FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM NOVEMBER 23, 2017 • THE QUEENS COURIER 3
Happy Thanksgiving
from the Courier!
Th ursday, Nov. 23, is Th anksgiving Day, which is of
course a legal holiday. Schools are closed, as are government
offi ces. Th ere is no mail delivery or garbage
collection.
All New York City Transit subways and buses are
operating on a Sunday schedule; the Long Island Rail
Road is on a holiday schedule. Visit mta.info for details.
Th e Queens Courier offi ce is closed today, Nov. 23,
and Friday, Nov. 24. We will reopen on Monday, Nov.
27.
Happy Th anksgiving from the entire staff !
Weprin: Public schools should
off er kosher, halal meals
A Queens lawmaker is leading the call for a more
diverse selection of meal options in the city’s schools.
Assemblyman David Weprin is sponsoring legislation
to mandate that kosher and halal meals be made
available to students with religious dietary restrictions
upon request in New York City’s schools.
Th e eastern Queens representative said the change
would service the growing population of students of
faith in public schools, allow students to exercise their
faith and increase cultural awareness and understanding.
Additionally, Weprin continued, many students with
halal and kosher dietary restrictions either go without
eating or throw away lunches that do not meet their
religious requirements.
“If kosher and halal meals are already provided in
prisons, they absolutely should be provided in our
schools” Weprin said. “Our state is one of incredible
religious and ethnic diversity, and it is our duty to provide
for all of those living in New York. Th e students
of our state should not have to choose between a nutritious
meal and their religion.”
Mazeda A.Uddin, founder of the South Asian Fund
for Education, Scholarship and Training (SAFEST),
said the change in policy is urgently needed.
“Many students, due to their faiths, cannot eat all
foods and need a specifi c requirement for eating foods,”
Uddin said. “Th ey should not have to apologize for
that.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio fi elded a question from a students
asking if he would consider introducing halal
meals to the city’s schools at a town hall in Queens
Village earlier this month.
Th e mayor said funding to provide the option is not
currently available, but pointed out that schools currently
have a vegetarian lunch option.
If approved, the bill would be eff ected 120 days aft er
it is signed into law.
Suzanne Monteverdi
Sunnyside resident beaten
with a baseball bat
Two men savagely beat a 23-year-old Sunnyside resident
on Greenpoint Avenue before fl eeing in a car on
Monday night.
According to police, the two men approached the
23-year-old at the intersection of 46th Street and
Greenpoint Avenue at about 8:25 p.m. and hit him in
the head with a baseball bat. Th e men then fl ed in a red
SUV, police said.
A 42-year-old man who witnessed the incident called
911 to report it. Th e victim was taken to Elmhurst
Hospital in critical condition.
Police are not releasing the name of the victim but did
say that he is a Sunnyside resident who lives on 36th
Street, not too far from where he was attacked.
Th ere have been no arrests and the investigation is
ongoing.
Angela Matua
Whitestone residents voice concerns
with long-abandoned house
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
Residents of Whitestone say that
they’ve had enough of seeing an
abandoned property that’s become
an eyesore in the last decade.
Over a dozen residents met at
14th Avenue and Totten Street to
voice a number of health and safety
concerns stemming from a neglected
corner residential property.
During the press conference organized
by state Senator Tony Avella,
residents said the property has been
abandoned for up to 14 years.
Th e property owner of 14-05
Totten St. fi rst received a permit
for construction in 2005, according
to Department of Buildings
records. Th e permit was renewed
several times and last expired in
January 2014. Th ere are currently
no active permits for construction
at the property.
Th e overgrown condition of the
property has created a rodent problem,
as well as issues with mosquitoes
in the warmer months, residents
said. Th e eyesore also has
neighbors concerned about the
site’s potential impact on their
property values.
Resident Tom Longstreet said he
purchased a neighboring property
in 2011. Had he been aware of
the history of the zombie house,
Longstreet said, he “probably
would have thought twice” about
the purchase.
“We all pay an excess of seven to
10 thousand dollars a year in property
taxes. We respect our properties,”
he said.
Longstreet said he frequently
cleans the property of garbage,
including beer cans and used condoms,
The Whitestone residence at 14th Avenue and Totten Street
and has to dump Clorox in
the area to abate the summertime
mosquito situation.
“Th is is a great neighborhood,”
Avella said. “All you have to do is
walk around to any home to see
how well maintained they are …
Nobody should have to live with
these conditions for 12 to 14 years.”
Avella said he was able to get into
contact with the property owner,
who claimed he was trying to put
the property up for sale.
“Anybody who knows this neighborhood
knows full well that you
could sell this lot in a day if you’re
really motivated,” the lawmaker
said. “If you’re not motivated, then
it’s just an excuse to leave this the
way it is.”
Photos by Suzanne Monteverdi/QNS
A DOB spokesperson said the
city agency has been investigating
the property. An inspector was
most recently at the site on Oct. 27.
Th e inspector discovered the site
was “secure” but issued two new
violations to the property owner:
one for an illegal fence in poor condition
and another for failure to
comply with previously issued violations.
A violation for illegal storage of
vehicles on the property was also
issued earlier this year.
“DOB will continue to monitor
the property and issue additional
enforcement actions if necessary,”
the spokesperson said.
Th e property owner could not be
reached for comment.