Bk. Board 4 Eyes Proposed Ridgewood Intersection Improvements pedestrians crossing with the light. This indicates a failure to yield of passing cars,” DeLeo said. Proposed changes to the intersection include: installing five painted curb extensions to shorten crossing distances and slow turning vehicles to better align the skewed intersection; painting wide, high visibility crosswalks on all legs; modifying the light signal times to allow pedestrians more time to cross; and banning certain turn movements, the DOT said. Five low-volume turn bans at peak hours will be implemented. Turn bans will not affect MTA buses, DeLeo said. “The turn bans help reduce conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles,” she stated. The proposed banned turns include; right turns from Palmetto Street northbound onto Myrtle Avenue eastbound; right turns from northbound Wyckoff Avenue onto Myrtle Avenue eastbound; left turns from westbound MyrtleAvenue onto southbound Wyckoff Avenue; right turns from southbound Wyckoff Avenue onto westbound Myrtle Avenue; and right turns from eastbound Myrtle Avenue onto Wyckoff Avenue southbound, according to the DOT. Following the presentation, DeLeo took questions on the proposal from Board 4 members. Cyril Joseph asked if similar proposals to increase pedestrian safety would be coming to Broadway. “We actually do have the a project in the works for Broadway in Brooklyn,” DeLeo said. But at Myrtle and Wyckoff “we really want to remove some movements from the intersection,” she added. “We keep this as an ongoing process. We also want to try and ensure pedestrian safety,” DeLeo said. If approved, the proposal would be implemented in July and completed sometime this summer. Another board member then asked if The DOT is considering alterations to other multi-legged intersections along Myrtle Avenue. “We are definitely looking at other intersections along Myrtle Avenue,” she answered. District Manager NadineWhitted voiced some concerns over a taxi stand on Palmetto Street and asked if it were removed, “perhaps it will be freed for parking.” Whitted also related that there was a discrepancy between DOT officials she met with as part of the presentation to the Board 4 Transportation Committee as to where the taxi stand was located, and if it was an officially sanctioned one. “I know there is that taxi stand on Palmetto street, so we will look into that,” DeLeo answered. Responding to concerns about overflow onto arterial streets when the project is completed, DeLeo said, “we also evaluate the surrounding street network and will continue to evaluate in the future. ” Liquor license requests Whitted advised Board 4 that a letter was written to area elected officials asking for a moratorium on the expansion of new State Liquor Authority (SLA) requests in residential areas. “The letter is just asking our elected officials to halt the influx of these bars and restaurants coming into our community,”Whitted said at lastWednesday night’s meeting. “We are finding we are getting many concerns in residential districts,” she added. Wolff-Alport update Board 4 Chairperson Julie Dent updated the group on the Superfund site at the former Wolff-Alport Chemical Company. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently securing a contractor to begin remedial investigation and a feasibility study, according to Dent’s monthly report. “The purpose of the remedial investigation is to determine the nature and extent of contamination at the site and the potential risks to humans and wildlife from the site contaminants,” Dent wrote. “The purpose of a feasibility study is to identify and evaluate the cleanup alternatives.” Information in her report included a community update from the EPA. The shuttered company operated at 1125-1139 Irving Ave. and 1514 Cooper Ave. on the Ridgewood/ Bushwick border from 1920 to 1954. The company processed monazite sand at the site to extract rare earth metals. Monazite contains 6 to 8 percent thorium, a radioactive element, the EPA reported. The site was placed on the federal National Priorities, making it eligible for Superfund dollars inMay. The EPA determined soil and nearby sewers were contaminated by radioactive materials from operations at the site. The next Community Board 4 meeting will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 4, at Hope Gardens Community Center, 195 Linden St. in Bushwick. All meeting begins at 6 p.m. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 6- Sucker Punch Led To His Death He’s Sought For Elmhurst Gunfire The suspect who allegedly opened fire on police officers in Elmhurst last weekend. Sources familiar with the investigation said the victim fell to the ground, causing his head to strike the pavement. Following the assault, the suspect reportedly fled in an unknown direction. Officers from the 108th Precinct responded to the scene along with EMS units which rushed Martires to Elmhurst Hospital. Authorities said he suffered head trauma and hemorrhaging to the brain. The 108th Precinct Detective Squad is conducting the ongoing investigation, police said. Persons with information about the assault or the suspect’s whereabouts that could prove helpful are urged to call the 108th Precinct Detective Squad at 1-718-784-5441 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577- TIPS. Information may also be sent to Crime Stoppers via text message to 274637 (enter information, then the code TIP577) or online at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com. All calls and messages will be kept confidential. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 6- Albany Lawmakers Agree On Qns. Library Reform “There was no question that strong and swift action had to be taken to address the clear mismanagement within the library,” Avella said in a statement. “Assembly Member Aubry and I have also agreed that we will work together in the next legislative session to revisit this issue and put together additional reforms to further regulate the Queens Borough Public Library operations in the best interests of the people of Queens.” State Sen. Michael Gianaris, who created the bill with Aubry and Queens Borough President Melinda Katz and sponsored it in the State Senate, was “thrilled” it passed overwhelmingly and anticipated its enaction if and when it is signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “Once enacted, my bill will rein in the excesses revealed in recent reports and provide a long-term blueprint for an efficient, transparent and accountable library system of which every Queens resident can be proud,” Gianaris said. “I am thankful for the way just about everyone in Queens came together to fight for these much-needed reforms, which says a lot about our borough’s desire for transparency and accountability when it comes to public funds.” “The reforms contained in the bill are needed to ensure proper governance of the Queens Library and it would have been unfortunate if we would have had to wait a year for those reforms to gain legislative approval,” Katz stated. “The bill is a common-sense measure that would dramatically improve the governance and oversight of the Queens Library and help guarantee that it remains one of our borough’s most treasured institutions for many years to come.” “I applaud the state legislature for successfully bringing more accountability and transparency to the Queens Public Library,” City Council Member Elizabeth Crowley added in a statement issued Monday, June 23. “With this reform bill, we will help ensure our tax dollars are being spent properly and give the public access to information they deserve to know.” Should Cuomo sign the bill, the mayor and Queens borough president would have greater authority in appointing and removing members of Queens Library’s board of trustees. Additionally, trustee terms would be reduced from five to three years; all members would be required to either reside in Queens or operate a business in the borough. The board would also be restructure its administrative committee which makes decisions on hiring or terminating ranking personnel. The legislation also includes requirements by library staff to provide greater financial disclosure and limits any outside employment opportunities. As previously reported, Aubry, Gianaris and Katz formed the legislation in April amid the controversies surrounding Galante, who reportedly earned a nearly $400,000 annual salary and an additional six-figure compensation for consulting work he performed for the Elmont Union School District in Nassau County. Several agencies—including the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and City Comptroller Scott Stringer’s office—launched investigations into Queens Library’s use of capital funding. The city Department of Design and Construction (DDC) froze $20 million in capital funds for the upcoming fiscal year pending the outcome of these inquiries. Earlier this year, Queens Library’s Board of Trustees aggravated lawmakers by rebuffing calls to force Galante into a leave of absence. The board also agreed to provide Stringer with financial documents according to guidelines in an agreement reached with then-City Comptroller Alan Hevesi in 1997; Stringer sought full financial disclosure from the library, and filed a pending lawsuit asking the court to rescind the 1997 agreement. Shortly after the legislation was introduced, Queens Library officials deemed the bill redundant, claiming it already had reforms in place to better manage its finances. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 8- TIMES, THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2014 • 30 -CONTINUED FROM PG. 8- 911 call regarding trespassers at a Lamont Avenue location. While heading to the scene in a marked police vehicle, law enforcement sources said, they observed the suspected shooter brandishing a firearm chasing an unidentified male at the intersection. Seconds later, police stated, the gunman opened fire on his intended target, who missed; the victim got away. The two officers reportedly exited from the vehicle and ordered the gunman to drop his weapon. Instead, authorities said, the gunman turned his weapon on the two officers and fired a shot, which also missed. The officers reportedly returned fire, missing the suspect, who managed to flee on foot. In the process, it was reported, the perpetrator dropped a loaded .22-cal. handgun which the officers recovered. Additional police units responded to the intersection and launched a massive land-and-air search for the suspect. Despite those efforts, authorities stated, no immediate arrests were made. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information regarding the incident or the suspect’s whereabouts that could prove helpful is asked to contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800- 577-TIPS, by text message to 274637 (enter information, then the code TIP577) or online at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com. All calls and messages will be kept confidential. Shop Locally! Support Area Merchants
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