16 THE COURIER SUN • MAY 16, 2013 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.couriersun.com Report: Five Queens schools falling apart BY MAGGIE HAYES Syzmanski, the union’s schools division “When I tell him something is The report also said schools in “We consistently provide a [email protected] director. broken, he says leave it,” the cleaner the city’s poorest neighborhoods clean, safe and healthy learning Some city schools need a major I.S. 238 in Hollis climbed the explained. “He said to me, ‘Don’t were in the worst condition. and working environment makeover, according to a building charts to second worst on the list. worry about it, it’s not your problem.’” “I’ve visited many schools,” in our 1,260 school buildings inspections report released by the One school cleaner said the building The man said roughly 2,000 Syzmanski said. “In the more every day,” a DOE spokesperson school cleaners’ union. needs wide-ranging fixes. lights throughout the building are affluent neighborhoods, the said. The Service Employees “The water valves need to be not working, many door handles schools were immaculate.” Local 32BJ said the priority International Union (SEIU) Local repaired,” he said. “Every classroom are broken and bathrooms are The Department of Education was to remove everything 32BJ issued a report on the 20 has a stain from leaks. I feel bad “falling apart.” (DOE) said it spends more than containing hazardous material, schools in the worst condition after when I see the building like this.” I.S. 72 in Jamaica came in as $3 billion in building improvements such as asbestos on tiles. tallying scores from the city’s annual The cleaner, who withheld his the seventh worth school. Other under its capital plan and “This stuff needs to be school inspections. Out of about name from publication, said he Queens schools on the list included any serious maintenance-related removed as soon as possible 1,500 schools citywide, five Queens wants to fix everything in a state the Cynthia Jenkins School in complaints are “addressed immediately, for the benefit of the children schools made the list of top offenders. of disrepair. But he added that the Jamaica, P.S. 86, also in Jamaica, as are simple, easy fixes.” and everybody who works for In all five schools, SEIU 32BJ head custodian will not cooperate. and Richmond Hill High School. the schools,” said Syzmanski. found crumbling interiors as well as toxins on tiles and in the air. “It’s hazardous material that we’re talking about removing from our schools immediately,” said Gene PHOTO COURTESY OF SEIU LOCAL 32BJ I.S. 238 is just one of fi ve in Queens that made the list of school buildings in worst condition. Community: cork plans for liquor store near school BY MAGGIE HAYES [email protected] Springfield Gardens wants to make sure the area around its high school stays dry. A construction site across the street from Springfield Gardens High School could be the new home for a liquor store. But the community is calling for its owner to put a cork in it. “We are not going to get drunk to a liquor store,” said State Senator James Sanders. “What does he think we are, high?” By law, a liquor store cannot be within 200 feet of a school, according to the New York State Liquor Authority. Measurements showed the school’s doors are roughly 75 feet away from the proposed site of the liquor store. Officials said once the dismissal bell rings, hundreds of students flood out of the high school’s doors and linger in the area. The youths socialize and stop in surrounding stores. “We don’t want our young scholars seeing drunkards, people bobbing and weaving across the street,” Sanders said. “This is not something the community wants,” echoed Franck Joseph, Community Liaison for Councilmember Donovan Richards. “It is very disrespectful, and a backhand slap. It shows a disregard to the community.” Community activists Michael Duncan and Joan Flowers joined Sanders and Richards at a press conference on Friday, May 11 calling on the liquor authority to shut down the proposal. Lawrence McClean, district manager of Community Board 13, said while owners are required by law to notify the local community board if they wish to open a liquor store, they have heard nothing. “People are trying to get away with things in the dark,” he said. McClean and the board have sent a packet with signatures to the liquor authority in strong opposition to the proposal. They were yet to hear back, but hoped the liquor authority does not even entertain the plan. Richards said he tried to meet with the would-be owner, Tarsem Singh, but to no avail. Richards and Sanders hope to sit down and discuss the feasibility of using the space for something more “communityappropriate.” “Put in an after-school youth center,” Sanders said. “We could have a place where we’re teaching values. It’s their future we’re concerned about.” Singh could not be reached for comment. The liquor authority did not return repeated calls. World-Class Vascular Surgical Care Close to Home Gregg S. Landis, MD, FACS has joined the North Shore-LIJ Health System as Vice Chairman, Surgery and Chief, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at our Long Island Jewish Medical Center. 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