FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.couriersun.com FEBRUARY 6, 2014 • THE COURIER SUN 21 HALL OF FAME Incidents of graffi ti have risen. The Courier invites you, our readers, to submit photos of vandalism — or addresses where you see graffi ti — for our “Hall of Shame.” Conversely, if a home or business has “cleaned up their act,” submit them for induction into our “Hall of Fame.” Send all high resolution JPG images (300 DPI) to editorial@queenscourier.com with a location and a contact number. Otherwise, contact us at 38-15 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, NY 11361. Help us take our borough back from the vandals! BY HARVIND JAPRA How do you feel about the snow? The snow bothers me because I can’t follow through with my plans. Other than that, the snow itself is pretty. Brenda Montero This is crazy, I have to go to work. I work for a car service, so this is not good. Ramon Marceleno I love the snow, it makes me appreciate the spring that much more. The smell of the fl owers is great. Steve Neggie I’m having trouble with my car, I’m okay though, the snow is alright. Cidrick Trinidad I like the snow. I just don’t like the cold weather. It’s bad when the sun doesn’t shine through. Leo Kumar Sain I don’t like snow. It’s hard to do anything, like drive. Shen Zhao oped street talk I don’t like the snow. It’s so hard to walk, especially with my kids with me. Christina Garcia I don’t like walking home in the snow. Gabriella Carranza Courier Seven-Point Plan BY BOB FRIEDRICH AND EASTERN QUEENS UNITED Last week, a convicted killer escaped from the state-run Creedmoor Psychiatric facility in Bellerose, where he was being held for observation. This is a serious concern to the civic leaders of this community and other nearby community organizations. Creedmoor is located in an area of single f amily homes and is very close to Glen Oaks Village, a co-op community of 10,000 residents. It is situated across the street from a children’s playground in Alley Pond Park, one of Queens’ largest parks. The escape was also brazen for the ease in which it was accomplished. Exchanging clothes with a visiting friend was enough to allow a convicted killer to walk out undetected and into the neighborhood. The stunning failure in security by the State Offi ce of Mental Health has been a sore point with community leaders for many years. The state has consistently failed to provide adequate funding to properly secure this large institution and as a result, numerous incidents have occurred which has put a strain on the already over-burdened local police precinct. The time has come for real and serious action. Community leaders and local elected offi cials are calling for a full investigation and a security plan of action in which all stakeholders in the community must be involved. Eastern Queens is a wonderful part of the city and is fortunate to have an active and vocal group of civic associations that seek to protect the quality of life of the communities they represent. These civic associations represent thousands of folks that live along the tree-lined streets that surround Creedmoor. We are confi dent that elected offi cials, affected agencies and other community organizations will work together to resolve the security issues plaguing the Creedmoor Psychiatric Hospital. Responding to this breach in security at Creedmoor, a coalition of more than a dozen civic presidents have issued a sevenpoint plan of action, which you can read below: 1. A full investigation of this incident. 2. Adoption of a comprehensive security plan for the entire Creedmoor campus that would prevent a recurrence of a similar incident in the future. 3. NYS Offi ce of Mental Health must provide the resources to fund a proper level of security. 4. Disclosure and transparency as to the type of individuals being housed at Creedmoor. 5. A Community Notifi cation Protocol to provide immediate alerts of dangerous situations. 6. A similar review and assessment of security at nearby Zucker-Hillside Hospital. 7. The inclusion of nearby civic associations and other stakeholders in the outreach and development of a security plan. Jerry Wind, president of the Bellerose Hillside Civic Association Bobby Sher, president of the Bell Park-Manor Terrace Co-op Michael O’Keeffe, president of the Creedmoor Civic Association Bob Friedrich, president of the Glen Oaks Village Co-op Michael Castellano, president of the Lost Community Civic Association Bruno DeFranceschi, president of the North Bellerose Civic Association Judith Cohen, president of the North Hills Estates Civic Association Richard Hellenbrecht, president of the Queens Civic Congress Angela Augugliaro, president of the Queens Colony Civic Association Jim Trent, president of the Queens County Farm Museum Mo Ishmael, president of the Queens Village Civic Association Frank Toner, president of the Rocky Hill Civic Association Rhonda Kontner, president of the Royal Ranch Homeowners Association St. Fidelis Parking Lot, 20th Avenue and College Point Boulevard
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