State Senate Candidates Focus On Glendale Shelter At GPOA Forum -CONTINUED FROM PG. 3- has merit and he supports its efforts. “I’m hopeful that, between the efforts of the coalition and the elected officials, both working toward that goal ... something may happen,” the senator said. “There’s not an elected official here who agrees with the shelter plan. There’s not an elected official who agrees with the mayor on this issue at this point.” As for legislation putting a residency requirement on homeless persons seeking shelter, Addabbo said he would explore it, but conceded it would be difficult to pass if de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo are not in agreement on it. After mentioning ethics reform in Albany as another campaign issue, local resident Richard Huber asked Addabbo if that legislation would clear the way for an investigation of nonprofit homeless shelter Fariña Gets Glendale Petition For School Complex build a transitional housing shelter for up to 125 families— and two adjacent properties: the former Hansel ‘n Gretel deli meat plant, which closed this summer; and Independent Chemical Corporation, which reportedly plans to relocate sometime next year. Crowley and the GCA stated the three properties— which encompass a combined nine acres—would be perfect for developing a public school complex serving students from elementary through high school. “The School Construction Authority’s proposed capital plan for 2015-2019 indicates a need for nearly 9,000 additional seats and provides $3.3 billion in capital funding to meet this need,” Crowley wrote to Fariña. “However, the Department of Education (DOE) has continuously failed to identify possible sites for construction. We now have a shrinking window of opportunity to obtain a 9-acre parcel of land in Queens—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to provide generations of children in our district with the high quality public education they deserve.” “To have a large parcel of land in District 24 for an educational complex is an opportunity that we cannot afford to let slip away,” GCA President Kathy Masi added in Crowley’s announcement emailed to the Times Newsweekly on Tuesday. “The impact of an educational complex of this size will benefit the children in District 24 from Ridgewood to Corona. We are just hoping that the DOE puts politics aside, takes full advantage of this and does whatever necessary to bring this to fruition for the children.” Crowley appeared at last Thursday’s Glendale Property Owners Association meeting and fielded questions about potentially building an educational complex at the proposed site. Some expressed concern that the land is contaminated after years of industrial use. The legislator expressed confidence that the SCA is the entity best equipped to remediate any contamination discovered and make it safe for reuse as a public school campus. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 3- TIMES, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2014 • 26 encouraged by the large turnout at the Glendale Middle Village Coalition’s first meeting the previous night, Oct. 1. He expressed hope that an Article 78 proceeding launched by the organization—an alliance of civic and business groups opposed to the Glendale shelter—would successfully bring the project to a standstill. “One thing that will be beneficial ... is that it will stall and prevent anything from going on there,” he said. “It would also allow environmental testing, which is also very important. Because if there are environmental issues at that site, and the testing was done improperly at the onset, then before we talk about putting anything there, let’s make sure it’s corrected. That’s the most important thing.” Conigliaro based most of his remarks on an article published in the September issue of the Juniper Berry, the Juniper Park Civic Association’s quarterly magazine. He read aloud quotes from the article claiming that nonprofit groups such as Samaritan Village (which proposed the Glendale shelter) and owners of shelter sites were essentially profiting on homelessness, given that the city pays above-market rates for shelter operations. He also mentioned that the state’s “right-to-shelter” law mandates that state and local governments provide shelter to anyone, regardless of residency. Claiming that out-of-state residents are exploiting this mandate, Conigliaro pledged to introduce legislation that would mandate that municipalities offer first shelter preference to New Yorkers. Again stating quotes from the Juniper Berry article, Conigliaro blasted state lawmakers for failing to expand Section 8 housing subsidies to families. Currently, he claimed, the subsidies are “only available” to domestic violence victims or individuals in the witness protection program. Sidetracked by City Hall The state senate candidate then turned his attention to city government, and a quote from the article which claimed that City Council Member Elizabeth Crowley—in attendance for Conigliaro’s remarks—had not “called for an oversight hearing at the City Council’s Committee on General Welfare, the body with oversight over” the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). “And that’s a fact? Is that a fact? You said earlier that everything you’re saying is fact,” Crowley interjected. “Has she disputed it?” Conigliaro asked the audience. “I’m disputing it right now,” she replied. Crowley later told residents she made repeated requests for a hearing with the committee’s chairperson, City Council Member Stephen Levin of Brooklyn, but they were denied. Crowley stated the City Council and mayor included in the current budget funding to reduce the New York City Housing Authority’s wait list in order to get as many families into permanent homes as possible. The city and state governments also secured a combined $80 million in housing vouchers for families, she added. Intimating that local lawmakers weren’t doing enough to convince the city to stop the plan in its tracks, Conigliaro stated he would, if elected, do “whatever you need me to do right now” to stop the shelter plan. “It’s time for action. It’s time for people to put the pedal to the metal,” he said. “I have nothing bad to say personally about the elected officials. They’re nice people, but nice isn’t going to get the job done all the time.” ‘Hit the stop button’ Addabbo spoke after Conigliaro and repeated his opposition to the Glendale shelter, noting that he, Crowley and other lawmakers were doing what they could to block the proposal. “I do not believe this is a done deal,” he told residents. “I believe this location is a bad location for a myriad sic of reasons— environmental, transportation, public safety.” The senator stated he has contacted Mayor Bill de Blasio, various city commissioners, City Comptroller Scott Stringer, the School Construction Authority and other groups, making appeals to “hit the stop button” on the Glendale shelter. In speaking with the Mayor’s office hours before the meeting, Addabbo said, he urged the de Blasio administration to give elected officials 30 days to find an alternate site. At the same time, Addabbo was also critical of the administration’s handling of the homeless crisis in the city, noting that elected officials were told by DHS Commissioner Gilbert Taylor at a previous meeting that shelters were coming to their districts, regardless of their opinion. “Make us part of the process; make our people part of the process,” he told residents. “Make us part of the process, not ram it down our throats.” Speaking about the Glendale Middle Village Coalition’s efforts, Addabbo—a former practicing attorney—stated the group’s case against the shelter Ben Carson News & Opinion eradicating it from Earth. Like the war on terrorism, we should fight it elsewhere to decrease the likelihood of needing to fight it here. African lives are every bit as valuable as lives in America or anywhere else, and this humanitarian crisis has enormous health implications for the whole world. If, as some officials say, bringing infected individuals back here expedites the acquisition of knowledge that could lead to a cure, as all components of the disease could be more carefully studied, why not transport more researchers and facilities to the heart of the epidemic and dramatically accelerate the process? I have no desire to induce panic, but we must realize that some viruses are known to undergo mutations that make them even more virulent. If the Ebola virus becomes even more pathologic, the ensuing panic and destruction of human life could go far beyond what is currently being acknowledged. This means there is some urgency to getting the outbreak in Africa under control. The point is, this is an extremely dangerous disease with the potential to spread throughout several African countries and, subsequently, into other parts of the world, including the United States. Most crises prompt warnings, which, if heeded and acted upon, can avert disaster. On the other hand, if arrogance and mistakes characterize the response, horrendous results are likely to ensue. If we stop trying to prove we are right—whatever our opinions are—and instead concentrate our efforts on halting the spread of the disease where it is concentrated and finding a cure, perhaps we could avert needless panic and death throughout Africa, America and the world. 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). -CONTINUED FROM PG. 4- operators and connections to various government agencies. Huber mentioned that Tino Hernandez, a high-ranking member of Samaritan Village, previously worked at the DHS and other city departments. “I couldn’t agree more,” the senator said about such an inquiry, noting that he and other lawmakers—including State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, who issued an audit questioning Samaritan Village’s spending practices—brought up potential conflicts of interest to the mayor, all of which have “fallen on a deaf ear.” “But we don’t stop,” he said. “I’m a firm believer that persistence pays off.” Crowley on trash, library fix Turning to issues other than the shelter, Crowley updated residents on other issues concerning Glendale. She noted the Doe Fund recently expanded its services to Myrtle Avenue in Glendale and along Fresh Pond Road in Ridgewood. The nonprofit group is providing supplemental sanitation services three days a week through City Council funding she secured. Additionally, Crowley noted, the City Council also allocated funds to provide a cultural afterschool program at each Glendale public school. Finally, the city’s Design Commission is in the process of reviewing renovation plans for the Glendale public library. Crowley expects work on the more than $3 million project to begin “hopefully” next spring. The next Glendale Property Owners Association meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday, Nov. 6, at 7:30 p.m. at St. Pancras Pfeifer Hall, located at the corner of Myrtle Avenue and 68th Street.
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