12
QUEENS WEEKLY, OCTOBER 6, 2019
Grant
needs to “invest in the
next generation” with
programs like My Chinese
Teacher.
MCT is a Mandarin
language program that
uses technology to connect
students with a China
based teaching team.
The innovative program
utilizes video conferencing
to connect to the
classroom.
The Chinese instructor
gives a 25-minute lesson
via video conference
while other teachers in
the classroom help with
follow-up instructions
such as taking children
through workbooks, pronunciation
videos and
introducing Chinese language
and culture concepts
across the rest of the
school curriculum.
Students also interact
with their Chinese instructors
by sending postcards
and sharing photos
through the school’s
learning platform.
P.S./I.S. 78Q’s principal,
Louis Pavone,
thanked Senator Gianaris
for the grant in a
statement.
“Our social and economic
future hinges on
inter-cultural communication
and P.S./I.S. 78Q’s
unique Chinese language
program is instrumental
in rearing the next generation
of leaders,” Pavone
said. “I thank Senator
Gianaris for his commitment
to help fund this important
program and his
ongoing support of our
school community.”
Bree Chambers and
Genevieve Bernier, copresidents
of the P.S./I.S.
78Q PTA, also thanked
the senator in a joint
statement.
“Exposure to multiple
languages and cultures is
important for our young
learners and Senator Gianaris
is helping us cultivate
an environment at
our school where we are
able to offer exciting and
enriching programs like
this to our students,” they
said. “We look forward to
his continued patronage
in the future.”
Continued from Page 1
Tickets
York City Department of
Design and Construction
(DDC). The project is anticipated
to be completed in
summer 2021.
“To reduce flooding and
improve water infrastructure
reliability in Bayside,
DDC is replacing old trunk
water mains, replacing old
storm sewers and installing
new storm sewers,” a DDC
spokeswoman told QNS.
“Fire protection will also be
enhanced with the installation
of additional fire hydrants.”
Although the “No Parking”
signs have been posted,
there has been no construction
activity at all, Sicoli
said.
“I have been surrounded
by heavy equipment and
gargantuan steel frames and
wooden platforms for a year
now, with another two years
to go,” Sicoli said in her Sept.
30 complaint to the Community
Construction Liaison
(CCL). “It is unacceptable
to receive a ticket when no
advance warning was given
that half of the street where
we could normally park is
no longer available. You cannot
see the signs at night and
they face the street, not the
cars!!”
Sicoli’s friend and neighbor,
Karen Salvio, who lives
on 202 Street and 38th Avenue
has received two parking
violation tickets, one she
says that is $115 for parking
in a construction zone.
“They put up the signs
when everyone was sleeping,
I guess,” Salvio said. “I
also wrote a note saying that
it was totally bogus. It’s insanity.
They’re using up the
whole block and there’s nothing
here. I can see the corner
and down the block where
they have put their stuff, but
they don’t have to use a residential
street.”
According to Salvio, she
has also witnessed a construction
worker urinating
on the side of the truck in
broad daylight.
“I should’ve taken a picture
and one of the guys was
parked in front of the fire
hydrant the whole day and I
went to the precinct and said
he needs a ticket — he didn’t
get one,” Salvio said.
Residents have seen an
NYPD ticket agent parked
every day in the area waiting
until 7 a.m. to issue summonses,
Sicoli said. Since
being notified by a neighbor,
Sicoli has looked for other
signs, some of which are hidden
between trees.
In a statement to QNS, a
spokeswoman for the DDC
said, “In response to concerns
from the local community,
the Community
Construction Liaison (CCL)
Latisha James for this project
will work with the contractor’s
schedule to give
everyone in the affected area
a 48- to 72-hour advanced
notice of upcoming parking
restrictions.”
“Those who believe they
have received a parking
ticket in error should reach
out to the CCL at qed991ccl@
gmail.com or 347-235-0412 for
more information on how
to possibly obtain a parking
dispute letter,” the spokeswoman
said.
As of late, Sicoli said she
has been in communication
with James and was notified
about the Neighborhood Notification
Network that residents
can sign up for with
their email to receive weekly
updates on the progress of
the project.
Sicoli has also recommended
having more visible
signs posted, which will be
discussed with their resident
engineer and contractor.
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by e-mail at cmohamed@
schnepsmedia.com
or by phone at (718) 260–4526.
Continued from Page 1
A “No Parking” sign
placed in a tree.
Photo by Carlotta Mohamed
/gmail.com
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