FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com DECEMBER 24, 2015 • THE QUEENS COURIER 31 oped A LOOK BACK Here’s another classic photo from our friends at the Facebook page, “You must have lived in Ridgewood if you remember...” This 1925 image shows Wyckoff Avenue looking northbound toward Myrtle Avenue on the Brooklyn/Queens border in Ridgewood. Note the trolley tracks amid the cobblestone street bed; before the advent of the bus, trolleys were the primary mode of public transportation for local residents through the rapidly-developing community, as they connected residents to local elevated train lines. Look carefully at right and you’ll see what appears to be the rear of a Ford vehicle, perhaps a Model-T or similar make of the decade’s most popular and prolifi c automobile. We want to see your historic photos of Queens? Email them to editorial@queenscourier.com, or send printed photos by mail to The Queens Courier, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361. All mailed pictures will be carefully returned to you. letters & comments PREET CAN’T BE BEAT, SAYS ONE READER Congratulations to U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. He found the silver lining-- namely Sheldon Silver lining his pockets and exposed Dean Skelos’ skeletons in the closet. Keep up the great work, Preet! Bill Lindauer, Long Island City ON THE 104TH PRECINCT’S MASSAGE PARLOR CRACKDOWN This captain has nothing else to worry about but illegal massage parlors. He wouldn’t go after drug dealers. He wouldn’t go after hardcore criminals or terrorists. Only a soft target like a poor chinese massage parlor! just to show the community that he is doing something! Well, shame on him. QNS user jojo NOT FOOLED BY CANDIDATE’S MUSLIM BAN PLAN Donald Trump wants to ban all Muslims, but how exactly are you supposed to tell who is Muslim and who isn’t? Can you tell who’s Jewish by looking at them? A Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Buddhist, Pagan or Satanist? Does Trump expect terrorists raise their hands and say “Oh yes, I’m a terrorist!” However, sometimes it is easy to identify an idiot just by listening to them. The other GOP candidates running against Trump want to condemn him, but they can’t be too harsh because when/if Trump crashes and burns, they want to gain these “GOP faithful” 43 percent of which still believe Obama is a Muslim. Robert LaRosa, Whitestone KEEP THE ‘BACKYARD’ OF QUEENS OPEN The following is an open letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio. We are writing to you because we are concerned to hear that therea re plans to rent out Flushing Meadows Corona Park to for-profi t enterprises like concert promoters. These rentals may affect the ability of local people to utilize the park for several days at a time. This we fi nd totally objectionable. So many people rely on Flushing Meadows Corona Park as a place for recreation and relaxation. It must always be open to the public. If this park is rented out to a for-profi t organization, there must be a policy put into place so that the park can still be used by the public. Along the same lines, no permit should be granted to any group whose request would essentially close the entire park to the public. Also, there are many other impacts that any type of entertainment event would have on the park and the surrounding communities that must be taken into account. We hope that all of these concerns will be addressed by you and other stakeholders so that the park is always available for public use. Flushing Meadows Corona Park truly is the backyard of the working class people of Queens, and that reality must be protected and respected at all costs. Terri Pouymari, president, and Henry Euler, vice president Auburndale Improvement Association SKEPTICAL OVER HOMELESS SERVICES SHAKEUP The homeless are not the problem. The problem lies with the condition of the city and state. Homelessness is the end result of those problems. QNS user Tillman FOR MORE NEWS VISIT QNS.COM PROTECT OUR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS NOW! BY CITY COUNCILMAN RORY LANCMAN A recent New York Times investigation into the horrible and tragic increase in construction deaths and injuries over the past two years revealed some shocking fl aws in our system for keeping workers safe. There were 10 construction fatalities in the last fi scal year, almost double the previous average. Seven more workers have died in the past fi ve months. These were hard-working men, most of whom called Queens home. These men are being failed by real estate developers and construction companies that would rather make a quick buck than take the time to protect workers and ensure they receive the proper training. We cannot allow our construction boom to come at a cost of workers’ lives or health. That’s why I’m calling for swift passage of the OSHA Notifi cation Act, legislation I introduced to require the Department of Buildings (DOB) to notify the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of construction violations that can potentially endanger workplace safety. Too often, communication breakdowns between the DOB and OSHA have devastating consequences. My legislation will get these agencies to talk and cooperate to stop dangerous construction and prevent accidents before they turn into tragedies. The DOB has promised that it will work with OSHA on a more proactive basis to enhance both agencies’ enforcement strategies, but promises aren’t enough. We need DOB/OSHA collaboration codifi ed into law. The horrifi c increase in construction deaths also highlights the need for New York City to support projects where workers have union representation to assert their safety rights. As reported by the Times, the deaths usually involved smaller projects that used nonunion workers. New York’s construction unions ensure that all workers on union job sites are appropriately trained and informed of their rights, and are protected from retaliation when they assert their rights to a safe workplace. As we look to increase the construction of affordable and senior housing in our city, the city should encourage unionized workplaces, with developers and contractors who actually care if their workers make it home to their families each night. The current rate of construction deaths is unacceptable. Allowing the same bad actors to continue building will only increase the problem. Lancman represents the 24th City Council District, which covers all or parts of Kew Gardens Hills, Pomonok, Electchester, Fresh Meadows, Hillcrest, Jamaica Estates, Briarwood, Parkway Village, Jamaica Hills and Jamaica. As an Assembly member, he chaired the Subcommittee on Workplace Safety.
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