14 times • JANUARY 21, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com Pols take aim at illegal massage parlors BY ANTHONY GIUDICE agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com @A_GiudiceReport Illegal massage parlors have been rubbing Queens the wrong way recently, so two lawmakers are seeking enhanced legislation to put an end to such unlawful establishments. Assemblyman Mike Miller and state Senator Joseph Addabbo have introduced a package of bills, created to curb the increase of openings of these massage parlors that promote illegal sexual activities, after Captain Mark Wachter, commanding officer of the 104th Precinct, helped close down several of the massage parlors in Maspeth and Glendale. The package of legislation would expand the definition of “massage therapist” and require licensees to be on premises at all times; require the landlords to verify the licensure of a massage therapist tenant prior to entering into a lease agreement; prevent a massage parlor from obstructing the view of their lobby area; impose a duty on the landlords to terminate a tenancy of a massage therapist location found guilty of promoting prostitution within 60 days of notification to the landlord by a city or state agency; and grant the city Department of Consumer Affairs the authority to enforce the imposition of fines relating to the practice of massage therapy. “These bills would increase regulation on unlicensed massage parlors by allowing the Department of Consumer Affairs the authority to enforce the law and it also expands the definition of massage therapist to require these illegal parlors to be licensed as opposed to just opening up another massage parlor wherever possible,” Miller said. “Illegal massage parlors have plagued our communities for too long, and it is time we show them that they have no place on our local streets,” Addabbo said. “While identifying these facilities is the first step toward shutting them down, enforcement has been the downfall due to current regulations that tie the hands of law enforcement officials behind their backs. This package of bills will help remedy that and show those who operate these illegal facilities that they will not get away with breaking the law.” The 104th Precinct began cracking down on illegal massage parlors after many community complaints about what they feared may be going on in their neighborhoods. “I would like to thank Assemblyman Mike Miller for taking an active role in trying to change the law to make the community a better place to live,” Wachter said in a statement. “I also appreciate all the members of the community for their support and assistance in identifying these locations that are violating the law. This effort of the police, elected officials and the community working together is a great example of how collectively we can solve these issues.” Daily News rolls back newsstand price to $1 on weekdays By The RIDGEWOOD TIMES Sta ff editorial@Ridgedwoodtimes.com @RidgewoodTimes The New York Daily News dropped its newsstand price by a quarter last week. Customers can now pick up their copy of “New York’s Hometown Newspaper” for $1 on weekdays. Daily News CEO William Holiber said in a statement that the paper looks “for every opportunity to bring our loyal readers the news they need at a lower price point.” “The diversity of this city is a huge part of what makes our journalism great, and we are committed to ensuring the community has a voice on issues both locally and nationally,” Holiber said. The change took effect on Monday, Jan. 11. The weekend newsstand prices remain unchanged. The Daily News was founded in 1919 as the first newspaper in the U.S. to be printed in tabloid format. Currently, it has a daily circulation of more than 516,000. Famously known for its front page headlines, the News covers a wide variety of quality-of-life issues affecting the city, state and country, including gun control, housing, education, healthcare, jobs, crime, civil rights, immigration and safety. The Queens Courier, Courier Sun, Ridgewood Times and other publications owned by Schneps Communications are printed off the Daily News presses in Jersey City, NJ. RUBDOWN CRACKDOWN Photo courtesy of New York Daily News Illegal massage parlors have plagued our communities for too long, and it is time we show them that they have no place on our local streets.” --Senator Joseph Addabbo L train shutdown could disrupt Ridgewood riders BY ANTHONY GIUDICE agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com @A_GiudiceReport Oh, “L” no! The MTA is considering shutting L train service down between Brooklyn and Manhattan for more than a year to repair the 80-year-old Canarsie tunnel, potentially creating a transportation nightmare for Ridgewood residents who count themselves among the more than 200,000 daily commuters who use the line. Stopping service on the L line across the East River would allow the MTA to work straight through the year to repair the damage, rather than only working on the weekends, causing service delays and extending the time needed to complete the repairs. “The L is obviously a very busy line, servicing 225,000 riders on a weekday on the Canarsie Tube,” said Adam Lisberg, the MTA’s director of external communications. “The tube suffered severe damage during Hurricane Sandy, taking on 7 million gallons of saltwater. It took the MTA 11 days to get it all out.” Lisberg explained that the saltwater ate away all the concrete lining along the side of the tunnel, which holds power cords, communications, drainpipes and many other important pieces of infrastructure for the line. This would not be the first time the MTA has shut down an underwater subway line for an extended period of time to make post-Sandy repairs. Between 2013 and 2014, the MTA closed the R train along the Montague tunnel between Brooklyn and Manhattan to fix damage caused by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. Completely shutting down service is not the only option the MTA is taking into consideration. The MTA could implement expanded weekend shutdowns of the L line, much like it has done when repairing the A and C lines. Although L train riders in Ridgewood are not near the damaged portion of the line, they will be affected by a shutdown of the line. Subway riders in the neighborhood do have the option of using the M line, which runs through midtown Manhattan on weekdays and has shuttle service to and from Essex Street in Manhattan’s Lower East Side on weekends. “We are taking very seriously the concerns of those further down the line as well,” Lisberg said. “We will look at every possible alternative plan, any and all possibilities. This isn’t going to start tomorrow; there are many other steps that need to get done before it goes into effect.”
RT01212016
To see the actual publication please follow the link above