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4 The Courier sun • JUNE 16, 2016 for breaking news visit www.qns.com ADDITIONAL RUNWAY AT NEWARK AIRPORT MIGHT MEAN MORE AIRPLANE NOISE IN QUEENS By Brianna Ellis bellis@qns.com/@briinformed Queens residents may face the burden of more airplane noise due to a new plan for Newark Liberty International Airport that might involve an additional runway. F l u s h i n g - b a s e d Congresswoman Grace Meng expressed her opposition in a letter to the head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on June 9, stating that the New Jersey airport’s plan to use another runway for incoming flights may increase air traffic over Queens. “The people of Queens for too long have dealt with excessive aircraft noise; we have worked too hard to address these issues to allow further changes to the airspace that would have a detrimental effect on our constituents,” Meng addressed her concerns to Michael Huerta, administrator of FAA. According to the message, the FAA would authorize a new NextGen procedure that enables a small number of arriving flights at Newark to be shifted to Runway 29 this fall. This would occur if the airport’s Runway 4 Left or 4 Right are at capacity. Fel low Queens Representatives Joseph Crowley, Gregory Meeks, Hakeem Jeffries and Steve Israel, all members of the Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus, also signed Meng’s letter. Meng vowed to combat a plan that would entail forcing airplanes headed toward New York City airports to follow flight paths that require an extensive amount of airspace time over Queens. “In 2012, new flight patterns over Queens slapped increased airplane noise over our borough, a move that continues to ruin quality of life for Queens residents,” Meng stated in Thursday’s news release. “We will not accept any new noise and we’ll do everything in our power – legislative and otherwise – to fight this plan should it negatively impact our borough. The FAA must immediately clarify whether this new plan for Newark Airport will cause any new aircraft noise over Queens.” The FAA is currently reviewing the environmental impact study if the plan is implemented. Jamaica street was renamed Anthony Mason Way after the late NBA player Photo by Brandon J. Clarke Friends, family and of Anthony Mason gather under the street renamed in his honor. By Charlie Perry cperry@qns.com/@QueensCourier Thirteen-year NBA veteran and New York Knick Anthony Mason was honored on June 11 in South Jamaica. A stretch of 147th Street between Rockaway Boulevard and 123rd Avenue was renamed Anthony Mason Way in an event organized by Councilman Ruben Wills. “He was not only a champion of the game, but of life itself. I want to thank the Mason Family for its support in proposing this co-naming. The legacy of Anthony Mason lives on through the charitable works of the Family on Three youth mentorship foundation,” Willis said in a press release. More than 100 people attended the event including Mason’s 92-year-old mother, Mary Mason, his four children and former Knick teammate John Starks. “He was a man full of passion, a man full of conviction and he did so much for this community,” Starks said to the New York Post at the unveiling. Anthony’s son Antoine Mason appreciated the event and recalled his father’s dedication to the game of basketball. “This is a beautiful event,” Antoine said. “The tough thing is, it’s not about anybody else here. It’s about the guy who’s up there.” “He used to shoot, shoot, shoot all the time at night. And he said when the daylight came it was easier. He kept working in his craft, kept working in his craft, and eventually he made it,” Antoine said to the New York Daily News. Mason grew up in Jamaica before moving to Tennessee to play basketball at Tennessee State. He received the Sixth Man of the Year award in 1995. He was also voted All-NBA 3rd team and All-Defensive 2nd Team in 1997. Mason died at the age of 48 from congestive heart failure in 2015.


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