion to safeguarding the programs his constituents rely on. He has helped our organization do more to serve Queens, protecting our after-school programs and senior programs against proposed cuts, providing discretionary funding to enhance our services for people of all ages and providing $2.6 million in capital funding for a renovation that will improve the quality of services we are able to provide for seniors. This is the fourth year in a row we have relied on Jimmy to fight to save our afterschool program at P.S. 150 Q, and he has never disappointed the children and families who rely on this program. I am grateful to him and to other members of the Council who work to protect and strengthen human services. Sincerely, Judy Zangwill Executive Director Sunnyside Community Services QUEENS IS BOOMING It may be the dog days of summer, but Queens is on the move! From Downtown Jamaica – where development and investment interest is at long last picking back up with the announcement of a Four Points Sheraton hotel and CityRib, a new Manhattan-based barbecue eatery – to the upcoming All Star Game, our borough is booming! And of course, there’s the U.S. Open at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in August. But more than bringing people to our international borough, these developments will bring tourism dollars and a long-term investment in Queens – its infrastructure, notoriety and the backbone of any community, its people and businesses. And what better way to learn about what our borough has to offer than the brand new – and free – “This is Queens” app by the Queens Chamber of Commerce. The free app, which can be downloaded at www.ThisisQueens. com, lists numerous Queens sites, restaurants, hotels and adventures that tourists and even residents can experience. After viewing events, visitors can use the app to learn about unique sights and various restaurants or get exclusive deals from businesses in Queens. So go ahead, download the app and get exploring. What better place than Queens after all? HERO ON DUTY He lived up to the motto “New York’s Bravest.” The Courier salutes retired firefighter and Maspeth native John Manzione, who saved a toddler from drowning on July 4, preventing an Independence Day tragedy. He was celebrating with family and friends in his yard when he heard neighbors scream “call 9-1-1” from two houses away. Manzione, 57, who retired from Engine 291 in Ridgewood after 32 years of service, rushed to see what was happening. When he arrived, he found a motionless two year old. The boy had fallen into a small blow-up pool with about two-feet of water. Using his first responder training, he performed CPR on the boy until he detected faint breathing. EMS services arrived minutes later and put the child on an oxygen machine to help him breath. Not many of us would have the presence of mind to react that quickly and save a life. But this was not the first time Manzione has aided people outside of fighting a blaze. He once had to help a man that went into cardiac arrest. He also helped a woman deliver two babies in a house. His actions on July 4 just go to prove – once a hero, always a hero. A Clarification Dan Andrews is Borough President Helen Marhall’s press secretary. He was incorrectly identified in last week’s paper.


QC07112013
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