FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MARCH 7, 2019 • THE QUEENS COURIER 19
Queens woman wins $5,000 a week forever jackpot
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
A Jamaica woman was the big winner of
the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes
Th ursday, but it took a while for the Prize
Patrol to track her down and deliver the news.
Crystal Crawford, 47, will be receiving
$5,000 a week “forever” but when the
Publishers Clearing House team knocked
on her door, her son Jaquawn was the only
one home.
He said he knew his mom had entered the
sweepstakes for years but didn’t think it was
actually real. Jaquawn led the team a few
blocks away to where his mother was working,
at E. Sholom Inc. – Early Intervention
Child Care, and her reaction was priceless.
Crawford was on the phone and began
shrieking when she realized what was happening.
“Oh my god, are you serious?” Crawford
asked with tears streaming down her cheeks.
Th e Prize Patrol explained she had
won for “two forevers” and aft er her son
Jaquawn snuck through the crowd for a
warm embrace, the team from Publishers
Clearing House gave her a check for $50,000
that she could “take straight to the bank” as
a starter.
Th rough her tears, Crawford explained
the prize money had come at the perfect
time, She had sacrifi ced much to help support
The Prize Patrol surprises Crystal Crawford with a check in the $5,000 a week forever sweepstakes.
her mother and two sons. Crawford
said she was thrilled to have the money for
new teeth, sending her son to college and
going on a much-needed vacation to celebrate
her birthday.
Courtesy of Publishers Clearing House
And even though she won such a huge
prize, Crawford vowed to enter the next
sweepstakes because she enjoys it.
“Keep answering and keep the faith,”
Crawford said through more joyful tears.
Religious Garb
Bill fi nally clears
State Assembly
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com
@jenna_bagcal
Northeast Queens lawmakers
and freedom advocates
announced the passage of legislation
that is aimed at protecting
the religious freedoms of
New Yorkers.
Assemblyman David Weprin
and state Senator John Liu
appeared at the New York State
Capitol in Albany to celebrate
“Th e Religious Garb Bill,” which
will prevent workplace discrimination
against religious attire
and appearances including
facial hair. Th e bill successfully
passed the Assembly with a vote
of 106 to 1.
“With hate crimes on the rise,
we must make it clear that New
York will not tolerate any form
of discrimination against people
of faith,” Weprin said. “Th is
legislation would ensure that no
one is ever forced to choose
between adhering to their religious
beliefs and earning a living.”
Weprin fi rst introduced the
bill in 2011 and it has passed in
the assembly every year since
2013. Th is year, Liu confi rmed
that he will be carrying the bill
in the Senate, which is expected
to pass this year due to a change
in Senate leadership.
“In this day and age, no New
Yorker should have to choose
between gainful employment
and faithful adherence to their
religious beliefs,” Liu said. “Th is
bill will at long last rid our state
of this type of religious discrimination
in the workplace.”
Th e assemblyman was inspired
by the story of Sikh MTA subway
operator Kevin Harrington,
who was ordered to remove
his turban or deface it with an
MTA logo. At the Feb. 27 legislative
assembly session, Weprin
explained that Harrington was
an Irish Catholic who converted
to Sikhism and was an MTA
E train operator.
“He was a hero during 9/11,
he actually drove the E train
back and forth while the buildings
were burning in the World
Trade Center and actually rescued
hundreds of individuals
and brought them to their safety
while he was risking his life,”
Weprin said.
But following the Sept. 11,
2011, terrorist attacks, Weprin
said that the MTA got “hundreds
and hundreds” of public
phone calls complaining about
a “terrorist driving the E train.”
City looks to fully restore Rock. Beach by summer’s start
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Rockaway Beach business owners were
horrifi ed to learn just days ahead of the
summer swim season last year that an
11-block stretch would be closed due to
beach erosion that had created unsafe conditions
for beachgoers.
Now Mayor Bill de Blasio, Senator
Charles Schumer, Congressman Gregory
Meeks and Queens Borough President
Melinda Katz announced on March 4 a
plan to replenish and restore the popular
stretch from Beach 91st to Beach 102nd
streets.
Th ey have reached an agreement with the
Army Corps of Engineers to use the sand
from the East Rockaway Dredging project
and use it to replenish the beach and allow
it to reopen this coming summer.
“Rockaway Beach defi nes summer in
New York City,” de Blasio said. “Reopening
this beach means a lot to this community
and families all over the city. We’ve worked
months with the Army Corps and our federal
partners on a solution to get it done.”
Th e closure last summer hurt restaurants
and bars in the neighborhood such as
Connolly’s, Community House, Th ai Rock,
Uma’s and Bungalow Bar.
“Rockaway Beach is not only an iconic
part of the city of New York where families
can enjoy the beach weather, it is
where many local businesses earn their
entire year’s revenue throughout the summer
months,” Meeks said. “Th e closure of
this stretch of beach last year was economically
damaging to the local community and
I am determined to see the beach reopen in
time for this season.”
Whether the beach opens up in time for
the summer season depends on when the
dredging work commences and the severity
of spring storms along the coastline. Katz is
hoping the beach will be ready for the summer
swim season which traditionally begins
on Memorial Day weekend.
“Rockaway Beach is a major attraction in
the city of New York. It drives the economy
of the peninsula and its resiliency is crucial
to the residents, businesses and visitors,”
Katz said. “It is important that it be fully
File photo/THE COURIER
restored in time for this summer.”
Th e announcement was made Monday
aft er Schumer made a successful push for
$7 million in federal funding for the dredging
project. But the installation of jetties
and other measures that would keep the
sand in place was not included in this plan.
“While this is great news for the upcoming
beach season, I will continue urging the
Army Corps to hurry up with their broader
erosion and storm protection measures like
groins, jetties and dunes, which will protect
beachgoers, businesses, schools and homeowners
alike in Rockaway and Jamaica Bay
for generations,” Schumer said.
A Rockaway Beach scene
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
link
link
link
link
link
