WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES AUGUST 24, 2017 13
CONGRATS FOR
CIVIC CONGRESS
AWARDEES
We off er sincere congratulations
to the most recent recipients
of New York State’s highest civilian
honor — the Liberty Medal
Award, presented by Senator Tony
Avella. Queens Civic Congress
(QCC) President Kevin Forrestal
and his wife Jackie were among
the new awardees, along with
QCC Secretary Sey Schwartz and
QCC Vice President Henry Euler.
In addition, Walter Mugdan,
president of Udalls Cove Preservation
Committee, received the
prestigious award.
These fi ve join several other
QCC members honored by Senator
Avella and the New York State
Senate in the past three years. The
Liberty Medal was established to
recognize community residents
who have been active in their communities
and provided decades of
volunteer services.
We are enormously proud of
all of these members and other
honorees who have done so much
to maintain the quality of life
here in Queens. We also thank
Senator Avella, a former QCC vice
president, for recognizing these
activists and making their stories
public.
Rich Hellenbrecht, executive vice
president, Queens Civic Congress
STATUE
REMOVAL DOOMS
US TO REPEAT
HISTORY
Monuments and plaques of
confederate notables like Robert
E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson have
been taken down. In my opinion,
plaques and monuments tells a
story of American history and
not so much to honor some. That
includes the good and the bad
which have troubled and anger
and divided America.
If we deny history we are
doomed to repeat it and future
generations will truly suff er.
You fi ght racism and hate of
people diff erent than ourselves
with love and understanding.
History cannot be changed but
we can learn to live in peace and
in harmony with one another and
teach our children to do the same.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.,
Glen Oaks Village
A HEALTHY
DOSE
OF STATUE
SARCASM
Trump is right! The removal of
confederate statues is destroying
the “beauty,” history and culture
of our great country. Where will
racist tourists now go to take their
vacation photos? Perhaps they can
visit Germany and pose next to
statues honoring Hitler. Maybe
a side trip to Cambodia to pick up
some cute souvenirs commemorating
the genocide of millions
of people by Pol Pot. Or maybe a
quick jaunt to Uganda to pick up
some “kitschy” T-shirts at an Idi
Amin gift shop. The world misses
those “very fi ne people.”
Robert LaRosa, Whitestone
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OP-ED
Working toward college access for all
BY CARMEN FARIÑA
Like many New Yorkers, I was the
fi rst in my family to go to college.
It didn’t even occur to me until
midway through high school, when one
of my teachers told me I’d need to go to
college if I wanted to follow my own
dream of becoming a teacher. She made
college a reality for me. I know fi rst-hand
how important it is to have teachers who
make college a reality for their students.
More than 50 years aft er my teachers put
me on the path to college and a great career,
we’re making College Access for All a key
part of our Equity and Excellence for All
agenda for New York City schools. No matter
their neighborhood or ZIP code, every
student should have the opportunity to go
to college when they graduate high school.
The numbers are clear: we’re seeing
results and we’re closer than ever to
achieving this vision.
Our high school graduation rate is at a
record high of 72.6 %. A record high 55 %
of our students are enrolling in college
or other postsecondary programs.
In the fi rst year of College Access for
All, New York City made the CUNY application
free for over 30,000 students;
made the SAT exam available free during
the school day for all high school juniors;
and brought over 20,000 middle school
students on trips to college campuses.
We also launched or expanded a number
of citywide events including our fi rst-ever
College and Career Month; citywide
parent workshops on applying to college
in a number of languages; and College
Application Week, Financial Aid Awareness
Month and College Decision Day.
Last week, we released the annual New
York City School Survey, and we heard
about the changes that our students, families
and teachers are seeing. For example,
82 percent of our high school students said
that school staff helped them consider
which colleges to apply to, up from 75 percent
the year before. 93 percent of parents
said that their child’s school kept them on
track to college and careers, up from 92
percent the year before.
This fall, we’ll expand College Access
for All programs to reach over 600
middle and high schools. At the middle
school level, this means more students
visiting college campuses – over 40,000
next year – and more family events on
what college means and how to get there.
At our high schools, this means new
funding, college coaches and teacher
training to boost graduation and college
enrollment rates. Across the city,
it means increased opportunity for our
students every day.
Yet none of these changes are possible
without the strength of our educators,
communities and, most importantly,
families.
As the school year approaches, I
encourage families to start thinking
about your child’s plans for college and
careers, aft er they graduate high school.
Encourage your child to do the same –
such conversations will give them goals
to reach for, with your support. When
school’s back in September, reach out to
your parent coordinator and ask them
about how college can be a reality for
your child.
Our city is home to generations of
future leaders – if we work together
to support them, I know that they will
realize their full potential.
Carmen Fariña is chancellor
of New York City public schools.
LETTERS AND COMMENTS
A LOOK BACK
This gem out of the Ridgewood
Times archive shows what was
once Banzer’s Cypress Hills Park
and Hotel near the Brooklyn/
Queens border in Glendale. The
13-acre site near Cypress Hills
Street was a popular weekend
picnic destination and featured a
six-acre lake for boating. The site
was sold in 1929 and transformed
into a cemetery. Send us your
historic photos of Queens by email
to editorial@qns.com (Subject: A
Look Back) or mail printed pictures
to A Look Back, ℅ The Queens
Courier, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside,
NY 11361. All mailed pictures will
be carefully returned to you.
