FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com december 10, 2015 • The Queens Courier 3 THE COURIER/Photo by Anthony Giudice Congressman Joseph Crowley, along with advocates for Flushing Bay are calling for the immediate removal of two abandoned barges. Pol: Get abandoned barges out of Flushing Bay now! By Anthony Giudice agiudice@queenscourier.com/@A_GiudiceReport For nearly a year, two abandoned barges have been left floating in Flushing Bay, damaging the water quality and presenting dangers to those that use the bay for both business and recreational purposes. On Dec. 7, Congressman Joseph Crowley, along with advocates for Flushing Bay, met outside World’s Fair Marina, Pier 1 to call on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expedite the removal of these barges. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is being called upon because one of the barges obstructs the federal channel. Flushing Bay is a heavily used waterway, seeing a significant amount of cargo pass through each year. It is also used by the NYPD Harbor Patrol, companies that use the bay for commerce and recreational users. These barges create hazardous conditions for any type of vessel traveling through Flushing Bay. “When we as a community took notice of these abandoned, derelict barges drifting across our bay, we demanded that they be moved immediately,” Crowley said. “These barges are not just an eyesore, and they are an eyesore … they are contaminating our waters and posing an immediate safety hazard to vessels that operate through the federal navigation channel.” Some of the organizations that use Flushing Bay include several of the dragon boat clubs, many of which include high school students who use the clubs as a way to better their lives and prepare them for college. Another club — the Empire Dragons, a breast cancer survivor team — uses their club as a network of support. “We are simply asking for help because we’re at a point where we do need the help,” said Randy Ng, member of the Guardians of Flushing Bay. “There is a lack of resources from our standpoint and if there is anything that we can do to take part in, and take responsibility and help our community we would do so. We’re not looking for a handout, we are just looking for answers and we’re just looking for a safe environment.” Crowley is also seeking a federal investigation to find out who is responsible for leaving these barges in Flushing Bay. “We are calling on the Army Corps of Engineers to expedite, to get this done. Not tomorrow, today. We must also send a powerful message to those who would pollute our waterway, that Flushing Bay is not a dumping site,” Crowley said. “It’s not your backyard and Queens won’t stand for those who treat it that way. We demand accountability from those who think it is okay to leave their refuse behind, to leave their junk behind. It simply is not okay.” Crowley’s office has written a letter and is ready to send it to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers asking to expedite the process of removing these barges from Flushing Bay. Jackson Heights woman charged with manslaughter after deadly crash in Bayside BY SU ZANNE MON TEVERDI editorial@queenscourier.com @QueensCourier A 46-year-old Jackson Heights woman was charged this week with manslaughter, assault and other offenses after allegedly causing a fatal crash in Bayside in July that took the lives of a mother and her two children. Deborah C. Burns allegedly struck a Toyota Camry carrying a family of five, resulting in the deaths of Bayside resident Susanna Ha, 42, and her daughters Angelica and Michelle Ung, ages 10 and 8, respectively. “The defendant was allegedly speeding and drove across a double yellow line into the on-coming lane of traffic, when she struck the rear, left side of the Toyota Camry carrying a family of five. Everyone in the backseat of the Camry was tragically killed,” said Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown in a statement Tuesday. The accident occurred on July 1 along 210th Street near H o r a c e H a r d i n g Expressway. Ac c o r d i n g to authorities, Burns claimed that she was driving a Ford “This is another example of how deadly motor vehicles can be and the consequences of climbing behind the wheel of a car and engaging in reckless behavior.” Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown E x p l o r e r northbound on 210th Street and swerved in reaction to another car which crossed the double yellow line, striking Ha’s Camry. However, prosecutors noted, video surveillance shows the defendant speeding on the wrong side of the road. An examination of the Ford Explorer’s data recorder indicated that Burns was operating the vehicle at 59 mph — more than twice the speed limit — at the time of the crash. The collision reportedly caused the victim’s Camry to spin out of the control and strike a tree. A toxicology report of Burns’ blood collected four hours after the incident revealed that she had cocaine in her system, police noted. “This is another example of how deadly motor vehicles can be and the consequences of climbing behind the wheel of a car and engaging in reckless behavior,” Brown warned. Burns is currently awaiting arraignment in Queens Criminal Court on a criminal complaint charging her with three counts each of second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide, two counts of second-degree assault, and reckless driving. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 15 years in prison.
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