4 TIMES • MARCH 31, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com MMA is way too violent for our state: Markey BY ANTHONY GIUDICE [email protected] @A_GiudiceReport Mixed martial arts (MMA) may be popular, but it’s too violent for one Queens lawmaker. The Assembly voted last week to legalize MMA in New York State, but Assemblywoman Margaret Markey does not want to see the likes of Ronda Rousey or Conor MacGregor coming to the “Big Apple” to fi ght. New York is presently the last state in the Union to prohibit MMA bouts. Though she voted against legislation approving MMA on the Assembly fl oor in the bipartisan 113-25 vote, Assemblywoman Markey had cleared its way for a vote as chairperson of the Assembly Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development. “I was disappointed in the outcome of the Assembly vote on legalizing mixed martial arts in New York State,” Markey said. “While some of us who opposed this legalization were successful in making amendments that guarantee health insurance and other benefi ts for participants who are injured or disabled, I still voted ‘no’ on the legislation our house passed last week.” For seven years, the State Senate passed bills in favor of legalizing MMA, but were blocked from going to the Assembly fl oor for a vote. Markey and other opponents of the bill were able to attach to it an amendment raising the insurance requirement for fi ghters who are injured. “I have had a long-standing view that professional MMA is a barbaric activity that glorifi es violence and has no place in New York State, Markey said. “Also, at a time when major professional contact sports are waking up to the long-term health consequences for participants, particularly brain damage, we should not be moving forward here without fully examining the issue for these even more vulnerable MMA players. The legislation approved by the Assembly last week authorizes the State Athletic Commission to develop protocols to address these concerns and I will continue to monitor their work to insure that these concerns are fully addressed.” The legislation now moves to Governor Andrew Cuomo to make a decision. From there, the New York State Athletic Commission has 120 days to adopt guidelines. Middle Village fears new zoning rules will change neighborhood forever Residents of Middle Village may see some changes coming to their neighborhood as the mayor’s zoning text amendments were passed. BY ANTHONY GIUDICE [email protected] @A_GiudiceReport There goes the neighborhood? With the City Council approving Mayor Bill de Blasio’s two zoning text amendments last week, some Queens residents are now worried that the physical landscape of their community may grow too high. The zoning text amendments, Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) and Zoning for Quality and Affordability (ZQA), may open the door for developers to come into the neighborhood — which is made up of mostly one- and two-family homes, and potentially build four-story buildings for senior housing or nursing homes and assisted living facilities. But Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, who represents Middle Village and voted in favor of the mayor’s plan, assured in a Letter to the Editor of The Courier and Ridgewood Times that the plan would have little effect on her district. “It is important to understand that this housing and rezoning plan will not affect much of my Queens district, which is comprised mainly of one- to two-family homes,” Crowley said. “But even still, over the past several months, I have relayed both my own concerns as well as the concerns raised by my district’s Community Boards — 2, 5 and 9. After taking serious time to consider these issues, my Council colleagues and I were able to secure amendments to the original proposals that address the valid concerns that the Community Boards raised.” Crowley said that the Council amended the original plan to include increased height variances for affordable senior housing and nursing homes. She added that there would be no height increase within R3-2 zones, while R4 zones, which make up most of Middle Village, can see a height increase of fi ve feet — from 35 to 40 feet — or the equivalent of one story, and R5 zones can get a height increase from 40 to 55 feet only if certain conditions are met. For the R5 zones, “a height increase to 55 feet cannot be on a block that is made up of more than 50 percent one- and two-family homes and the lot size cannot be smaller than 1.5 acres,” Crowley said. “These conditions were put in place to prevent development that would negatively impact the character of a block, such as building a 55 foot building at the end of a block lined with row houses,” she added. Robert Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Association (JPCA), has his doubts. “When she says it will not affect most of her district, she is selling out part of it,” Holden said. “Most of Middle Village is contextual zones, giving Photo via Google Maps the builders an incentive to build here. The plan still includes senior housing, which was our original concern. An increase of fi ve feet would mean a four-story senior housing building could go next to a two-story home.” In 2009, the city passed a large rezoning plan encompassing much of Middle Village, Maspeth and Glendale. The plan “downzoned” areas of the neighborhood with the intent of preserving the areas’ one- and two-family home character. Crowley, upon being sworn into the City Council that year, worked with the JPCA and the Department of City Planning to move the plan forward toward approval. Christ the King HS debaters head to state & national championships Photo Courtesy of Christ the King High School The Christ the King High School Speech and Debate team will head to national and state competitions. BY ERICA SIUDZINSKI [email protected] The debate team at Middle Village’s Christ the King Regional High School will be heading to this year’s state championships and nationals after their hard work and dedication this school year. The Catholic high school’s speech and debate team has qualifi ed an all-time record of 20 students for entry into the New York State Championships in April. Eight students also qualifi ed for the National Finals this June in Sacramento, California. “The Speech and Debate Team has been challenging themselves this school year and over the past two months,” said Principal Peter Mannarino. “All of their hard work has clearly paid off. We are very proud of the team and their efforts and wish them the best of luck as they head to both the State and National Championships.” The National qualifi ers are Donatto Cado, Christian Cardus, Stephany David, Daymien Farulla, Sarah Girgis, Laura Jan, Emily Rivas, and Krystle Salvati.
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