FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com March 17, 2016 • THE COURIER SUN 3 THE COURIER/Photo by Anthony Giudice P.S./I.S. 128 in Middle Village will be getting an expansion to help alleviate overcrowding at the school. Overcrowded P.S./I.S. 128 will get a needed addition BY ANTHONY GIUDICE agiudice@qns.com/@A_GiudiceReport Opened less than a decade ago, the four-story P.S./I.S. 128 in Middle Village will soon be expanded to accommodate its bursting student population. The decision to build the expansion came after Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley wrote a letter to the School Construction Authority (SCA) President and CEO Lorraine Grillo, opposing the organization’s original plan to do ground-testing at the site for the construction of a self-standing Universal Pre-K (UPK) center in the school’s playground in September 2015. Since it opened in 2009 to replace an adjacent one-story schoolhouse, Crowley said, P.S./I.S. 128 “could not contain its student population, forcing kids to use the annex across the street” that had been previously opened to accommodate students at the school. The former one-story schoolhouse accommodated children from kindergarten through fifth grade; its newer and larger replacement serves students up to the eighth grade. The playground was built in the footprint of the former schoolhouse. “I have continually called attention to the need for new schools and more education space in my district, and P.S./I.S. 128 was not provided the proper amount of seats from its inception,” Crowley said. “I am so pleased the SCA recognized this and will move forward with an addition, rightfully bringing all of the school’s students back into one building and alleviating burdensome overcrowding.” Grillo listened to Crowley’s concerns, and went forward with a feasibility study on an addition to the school building itself, designated for the local school community, instead of using it for a UPK site. “We are committed to working together with all stakeholders to reduce overcrowding” Grillo said. “This new addition will allow us to continue our work to address overcrowding in School District 24. We are proud of our strong partnership with local leaders that has enabled us to provide more school seats for our students.” Currently, P.S./I.S. 128 is at 123 percent capacity and houses first- and second-graders in the annex building across the street, which lacks a gym or a computer lab. Some of the classrooms also do not have windows, according to Crowley’s office. “I am looking forward to working with the school community on the details of this project so it can benefit everyone,” Crowley added. “When our children are in the best environment to learn, they are given the best opportunity to succeed.” Men involved in fatal beating of bouncer in Ozone Park bar will not face manslaughter charges By Ange la Matua amatua@qns.com/@AngelaMatua Two men who assaulted a bouncer at Johnny’s Restaurant and Bar in Ozone Park on the morning of March 12 will not face manslaughter charges after his death. The incident took place inside the West Indian restaurant and bar located at 107-09 Rockaway Blvd. Deonarine Deoraj, 31, of Richmond Hill, and Harrydatt Nandalall, 48, of Ozone Park were originally charged with manslaughter for killing 43-year-old Elsworth “Dale” Reid. Reid was trying to break up a fight inside the bar when several patrons started beating him. Though the two men were initially charged with manslaughter, prosecutors on March 14 filed misdemeanor riot and attempted assault charges. According to the criminal complaint, Nandalall and Reid began to fight at about 1:15 a.m. when a witness intervened and struck Nandalall twice. The unidentified witness then attempted to run into the bathroom when multiple customers hit the witness, who suffered from a bloody nose. Reid tried to break up the fight when Nandalall and Deoraj each struck Reid once on his head, causing him to fall on the ground. Once he fell, an unidentified male and female continued to hit Reid even after he was seen gasping for air, police said. The criminal complaint noted that a witness saw the man and woman hitting Reid approximately 10 times in the lower half of his body. “As he fell to the ground, he was assaulted by multiple people who were at Johnny’s Restaurant and Bar,” a spokesperson for the NYPD said. The guard subsequently went into cardiac arrest, according to police. Nandalall and Deoraj were arraigned in Queens Criminal Court yesterday. Bail was set at $10,000 bond or $5,000 cash each. Both defendants are scheduled to appear in court on March 18.
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