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FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MAY 4, 2017 • THE QUEENS COURIER 3 Eastern Queens schools win budget money Bayside, Bellerose and Queens Village schools will get nearly $1.5 million in city funds for upgrades in this year’s participatory budgeting vote, Councilman Barry Grodenchik announced on May 1. According to Grodenchik, more than 2,000 residents in Council District 23 voted for their top picks on this year’s ballot. Th ey include $500,000 for the construction of a fully-functioning courtroom at Benjamin Cardozo High School in Bayside and $488,000 for smartboards at seven diff erent public elementary and high schools. “Participatory budgeting is great way to engage and include the community in our budget process,” Grodenchik said. “I am grateful for the hard work that volunteers put into making this year’s participatory budgeting a success.” Suzanne Monteverdi Assaulting a cabbie should be felony: pol Following a recent string of violent attacks, a Flushing-based legislator is calling for stiff er punishments to protect for-hire drivers from harm. Joined by drivers and community advocates, Assemblyman Ron Kim presented his recently proposed bill at Flushing Town Hall on April 24. Called the “Taxi Driver Protection Act,” the bill would raise the penalty for assaulting a taxi or for-hire driver from a misdemeanor to a felony. Under current Penal Law, it is a felony to cause injury to workers including train and bus operators, station agents and emergency medical service paramedics. Th e bill would add forhire driving to the list of occupations. Th e bill would also require a sign in every forhire vehicle informing passengers of the legal consequences of assault. Th is law already exists in New York City, Kim said, but the bill would extend the measure to the rest of the state. Suzanne Monteverdi Board 7 approves College Point gym permit Aft er some discussion, a large College Point gym was given community board approval to continue its operations. Push Fitness Club, located at 132-15 14th Ave. within the Whitepoint Shopping Center, asked Community Board 7 for a special permit to operate as a physical culture establishment; it previously operated as dance studio and gym, making it subject to diff erent regulations. Aft er board members expressed concerns about accessibility for the disabled, board member Bill Salim made a motion to approve the permit with stipulations ensuring that the disabled population would indeed be accommodated at the business. Th e board approved the plans provided the owner agreed to provide reasonable accommodations in compliance with ADA regulations. Th ey also asked that canopies, doorbuzzers and cameras be installed outside of all entrances to alert employees that a disabled person wished to enter the business and could provide appropriate assistance. Suzanne Monteverdi Free transportation program for northeast Queens seniors launches BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI smonteverdi@qns.com @smont76 Traveling for northeast Queens seniors just got much easier. Councilman Paul Vallone announced the offi cial launch of a new pilot senior transportation program at Selfh elp Clearview Senior Center in Bayside on April 27. Funded by Vallone, the program allows seniors living in the councilman’s district, District 19, which covers sections of Flushing, Whitestone, College Point, Douglaston and Bayside, to schedule rides for medical appointments, family visits and shopping trips through the senior center for free. With transportation provided by Four Two’s, interested seniors should call the Clearview Senior Center between 9 a.m. and noon to schedule their ride to a medical appointment for the next day. Th e senior should provide their name, address, phone number, time of pick up and their destination. Th e senior will then call for his or her return trip. A van service will also be provided for shopping and cultural trips to local institutions, such as Flushing Town Hall. Citywide, but especially in northeast Queens, seniors face a lack of aff ordable and reliable transportation options. Access-a-Ride is oft en unreliable, Vallone said, and many seniors cannot aff ord more reliable modes of transportation. With this pilot program, the councilman continued, northeast Queens seniors have a viable transportation option. “Th is really is a big day, and it’s unprecedented, because its not being provided anywhere else,” he said. “We are the fi rst to do this.” Sandy Myers, director of government and external relations for Selfh elp Community Services, thanked Vallone for the funding and said Selfh elp hopes to expand the program to other centers in the next few years. “As older adults across the city and across the country are facing a reduction in the social safety net that allows them to stay in their communities, programs like this are really critical,” Myers said. “It’s wonderful that Councilman Vallone is thinking of the seniors,” Bayside resident Ida Joseph said. “We may be living longer, but it is not easy for us to get around. I, and the rest of the seniors, really appreciate this program.” For more information, call the Selfh elp Clearview Senior Center at 718-224-7888.


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