14 THE QUEENS COURIER • MAY 28, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Astoria diner transforms its parking lot
to a drive-in movie theater to stay afl oat
BY JACOB KAYE
jkaye@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
To deal with the demands of social distancing
PEP approves Success Academy co-locations in Far Rockaway and Hollis
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Success Academy Queens scholars and
parents claimed victory on May 21, aft er
months of advocating for their children’s
right to use public school space.
More than 20 fourth-grade Success
Academy scholars testifi ed at the Panel
for Education Policy’s (PEP) online meeting
held May 20 before the panel voted
to approve two temporary middle school
co-locations proposed by the Department
of Education.
“We need to prioritize students,” said
Isaac Carmignani, a member of PEP.
“Th ese are all our students.”
Success Academy Far Rockaway Middle
School was approved for a two-year co-location
with M.S. 53 and Village Academy
in Building Q053, where Success
Academy Far Rockaway is currently
located. Meanwhile, Success Academy
Hollis Middle School will open in August
in Building Q238, which houses I.S. 238
Susan B. Anthony Middle School.
“Th is is a win for our Queens kids and
families, but it is also a larger win for
parents’ right to choose a school that’s
best for their child,” said Eva Moskowitz,
founder and CEO of Success Academy.
“Our families are public school parents
and they have the right to be educated
in under-utilized public buildings. It is a
simple matter of social justice.”
Success Academy Queens parents
have been actively advocating for middle
school space over the past 10 months.
With current fi ft h- and-sixth graders
from Success Academy Springfi eld
Gardens and Success Academy Rosedale
already doubled up in the one existing
Queens middle school, there was no
room for the 200 expected graduates for
2020-21.
In September, approximately 4,000 parents,
scholars and teachers gathered in
Roy Wilkins Park in Jamaica for the ‘Kids
Over Politics’ rally. Collectively, they
sent over 2,000 emails to Mayor Bill de
Blasio, met with Queens elected offi cials
to secure their support, held press conferences
on the steps of City Hall, and conducted
public hearings on the co-location
proposals.
In November, Success Academy parents
had rejected de Blasio’s proposal
of a small, aging Catholic school deeming
it “inadequate and not comparable
to Department of Education facilities.”
Aft er PEP’s approval of the two temporary
middle school co-locations, Giselle
Valiente-Sukh, parent of Dylan Sukh, a
fourth-grader at Success Academy in Far
Rockaway, said it’s a relief to know that
her son has a school to attend in August.
“Finally, it really is ‘kids over politics,’”
said Valiente-Sukh. “I’m grateful to all
the Success Academy parents who advocated
on behalf of these scholars.” Sukh,
who joined his mother and advocated for
a school by speaking not only at the PEP’s
meeting, but also at the February meeting
and two public hearings on the co-location
proposal, expressed joy.
“I’m happy I will have a middle school
next year. I didn’t want to leave Success
Academy,” Sukh said.
Th e two co-locations are temporary,
which means the city must still provide
permanent space. While relieved to have
a place for their children next year, parents
vowed to stay the course until the city
fulfi lled its legal obligation to fi nd permanent
space for the students.
amid the COVID-19 pandemic,
an Astoria diner is looking to the 1950s
for inspiration.
Bel Aire Diner, located at 31-91 21st
St., used its vacant parking lot to start a
drive-in movie theater earlier this month
and shows two features a day. Th e diner’s
owner said the reception has been great.
“We didn’t imagine it would be this
big,” said Kal Dellaportas, whose family
began running the diner in 1996. “Tickets
sell out in a minute. Ninety tickets in one
minute. It’s crazy.”
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic,
Dellaportas began brainstorming
with the diner’s manager, trying to fi nd
creative solutions to stay in business. His
manager suggested they use the vacant
parking lot for a drive-in theater.
“It was basically just an idea, a shot
in the dark,” Dellaportas said. “We ran
with it.”
Th e diner rented an infl atable screen
and worked with a company to secure
licensing rights to show fi lms. Th ey also
implemented social distancing guidelines,
instructing movie-goers to keep their
windows closed.
By May 7, they were up and running.
Tickets sell for $32 per car, but despite
the high demand, Dellaportas says he
doesn’t make a dime off the ticket sales.
Th e profi ts either go toward operational
costs — Dellaportas has been able to
retain more staff members as a result of
the theater — or charity.
In addition to screening fi lms for the
local police precinct and donating breakfast
meals to the senior center across the
street, Bel Aire is hosting Elmhurst Hospital
healthcare workers on Tuesday, May 26, for
a special screening of “Th e Princess Bride,”
in collaboration with Queens Together.
Despite the high demand and the warm
reception from the public, Dellaportas
said nothing beats a fully open and operational
diner.
“We’re a 160-seat restaurant. On a
Saturday or Sunday, we’re turning over
tables constantly, every 45 minutes to an
hour,” Dellaportas said. “With the movie,
it’s great, we get 100 people. But it’s 100
people in three hours.”
When the pandemic clears, Dellaportas
said, he’ll defi nitely consider keeping the
drive-in movies going. He’s unsure what
the licensing options may be once movie
theaters open back up, but if it’s possible
to do, he’d like to continue the events.
“If it’s viable and there’s demand, we’ll
absolutely do it,” Dellaportas said.
Photo courtesy of Success Academy
Photo via Instagram/belairediner.
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
link
link
link
