FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM AUGUST 17, 2017 • THE QUEENS COURIER 3
Duo robs internet
cafes in Flushing
Cops are looking for two armed men who swiped
cash and a cellphone from internet cafes in Flushing
this month.
On Aug. 7 at around 3:20 a.m., two unidentifi
ed suspects entered the CL and XYJ Inc. Internet
Café, located at 140-08 Holly Ave., and approached a
24-year-old male employee. Th e pair then displayed
a fi rearm and demanded cash.
Th e employee complied and the suspects fl ed the
scene in an unknown direction with cash and a cellphone.
Th ere were no reported injuries.
Th en, on Aug. 14, the duo entered the Star Internet
Café, located at 42-08 College Point Blvd. at around
4:30 a.m. and approached a 51-year-old male employee,
again displaying a fi rearm and demanding money.
Th e employee complied and the two suspects fl ed
the scene southbound on College Point Boulevard
with an undetermined amount of cash. Th ere were
no reported injuries.
Th e suspects are described as Hispanic males with
a light complexion, between ages 18 and 25 years of
age. Th ey were last seen wearing hooded sweatshirts
and dark-colored pants.
Anyone with information about the case should
call 800-577-TIPS.
Suzanne Monteverdi
DEP probes Fresh
Meadows pipe problems
Aft er months of water pipe problems, Fresh
Meadows residents are getting some help.
Councilman Barry S. Grodenchik and
Assemblywoman Nily Rozic have the attention of
the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP),
which they say will begin an investigation into the
water lines on 188th Street between Union Turnpike
and 73rd Avenue.
Th e investigation is the result of what homeowners
have called an unusual series of water line ruptures
in recent months.
Despite the connections between the home and
city sewer lines being on private property, and thus
the homeowners’ responsibility, the DEP will investigate
based on inquiries from Grodenchik and Rozic.
Th e DEP will be investigating the infrastructure
of the water lines, both of the homes and the city to
fi gure out the cause of the breaks, ensure the lines
are not compromised and prevent any more potential
breaks.
Th e investigation will take place over the course of
two weeks.
Justin Berglund
Pols urge parents to use
safety app at parks
Two Queens lawmakers are urging parents to
download an app that is meant to keep increase the
safety of city parks and playgrounds.
Assemblyman Ron Kim and state Senator Jose
Peralta were joined by several parents at Northern
Playground in Jackson Heights on Aug. 10 to discuss
ParentPatrol, an app that allows users to report
and record suspicious activity in an eff ort to safeguard
the parks. With ParentPatrol, users can report
suspicious activity or inappropriate incidents to
local leaders and residents. Inside the app, users can
record video of suspicious activity, make reports of
incidents that they’ve seen, and call a hotline to speak
to someone about the inappropriate behavior they’ve
witnessed.
For more information, visit www.parentpatrol.org.
Emily Davenport
Photos by Suzanne Monteverdi/QNS
Queens condemns hate rally in Charlottesville
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
Young leaders, politicians and
Queens residents gathered in
Jamaica on Tuesday night in a stand
against hate.
Organized by the Queens County
Young Democrats (QCYD), a
group of about 20 individuals gathered
at the King Manor Museum
in Rufus King Park on Aug. 15 to
denounce the hateful rhetoric and
violence during the recent events in
Charlottesville, VA.
On Aug. 11, white nationalists,
Neo-Nazis and white supremacists
marched on the campus of the
University of Virginia. Holding up
Nazi fl ags, torches and other symbols,
protesters were seen on video
chanting phrases, including, “Jews
will not replace us.” Th e group, plus
more protesters, assembled the following
day in the Virginia town
to oppose local lawmakers’ plans
to remove a statue of Confederate
General Robert E. Lee from a nearby
park. Counter-protesters also
appeared, and the scene further dissolved
into chaos and violence.
At least 34 people were wounded
in the clashes between protesters,
according to Th e New York Times.
One person, Heather Heyer, was
killed aft er a car driven by a 20-yearold
Ohio man plowed into a group of
counter-protesters. Two state troopers
also died while in a helicopter
that fell to the ground while they
were monitoring the rally.
Kemar Newman, co-chair of
QCYD’s Caucus of Color, led the
rally and questioned President
Donald Trump’s initial response,
which was criticized as being weak
and unaff ecting, to the events in
Charlottesville.
“I’m not quite understanding of
why President Trump did not condemn
the rally then, at that very
moment that it had taken place,”
Newman said. “And I personally
believe the reason he did this was
because he did not want to upset his
voter base.”
QCYD President Stacey Eliuk followed,
calling for “compassion” in
the wake of the hate rally.
Reverend Phil Craig, who began
the rally with a group prayer, said the
Charlottesville events were a display
of character.
“It’s really not a white or black
thing,” Craig said. “It’s a character
thing. Because once you omit
the character of love, then the result
is racism, it’s bigotry, it’s violence,
it’s murder. All of these things put
together, once you omit love.
“We have to let America know
what happened in Charlottesville is
not going to happen in Queens,”
Craig continued. “We stand here
together as Bangladeshis, as Indians,
as blacks, as whites, as Hispanics. We
stand together as one people.”
State Senator James Sanders Jr. led
with a moment of silence for Heather
Heyer. Th e lawmaker then pointed
out, as indicated by white nationalists
on blogs such as Th e Daily
Stormer, “the worst is yet to come.”
“Where this country is heading, we
have to stop this place,” Sanders Jr. said.
“Th ose of us who have studied history:
we know where this road goes.”
Councilman I. Daneek Miller,
Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman
and Deputy Borough President
Melva Miller were also in attendance.
Astoria resident Rianna Young felt
it was important to organize and
attend the event to show solidarity
and resistance.
“What happened in Charlottesville
shouldn’t happen anywhere,” Young
said. “When we see something that
we don’t like or don’t want to see, we
should be there to express that.”
Kim Shannon, also an Astoria resident,
felt the rally was a step in the
right direction.
“I think we need to continue coming
together and continue listening
to each other and have more events
like this,” Shannon said. “Great
things can happen.”
Queens community members gather in a fi nal prayer at the Aug. 15 rally.