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4 THE QUEENS COURIER • MAY 4, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM Whitestone concerned over fl ooding near bridge BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI smonteverdi@qns.com @smont76 Whitestone residents are calling for the end of what they call “Lake Malba.” Th e nickname refers to a fl ood-prone portion of the Whitestone Expressway service road in the Malba area of Whitestone on the western side of the Whitestone Bridge, which is operated by the MTA Bridges and Tunnels MTABT. According to local resident Alfredo Centola, the street has fl ooded during rainy weather for decades, but in the years following the $109 million project to widen the bridge, which was fi nished in 2014, the situation has been “exasperated tenfold.” “Th e water from the ramp of the exit of the bridge runs off right onto the dirt, which then fl ows out into the street,” Centola said. “Th e Department of Environmental Protection needs to install new sewer lines, yes; but the main problem is the amount of water fl owing from the bridge.” Th e fl ooding, which Centola said he’s seen get up to 18 inches high, poses a host of quality-of-life concerns, he continued. Drivers attempting to access the neighborhood down the one-way street during the fl ooding have been known to get stuck, and drivers who do not want to risk the fl ooding take the chance of driving the wrong way down the nearby oneway street, Parsons Boulevard, to access the neighborhood. Th e fl ooding also presents health concerns, he continued. Th e fl ooding, which becomes standing water, has residents concerned that the ongoing situation will breed mosquitoes in the warmer months that could potentially carry West Nile Virus — an infection that has impacted the area in the past. Centola, who is also the president of the We Love Whitestone Civic Association, said he has gotten an increased number Runoff fl ooding that accumulated on the road after a recent rainstorm. of complaints about the roadway in recent months. Th e community leader has reached out to a host of city agencies, including the MTABT, on their behalf, and has either received no response or been promptly redirected to another agency. “We’ve got clear pictures and video of water pouring out like a waterfall,” lifelong Malba resident Christopher Biancaniello said. “It’s an accident waiting to happen. And what bothers everyone the most is that MTABT is not taking responsibility for it.” As part of the 2011 bridge reconstruction eff ort, MTABT relocated and expanded the Francis Lewis Park playground out from under the bridge and re-landscaped the area. According to Centola, this area is also subject to the storm water runoff fl ooding, rendering it unusable aft er heavy storms. “All that water from mid-span on drains into Malba,” Centola said. “Th ey always said that the bridge would handle its own water. It seems to me like Photos courtesy of Alfredo Centola MTABT, pretty much, lied.” “Th ey’re the designers; the builders of the bridge,” the civic president continued. “But common sense, to me, dictates you need to do something about this.” A spokesperson for the MTA told Th e Courier that all drainage systems on the bridge are working correctly and the street in the area, which is owned by the city, has only two drains. Th e spokesperson also said that homeowners whose backyards face the street have installed privacy walls along the area with drainpipe holes, which direct additional water from their backyards into the street. “We perform regular maintenance sweeps to ensure our operations don’t negatively impact the surrounding residential area and are working with the local community to address any concerns they may have,” the spokesperson said. The Courier also reached out the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) for comment and is awaiting a response. NE Queens Schools win Budget bucks BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76 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. The following winners will be funded in the upcoming city budget: • Construction of a fully functioning courtroom at Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Bayside (1,096 votes; $500,000); • Smartboards for P.S. 135Q, P.S./ I.S. 208Q , Martin Van Buren High School, P.S 46Q, P.S. 224Q, Queens High School of Teaching and Business Technology Early College High School (689 votes; $488,000); and • Laptop carts for P.S. 46Q, P.S. 224Q, Business Technology Early College High School, Queens High School of Teaching, P.S. 135Q, P.S./I.S. 208Q and P.S. 188Q (689 votes; $490,000). District residents ages 14 and over had the opportunity to vote for up to five projects at voting locations across eastern Queens. Projects on the ballot included various local school upgrades, improvements at North Hills and Windsor Park libraries and resurfacing the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway. “Participatory budgeting is great way to engage and include the community in our budget process,” Grodenchik said. “It encourages collaboration and lets members of our community decide where and how to best spend our money. I am grateful for the hard work that volunteers put into making this year’s participatory budgeting a success.” Homeless man charged with fatally stabbing teen in Flushing BY ROBERT POZARYCKI rpozarycki@qns.com / @robbpoz A 51-year-old homeless man remains locked up on charges that he alleged stabbed a 19-year-old Flushing resident to death during a fi ght at a neighborhood internet cafe last week, police said. Law enforcement sources said that 109th Precinct offi cers learned of the incident aft er being called to NewYork- Presbyterian/Queens hospital on Main Street at around 9:43 p.m. on April 26. Police learned that Yangpu Fan, 19, of 41st Avenue suff ered a stab wound to his torso; he had been brought to the hospital earlier in the evening by private means. Despite the medical staff ’s best eff orts, Fan died at the hospital a short time aft er arrival. During a preliminary investigation, detectives learned that Fan had been assaulted earlier that evening during a dispute with Paul Kim, 51, inside the K&D Internet Cafe located at 38-19 Union St. The K&D Internet Cafe on Union Street, where the April 26 homicide took place. According to sources familiar with the investigation, Fan had gone to the cafe with friends and had asked Kim to move from his seat so they could sit together. Police said the argument broke out when Kim allegedly refused Fan’s request. Police subsequently visited the cafe and Photo via Google Maps took Kim into custody for questioning. A knife believed to have been used in the deadly assault was also recovered at the scene. Kim was subsequently booked on manslaughter and weapons possession charges, according to police.


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