4 AUGUST 1, 2019 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Feud over fate of Maspeth special needs school
BY MAX PARROTT
MPARROTT@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@RIDGEWOODTIMES
Aft er the New York Post ran a story
portraying P.S. 9 as “dilapidated”
and “decrepit,” and followed up
with an op-ed from Councilman Robert
Holden reiterating the criticisms, the
Department of Education and members of
a local civic association are pushing back
that the attacks did not fairly consider the
improvements to the facility.
The school is currently undergoing
renovations after the DOE made a $14
million investment in the building. While
Holden has proposed closing down P.S. 9 and
relocating the school for disabled students
to 78-16 Cooper Ave., the Juniper Park Civic
Association (JPCA) President Tony Nunziato
thinks that district should do both: open a
new school at Cooper Ave. and keep P.S. 9
afl oat.
A key issue undergirding the accounts
from both sides is the fear that a homeless
shelter might rise up in the place of a school.
For Holden, part of the rush to get a school
on Cooper Ave. is motivated by the growing
concern among many neighbors to the
Cooper Ave. site that its owner may try to
push a homeless shelter on the property.
Likewise, residents living around the
P.S. 9 site are concerned that if it were to
close, it might become a shelter, an idea
that Department of Homelessness Services
Commissioner Steve Banks has voiced in
the past.
Homeless shelters aside, JPCA member
and Juniper Berry Editor Christina
Wilkinson thinks that it doesn’t make sense
to close a school that falls within school
Community School District 24, which has
the fourth-highest level of overcrowding
in the city, according to a report the City
Council released in 2018.
“They’re begging for school space. In fact,
the Council member put out a request for a
location to build new schools last year. So
why would we give one up under the power
of the DOE? That doesn’t make any sense to
me. We’re not manufacturing any more
land,” said Wilkinson.
Holden’s spokesperson said that the
councilman believes continuing to pour
money into the facility at P.S. 9 is wasteful
when the city has the opportunity to
build a new school in District 75, the nongeographical
district that encompasses all
of the city’s special needs schools.
The two local leaders are in direct
disagreement over the current state of the
renovations, although neither is operating
on up-to-the-minute information. Holden
confirmed that the photos he took that
ran in the Post showing cracked plaster
and peeling paint are over a year old. His
spokesperson claimed that the conditions
still exist, but also said the councilman has
not visited since December (although he did
reportedly stop by six times over the past
year).
Likewise, Wilkinson sent over photos
that showcase improvements like a new
gym, renovated bathrooms and new
computer technology like smartboards, but
they were taken over six months ago and do
not directly refute Holden’s claims about the
infrastructure problems.
A spokesperson for the Department of
Education claims that the Deputy Director
of Facilities for the district visits the
school every two weeks, and the agency is
continuing to make improvements to the
building.
These include a new changing table in a
separate bathroom, fi nishing the exterior
remodeling, an electrical upgrade and a
resurfacing of staircases and fl oors.
“We’ve invested $14 million in the historic
P.S. 9 building so that it is a safe, clean and
comfortable space for students to learn,”
said the DOE spokesperson.
BY MARK HALLUM
MHALLUM@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@RIDGEWOODTIMES
More than a month aft er the polls
closed, the Board of Elections
fi nally declared a winner on
Monday in the roller-coaster, nail-biter
Democratic primary for Queens district
attorney.
Borough President Melinda Katz was
certifi ed as the victor in the June 25
primary over her closest rival, public
defender Tiff any Cabán, by just 60 votes.
Cabán’s team went to court on July 31
seeking to have counted more than 100
ballots which the Board of Elections had
disqualifi ed for various discrepancies.
It was a stunning reversal of fortune
for Cabán from the night of June 25, when
she celebrated an apparent win, having
emerged from the primary with an
1,100 vote lead. Katz, however, refused
to concede, insisting that the Board of
Elections count the thousands of absentee
and approved affi davit ballots cast in the
rates.
Aft er that count took place on July 3,
to the surprise of many, Katz wound up
with a razor-thin 20 vote lead over Cabán.
That triggered an automatic recount
begun the following week and ended
on July 25, with the Board of Elections
re-examining all 91,000 votes cast in the
race. As it turned out, Katz’s lead grew to
a fi nal margin of 60 aft er all the votes had
been recounted.
But the Cabán campaign has remained
optimistic in the court siding in their favor,
claiming the BOE’s decision gives them the
opportunity to pursue the vindication of
over 100 affi davit and objected ballots in
court on July 31.
At a meeting at the Manhattan offi ce,
the board thanked the work of BOE
staff from the Queens offi ce who spent
ten days counting 91,000 ballots in the a
facility in Middle Village before sending
the their certifi cation to Albany.
The Cabán campaign has been
attempting to have up to 114 affi davit
ballots they believe were erroneously
disqualifi ed because of what attorney
Jerry Goldfeder has referred to as
“hyper-technicalities.”
But the court hearing has been
postponed from earlier dates awaiting
a certifi ed result from the BOE.
“Today’s certifi cation by the Board of
Elections is a formality that will allow
our campaign to move forward with its
eff orts to restore wrongly invalidated
ballots in court. Our campaign is
fi ghting to protect Queens voters from
being disenfranchised and allow their
voices to be heard. Eligible voters’ ballots
must not be disqualifi ed due to the BOE’s
failure to provide them with adequate
assistance and guidance at polling sites,”
said campaign spokesperson Monica
Klein.
According to the offi cial results from
the BOE, votes for Katz totaled 34,920
while Cabán took 34,860. The numbers
also show that 17 ballots were voided.
“This is a great day for the people of
Queens, who have waited patiently for
the long recount process to conclude.
Today, the Board of Elections certifi ed
that we have won the campaign for
the Democratic primary for Queens
District Attorney,” Katz said. “While it
is everyone’s right to avail themselves
of the judicial process, I urge all
participants in this hard-fought
election to come together and join me in
beginning the hard work of reforming
the criminal justice system in Queens.”
Gregory Lasak came in third place
with 13,048.
Left: A photo of a P.S. 9 classroom from December provided by the
Juniper Park Civic Association. Right: A photo of a classroom provided by
Councilman Holden in October 2018.
Photos provided by Juniper Park Civic Association and Robert Holden’s Offi ce
Katz certifi ed as Dem nominee for DA
Queens Borough President Melinda
Katz celebrated being certified
as the winner of the Democratic
primary for Queens district attorney
on July 29. Photo: Mark Hallum/QNS
1. Doggie Daycare
2.Dog Boarding
3.Pet Grooming
4.Dog Walking
5.Dog Parties
6.Pet Food
7.Supplies
8.Dog Training
9.Toys & Pet Clothing
10. Affordable vet services from VIP Pet Care
55-13 Metropolitan Ave
Ridgewood, NY 11385
Ask us about our pick up
and drop off services.
Phone # (718)521-6141
Fax # (347)252-8047
Email mmpetspa@gmail.com
Our services is.
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
link
link
link
link
link
