FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JUNE 15, 2017 • THE QUEENS COURIER 17 Kew Gardens burglar steals $40K in loot Police are searching for a man who stole more than $40,000 worth of jewelry in a series of apartment building burglaries across Kew Gardens. The first break-in was reported to police on May 18, when an unknown male entered an apartment building in the vicinity of Leff erts Boulevard and Metropolitan Avenue at 6 a.m. He used an unknown object to break into an apartment and took jewelry from the residence. Law enforcement sources said the second burglary occurred on Monday, May 29. At 6:30 a.m. that day, the suspect entered an apartment in vicinity of Leff erts Boulevard and Metropolitan Avenue and took $40,000 worth of jewelry. Th ree more burglaries took place in Kew Gardens on Monday, June 5, authorities said. Th e suspect is described as a black male with a medium complexion and aged 25- to 35-yearsold. Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS. All calls are kept confi dential. Emily Davenport Bangladeshi diplomat kept servant captive: DA Th e deputy consul general of Bangladesh has been charged in Queens Criminal Court for labor traffi cking aft er allegedly forcing a foreign national to work for his family in their Jamaica Estates home without any fi nancial compensation for nearly four years, prosecutors announced on Monday. Md Shaheldul Islam, 45, allegedly kept the victim was brought from Bangladesh between 2012 and 2013 to work for Islam and his family as household help. Soon aft er his arrival, Islam allegedly took possession of the victim’s passport and required the man to work 18 hours a day in the family’s home. Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said the victim was allegedly never paid for his work despite having a contract that outlined his compensation. If the victim disobeyed Islam’s orders, he was allegedly physically assaulted by Islam. Emily Davenport Teen trespasses & falls down hole in Woodhaven A teenager was seriously injured aft er falling through a hole inside an abandoned power station on the Ozone Park/Woodhaven border on Saturday night, it was reported. Offi cers from the 102nd Precinct and EMS units responded just aft er 6 p.m. on June 10 to a 911 call about the incident inside the building on Atlantic Avenue near 98th Street. Paramedics rushed the 15-year-old boy to Elmhurst Hospital for treatment of his injuries, WABC-TV reported. Th e power station is adjacent to the defunct Rockaway Beach branch of the Long Island Rail Road, which hasn’t seen train service since 1962. Th e LIRR’s Atlantic Terminal Branch also runs below Atlantic Avenue. Robert Pozarycki Photo courtesy of state Senator James Sanders Representatives and leaders at the meeting included (from left) Assemblyman Clyde Vanel, Reverend Henry T. Simmons, state Senator James Sanders Jr., Assemblywoman Michelle Titus, Hersh Parekh of the Governor’s Offi ce, Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman, state Senator Leroy Comrie and Dr. Chris Hsu, director of the CUNY Aviation Institute. Meeting focuses on the future of JFK Airport BY THE QUEENS COURIER STAFF editorial@qns.com / @QNS With a $10 billion overhaul of John F. Kennedy Airport looming, southeast New Vietnam War memorial to honor Queens veterans BY ANTHONY GIUDICE agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com @A_GiudiceReport Th e 429 Queens men who made the ultimate sacrifi ce fi ghting for this country’s freedoms in the Vietnam War will soon be forever memorialized at Elmhurst Park in on the Elmhurst/Maspeth border. Members of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 32 gathered at the park on Friday, June 9, as City Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, Borough President Melinda Katz and several other elected offi - cials unveiled plans for the memorial. Th e $2.85 million project will transform the northern portion of the park into an expansive memorial with two semi-circular granite walls. One wall will bear the names of the men from Queens who gave their lives in the war, and a history of the war with a list of key events and dates. Th e other wall will have the fi ve crests of the military, as well as the Vietnam Service Medal etched on the outside, with the inside having an etching of bamboo, a common element of the war. Other features of the memorial will be a fl ag pole, benches, a lawn, planted trees, and a map highlighting important battles in the Vietnam War. Th e space will be used for small memorial gatherings to honor the heroes, and as a place for residents to refl ect on the sacrifi ces all veterans have made in service of the country. For over a decade, Chapter 32 has been lobbying to get a memorial in Queens. Th e initial push was led by Pat Toro, the former president of Chapter 32. Aft er Toro died, Michael O’Kane, current president of Chapter 32, spearheaded the push for the memorial. Due to O’Kane’s persistence, the memorial project was fully funded by the borough president’s offi ce and the City Council. “Never again shall one generation of veterans abandon another,” O’Kane said. “Th at’s the Vietnam Veterans of America’s founding principle, and if the creation of this monument isn’t the absolute embodiment of that, I don’t know what is.” Th e plans for the memorial still need to be fi nalized before work starts in fall 2018. Parks expects the project to be open by fall 2019. Queens representatives met last week to examine ways in which the project will benefi t residents in local communities. Th e goals outlined at the meeting included receiving feedback from residents about plans and educating them about job opportunities and contracting opportunities for Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs). State Senator James Sanders said the JFK Airport project presents an opportunity to help southeast Queens residents gain new jobs and boost the area’s overall economy. “In an area that has been devastated by foreclosures, slammed by Hurricane Sandy, and which has among some of the poorest ZIP codes in Queens, we need to use the JFK project as a chance for economic development and community building,” state Senator James Sanders said. Hersh Parekh, Queens Regional Representative for Governor Cuomo’s Offi ce, said the key to achieving the contract is to be proactive and get MWBE certifi ed by the Port Authority and the State of New York quickly. Th e project would generate jobs utilizing union labor and improve driveability on the Van Wyck Expressway. Th ere will be fewer cars and trucks idling, which will reduce emissions sent into the air and community. Some airlines have changed the aircraft s they use to reduce noise, emissions and pollution. “Th is isn’t just about making sure passengers and travelers passing through JFK are able to be served,” Parekh said, because the project will provide “economic development benefi ts to the community, with dollars and jobs.” Th e JFK project aims to address safety, effi ciency and usability, making travel a better experience for residents and visitors. Th e governor promised to include MWBEs in the vision as part of New York’s 30 percent MWBE contracting goal. “We are going to be partners and we are going to make sure that this project helps businesses grow,” Sanders said. “Th is is a once in a lifetime opportunity and what good is it if all the work goes to fi rms outside of New York.” Renderings courtesy of NYC Parks Department Veterans of the Vietnam War will be remembered at a new memorial in Elmhurst Park.
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