8 The Queens Courier • september 25, 2014 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com Plans for proposed Sunnyside, Woodside slow zones revealed BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO aaltamirano@queenscourier.com @aaltamirano28 More streets in western Queens will soon be slower and safer. The Department of Transportation (DOT) presented its plans for two proposed slow zones in Sunnyside Gardens, Woodside and Sunnyside, south of Queens Boulevard, before Community Board 2 (CB 2) during a public hearing. The slow zones were designed through input from the community, Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer and CB 2. As part of the city’s Vision Zero initiative, the neighborhoods that will be included in these two slow zones were selected based on the transportation agency’s evaluation on crash history, traffic fatalities, community support, and the closeness of schools and senior and day care centers. Slow zones are marked with high-visibility blue signs that warn drivers at all streets entering the zones. Each area has a speed limit of 20 mph and includes speed bumps and eight-foot-high letters on the road that read “20 MPH.” The first proposed area, which would be called the Sunnyside Gardens- Woodside Slow Zone, would be bordered by 43rd Street, 38th Avenue, Barnett Avenue, 58th Street, Queens Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue. There are three schools and three day care/pre-K centers in the area. According to the DOT, since 2007 there has been one death in the proposed zone and three severe pedestrian injuries. The Sunnyside Gardens-Woodside Slow Zone would include 18 proposed speed bumps, added to the already existing 12 bumps, and 19 neighborhood slow zone gateways. In the proposed Sunnyside Slow Zone, which has four schools in the area, the borders would be 36th Street, Queens Boulevard, 51st Street and part of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. The area is split diagonally by Greenpoint Avenue, which is not part of the slow zone, according to the DOT. Since 2007 there have been four fatalities in the proposed zone and since 2008, there have been three severe pedestrian injuries and five severe injuries involving vehicle occupants. The Sunnyside Slow Zone would include 20 speed bumps, in addition to Images courtesy of Department of Transportation the current eight bumps, and 31 neighborhood slow zone gateways. CB 2 will vote on the proposal during its next monthly meeting. Whitestone resident wins Ms. Supermodel USA-Petite competition BY ERIC JANKIEWICZ ejankiewicz@queenscourier.com/@EricJankiewicz Whitestone has its very own Ms. Supermodel USA-Petite. Margaret Skourlis, 33, won the national competition on Sept. 6 in Fargo, North Dakota, against 30 other beauty queens. “It’s an amazing experience,” said Skourlis, who has lived in Whitestone for most of her life. The Ms. Supermodel USA-Petite competition is held every year, and it’s the Miss USA for women between the ages of 30 to 40. The petite division is for woman who are 5 feet 6 inches or less. Skourlis has previously held the Miss Congeniality title, among many other beauty pageant titles that she’s achieved since she was 17. Skourlis sees her title as a way of bringing attention to various issues — from domestic violence to multiple sclerosis — by constantly attending different events and using her title to attract people. “I’m always going to charity drives and rallies to raise awareness and attract more press attention to all of the different problems in the world,” she said. “It’s really important for us to connect with each other.” Skourlis has two master’s degrees: one in political science and the other in business administration. Her platform used to be about multiple sclerosis, a disability her mom has. But during this most recent competition she decided to not have such a narrow focus. “When you concentrate on only one thing during these competitions, you belittle all of the other issues. So now I’ve opened my focus to embrace all causes. I just want to see people happy.” THE COURIER/Photo by Eric Jankiewicz Margaret Skourlis of Whitestone won the Ms. Supermodel USA-Petite competition.
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