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QUEENS WEEKLY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2019 QNS.COM
BY BILL PARRY
Hallets Cove Playground,
at the southeast
corner of the Astoria Houses,
is getting a $2.2 million
extreme makeover.
City Parks Commissioner
Mitchell Silver
joined elected officials
and community leaders
at a groundbreaking ceremony
on Sept. 5 at the
playground along Vernon
Boulevard near the NYC
Ferry Astoria landing.
“Hallets Cove Playground
is being completely
reimagined with enhanced
access to outdoor
play,” NYC Silver said.
“With new play equipment,
seating and entryways,
the project is a
remarkable investment
in this waterfront
neighborhood resource.”
The Hallets Cove
Playground project will
completely redesign the
playground with safety
surfacing, water spray
features, site furnishings,
planting beds, fencing
and pavement. A new
ADA ramp will welcome
visitors from the sidewalk
level into the playground.
“This reconstruction
will bring new play equipment,
improved entry and
seating areas and many
other desirable amenities
to Hallets Cove Playground
that will make it an even
more enjoyable place to
visit,” Queens Borough
President Melinda Katz
said. “The reimagined
Hallets Cove Playground,
with its breathtaking waterfront
views, will be
a valuable public space
for decades to come and
help make Hallets Cove
a great place to live and
raise a family.”
Katz allocated $1.3
million for the project,
Mayor Bill de Blasio added
$673,000 and the City Council
allocated an additional
$210,000 in funding.
“I am so excited to see
work begin on a new Hallets
Cove Playground,”
City Councilman Costa
Constantinides said. “Renovations
will reflect the
needs of a community long
overdue for new, constructive
park space. Together,
the Astoria community
has secured $26 million
since we took office in
2014 to improve life for
those who live on Hallets
Cove Peninsula.”
A separate project to
reconstruct and repair
segments of the concrete
seawall is also in procurement.
The playground
project is expected to be
completed in winter 2020.
Reach reporter Bill Parry
by email at bparry@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone
at (718) 260–4538.
City Councilman Costa Constantinides announces a reconstruction of Hallets Cove Playground
at the Astoria Houses is underway. Courtesy of NYC Parks/Malcolm Pinckney
Keeping them in place
DOE to keep special ed teachers in private schools
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
The New York City Department
of Education
(DOE) has decided to keep
special education teachers
serving non-public
schools in place following
concerns brought forth by
Queens lawmakers.
As s emblymembe r s
Daniel Rosenthal and Nily
Rozic, along with state
Senator Joseph Addabbo,
advocated for a review of
the policy by the DOE and
the mayor’s office. Following
the conversations, the
city determined that Special
Education Teacher
Support Services (SETSS)
providers would continue
in their assignments for at
least one additional school
year from 2019 to 2020.
“We are committed
to ensuring that all New
York City students received
a great education,
and we are glad we can
continue the SETSS services
as previously provided,”
said Karin Goldmark,
DOE deputy chancellor of
school planning and development.
The city employs 10
special education teachers
to provide support to
students with disabilities
attending nine non-public
schools in Queens. Changes
in federal law regarding
service delivery for federally
funded services raised
the concern that special
education teachers might
be assigned.
Due to the sudden nature
of the announcement,
the news was met with
backlash from parents,
school administrators and
special education teachers
alike.
The special education
teachers were expected
to receive new assignments
across the city
by September.
Following the news of
possible provider transfers,
Rosenthal’s office
began advocating for continued
SETSS funding, the
assemblyman said.
“The success of the
SETSS program is evidenced
by the hundreds
of students and parents
that have reached out to
share their personal stories,”
Rosenthal said. “I
am grateful to the DOE
for listening to our concerns
and for taking action
to ensure that all students
are afforded quality
Photo via Getty Images
comprehensive special
education services.”
Addabbo’s office also
received phone calls from
teachers and parents asking
if there was anything
they could do to save the
program.
After working with the
DOE, the lawmakers are
thankful that they have
reversed their decision
and will allow the SETTS
instructors to remain with
their current assignments
for the 2019-2020 school
year.
“Special Education
Teacher Support Services
(SETSS) educators have
been providing the highest
quality educational services
for students in nonpublic
schools for years,”
Rozic said. “I am glad that
the Department of Education
has agreed to allow
the SETSS program to
continue for the 2019/2020
school year and will continue
advocating for the
services all students deserve.”
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by email
at cmohamed@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at
(718) 260–4526.
Multimillion-dollar makeover
gets underway at Hallets Cove
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