20 THE QUEENS COURIER • MAY 4, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM Relief drive for Queens Village blaze victims Five elected offi cials are coming together to aid the families of the fi ve victims who died in a horrifi c fi re in Queens Village last month. Senator Leroy Comrie, Assembly Members Clyde Vanel, Alicia Hyndman and David Weprin, and Councilman I. Daneek Miller are asking the community for donations of clothing, toiletries and household goods to distribute to the families who were aff ected by the fi re. At this time, they are not asking for food or furniture. Physical donations can be dropped off at each elected leaders’ district offi ces during business hours. A GoFundMe page has been created in partnership with the ATU Local 1056 for those who wish to donate money to the families. To donate to the GoFundMe page, visit https://www.gofundme.com/All-victims-of- QV-House-Fire?mc_cid=b0769132e1&mc_ eid=933e304598. Emily Davenport Teen sexually abused girl, 4, in Rosedale home: cops Detectives have arrested a 15-year-old boy accused of sexually assaulting a 4-year-old girl inside her Queens home on Sunday morning. Th e attack reportedly took place during the early morning hours of April 30 at a home on Francis Lewis Boulevard in Rosedale. Based on a preliminary investigation, police determined that the perpetrator may have used a ladder to reach a window leading to the second fl oor apartment where the victim resides. Once inside, the suspect attacked the young girl. Th e suspect, whose identity was withheld due to his age, was charged early on Tuesday morning, May 2, with attempted rape, burglary and aggravated sexual abuse. Th e investigation is ongoing. Robert Pozarycki Dam change will preserve Ridgewood Reservoir Th e city Parks Department recently took an important step toward preserving one of Ridgewood’s most beautiful places. Th e Ridgewood Reservoir‘s status as a dam was reclassifi ed by the city Parks Department aft er the agency completed a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) application, eff ectively lowering the site’s hazard rating from Class C “High Hazard” to Class A “Low Hazard.” Th is new classifi cation removes the need to create any breaches in the dam, allowing the Ridgewood Reservoir to remain as a natural treasure for all those who visit. Since the reservoir was taken off -line as a water supply source, it has become a uniquely naturalized area in New York City, serving as an important ecological resource as well as a public recreation space. “Th e reclassifi cation of the dam is an important step forward to ensure the preservation of this treasured green space,” said Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski. Anthony Giudice Tennis academy founder Bill Briggs dies at 72 BY ROBERT POZARYCKI rpozarycki@qns.com @robbpoz Bill Briggs, founder of the Youth and Tennis Academy which enriched the lives of thousands of Queens children over four decades, died suddenly on April 30 the age of 71. A longtime Jamaica resident, Briggs founded the academy in 1972 at the request of two young boys who wanted to learn how to play tennis. Before long, he was coaching and mentoring a group of youngsters not only about the game, but also about leading a good life. Briggs, an Air Force veteran who had been a laboratory technologist and a graduate of the Sloan-Kettering/ Cornell Medical Center School of Cytology, had begun playing tennis initially as a pastime. However, he would go on to compete in a number of amateur tournaments in the tri-state area; he would win the Masters Event held in Queens. One of Briggs’ biggest sources of inspiration was Arthur Ashe, the only African-American man to win the Wimbledon, Australian Open and U.S. Open tournaments, as noted on the Youth and Tennis Academy’s website. Aft er retiring from professional tennis, Ashe dedicated himself toward teaching future generations to love and play the game. Briggs became a similar ambassador for tennis in southeast Queens. Over the last 40 years, more than 30,000 youths have come to the academy to learn tennis and receive academic and social support services. “For over 40 years, Mr. Briggs’ passion for tennis was immersed in the Youth and Tennis Academy he created with the late District Leader Henry McCoy,” Councilman I. Daneek Miller recalled. “While the Academy was always located in southeast Queens, its membership has grown exponentially, serving young scholars from across the borough. Anyone who took a lesson understood the Academy’s mission of building character and athletic ability, and that the lessons one learned on the court also applied to one’s future off of it.” For his eff orts, Briggs received a multitude of honors from the Lions International, Rotary Club, York College, Citibank and the NAACP. He is a member of the New England Tennis Association Hall of Fame. Queens Borough President Melinda Katz also honored Briggs during the borough’s celebration of Black History Month in February of this year. Briggs is survived by his wife, Belinda, and sister, Anna Briggs Rodriguez. Briggs’ family will hold a wake for him today, Th ursday, May 4, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Crowe’s Funeral Home, 107- 44 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica. A memorial service will take place the following day, Friday, May 5, at 11 a.m. in the Shekinah Youth Chapel of Allen AME Cathedral, 111-54 Merrick Blvd., Jamaica; Briggs will be laid to rest later at Calverton National Cemetery, Calverton, NY. Rockaway NYC Ferry route launches a month ahead of schedule BY EMILY DAVENPORT edavenport@qns.com / @QNS Two routes for the new NYC Ferry, including one docked in the Rockaways, offi cially launched on May 1, a month ahead of schedule, opening up the city’s waterways to ease commutes throughout the city. “For the fi rst time in generations, our amazing New York Harbor is part of our city’s critical public transportation system – and for the price of a subway ride you can get to work and also explore New York City’s beautiful coastal communities much more directly,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said. The Rockaway Route officially launched at 5:30 a.m. on May 1 aft er de Blasio participated in a ceremonial fi rst ride from the Rockaways to Manhattan on Sunday, April 30. Th e route off ers service between Beach 108th Street, the Brooklyn Army Terminal, and Wall Street’s Pier 11. Th e East River Route also launched on Monday at 6:30, off ering service between East 34th Street in Manhattan; Hunters Point South in Long Island City; Greenpoint, North Williamsburg, South Williamsburg and DUMBO in Brooklyn; Governors Island (in the summers only) and Wall Street’s Pier 11. “Th is ferry is exactly what we’ve needed to give Rockaway residents something approaching a normal commute,” said Assemblywoman Stacey Pheff er Amato, who was on the inaugural trip with State Senator Joseph Addabbo. “To get that commute in speed and style, a month early? We’re over the moon. We’re glad the city is fi nally connecting South Queens to the rest of NYC in a workable way. Th is is a great day and it was so great to take the fi rst ride with my neighbors!” Single fare rides cost $2.75, the same as the cost of a single subway ride. A 30-day unlimited ferry ride pass will be available for $121, just like a 30-day Photo: Facebook/NYC Ferry MetroCard. “Th is day has been a long time coming,” Addabbo said. “At long last, Rockaway has its ferry. Th e introduction of the new Citywide Ferry Service will give residents and commuters improved, credible transit options, taking them to-and-from Rockaway Beach, Brooklyn Army Terminal and Wall Street/Pier 11.” Ferry riders can download the brand new NYC Ferry App to purchase e-tickets, get details about maps and schedules and receive real-time notifi - cations and service alerts.
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