Caught For Maspeth Break-Ins 104th Precinct Detective Squad, Beltran was later charged for two break-ins that occurred at a neighboring home on 56th Street on June 9 between 12:50 and 8:15 p.m. Authorities said Beltran allegedly broke into a second-floor apartment, ransacked a bedroom and removed assorted jewelry, headphones and $300 in cash. He reportedly got inside a neighboring apartment, but no property was removed. During questioning, Beltran allegedly admitted to carrying out the two burglaries. P.O. Oleg Matat of the 104th Precinct Detective Squad charged him with second-degree burglary, second-degree attempted burglary, criminal mischief and petit larceny. According to court records, Beltran was arraigned last Thursday, July 10, in Queens Criminal Court before Judge Stephanie Zaro, who ordered him held on $40,000 bail. He is scheduled to return to court on July 25. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 6- Van Bramer Holds Participatory Budget Hearings delegates are assigned to lead committees tied to various projects, like parks or transportation. The delegates then whittle down the list of projects with the help of other volunteers and people living in the district vote on the projects they want funded. “That vote is taken incredibly seriously and allows you vote for things you want to see funded,” Van Bramer said. “We feel very strongly about having a grassroots that is strong.” Participatory budgeting was first implemented by Brazilian cities in 1989, and has since been used in Toronto and Chicago, the video noted. “Participatory budgeting is occurring in hundreds of thousands of cities around the world,” Van Bramer said. “There’s a movement sweeping across the country, if not the globe,” he added. Out of 51 city council districts, 22 are now using participatory budgeting, “an all time high,” Van Bramer stated. “We anticipate that number going up and up and up,” he said. “That’s a significant amount of power in the hands of people in our neighborhoods,” he said. “Everything is about empowering people to vote on the budget.” Nick Gulotta, a constituent liaison for Van Bramer, and Christopher King, engagement strategist with Community Voices Heard (CVH), a nonprofit that will assist the district in the process explained that to become a budget delegate, a person must be 14 years old. They must live, work, own a business, go to school or have a child in school in the district. Immigration status is not a factor, Gulotta said. The group, CVH is the leading community education partner for the district, King said. Members of the nonprofit, founded in the early 1990’s, have traveled to Brazil, Chicago and Toronto to research the process and see its effects up close. To educate residents about the district, Van Bramer provided flyers with facts about the area. About 165,000 people live in District 26, which covers western Queens from Long Island City toAstoria, and from the East River toWoodside, and into portions of Elmhurst. “I advocate for each neighborhood equally and fund each equally,” Van Bramer stated He spoke on how the districts’ boundaries have changed as well “Our district used to only go to Broadway, now it goes to 31st Avenue. They are all great communities that I feel great to represent. I really do take seriously representing everyone of those blocks. This is a great district that we are lucky to call home,” Van Bramer said. Participatory budgeting timelines, a sample ballot and volunteer sign-up flyers were distributed to the meeting. King and Van Bramer also fielded questions to explain the process. The first step is organizing neighborhood assemblies to identify community needs and select budget delegates. This should begin by September and run into October, it was noted. Then the delegates will meet to develop proposals, followed by a project expo in the fall and finally a vote in the spring. “The council member administers the vote with the help of volunteers,” King said. With the help of King and other volunteers, Van Bramer will select convenient polling sites for residents. These could take several forms like outside subway stations, or as popups near local parks and gathering places, King said. “It’s similar to traditional elections, but the Board of Elections is not involved,” King said. “Historically, vote week is what we call it. It has everything to do with the volunteer presence,” he said. One resident asked if Community Board 2 would have a role in deciding what gets funded. “That varies by district. It’s really a resource,” King said. “This process is not dominated or controlled by any one person and that includes me and members of the community board,” Van Bramer said. “This is your process. And that’s what will decide what projects get voted on and funded,” he said. One resident asked what the criteria are for project ideas, to which King replied, “Participatory budgeting is capital, so think of things that stick around for more than five years.” “I hope everybody understands this is historic. This is the first time this is happening in our district. You are all the leaders of this movement,” Van Bramer said. Residents must be 16 years old to vote on projects, it was noted. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 6- COMET: Commuter Vans Flout Rules along prescribed routes and not pick up or drop off passengers at bus stops, a practice many disobey, according to Daraio. Additionally, the drivers operate the vehicles dangerously, blocking intersections and stop signs, and run through red lights, she said. Daraio also claims that many drivers have incorrect or expired insurance. “That’s all dangerous,” Daraio said. “The bottom line here is they shouldn’t even be operating outside their zones.” “It’s an ongoing battle,” she said. The letter was sent “cause I get a lot of complaints from people,” Daraio said. She also wanted to state COMET’s position in anticipation of a public hearing, to be held tomorrow, where residents can speak on the topic, but Board 4 was never officially notified, she said. Calls to Board 4 for comment were not returned by presss time Wednesday, July 16. It’s a very, very long, complicated story,” Daraio said of the fight with the city to police the vans. Adding to her frustration, “we’re never told when they come up for renewal.” As stated in the letter, the Taxi & Limousine Commission, which oversees the operation of these vans, “is ill-equipped to do enforcement on a regular basis and some of their enforcement personnel have stated they don’t know how to write “Out of Zone” summonses.” Some tasked with enforcement don’t know where the zone boundaries are, and have never written tickets for this offense, she wrote. “These companies have been operating for years,” Daraio said over the phone. “Its just very frustrating.” Dario hopes enforcement of routes, and an increase in summons for dangerous driving will result. “I’m going to look for more enforcement to be done,” she said. “That’s all I can do. I hope that they do not allow the business to expand and will do some enforcement here.” The letter was also sent to City Council Members Daniel Dromm and Elizabeth Crowley; Queens Community Boards 2, 4 and 5; and the commanding officers of the 104th, 108th and 110th Precincts. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 8- Ben Carson News & Opinion -CONTINUED FROM PG. 4- the beautiful prose that characterized the writing style and letters of the Western frontiers of America in the early 19th century. Many Southern aristocrats also exhibited impressive writing skills and understanding of the English language. Interestingly, the same highly educated rulers forbade under enormous penalty the teaching of slaves to read. They fully understood how empowering education and knowledge are. It is likely that Frederick Douglass fled the plantation to escape the wrath of his master, who was displeased that his slave was learning to read. Slaves were supposed to be obedient and grateful for the magnanimous protection and provisions afforded them by their "wonderful" masters. Today many people in America slavishly devote themselves to a political party without engaging in critical analysis of whether the philosophies of that party are really in sync with their true values and with the betterment of their position in society. If decades of such devotion leads to more broken families, more out-of-wedlock births, more involvement with the criminal justice system, more poverty and more dependency on government, maybe it is time to ask whether such devotion is warranted. I was honored to be able to encourage many of the disadvantaged young people of Australia and New Zealand to take control of their own destinies through education and reading. I was thrilled by the trip sponsors’ generous financial contributions to the Carson Scholars Fund, enabling us to reach more American students and emphasize the acquisition of knowledge and the development of humanitarian qualities. I am convinced that the dream of our Founding Fathers of a free nation filled with knowledgeable and caring people who trust in God and accept personal responsibility is still possible. Each of us has a role to play in the realization of that dream.Abig part of that role is self-education.We need to read all kinds of books and articles and experience a variety of electronic media. We should not engage in self-censorship, which creates a proclivity for indoctrination. I am convinced that a well-informed American populace will not be manipulated into relinquishing a beautiful American dream for all. Ben S. Carson is professor emeritus of neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University and author of the new book “One Nation: What We Can All Do To Save America’s Future” (Sentinel). Western Queens residents crowded Sunnyside Community Services Tuesday, July 8 for a participatory budgeting information session as City Council Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer observes. Van Bramer brought the process to the district for the first time. (photo: Noah Zuss) TIMES, THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2014 • 28 Selling A Home Or Car? Renting An Apartment? Let The Times Newsweekly Classified Section Work For You! Call Us At 1-718-821-7500
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