FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.couriersun.com APRIL 30, 2015 • THE COURIER SUN 3 Pair arrested for drug possession in Howard Beach THE COURIER/Photo by Angela Matua Police found large amounts of oxycodone and Xanax in this apartment building on Friday, April 24. BY ANGELA MATUA [email protected] @AngelaMatua Police found large amounts of oxycodone and Xanax and arrested two men while executing a search warrant in a Howard Beach apartment house on April 24. Members of the NYPD Queens Narcotics Bureau and the 106th Precinct launched the raid at 6 a.m. at an apartment on 156th Avenue near 81st Street. Reportedly, police recovered one large Ziploc bag containing 57 oxycodone pills and 88 Xanax pills from an end table in the living room. Offi cers also recovered a pill bottle containing 45 oxycodone pills and 30 Xanax pills in the kitchen and a wallet containing $1,245 in cash. The home’s resident, Matthew Clarke, 23, and an accomplice, Timothy R. Yan, 21, were taken into custody at the scene. According to authorities, Clarke and Yan were sleeping on separate couches in the living room when police entered the home. Clarke and Yan, a Brooklyn resident, were charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance. Clarke was booked on an additional drug possession charge. During their arraignment hearings, Yan was ordered held on $5,000 bail, while Clarke was released without bail. Both men are due back in court on April 29. Improvements underway at Jamaica’s Rufus King Park BY ROBERT POZARYCKI [email protected] @robbpoz Jamaica’s “town square” is about to get a much-needed makeover. The Parks Department along with local elected offi cials ceremonially broke ground on April 27 on a $2.2 million renovation of Rufus King Park located in an area bounded by Jamaica and 89th avenues between 150th and 153rd streets. At the heart of the project is reconstruction of the park’s gazebo, which will include a new roof, handrails, steps and a brick platform. The gazebo’s electrical system will also be enhanced to better accommodate various events. The Parks Department will also resurface and reconfi gure the green space’s asphalt pathways to improve pedestrian circulation. New trees and shrubs will be planted throughout the park, and the agency will also create a new lawn both for leisure and athletic activity. Many of those funding the Rufus King Park project, including Queens Borough President Melinda Katz and City Councilman Rory Lancman, helped Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, Community Board 12 District Manager Yvonne Reddick and others offi cially launch the renovation’s start on April 27. “Thanks to the generous funding allocated by the City Council, the Borough President’s offi ce, Jamaica’s residents will be able to enjoy a renovated and revitalized open space with a new gazebo that will serve as a beautiful gathering place for this diverse Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz and others grabbed their shovels on April 27 to break ground on renovations of Jamaica’s Rufus King Park. neighborhood,” Silver said. “Rufus King Park is like the town square of Jamaica, a central point for anyone of the vibrant and diverse community to enjoy,” Katz added. “The investment of public funds into this neighborhood treasure is very much a part of the Jamaica Now Action plan fully underway, a 21-point strategic plan intended to revitalize Jamaica into a thriving residential neighborhood.” The 11-acre park was once part of the estate of Rufus King, a colonial lawyer, abolitionist and statesman who was among the signers of the Constitution. The Village of Jamaica purchased King Manor and surrounding land in 1896 for $50,000; the site was subsequently acquired by the City of New York two years later as Jamaica became part of the city. King Manor stands today not only as a colonial museum, but also for various cultural events attended by thousands of people annually. The house is an offi cial city landmark and is listed NYC Parks/photo by Malcolm Pinckney on the National Register of Historic Places. Rufus King Park’s last major renovation occurred between 1991 and 1993, when the Parks Department shifted the bandstand, rebuilt the park house, installed new paths and redistributed recreational facilities. Additional work took place in 1996-97 when the city installed a new steel picket fence around King Manor. The latest renovation is scheduled to be completed by the spring of 2016.
SC04302015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above