20 The Courier sun • MAY 1, 2014 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com Autism bills introduced to City Council BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] @aaltamirano28 A package of bills has been introduced to the City Council with the hope of preventing another tragedy similar to the disappearance of autistic teen Avonte Oquendo. The 14-year-old was last seen at the Riverview School in Long Island City across the street from the East River in October, when he ran out past school security. Almost four months later his remains were found washed up in College Point. The City Council’s Mental Health and Public Safety Committee held a joint hearing Friday, April 25, during which the four proposals, all aimed to avoid dangers to individuals with autism and other developmental disorders, were presented. “We’ve had several tragedies in the last couple of years in New York City, so it’s always heartwretching when we do legislation that reacts to tragedy, but on one hand it helps us to make sure these tragedies never happen again,” said Councilman Ruben Wills, who spearheaded the group of bills in the City Council together with Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson. One of the bills calls upon the state’s Office for People with Developmental Disabilities to include the use of GPS tracking devices as a covered service. The package also includes legislation that would create a voluntary registry for people with special needs. The database, including names, addresses, phone numbers, medical conditions and more, would allow parents or guardians to register their children with the NYPD at local police precincts. The other two bills call for the city’s silver alert program to include missing people with developmental disorders and for the U.S. Department of Justice to fund any projects that would help protect and locate missing people with autism. “We know that Avonte’s death was an unspeakable tragedy and certainly we are here as a collective to prevent anything like that from occurring across our city,” Gibson said. For Lauren Thierry, Avonte’s disappearance hit close to home because her 16-yearold autistic son, Liam, attends the New York Child Learning Institute in College Point. For the past two years, Thierry has been creating a clothing line, called Independence Day Wearable Tech, which makes clothes that include internal pockets to fit GPS devices. Customers get a free GPS device when they purchase an item on www.inddayclothing. com. THE COURIER/Photo by Angy Altamirano Avonte Oquendo’s mom, Vanessa Fontaine, and grandmother attended a joint public hearing at the City Council where four bills were introduced to prevent another tragedy like Avonte’s disappearance from happening again. $5.00 3 FOR ALL TASTYKAKE BOX CAKES BREAD .99C ALL THE TIME! BBAAKKEERRYY OOUUTTLLETET COME IN & CELEBRATE THE GRAND OPENING OF OUR NEW LOCATION 718-529-2438 DAILY GIVE AWAYS DAILY GIVE AWAYS 89-18 ATLANTIC AVENUE, OZONE PARK, NY OPEN MONDAY, TUESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY 10 AM TO 5 PM & SATURDAY 10 AM TO 4 PM • CLOSED ON WEDNESDAYS WE GLADLY ACCEPT CASH, CREDIT, DEBIT, & E.B.T. SUPER VALUE COUPON OFFER GOOD FROM APRIL 24 THRU APRIL 30 2014 ONLY AT WONDER NATURES OWN / TASTYKAKE BAKERY OUTLETS. $400 OFF YOUR PURCHASE OF $11.00 OR MORE NOT TO BE COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER OFFER, NO CASH VALUE. The first steps to your new home. Fast Prequalifications • No Application Fee 5% Down Payment Options 30-year Fixed rate Mortgage1 4.50% 4.57% APR Purchase or Refinance • Jumbo Loans • Vacation/Second Homes Ask about our other competitive Fixed and Adjustable Rate Loans Call (866) 789-7878 and get prequalified, or visit one of our local branches! 1Rate information as of 04/21/14. The payment on a $200,000 30-year Conforming Fixed Rate Loan at 4.50% and 95% loan-to-value (LTV) is $1,013.37 with no points due at closing. The estimated Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is 4.57%. Payment does not include private mortgage insurance, taxes, insurance premiums or additional loan-specific finance charges you may be required to pay. The actual payment amount will be greater. Some state and county maximum loan amount restrictions may apply. Actual payments will vary based on your individual situation and current rates. Based on the purchase/refinance of a primary residence with no cash out at closing. Assumes closing costs are paid out of pocket; this is your primary residence and is a single family home; debt-to-income ratio is less than 30%; and credit score is 700, and an escrow account is used for the payment of taxes and insurance. The lock period for your rate is 60 days. All loans are subject to credit approval. Product availability and offers are subject to change. Not all products are available in all states. Mortgages are originated through New York Community Bank (NMLS # 249276), an affiliate of New York Commercial Bank. The bank is not responsible for typographical errors.
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