QW05192019 - Page 14

14 QUEENS WEEKLY, MAY 19, 2019 Scheduled Bus Trips All Year Round – Over 250 Tours to Choose from Convenient Departures From Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn & the Bronx Large Selection of One Day & Multiday Tours �� Bumpy in May 2018. The agency aims to replace over seven miles of new water mains and install new storm and sanitary sewers, 80 new fire hydrants and catch basins in Bayside and Flushing. In January 2018, QNS reported that DDC had already completed work in the following areas in Bayside: • 216th Street from 39th Avenue to 38th Avenue; • 38th Avenue from 216th Street to 207th Street; and, • 39th Avenue from 215th Street to 216th Street. DDC said that the project is set to be completed in 2021. According to nyc.gov, residents can file complaints about potholes, caveins, utility damage and hummocks — roadway asphalt that has been pushed into a wave shape — online or by calling 311. But area resident Arlene Mordjikin said the complaints have not made a difference. “Bell Boulevard between Horace Harding Expressway and 48th Avenue needs to be repaved. I’ve reached out to 311 since 2016 and I’m still waiting,” said Mordjikian. Other residents cited 217th Street between 46th and 47th Avenues, 38th Avenue from 214th to 221st Streets and “all of 32nd Avenue from Francis Lewis to Bell Boulevard” as areas that desperately need repaving. The Department of Transportation’s (DOT) “The Daily Pothole” blog reported that citywide, the agency has paved 197.85 lane miles as of May 11 and repaired 116,617 potholes as of May 13. QNS reached out to DOT and DDC for comment and is awaiting responses from both. Reach reporter Jenna Bagcal by email at jbagcal@ qns.com or by phone at (718) 224-5863 ext. 214. Continued from Page 1 Town hall Courtesy of the NYPD the normalization of gun violence. It is imperative that as a city, we direct our collective focus toward prevention through the promotion of peace and intervention, as well as increasing resources to investigate and prosecute those who traffic guns into our communities.” According to City Hall, crime has dropped dramatically across Queens in recent decades, with both Patrol Borough Queens North and Patrol Borough Queens South having seen murders decline by more than 75 percent since 1990. However, far too many families are losing loved ones to gun violence, either as the victim of the shooting or as the perpetrator, every day. “We see the realities of horrific gun violence every day, on our screens and in our streets,” Williams said. “Combating this pandemic means implementing strategies at all levels of government and in partnership with community groups doing the hard work of violence prevention and intervention on the ground.” Katz is one of seven candidates running for Queens District Attorney and last month she rolled out her plan of action to address gun violence in the borough. She acknowledged the good works of many of the community groups in some of the most vulnerable neighborhoods which will all be participating in the town hall. “Gun violence affects entire communities, which is why programs like Rock Safe Streets, who work to get the whole Far Rockaway community involved, are critical in turning the tide against this violence,” Sheltering Arms Children and Family Services CEO Elizabeth McCarthy said. “At Sheltering Arms, we are proud of the work Rock Safe Streets is doing and it is important that we show others that progress and peace are possible.” K. Bain, the founding program director of 696 Build Queensbridge, is enthusiastically collaborating with Katz and Williams for the town hall meeting. “These conversations are critical for communities like Queensbridge where gun violence is too often overlooked and misunderstood,” he said. Fathers Alive in the Hood, King of Kings Foundation and Life Camp Inc. will also be on hand to discuss successful initiatives and strategies that encourage people to be positive influences in their communities. “It is critical that we have a real conversation surrounding the voices of those who are affected,” Life Camp Inc. CEO Erica Ford said. “The time is now for us to come together to support real solutions. Our work to expand the VIP system requires partnership with everyone in Queens, including every legislator and every neighbor. Let’s come together for peace.” Anyone interested in attending is encouraged to RSVP at www. queensbp.org/rsvp or call 718-286-2661. Reach reporter Bill Parry by email at bparry@schnepsmedia. com or by phone at (718) 260–4538. Continued from Page 1 L & M Tours �� Established 1999 $ �� 718-238-2284 �� We Offer Bus Charters (23 & 56 seats bus), Cruises, Vacation Packages & Airline Tickets. ! "# CALL FOR FREE BROCHURE link /rsvp link link /rsvp /nyc.gov /qns.com /rsvp