4 The QUEE NS Courier • october 8, 2015 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com Little Neck intersection co-named after Native American tribe BY ALINA SURIEL asuriel@queenscourier.com/@alinangelica The northeast corner of Northern Boulevard and Marathon Parkway in Little Neck has been conamed Matinecock Way after a Native American tribe that once lived in northeast Queens. The co-naming ceremony was attended by Native American chiefs, families belonging to the Matinecock tribe and other First Nations of Queens, Councilman Paul Vallone, Assemblyman Edward Braunstein and representatives from the Bayside Historical Society, among other neighborhood groups. The last of the Matinecock tribe was driven out of Douglaston and Little Neck in 1656 in the battle of Madnam’s Neck. The Bayside Historical Society and the Udalls Cove Preservation Committee were the first groups to suggest the co-naming to Community Board 11. The new name was signed into law in July with the support of sponsor Vallone. The councilman said that generations to come will hear about the Matinecock tribe from the street sign and that the community will always be reminded of the first people who lived in the area. “I think this is 350 years overdue,” Vallone said. Native American Chiefs stand with Councilman Paul Vallone with the new street sign. Historian Jason D. Antos said the historical significance of the spot will be remembered from that day forward. “For it was here that the Matinecock had their final stand in what was known as The Battle of Madnam’s Neck,” Antos said. “And now, more than three centuries later, this place will no longer serve THE COURIER/Photo by Alina Suriel as only a painful reminder of their downfall but an everlasting tribute to their legacy.” Reggie Herb Dancer Ceaser, chief of the Turkey Clan of the Matinecock Tribal Nation, said that the legacy of the tribe is carried on by descendants still living on the land of their ancestors in the northern Queens area. Flushing rallies for safety at high traffic intersection BY ALINA SURIEL asuriel@queenscourier.com @alinangelica Elected officials and Flushing residents rallied on Oct. 6 for improved safety measures at a College Point Boulevard intersection after a recent fatal hit-and-run. Mariano Contreras, 41, was found unconscious and unresponsive after being struck by a northbound black SUV early Sunday morning on College Point Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue. The driver fled the scene and Contreras was pronounced dead at NewYork- Presbyterian/Queens Hospital. The rally to highlight the safety problems of the intersection included Assemblyman Ron Kim, City Councilman Peter Koo, state Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, state Senator Michael Gianaris, the Downtown Flushing Transit Hub Business Improvement District and civic safety group Make Queens Safer. According to the mayor’s Vision Zero website, there have been 11 injuries caused by traffic in the highdensity area as of Aug. 31. Assemblyman Kim is calling for a pedestrian bridge over the intersection to improve the dangerous conditions. He said that with new condos and hotels coming to the region, more long-term solutions had to be found to deal with heavy traffic. “The hit-and-run incident over the weekend is a horrible tragedy and wake-up call for all of us,” Kim said. “If you walk around the intersections of College Point and Roosevelt Avenue, you are constantly playing chicken with speeding vehicles.” Councilman Koo said that the rapid growth of downtown Flushing must be balanced with improved safeguards against traffic accidents. “The 109th Police Precinct and Related Companies have both worked to provide traffic safety agents during periods of high traffic at this intersection,” Koo said, “and it must be the responsibility of the City of New York to ensure future development does not turn this heavily traveled roadway into a safety hazard.” Leola Wayne, president of the Bland Houses Tenant Association, cautioned both pedestrians and drivers in Flushing to stay vigilant when commuting and obey traffic laws. “This young man could have been any of the senior citizens or families with young children from our community who cross this street every day,” Wayne said. Photo courtesy of the office of Ron Kim Assemblyman Ron Kim speaks during a rally for increased safety at a Flushing intersection.
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