4 DECEMBER 27, 2018 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Ridgewood’s 104th Precinct helps spread cheer at toy drives
BY MARK HALLUM
MHALLUM@CNGLOCAL.COM
The 104th Precinct did not slow
down for the holidays, but
kicked the season of giving into
gear with toy giveaways coordinated
with the Greater Ridgewood Youth
Council (GRYC) and the Rafael Ramos
Foundation Toy Drive.
The Rafael Ramos Foundation
remembers its namesake detective
who was assassinated in his patrol
car alongside his partner Detective
Wenjian Liu in December 2014. The
organization held a toy giveaway at
P.S. 239 at 1715 Weirfi eld St. on Dec. 21.
“At Ramon Suarez Elementary
School for Rafael Ramos Foundation
Toy Drive handing out toys to all the
students,” tweeted Deputy Inspector
John Mastronardi, the 104th Precinct’s
commanding offi cer.
Ramos was an usher at his church,
Christ Tabernacle at 64-34 Myrtle
Ave. in Glendale, and was working on
becoming an NYPD chaplain before
he was killed by a gunman targeting
police offi cers. He started his career
in law enforcement as a school safety
offi cer.
Photos posted to the 104th Precinct’s
Twitter page showed the children in
attendance enjoying the opportunity to
Children happily receive toys at the Rafael Ramos Foundation Toy Drive on Dec. 21 in Ridgewood.
pick out their favorite toys set out on a
table during the annual GRYC toy drive.
The giveaway at P.S. 239 put on an
entertaining dance and instrumental
The Greater Ridgewood Historical Society
Candlelight Tours
Of the Onderdonk House
Saturday, January 5, 2019
From 6 - 9PM
Join us for a special evening of candlelight
Christian Apuzzp Band
Tours of the Onderdonk House,
See our Holiday decorations, and enjoy
Mulled Cider and Sweet Treats
$5.00 donation.
Music by
Members, Service Families
and Veterans - Free
AT THE ONDERDONK HOUSE
1820 FLUSHING AVENUE,
RIDGEWOOD
718-456-1776
www.onderdonkhouse.org
Supported in part, by public funds from
the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs,
in partnership with the City Council
Antonio Reynoso and Robert Holden and Jimmy Van Bramer, Council
Directions
1820 Flushing Avenue, Ridgewood, Corner of Flushing and Onderdonk Avenues.
Subway: L to Jefferson Street, then walk five blocks north along Flushing Avenue.
Bus: Q54 to Flushing and Metropolitan Avenues. B57 to Flushing and Onderdonk Avenues.
show for the students at the Ridgewood
school as the NYPD Jazz Band,
part of the Musical Outreach Program.
Video posted to the Ceremonial
Photo via Twitter/@NYPD104Pct
Unit’s Twitter showed the performance
was well-received by the students
who enthusiastically danced
along with the offi cers in dress blues.
Holiday work hits three Qns. subway lines
BY MARK HALLUM
MHALLUM@CNGLOCAL.COM
The holidays can be a diffi cult
time of year for many people,
but it’s going to be a little harder
for anyone traveling between
Queens and Manhattan on select
lines as the Metropolitan Transportation
Authority takes advantage of
low ridership times to perform
overhauls.
The agency will spend Dec. 28
through Jan. 7 rebuilding all tracks
and switches on the J train portion
that stretches through Queens
which will overlap with repairs
made to the 53rd Street tunnel
servicing the E and M until Dec. 31
(the repairs began on Dec. 26).
“This track and switch reconstruction
is critical to keeping
the J line in a state of good repair
because service into and out of the
J’s Jamaica terminal is vital to the
entire line’s reliability,” Byford
said. “Once the work is complete,
J customers will benefit from a
smoother, more reliable ride for
many years to come.”
The J will see full implementation
of Communications-based Train
Control, a digital signal system to
replace the analog system still in
use on the majority of subway lines.
But the J will only be operating
between Broad Street and 121st
Street during the rebuild period
and the skip-stop for J/Z service
will be suspended, the MTA said,
but free shuttle buses will be provided
between Jamaica-Van Wyck
and 121 St.
In the 53rd Street tunnel, MTA
crews will be installing rails, plates,
tie blocks and track ties, as well as
performing preventive switch
maintenance. CBTC will also be
rolled out in portions on local and
express tracks on the E, F, M and
R between the Kew Gardens and
Rockefeller Center.
The agency said the span of the
tunnel work itself will take place
between Queens Plaza and 50 St-8
Avenue and they expect the signal
upgrade to allow them move more
commuters more effi ciently.
But if the CBTC rollouts on the 7
train and the L are any indication,
their will be growing pains aft er
the construction is complete.
The 7 train saw a series of meltdowns
in the fi rst week of CBTC service
while the system was calibrated,
according to the MTA.
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