4 THE QUEENS COURIER • AUGUST 3, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Photo courtesy of the NYPD
Cops ID man
who stabbed
woman on a
Flushing st.
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
edavenport@qns.com / @QNS
Police have identified the
man whom they say stabbed a
woman during an argument on a
Flushing street a few months ago.
According to police, on Feb. 15 at 10:35
p.m., a 29-year old female and the suspect,
35-year-old Jian Li, got into a verbal
dispute at the corner of 168th Street
and Crocheron Avenue in the Murray
Hill section of the neighborhood.
Law enforcement sources said the
dispute turned violent when Li allegedly
pulled out a knife and stabbed
the victim twice in the abdomen.
Following the incident, Li fl ed northbound
towards 168th Street.
Offi cers from the 109th Precinct
responded to the scene along with EMS
units, who rushed the victim to North
Shore Hospital for treatment of nonlife
threatening injuries.
Li is described as standing 6 feet
tall, weighing 220 pounds and having
a light complexion. He was last seen
wearing a black jacket, black hat and
green pants.
Anyone with information in regards
to this incident is asked to call the
NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at
800-577-TIPS or for Spanish 1-888-
57-PISTA (74782). Th e public can also
submit their tips by logging onto the
Crime Stoppers Website or texting
their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then
enter TIP577.
All calls and messages are kept confi
dential.
Volunteers scatter across
Flushing to get rid of ugly graffi ti
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
Flushing groups and volunteers are
coming together to clean up the neighborhood.
Th e Queens Economic Development
Corporation (QEDC) and Flushing
Business Improvement District (Flushing
BID) have been hard at work eliminating
graffi ti since the year began, according to
City Councilman Peter Koo.
Most recently, QEDC crews removed
graffi ti from 30 mailboxes and lightposts
along Parsons and Willets Point
Boulevards and fences along Utopia
Parkway, near Flushing Cemetery. Th e
Flushing BID has also conducted cleanups
at various businesses along 41st
Avenue, as well as the Flushing-Main
Street LIRR Station and Lippman Plaza.
“Th e graffi ti removal program has been
a huge success,” said Bhavna Punjwani,
Business Advisor for QEDC. “A few years
ago, QEDC implemented this program
with only a few districts, and based on
the results, we have had other council
districts come to us requesting graffi ti
removal services in their areas. Th e program
continues to grow.”
Last August, the Flushing BID was
awarded $46,000 by Koo to put towards
sanitation and graffi ti removal eff orts in
the neighborhood. Th e group’s fi rst cleanup
campaign took place at the Flushing-
Main Street LIRR station, a frequent graffi
ti target, that same month.
Koo and Flushing BID also continue to
encourage residents who spot graffi ti in
the neighborhood to snap a photo, post it
on Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag
#FlushingGraffi tiBusters and tag either
party to bring it to their attention.
Dian Yu, Executive Director of the
Flushing BID, said the campaign is part of
the group’s eff ort to move toward “a safer
and cleaner Flushing.”
“As a business improvement district, we
want to create a more welcoming environment
for everyone,” Yu said. “Th ank you
to Councilman Peter Koo funding these
Photos courtesy of QEDC
important services for our community.”
“Graffi ti removal is an important quality
of life issue that takes consistent
enforcement to make an impact,” Koo
said. “Th at’s why I’ve increased funding
for both the Flushing BID and Queens
EDC to remove this unsightly vandalism
whenever it arises. It also takes the
eyes and ears of the entire community.
Anyone in Council District 20 can report
graffi ti locations to our offi ces, and we will
fl ag the locations for removal.”
Bill proposed to improve pedestrian safety near parks and schools
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
A bill that aims to make the city’s streets
surrounding schools and parks safer may
soon become law, according to a Baysidebased
lawmaker.
Councilman Paul Vallone announced
that his piece of legislation to improve
pedestrian conditions near local schools
and parks passed unanimously in the City
Council on July 20, and may soon receive
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s signature.
Th e bill will require the Department
of Transportation (DOT) to examine all
intersections adjacent to schools or parks
that do not currently have pedestrian
countdown displays to see if they are
needed. It also requires that the DOT
install countdown displays at the designated
intersections within two years of
the completed study.
According to Vallone, children and
seniors are the most vulnerable pedestrian
groups, with senior New Yorkers making
up 13 percent of the population but
accounting for approximately one-third
of all traffi c fatalities.
In November 2016, Vallone and dozens
of parents, students and teachers rallied
at J.H.S. 185 in Flushing for improved
“School Safety for All,” highlighting the
lawmaker’s now-passed bill as a step in
the right direction. Th e rally came shortly
aft er two tragic incidents occurred outside
of J.H.S. 185 and J.H.S. 194 involving
students being hit by vehicles. One
accident left an 11-year-old boy critically
injured.
“I’m proud to stand with our principals,
Photo via Shutterstock
teachers, parents, students and seniors in
our combined fi ght for safety around our
schools and parks,” Vallone said. “Th is
is an issue that must be addressed before
another child or senior is injured just
crossing a public street, in our community
and throughout the city. Th e well-being
of our children should be our number
one priority and this bill will provide
a major boost for the safety of all students
and their families.”