WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES OCTOBER 27, 2016 3 Ridgewood and Maspeth have seen a recent uptick in robberies, 104th Precinct boss says Art installation coming to Queens Blvd. BY ANTHONY GIUDICE AGIUDICE@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM @A_GIUDICEREPORT The scenery along a protected walkway on Queens Boulevard in Elmhurst is about to get a makeover. The NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) has teamed up with New York Cares — a volunteer organization that runs programs for the NYC nonprofi ts, city agencies and public schools across each of the fi ve boroughs — to beautify 820 linear feet of concrete barrier in both Queens and Manhattan. The beautifi cation project, which begins on Oct. 26 in Manhattan and Nov. 9 in Queens, is part of the 13th installment of the DOT’s Barrier Beautification program. During the fall and spring, the Barrier Beautification program helps transforms concrete barriers from standard traffi c safety equipment into extraordinary art canvases. The program also revitalizes public spaces throughout the city with bold, colorful designs. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 9, 15 volunteers from New York Cares will assist Flushing-based artist Brittany Baldwin in painting the concrete barriers located along a protective walkway at Queens Boulevard between Woodhaven Boulevard and 59th Avenue. Baldwin’s design is titled “Bounce” and is an abstract design inspired by the rebellious energy of graffi ti writers and ancient writing, the artist said. Baldwin concentrated on the interaction between form, line and color in order to capture and convey the excitement of the city in her design. Baldwin is an accomplished artist who was born and raised in Queens, and still lives in the borough. She received the Hugh A. Wilson Award for Excellence in Abstraction from Adelphi University, and her solo exhibitions include “Serious Fun” at Pratt Institute, as well as an upcoming solo show at Adelphi University in January 2017. BY ANTHONY GIUDICE AGIUDICE@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM @A_GIUDICE Although crime has dropped in the last month, a rash of recent robberies and burglaries across the 104th Precinct has the precinct’s commanding offi cer concerned. During the 104th Precinct Community Council meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 18, at St. Margaret Parish Hall in Middle Village, Captain Mark Wachter said crime dropped by 2 percent over the most recent 28-day period, but robberies spiked from only eight last year at this time, to 18, a 125 percent increase. Burglaries went up from 16 to 27, for a 68.8 percent increase. Two of those robberies were committed by the same perpetrator, a man who held up two cab drivers — one in Ridgewood and one in Glendale — at gunpoint and stole their property and the keys to the cab. Two delis on Grand Avenue in Maspeth were also robbed, and two males ran out on their check at the Goodfellas Diner. “Burglaries, that’s what driving the crime in the precinct,” Wachter said. “We took 15 burglaries in a week, which is tremendous, it’s a lot of burglaries in this precinct. We average about three or four a week for the command.” In order to deal with these burglaries, Wachter has redeployed offi cers to the areas that are being hit the hardest — which have been the Ridgewood and Maspeth areas most recently. This tactic has paid dividends for the precinct, as burglaries have been reduced back to the average of three burglaries per week. “During the week I’m getting an additional 16 cops a day that we deploy in the Ridgewood/Maspeth area to basically knock these burglaries down,” Wachter said. “We were really able to curtail this activity of burglaries in the Maspeth/Ridgewood area.” Although burglaries and robberies went up last month, felony assaults, grand larcenies and grand larceny auto crimes have all decreased over the last month. Wachter also mentioned the murder that happened in Ridgewood last month when a resident fatally stabbed his roommate. There were also three rapes in the precinct over the last month. With Halloween coming up, Wachter warned those in attendance to be aware of more creepy clown sightings and threats to local grammar and high schools as people like to pull pranks during this time of year. The 104th Precinct Community Council also recognized Police Offi ce Richard Shubella as Cop of the Month for a traffi c stop in Maspeth that resulted in the police department taking nearly $14,000 worth of drugs off the streets. Photos by Anthony Giudice/ RIDGEWOOD TIMES Captain Mark Wachter updated the community on the precinct’s crime stats at the 104th Precinct Community Council meeting. The Department of Transportation will help beautify this stretch of barrier along Queens Boulevard. REPORT: LGA IS WORST. TAIRPORT. EVER. here may be improvements on the rise at LaGuardia Airport, but the hub ranks dead last in the United States in on-time performance, according to a report. New data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics compared passenger traffi c at the nation’s top 29 airports. Numbers showed that LaGuardia had the lowest on-time performance, with JFK following close behind. When ranking arrival and departure performance at the 29 major airports year-to-date through August 2016, LaGuardia is last at 73%. JFK Airport sits at #26 with 76%. March was the highest performing month for both airports. July was the worst month for delays so far this year at New York and New Jersey airports. Suzanne Monteverdi BIG CASH FOR WESTERN QUEENS SCHOOLS One Queens legislator announced he is allocating nearly $2.8 million in capital funding for schools throughout western Queens. These funds will go toward the purchase of smart boards and laptops, installation of air conditioning systems, and other improvements in the facilities and technology of the district’s schools, according to City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer. “The most important thing we can do is make sure our children have the tools they need to learn,” Van Bramer said. “That’s why I’ve made investing in schools one of my top priorities, and I’m proud to allocate almost $2.8 million for schools this year, the greatest amount in years. With these funds, our schools can make necessary investments in our children’s education.” Liam Baker SPECIAL LEAF COLLECTION IN QUEENS Cleaning up leaves from sidewalks and front yards is a chore, and the Sanitation Department is making it a bit easier for Queens residents to get rid of the fallen foliage. The department is reintroducing next month special leaf collections for the season. Leaf collection is ongoing in areas of Queens such as Glendale, Maspeth and Middle Village that are participating in the Sanitation Department’s Organics Collection program. Throughout the rest of Queens, the Sanitation Department will conduct special leaf collections on two Sundays, Nov. 20 and Dec. 4. Leaves and other organic yard waste (such as grass clippings and branches) should be placed in brown bins or paper bags for pickup. Do not place any organic waste in plastic bags. For more information, visit www. nyc.gov/yardwaste. Awura Ama Barnie-Duah
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