Looking For Work? Find It At Ozone Park Event Lawmaker & Family Group Team Up To Help Since the summer season began, State Sen. Joseph Addabbo and a hiring team from healthcare entity Birch Family Services have hosted two mass hiring events, one in the Rockaways and another in Howard Beach, attracting dozens of people and sending more than half of the total applicants on the path to employment. On Thursday, Aug. 14, Addabbo and Birch are bringing the opportunity to Ozone Park for another event, this time taking place at the Nativity Parish Hall, 101-19 91st St., from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. “Given the success of our previous hiring events, I knew we had to keep going,” Addabbo said. “With summer winding down and the fall quickly approaching, more individuals are getting back into work-mode, and this additional event can help further that.” Applicants must have a high school diploma or G.E.D., experience caring for elderly and/or disabled individuals and a New York State driver’s license. Hopefuls must also MTA To Expand J Train & B13 Bus Service $15.5 million in service improvements outlined in the MTA’s 2015 budget announced in a press release last Monday, July 28. The authority also plans on introducing two additional Select Bus Service routes across the city; the locations will be determined in the months ahead. “We always want to better serve our customers by strengthening service whenever we have suitable Fed Bill To Guard Against Cyberspace 9/11-Style Attack Follow Us On Twitter @timesnewsweekly 55 • TIMES, THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2014 DiNapoli Backs RBL Reactivation improve travel within the borough––as passengers would be able to transfer to other subway lines, or LIRR trains. The MTA still owns this right-ofway. Competing interests that include a plan to build a linear park on top of the tracks are vying to shape the future of the unused section. Rockaway lawmaker Phil Goldfeder supports reactivation of the line and commended the report’s findings. He believes the line “would offer affordable, reliable transportation ... and prepare our city for future growth.” “This report is a huge step forward and I will continue to work closely with State Comptroller DiNapoli, my colleagues and the MTA until the Rockaway Beach Rail Line becomes a reality,” Goldfeder said. Phil McManus, Founder of the Queens Public Transit Committee praised the report as well. He has advocated for better transportation in the city, and Rockaway specifically since the group was founded last year. “It’s what we’ve been pushing,” McManus said of the report. “It’s a great thing to have someone in a higher office support the Rockaway Beach Line.” McManus said a commute to Penn Station on the Rockaway branch would take around 50 minutes, compared to “at least 80 to 90 minutes” on the A line. “It gives you the option to go north to south in Queens,” he added. “There is a real problem going north to south in Queens.” -CONTINUED FROM PG. 8- 104th Precinct Blotter Aug. 3: (Beat 3) Michael Arevalo, at Wyckoff and Myrtle avenues, for theft of service, by P.O. Olivo. (Beat 4 Frank Buscher, at Madison Street, for criminal obstruction of breathing, by P.O. Pellot. (Beat 3) Elias Rodriguez, at Norman Street and Seneca Avenue, for DWI, by P.O. Walsh. (Beat 10) Dariusz Lipinski, at Fresh Pond Road, for DWI, by P.O. Defreitas. (Beat 3) Erica Savage, at Norman Street and Wyckoff Avenue, for driving with a suspended license, by P.O. Vincent. (Beat 5) Teofido Uchupaille, at Cypress Avenue, for grand larceny, by Det. Lagares. (Beat 5) Roger Kenny, at 60th Lane, for aggravated identity theft, by Det. Lundy. (Beat 9) Kevin Houlihan, at 53rd Avenue, for criminal contempt, by P.O. Bielicka. * * * The 104th Precinct, located at 64- 02 Catalpa Ave. in Ridgewood, can be reached by phone at 1-718-386-3004. To report an emergency or a crime in progress, call 911 immediately. Quality of life matters, such as noise or a blocked driveway, should be reported to 311. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 11- Airport Workers Get Wage Increase Patrick Foye said, “The non-trade labor contract force plays a critical role in the safety and security of our airports, as well as quality customer service, yet, too often, these tens of thousands of workers are underpaid despite their important operational role at the airports. Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, we have created a plan that recognizes their importance and ensures that thousands of workers begin to see higher wages, receive Martin Luther King Jr. as a paid holiday and guarantees that worker wages continue to grow each year.” In January, Cuomo called on the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to take steps to improve wages and benefits for thousands of contracted employees of the airlines at JFK and LaGuardia Airports. Later that month Foye met with all four major airlines and outlined the immediate steps the Port Authority deemed necessary to provide improvements to wages and benefits to all contract and sub-contract employees making $9 an hour or less. In April, the Port Authority Board of Commissioners adopted a formal minimum wage policy mandating contractors at Port Authority airports to pay an appropriate minimum wage to their workers, with a dollar increase as soon as practicable this year for those earning $9 an hour or less and a ramp up to $10.10 in 2015. The policy also called for Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a paid holiday, and called on employers to develop plans for enhanced wages and benefits in the future. The Port Authority released a copy of the proposed rule encompassing the policy on June 13 for public comment and the formal rule took effect last Thursday. Several airlines already have begun implementing the requested higher wages with their contractors. The Port Authority anticipates that these minimum wage actions will reduce employee turnover and increase job performance by non- Port Authority contractor and subcontractor employees. Other anticipated benefits include a higher quality of customer service throughout the airports. Workers covered include those who provide ticketing services, passenger-related security services, baggage handling and clean the terminals. Most work in post-screening areas of the airport and have had background checks to meet federal security laws. In accordance with the rule, the Port Authority is currently developing a plan for enhanced wages and benefits, including health benefits for workers. The Port Authority’s existing policy for wages and benefits for certain Port Authority non-trade labor service contracts, which, as implemented, provides benchmarks for the inclusion of affordable health care, is being examined as a point of reference for such plan. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 19- businesses is a critical step that must be taken.” The authors of the 9/11 report identified domestic cyber readiness as one of the five most pressing national security issues facing the country. The report highlights that senior leaders were “uniformly alarmed by the cyber threat to the country,” comparing current policies to “Sept. 10th levels.” The report also stated, “One lesson of the 9/11 story is that, as a nation, Americans did not awaken to the gravity of the terrorist threat until it was too late. History may be repeating itself in the cyber realm.” The Cyber Information Sharing Tax Credit Act would incentivize information sharing about security vulnerabilities, and would also facilitate the dissemination of sectorspecific cyber protection. The bill would encourage this through a refundable tax credit for any business that joins an ISAC. The refundable tax credit would cover personnel participation costs, product and service costs directly related to sharing information with the ISAC, as well as other costs reasonably associated with participation. Membership in an ISAC will give a small business access to real-time alerts about ongoing cyber threats to their systems, or newly discovered vulnerabilities in their networks that hackers might exploit, along with technical advice on how to protect against these attacks and eliminate their vulnerabilities. Over the last decade, there have been almost four thousand separate security breaches, comprising over half a billion records containing sensitive personal information, many of which have led to identity theft and other crimes. The financial sector alone has experienced 250 attacks since 2011. With lost records costing an average of $188 per record, the potential U.S. losses add up to $112 billion since 2005. Further, recent reports have outlined how foreign actors infiltrated the NASDAQ stock exchange through the use of malware. While there appeared to be minimal data loss, this instance highlights how vulnerable global financial systems are to cyberattacks. Another report outlined how a “sophisticated threat actor” gained access to an unnamed U.S. utility. The Department of Homeland Security report warns of inadequate protection and, “as tools and adversary capabilities advance, they expect that exposed systems will be more effectively discovered, and targeted by adversaries.” A spring 2014 report by the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) identifies sectorspecific information sharing “as a key component of an effective cybersecurity framework.” The report also points out that there is a significant disparity in participation between large and small businesses, “with more than 60 percent of large institutions reporting an ISAC membership as compared to only 25 percent of small institutions.” In a speech to financial industry leaders in July 2014, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew reiterated the importance of information sharing. He pointed to the 2012 attacks by state actors on American financial institutions, and how actions by state actors could cause a significant disruption of the financial system. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 14- resources to do so,” said MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas F. Prendergast. “These new investments in both subway and bus service will provide our customers with additional travel options and add seamless connectivity to vital transit hubs.” Meanwhile, the MTA also announced last Monday a four-year financial plan which will hold proposed fare and toll increases in 2015 and 2017 to 4 percent each. A projected $260 million annual increase in labor costs, resulting largely from deals struck with labor unions in recent months, will be paid through reallocated resources, it was noted. According to the financial plan, the MTA will spend $20 million every year for the next four years in new subway, bus and commuter railroad service and $125 million for operational and maintenance needs. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 9- bring a resume; any certifications (HHA, CNA, CPR, AMAP, etc.), though not required; two forms of identification, including driver’s license; and proof of the highest completed educational degree. “The job market continues to be tough for everybody, no matter their age. Hiring opportunities such as this can hopefully ease any stress and give my constituents a convenient and effective means to gain employment,” Addabbo added. Birch provides pre-school special education, special education, head start and day care, small supervised residences, day habilitation for graduates and family support to overcome obstacles they face when raising children with disabilities. The organization has more than 3,000 teachers, therapists, social workers, psychologists, nurses, residence counselors, administrators, board members and family members. “Birch Family Services has been a wonderful partner throughout our relationship and I thank them for their dedication to our community,” Addabbo said. “They are an extremely well-reputed organization and, from what I can see, treat their employees with the respect they deserve. Given that, plus the wide variety of services they offer, this is a fantastic opportunity for anyone struggling to find a job.” On Sept. 19, Addabbo will host his annual job fair at the new YMCA in Arverne by the Sea, 207 Beach 73rd St., from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. In the past, the job fair has brought in over 1,000 attendees, over 100 vendors and roughly 1,200 job opportunities to each event. HAVE YOU READ A BOOK WITH YOUR CHILD TODAY?
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