for breaking news visit www.qns.com december 31, 2015 • The QUEE NS CourieR 3 s year in photos COMPILED BY COURIER STAFF An AirTrain at LaGuardia Airport? LaGuardia Airport found itself in the news quite often in 2015, as Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Port Authority announced plans to dramatically overhaul one of the busiest gateways into New York City. The first big announcement came in January, when Cuomo announced a plan to construct an AirTrain line, similar to that at Kennedy Airport, along the Grand Central Parkway between LaGuardia and Willets Point, allowing travelers to make connections to the 7 line and the Long Island Rail Road. “You can’t get to LaGuardia by train today and that really is inexcusable,” he said during a meeting of the Association for a Better New York in Manhattan. “That is going to change over the next several years.” Both the Port Authority and the MTA indicated support for the project. YEARTHE THAT WAS A true Hollywood-style comeback for Forest Hills theater Cinemart Cinemas, a Forest Hills fixture for more than 85 years, found itself on the brink of failure as 2015 dawned. The moviehouse had been screening second-run films because it lacked the technology to feature first-run films, which Hollywood studios released in digital format. Cinemart owner Nicolas Nicolaou spent $300,000 to purchase digital equipment, and the theater got one final chance to stay alive. On the weekend of Jan. 16, Cinemart screened “American Sniper,” the Academy Award-nominated film starring Bradley Cooper and directed by Clint Eastwood. The gamble paid off for the Cinemart, as the five-screen theater stayed open, allowing moviegoers continue to come there every day to enjoy the films they love. January MOURNING MARIO CUOMO Only hours after his son was sworn in for the second time as New York’s governor, former Governor Mario Cuomo died on New Year’s Day 2015 after a long battle with congestive heart failure. The elder Cuomo grew up in South Jamaica, graduated from St. John’s University and became known as an active lawyer in Queens. He was eventually elected to Congress and, after a failed bid to become New York City mayor in 1977, was elected lieutenant governor in 1978 and governor in 1982. Mario Cuomo led the Empire State for 12 years, during which he became a national political figure; although many Democrats encouraged him to run for president in 1988 and again in 1992, he opted not to seek the White House. His last public appearance came on Election Night 2014, when he joined his son and current Governor Andrew Cuomo at his victory party. The Queens Courier is looking back this week at our top stories of 2015, an unforgettable year for the World’s Borough. Winter brought an overhyped snowstorm that spared the city of its brunt, while spring was mired in tragedy with the shooting death of a police officer in Queens Village. The Mets brought joy to their faithful from mid-summer through the middle of fall, and Pope Francis graced our borough and city with his presence.
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