22 THE QUEENS COURIER • FEBRUARY 22, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
New York State Assembly website
Assemblywoman Nily Rozic
Three Queens
assembly members
appointed to work
group on sexual
harassment
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
Queens lawmakers representing areas
including Flushing, Astoria and Far
Rockaway are slated to join a group of
leaders that will seek to fi nd new ways to
eff ectively address sexual harassment.
Speaker Carl Heastie announced that
Assemblywomen Nily Rozic, Aravella
Simotas and Michele Titus are among the
15 representatives chosen to join a newly
formed “sexual harassment work group.”
Members will examine various sexual
harassment issues and policy responses
during the 2018 legislative session.
Th e announcement comes amid an
ongoing national conversation about sexual
harassment, spurred on by a series of
allegations brought against mostly male
public fi gures.
In recent months, Rozic has introduced
legislation that would protect models
working in the fashion industry from
sexual and other harassment with certain
policy changes. She also introduced
legislation that would establish sexual
harassment prevention training within
the private sector. A state Senate version
of the bill is co-sponsored by Queens
state Senators Toby Ann Stavisky and Jose
Peralta.
“Th e proposals that have come forward
over the past few months refl ect a commitment
from the state Legislature to combating
sexual harassment in a manner that
protects survivors while holding abusers
accountable,” Rozic said. “I thank Speaker
Heastie for convening this work group
and providing a new opportunity for us
to determine next steps that the Assembly
can take moving forward.”
In January, Rozic was also appointed
by Heastie to serve as chair of the
state Assembly’s Task Force on Women’s
Issues.
“Sexual harassment must be confronted
head-on,” Heastie said. “I look forward to
the recommendations of this work group
so that we can develop a statewide legislative
solution to this very serious problem.”
Astoria reps demand that Amtrak
repair sidewalk under train line
BY ANGELA MATUA
amatua@qns.com / @angelamatua
Astoria elected offi cials are calling on
Amtrak to repair and clean up a public
sidewalk underneath a rail line on 23rd
Avenue, arguing that the federal agency
has a “poor track record of being a good
neighbor.”
Congressman Joseph Crowley and
Councilman Costa Constantinides sent
a letter to Caroline Decker, the agency’s
vice president of government aff airs,
slamming Amtrak for failing to maintain
the sidewalk, which is cracked and usually
covered in garbage.
“We are writing to express our profound
disappointment with Amtrak’s
consistent dereliction of duty to maintain
its properties and mitigate the
impacts of their negligence on the surrounding
communities,” they wrote in
the letter. “Th e cracked, uneven, and
completely fractured pavement renders
the public right of way absolutely inaccessible
and unsafe for pedestrians.”
Th e offi cials acknowledged the importance
of the rail line, a part of the Amtrak
Northeast Regional train route, to the
state’s economy but argued that “that does
not provide carte blanche to disregard
how the infrastructure aff ects the communities
it has a physical presence in.”
Th e sidewalk is located on 23rd
Avenue between 35th and 36th streets
and has been reported to the Northeast
Supported Services Field Staff . But
Amtrak staff has said that the agency
is not responsible for maintaining
Astoria elected offi cials are calling on Amtrak to repair a sidewalk underneath their rail line.
the space, arguing that the responsibility
falls on the city to repair the sidewalk.
In the letters, offi cials pointed out that
the landlord is responsible for maintaining
the “public right of way” and that Amtrak
is “undeniably the property owner.”
Crowley and Constantinides said it
was “shameful” that the federal agency
had little regard for the community and
said the 23rd Avenue location is one of
many that Amtrak has neglected.
“Th e residents of Astoria deserve to
be able to walk on the sidewalk without
fear of tripping into a gaping hole,”
they wrote in the letter. “In fact, Queens
is replete with glaring examples of
Amtrak’s abdication of their responsibility
to maintain their properties. One
does not have to go far to fi nd weedchoked
Amtrak owned lots being used
as dumping grounds.”
Th e agency drew the ire of Astoria
politicians two years ago for an unrelated
issue.
Photo courtesy of Congressman Joseph Crowley
In 2016, Astoria homeowners whose
backyards were located underneath the
Hell Gate Bridge, which is Amtrak property,
were told that a small fee they paid to
rent the property would rise exponentially.
One couple, who paid $25 a year to keep
their backyard space, were told they had to
pay $25,560, according to DNAinfo.
Aft er lobbying from local elected offi -
cials, the agency decided against raising
the fees.
Both politicians said they would be
happy to discuss the issue more thoroughly
and encouraged Amtrak to reach
out.
“We welcome the opportunity to have
a renewed partnership with Amtrak
whereby consideration for the well-being
of the community is a guiding principle
of the decision-making process,”
they wrote.
As of press time, Th e Courier did not
receive a response from Amtrak to its
request for comment.
109th Precinct eyes burglaries and phone scams
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
At a recent community meeting,
Flushing-based offi cers shared information
about a variety of local crime trends
and prevention tips.
Inspector Judith Harrison warned
attendees at the 109th Precinct
Community Council meeting on Feb. 14
about a rise in burglaries observed within
the command in recent weeks, particularly
concentrated in the Whitestone
area. According to crime statistics, burglaries
have increased by 40 percent in
the last 28 days, year-over-year.
Th e commanding offi cer encouraged
residents to always secure their doors,
windows and locks. Alarm systems
should also always be activated.
“If you have alarm systems and you
have an alarm system that can angle out
into the street, that would be helpful for
us to determine their method of arrival,”
Harrison said. “For example: did they
pull up in a vehicle or did they walk up
to the premises?”
Harrison also warned residents not
to leave their cars running unattended.
Th is pattern has contributed to a rise in
reported car theft s in the area.
“People are leaving their keys in their
vehicles,” Harrison said. “Th e weather is
going to warm up, but until it does, people
who want to warm up their vehicle
… I’m telling you right now, it’s a crime
of opportunity and there are people out
there who are opportunists and are taking
advantage of what you’re doing.”
She also warned workers not to leave their
vehicles running unattended while making
a delivery — another observed trend.
“All it takes is a quick minute, a quick
second,” she noted.
Police Offi cer Mark Burger also took
to the podium to speak about a spate of
scam phone calls within the command.
In recent weeks, residents mainly in
the Flushing area have reported receiving
phone calls from individuals claiming
to be from the Chinese Embassy. Th e
caller tells the resident that their name
has been linked to certain crimes and
instructs him or her to wire a sum of
money to a bank in Hong Kong in order
to terminate the investigation. In some
cases, “Chinese Embassy” is even programmed
to show up on the recipient’s
caller ID, the offi cer noted.
Burger urged locals who receive the
call to hang up the phone immediately.
Residents unsure of the validity of the
call should contact the precinct’s Crime
Prevention Unit at 718-321-2343 or the
Offi ce of the Chinese General Consulate
at 212-244-9392.
Attendees with family, friends or
neighbors who speak any Chineselanguage
varieties were encouraged to
spread the word.
“Unfortunately, some people get nervous,”
Harrison added. “Slow the pace of
the conversation. Always stop and verify
before you comply.”
Photo by Suzanne Monteverdi/QNS
Inspector Judith Harrison addresses the crowd
on Feb. 14