8 SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Con Edison starts $4M pilot program in Middle Village
BY JULIA MORO
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
Representatives from Con Edison
presented their pilot program
that will transfer overhead
lines underground in Middle Village
to Community Board 5 on Tuesday,
Sept. 14.
The initiative, called the Juniper
Valley Undergrounding Pilot Program,
was proposed aft er the area was determined
to be more vulnerable because
of its high tree density. The construction
focuses on the segment extending
on Juniper Valley Road and 77th Street.
Jamie McShane, the director of media
relations at Con Edison, said that
this program is being conducted to try
and make their service more reliable
as storms become more severe.
“Climate change is real and severe
storms are becoming more frequent
and more destructive for our customers,”
McShane said.
The segment being moved underground
services 495 customers, according
to Con Edison representatives.
A total of 19 outages were reported
since 2012 on that segment, with over
8,000 customers interrupted.
The construction has already
started on this approximately $4 million
program. Con Edison spoke with
the board to receive feedback from the
Juniper Valley Road and 77th Street in Middle Village.
Screenshot via Google Maps
community and address concerns.
“We are focused on Con Ed reliability,”
said Richard David from the Queens
Con Edison aff airs offi ce. “We’re very
excited about this project. We’re inviting
our neighbors here to work with
Con Ed to achieve success here.”
One board member, Kathy Masi,
said she is concerned about how the
underground segment will withstand
salt melting aft er winter storms.
Robert Ahad, an engineer with Con
Edison, responded saying salt is detrimental
to the system, but they have
protective equipment in place to avoid
system failures.
“This new cable has a rubber insulation
around it. It’s a little more resistant
to weather and underground events,”
Ahad said. “It would add another layer
of protection.”
McShane said that the company invested
$1.5 billion in preparation for
this summer and the hurricane season
in New York. The funds went toward
new cables, transformers, network
protectors and other equipment. At
the end of every summer, Con Edison
starts preparing for the next summer.
Con Edison’s climate change preparation
analysis in partnership with
Columbia University, has been called
the “gold standard” by experts, according
to a New York Times article.
What the report found is that New
York City could soon see longer heatwaves
than ever before. This would
mean Con Edison’s transformers
and cables wouldn’t be able to cool
down overnight as they need to. As a
result, according to the Times article,
the company estimates their cooling
equipment will need to be 40 percent
larger by 2040.
Construction for the Juniper Valley
Undergrounding Pilot Program will
take place Monday through Friday
from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays
from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Any residents with
questions can contact 800-75-CONED.
Queens lawmakers to host biannual recycling event
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
CMOHAMED@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr. and Assemblywoman
Jenifer Rajkumar are returning to Forest Park
to host another bi-annual paper shredding and
household goods event on Sunday, Sept. 26.
The lawmakers will have a paper shredding truck
from USA Shred and the United War Veterans Council
to collect household goods on hand at the Forest
Park Bandshell Parking Lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Addabbo thanked Rajkumar for helping to
organize the event, as well as Shred USA and the
United War Veterans Council for their continued
partnership.
“I am happy to announce that this great event will
be returning to Forest Park again this fall,” Addabbo
said. “It is one of our most popular events and allows
our constituents to clean out their homes and
donate some of their extra things to a great veterans
organization, and to safely and securely shred their
personal, business or medical fi les.”
Residents can bring items such as paper (three
boxes maximum of personal, business or medical
fi les), clothing and shoes, small appliances, kitchenware,
toys, jewelry, small furniture, American fl ags
and eyeglasses.
Items that won’t be accepted are any electronics,
cardboard, magazines, fi le folders, pre-shredded
paper, air conditioners, paint and tires.
To ensure safety, the New York City Parks Department
is requiring all participants to wear masks
when in the parking lot, especially when interacting
The Forest Park Bandshell parking lot in Woodhaven. Screenshot via Google Maps
with a volunteer.
Those who wish to make donations or shred their
documents are also asked to stay in their vehicles as
much as possible, for the safety of staff and volunteers.
The Parks Department is requesting that all items
be placed in an easily accessible part of the car, such
as the backseat or trunk, to allow a volunteer to
safely remove them and bring them to the proper
location.
If anyone wishes to exit their car, they must fi ll out
a visitor health screening questionnaire — as per
Parks Department requirements — indicating if they
have any symptoms of COVID-19 or if they have been
in close contact with someone who has contracted the
virus in the previous 14 days.
They will also have to provide their name, phone
number and email address for contact tracing
purposes if it is found that anyone with COVID was
present at the event.
For more information about this event, or the electronic
recycling event scheduled for the following
Sunday, Oct. 3, contact Addabbo’s offi ce at 718-738-1111.
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