4 The QUENS Courier • december 25, 2014 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com New law permits schools to close for more religious and cultural holidays BY ERIC JANKIEWICZ [email protected] @ericjankiewicz For decades, the city closed schools for Christian and Jewish holidays but other religions’ holidays — like Eid al- Fitr and Diwali — didn’t receive the same benefit. But the passage of a new law backed by elected officials in Flushing is changing that. Assemblyman Ron Kim introduced the legislation, and it was passed by Governor Andrew Cuomo on Dec. 17. The law allows the Department of Education to consider closing schools on days where large student absences are expected due to religious or cultural days of observance. “This is about making sure that all Americans, regardless of where we come from, are institutionally recognized as firstclass citizens,” Kim said. “Our strength as a democratic society lies in our ability to appreciate diversity and grow together by learning from each other.” During a press conference, Kim explained that schools in Flushing will now be able to suspend classes for the Lunar New Year, which traditionally occurs in late January or early February. Lunar New Year is one of the most significant holidays for many Chinese, Korean, Japanese and other Asian ethnic groups, all of which are represented in the Flushing community. The law calls for school districts to consider closing schools on holidays that are important to groups that account for at least 7.5 percent of the local population. In Flushing, 57 percent of the population is of Asian ancestry. The new law will also affect students of Muslim or Hindu backgrounds, who account for a large share of students in many Queens school districts. The passage of the bill marks the end of a long struggle that started with Congresswoman Grace Meng when she was a state assemblywoman in 2009 and first introduced a similar bill. “Clearly, the time has come for our school system to recognize important holidays such as Lunar New Year, Diwali, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha just as it rightly does for holidays of other cultures and ethnicities,” Meng said. “We now need school districts around the country to follow New York’s lead, and I will continue my efforts on the federal level to accomplish that goal.” THE COURIER/File photo A new state law allows local school districts to close on religious and cultural holidays that are not currently observed by schools, including Lunar New Year, pictured above in Flushing last year. LIEUTENANTS NEW BOOK SHOWS HISTORY OF TENSION BETWEEN COPS AND MAYORS BY ERIC JANKIEWICZ [email protected] @EricJankiewicz New York City today is playing out a familiar scenario that pits the mayor against the NYPD rank and file in tense relations, with the roar of public demand for reform as the backdrop, said a veteran cop who has authored a history of the department. “It’s happened to cops all the time,” Bernard Whalen said, an idea illustrated in his book “The NYPD’s First Fifty Years,” due to be released next month. “But certain ones like this are more memorable than others because it impacts policy and how we do business.” Whalen of College Point is currently a lieutenant with the NYPD, giving him an unusual perspective from within the department. “Cops have always been targeted. But certain shootings like the ones over the weekend are more memorable than others because it impacts policy and how we do business.” The book begins with the unification of New York City in 1897 and the creation of the modern police force, covering the first 50 years of department history. De Blasio’s relationship with the police has been uneasy, since his campaign promise to reform policies like stop and frisk and his response to a Staten Island grand jury’s decision not to indict a police officer for the death of Eric Garner. The recent killings of Police Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos in Brooklyn further exposed this divide. The NYPD’s Union President Patrick Lynch blamed de Blasio for the shooting because of his tolerance of protests across the city protesting the police. “It’s common for mayors to have troubles and be disliked by police,” Whalen said. But, Whalen said history shows that recent events could provide an opportunity for reform. More than 80 years ago, one of the city’s most popular mayors, Fiorello LaGuardia, faced strained relations with police because of his promises of reform and a perceived lax attitude on popular unrest. LaGuardia, who became mayor in 1934, faced his first test when cabbies began to riot. He urged restraint when using police force against disgruntled cabbies. Before LaGuardia, police would use their batons, but the mayor now instructed the conservative Police Commissioner John O’Ryan to leave the cabbies alone, despite the commissioner’s advice that force should be used. In the end, more than 100 cabs were destroyed and rioters injured dozens of people. The press criticized the mayor and the commissioner in the aftermath and, Whalen writes, so began an “escalating ideological battle between the mayor and the police commissioner.” “LaGuardia is much like de Blasio,” Whalen said. “The police didn’t like LaGuardia either but in the end the mayor was able to consolidate a progressive agenda with effective policing.” Much like LaGuardia, de Blasio is trying to be a progressive politician while keeping crime down, which is why, Whalen said, Bratton was hired. “There’s always been this emphasis to keep the lid on it,” Whalen said. “Meaning that crime always has to stay down, no matter what. So de Blasio can talk about progressive agendas all he wants, but he still has to have firm authority through people like Bratton.” Whalen’s book, which was cowritten with his father Jon, is filled with tales of early 1900s anarchists and communists attempting to bomb various sites across the city, including Police Headquarters, which puts today’s situation in context. Whalen’s book also points out how dangerous it used to be to work for the NYPD. Whalen believes that the Brooklyn shooting will cause many protesters to stop marching in the streets, as de Blasio has called for. It will also put the police on high alert. He cautioned against the police becoming overly sensitive when on patrol and becoming afraid. “Police have to watch their backs, but if they’re afraid, they might make the wrong decision and then the city will really plunge into unrest,” he said. Whalen’s book is set to be released in January 2015. THE COURIER/Photo by Eric Jankiewicz Bernard Whalen, a lieutenant for the NYPD, wrote a book exploring the force’s history.
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