FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.couriersun.com may 1, 2014 • The Courier SUN 3 Photo courtesy of Dmytro Fedkowskyj Fedkowskyj announces candidacy for NYS Assembly BY KATRINA MEDOFF Dmytro Fedkowskyj, longtime resident and civic leader of the 30th Assembly District, officially announced his Democratic candidacy for the New York State Assembly on Saturday, April 26, in front of Maspeth High School. “I’ve spent the last 10 years safeguarding the educational interest of our parents, students and school communities, but now I want to safeguard and protect the interest of all our residents, which is why I’m running for the State Assembly,” Fedkowskyj said. “This campaign will be about the people, not the politics.” District 30 is comprised of Maspeth, Woodside and parts of Long Island City, Middle Village, Astoria and Sunnyside. Fedkowskyj is a Middle Village resident and has served as a member of the Community Education Council of District 24; as chair of the School Construction and Zoning Committee; and as a trustee for the city’s Board of Education Retirement System. Fedkowskyj will face current Assemblywoman Marge Markey, who has held the seat since 1998. Fedkowskyj, a former member of the city’s Panel for Education Policy (PEP), which serves to improve the welfare of schools and students in the city, is an advocate for more funding for education. In his prepared remarks, he spoke about the need for more seats to relieve overcrowding in schools as well as the need for extended yellow bus service. He supports the pending NYC Council’s Audible Alarms Bill that requires a door alarm to be installed on the outer doors of the city’s schools. For crime prevention in general, he plans to advocate for increased state funding to hire more police and emergency personnel. On the subject of taxes, he said that “it’s unconscionable to increase taxes on the working middle class, so I will only support a plan that keeps income and property taxes at their lowest possible levels. We need our middle class families to keep as much of their earned income as possible.” Additionally, he said that he will support the Senior Citizens’ Exemption, which helps senior homeowners by reducing their property taxes so that they can continue to live in their homes. He said he aims to advocate for equal pay and for closing the wage gap for working women. Fedkowskyj said he also hopes to improve quality of life in the district by creating more green spaces, minimizing petty vandalism and upgrading technology in libraries and community centers. Photo/MTA Bridges and Tunnels archives The Bronx-Whitestone Bridge first opened to traffic on April 29, 1939. BRONX-WHITESTONE BRIDGE MARKS 75TH ANNIVERSARY The Bronx-Whitestone Bridge is celebrating a history that spans more than seven decades and two billion vehicles. The crossing, which connects Queens to the Bronx, marked 75 years on April 29. Since opening in 1939, about 2.2 billion vehicles have traveled over the bridge, the MTA said. Nearly 109,000 vehicles used it on an average weekday last year. “This is a milestone anniversary for the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, which is not only used by commuters and weekend travelers but also serves as an economic engine, providing a crucial link in the transportation of goods in the tri-state area,” MTA Bridges and Tunnels President Jim Ferrara said. The bridge was constructed as a way for drivers from upstate New York to travel to Queens and Long Island without needing to go through Manhattan or central Queens and “became a key factor in the growth of Long Island after World War II,” according to the transit agency. Robert Moses suggested building it as part of his planned Belt Parkway system, and wanted the bridge to open in time for the 1939-1940 World’s Fair at Flushing Meadows- Corona Park, the MTA said. The project was completed in 23 months and opened the day before the start of the fair, according to the transit agency. At the time of its construction, its 2,300-foot main suspension span was the fourth longest in the world. To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, MTA Bridges and Tunnels will host three exhibits featuring historical images from the agency’s special archive. The first exhibit will open June 22 at the Queens Historical Society. Another will open in July at a Queens venue to be determined at a later date, and a third exhibit will be held this fall at the Bronx Historical Society. BAYSIDE POLICE CADET WHO DIED IN 9/11 HONORED WITH STREET CO-NAMING BY LIAM LA GUERE [email protected]/@liamlaguerre When the 23-year-old Pakistani-American Salman Hamdani, who was an NYPD cadet and EMT, heard about the 9/11 attacks, instead of going to work he headed straight for the World Trade Center to help victims. He lost his life trying to help people and for his sacrifice, Community Board 11 and Councilman Paul Vallone honored him with by co-naming 204th Street in Bayside, where he grew up, as “Salman Hamdani Way” on Monday, April 28. But his mother, Talat, believes it’s just the first step to getting the recognition he deserves. Hamdani, who was born in Pakistan and immigrated to America as toddler, was initially thought to be involved in the attacks, and still isn’t honored as a first responder on the 9/11 memorial. “The city of New York needs to recognize him officially as a cadet when 9/11 happened when he gave the ultimate sacrifice,” Talat said. “And the national 9/11 memorial cannot deny him his due place in history.” Instead of being listed as a first responder, Hamdani’s name is on the memorial as a civilian who was killed in the attacks. His family believes this bias stems from his Muslim faith, but they said he was an American in every way. As a child, Hamdani watched cartoons on Disney Channel, loved the Yankees, played football for Bayside High School, and was a truly dedicated fan of Star Wars — so much so that “his licenses plate read, ‘young Jedi,’” Talat said. “I asked him one day, what is Star Wars?” she recalled, and THE COURIER/Photo by Liam La Guerre Salman Hamdani was honored with a street co-naming, but his family would also like to see his name remembered officially as a first responder. he replied, “Momma, you don’t know what Star Wars is, you’re not an American!” Talat added, “So in order to be an American you had to know the Star Wars saga.” His family is calling for Mayor Bill de Blasio to put Hamdani’s name among the first responders list to honor his memory. “The fact is that he was a cadet,” Talat said. “He should be properly acknowledged.”
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