FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM FEBRUARY 15, 2018 • THE QUEENS COURIER 31
oped
The next time you’re stuck in
traffi c on Queens Boulevard,
don’t feel so bad. Motorists
have been dealing with this
for decades, as this 1940
photo from the Queens
Library Digital Archives
demonstrates. This picture
shows a traffi c jam on the
boulevard eastbound near
the New York Connecting
Railroad bridge in Woodside.
Send us your historic photos
of Queens by email to editorial@
qns.com (subject:
A Look Back) or mail printed
pictures to A Look Back,
Schneps Communications,
38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY
11361. All mailed pictures
will be carefully returned to
you.
letters & comments
APPLAUSE FOR A YOUNG
LETTERWRITER
Bravo to young letter writer William
Cariello (“Teen to mayor: Stop overdevelopment,”
Feb. 8 Courier). I hope
you will be successful in your quest.
As someone who has lived a large
part of my life in Flushing, I too regret
the excessive, mostly ugly and much
too large buildings the now stand
and are still being built in downtown
Flushing, and obviously are spreading
into the lovely neighborhoods such
as yours.
Trude Hassberg, Flushing
TRUMP MILITARY
PARADE SHOULD
MARCH ON
As a veteran of the U.S. Navy of
the Vietnam era, I feel it is time to
honor our military for their service to
America.
Our brave men and women have put
their lives on the line preserving freedom
around the world. I feel a parade
honoring the Navy, Army, Marines,
Air Force, Coast Guard, National
Guard and Army Reserves is needed.
Now as reported we have not done this
since the fi rst Gulf War in 1991.
I feel this is long overdue. So let’s get
it done, so we can truly show appreciation
for their sacrifi ce to America
and let us all wave the American fl ag
on that day.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.,
Glen Oaks Village
Editor’s note: Every year, there are
many, many parades in communities
across Queens and the United States
which celebrate the brave men and
women of our Armed Forces.
In covering Memorial Day and
Veterans Day celebrations, our staff has
observed, as active participants, veterans
groups and even active service
members — all of whom take enormous
pride in the many fl ag-waving spectators
who line the streets and thank them
for their service.
While we understand that the letter
is referring to President Trump’s
reported request for a massive military
parade in Washington, it must be
noted that our borough has honored
our troops many times over the years,
and always will.
Yet, we know that parades are not
enough. More must be done to improve
veterans’ lives here on the homefront.
Our thanks must not only be visual gestures
of gratitude; it’s our duty to ensure
that our veterans fi nd good-paying jobs,
proper medical care and a place they
can call home.
We believe that a far better way to
thank the troops would be to use the
funding required for Trump’s military
parade to instead improve the medical
treatment of soldiers and veterans,
advance veteran employment programs
and fi nd permanent housing for homeless
veterans.
Robert Pozarycki, Editor-in-Chief
MOURNING BOY LOST
IN POND TRAGEDY
Th e tragic death of an 11-year-old
boy and the injury to his friend, both
of whom had walked onto a frozen
pond in Forest Park, is yet another
reason why nobody should walk on
iced-over ponds and lakes. All lakes
and ponds in our region are unsafe to
venture out into, and parents should
make sure that their children keep off
of them.
Our thoughts and prayers are with
the families of both of these children,
especially for the one boy who did
not survive because he was trapped
beneath the ice for several minutes
before he and his friend were rescued.
Our most sincerest thanks to our fi rst
responders who worked as quickly as
they could to save both boys.
John Amato, Fresh Meadows
WHO REALLY BENEFITS
FROM RAIL STUDIES?
Th e original estimated cost for the
proposed Light Rail project between
Jamaica and Long Island City on the
old Lower Montauk LIRR branch was
$100 million. Th e just released feasibility
study for this project forecast a
potential cost of up to $2.2 billion, or a
2,100 percent price increase!
Th e original estimated cost for restoration
of Long Island Rail Road service
on the old Rockaway LIRR branch
began at $600 million and has grown
to $1 billion over the past two years.
Release of the fi nal planning study
report for this project was scheduled
for June 2017, but postponed to
December 2017. Th e report has still
not been released by the MTA to the
public. Don’t be surprised if the estimated
cost for this project has doubled
or tripled to $2 or $3 billion.
No one from either the MTA or NYC
Department of Transportation, along
with any elected offi cial, can tell you
the source for funding future phases
to support environmental review, fi nal
design and engineering or construction
of either project. I predict both
projects will fail to progress beyond
simple planning feasibility studies due
to lack of fi nancing.
Th e only winners will be consultants
who were well paid by taxpayers in
preparation of both reports.
Larry Penner, Great Neck
Email your letters to editorial@qns.
com (Subject: Letter to the Editor) or
leave a comment to any of our stories
at QNS.com. You can also send
a letter by regular mail to Letters to
the Editor, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside,
NY 11361. All letters are subject to
editing. Names will be withheld upon
request, but anonymous letters will
not be considered for publication. Th e
views expressed in all letters and comments
are not necessarily those of this
publication or its staff .
Leading the way
in innovation and
clean energy
BY STATE SENATOR JOE ADDABBO
New York state is on the verge of becoming
a national leader when it comes to producing
clean, renewable energy thanks in part
to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Reforming the
Energy Vision plan, which aims to have 50 percent
of New York’s energy come from renewable
energy sources by 2030.
As part of achieving this worthy goal, we will
be implementing the New York State Off shore
Wind Master Plan, which when complete in
2030 will develop 2,400 megawatts of off shore
wind energy — enough to power up to 1.2 million
homes.
One major aspect of the state’s Master Plan
includes creating an off shore windfarm in the
waters of Rockaway, which is within my district.
I am thrilled that part of my district will
be involved in moving New York state to the
forefront of the nation in renewable energy and
combating climate change by mitigating the
negative eff ects of burning fossil fuels and coal,
even as the federal government moves away
from such measures.
According to the New York State Energy
Research and Development Authority
(NYSERDA), the development of these off -
shore windfarms will help mitigate the negative
impacts of using traditional energy sources
such as fossil fuels and coal, which give off
harmful greenhouse gases and harm the air and
water quality for residents here in Queens, and
across the state.
NYSERDA estimates that the creation of
2,400 megawatts of off shore wind energy will
reduce greenhouse gas emissions each year in
New York state by more than 5 million short
tons, which is the equivalent of removing nearly
1 million cars from the road by 2030. In addition
to reducing the emission of greenhouse
gases, estimates show that these windfarms
would improve air quality in the state’s large
population centers — like the New York City
metropolitan area.
Aside from the tremendous environmental
benefi ts these windfarms will have, they will
also create thousands of jobs. Workers will be
needed to design, construct, operate and maintain
the turbines.
Th e turbines that will be erected nearly a mile
out into the waters off Rockaway Beach will
barely be visible from the shoreline and will not
disrupt the views of beachgoers. Residents in
the community will not hear any noise associated
with the turbines as they turn the wind into
clean energy. NYSERDA is also working with
fi shing experts to avoid any negative impact
on the area’s fi shing culture and jobs, as well as
conversing with marine biologists to learn how
the turbines will aff ect sea life and how to minimize
any damage to the creatures or the sea.
As a member of the Senate Environmental
Conservation Committee, I look forward to
hearing from my constituents on how they feel
about this plan during future public outreach
meetings set up by NYSERDA and I am eager
to work on this innovative clean energy project.
Addabbo represents the 15th Senatorial
District, which includes much of southwest
Queens and the western Rockaways.
Photo courtesy of the Queens Library Digital Archives
A LOOK BACK