FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM APRIL 8, 2022 • THE QUEENS COURIER 4
Corona students help eradicate graffi ti, clean up streets
BY BILL PARRY
BPARRY@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
Dozens of students from the Corona Arts &
Sciences Academy (CASA) joined Councilman
Francisco Moya Friday, March 25, to remove
graffi ti off the walls and clean up the streets
along 44th Avenue, while making a call to
action to the community to help care for the
neighborhood and to report incidents they see
in an eff ort to stop individuals from trashing
the district.
Moya discussed the more than $900,000 in
funding he secured and allocated for services
and programs to support cleanups and the
beautifi cation of schools, parks and streets in
Corona and East Elmhurst.
Th is includes cleanup services provided
by the Long Island City-based Association
of Community Employment Programs for
the Homeless (ACE), added service hours
across the district by NYC Sanitation and
aft er-school programs with organizations
like Publicolor.
“Th e students from Corona Arts & Sciences
Academy have dedicated time and eff ort to
beautify their neighborhood and we cannot
allow these bad actors to have free rein to
destroy our home,” Moya said. “It was inspiring
to me to kick off the weekend with such
passionate students, families and neighbors
and work with incredible partners such as
Publicolor, ACE and NYC Sanitation to show
the care and love we have for our community.”
As part of CASA’s Publicolor aft er-school
program, funded by Moya, students painted
the walls along the Long Island Rail Road
that runs alongside the school with “vivacious
colors” in an eff ort to beautify their
Students from the Corona Arts and Sciences Academy join Councilman Francisco Moya to paint over graffi ti and denounce the people that trash their neighborhoods.
neighborhood. The Corona-based Publicolor
is an educational youth development
organization that empowers students facing
immense life challenges for academic and
career success.
“Today was beyond inspiring,” said
Irma Nepomuceno, director of school and
community relations at Publicolor. “We
believe in the power of taking ownership
and creating a sense of community. That
is exactly what we saw this afternoon. We
are so grateful for the continued support of
Council member Moya.”
In representing some of the neighborhoods
most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,
Moya has invested in resources that address
quality-of-life issues and support beautifying
eff orts including allocating $472,000, the
most in Queens and among the highest in the
fi ve boroughs, dedicated to NYC Sanitation
Photo courtesy of Moya’s offi ce
services to tackle garbage issues and illegal
dumping across his district.
“We cleaned up the streets; we restored the
beautiful work the students did originally;
and most importantly we sent a message that
together we are stronger and can work to have
the neighborhoods we deserve,” Moya said. “I
am so grateful for all who came out and I will
continue to fi ght to improve the quality of life
in my district.”
Queens County Supreme Court: A complex operation that unfolds in Kew Gardens, Jamaica and LIC
BY BILL PARRY
BPARRY@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
Th e borough’s criminal justice system is centered
on 30 Queens Supreme Court justices who
render their decisions in two divisions utilizing
three courthouses in Kew Gardens, Jamaica
and Long Island City which handle criminal
cases.
According to the New York State Unifi ed
Court System, the Criminal Term of the
Queens Supreme Court handles felony matters,
off enses that are punishable by a term of imprisonment
that exceeds one year, and operates at
the Kew Gardens Criminal Courthouse located
at 125-01 Queens Blvd. adjacent to the offi ce of
the Queens district attorney alongside Queens
Borough Hall in a bustling campus known as
the County Civic Center.
It is here that prosecutors from the DA’s offi
ce present their cases before grand juries for
indictments. Jury trials and non-jury trials, also
called bench trials, are then held before Queens
Supreme Court justices.
The criminal court also has authority
over all misdemeanors, offenses punishable
by a term of imprisonment that exceeds 15
days but does not exceed one year, and minor
offenses committed within New York
City. It also handles preliminary proceedings
in felony matters, after which the case
is transferred to the Criminal Term of the
Supreme Court. Only Kew Gardens and the
Long Island City courthouse at 25-10 Court
Sq. handle criminal cases.
Th e Civil Term operates at the Queens
Supreme Courthouse located at 88-11 Sutphin
Blvd. which houses the Supreme Court,
Surrogate Court and County Clerk. Supreme
Court justices oversee large felony and civil
cases within their districts, including divorce,
separation, annulment proceedings and civil
matters exceeding $25,000.
Th e Sutphin Boulevard courthouse is also
home to the Housing Court which handles residential
landlord and tenant disputes; the Small
Claims Court which hears matters involving
monetary damages up to $5,000; Family Court
which determines most legal matters involving
children and families; and the Surrogate’s
Court which handles matters relating to wills,
estates and property of deceased persons.
Th e Surrogate’s Court also shares authority
with the Family Court to hear adoption
proceedings.
Photo courtesy of NYC.gov
Queens Supreme Courthouse located at 88-11 Sutphin Blvd.
/NYC.gov
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