4 The Courier sun • JUNE 23, 2016 for breaking news visit www.qns.com BIG BUCKS FOR CUNY UPGRADES IN QUEENS By Anthony Giudice agiudice@qns.com/@A_GiudiceReport City colleges throughout Queens are getting some “A-plus” improvements 22 arrested for drug trafficking at Far Rockaway’s Redfern Houses By Charlie Perry cperry@qns.com/@QueensCourier Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown alongside Police Commissioner William J. Bratton announced on June 15 that 22 alleged drug dealers will be charged with selling drugs in New York City Housing Authority’s Redfern Houses in Far Rockaway. Those in custody are charged with selling crack, powdered cocaine, heroin and marijuana to undercover police officers on more than 100 separate occasions over the past year. The defendants are charged with numerous counts of firstdegree criminal sale of a controlled substance. Charges carry prison time ranging for five to 20 years in prison. “Today’s arrests and indictments represent the culmination of a long-term investigation stemming from precipitous drug-based violence within the neighborhood of Far Rockaway. As alleged, these individuals engaged in narcotics distribution to the detriment of the residents of the Redfern Houses,” Bratton said in a press release issued Wednesday. In addition to the arrests made, officers executed 12 court-authorized search warrants on 11 apartments and one motor vehicle. Police officers recovered heroine, crack cocaine, marijuana and prescription pills. A .45-caliber semi-automatic firearm and a .22-caliber semi-automatic firearm were also found. Residents of Redfern Houses charged with drug trafficking will be evicted from their homes under the 2005 Trespass Notice Program. Once the eviction process has concluded they will be forced to leave their apartments. Non-resident suspects arrested will be banned from New York City Housing Authority Property. If they return, they will be arrested. “The quality of life of the residents of Far Rockaway has always been among my chief concerns as District Attorney,” Brown said in a press release issued Wednesday. “These arrests should put another dent in the drug trafficking and drugrelated violence, which has long plagued the residents of Far Rockaway.” over the next few years. Queens Borough President Melinda Katz announced that she has allocated $3.64 million of her fiscal year 2017 discretionary capital funds to help four CUNY colleges in Queens grow. The students at Queens College in Flushing, York College in Jamaica, Queensborough Community College in Bayside and LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC) in Long Island City will all be benefiting from the projects that will come from these funds. “As the third-largest university system in the United States, CUNY offers a high-quality and remarkably affordable and competitive higher education that enables the pursuit of the American Dream,” Katz said. “CUNY has been a critical door to opportunities for millions of New Yorkers and their families, and here in Queens we’re proud to be home to some of the best of CUNY schools. This multimillion dollar allocation of public funding is a direct investment into the public colleges of our borough so that CUNY remains able to meet the educational needs of its hardworking students.” Queens College will get $1 million to fully fund the construction of recording studios for their new music and production certificate program. The program will provide multiuse facilities for classrooms, rehearsal and performance spaces as well as laboratories. The project will provide the proper acoustical components, sound absorbers, diffusers and ceiling elements, creating spaces conducive to live musical performances and high-quality audio recordings. The studios will be perfect for distance learning applications and webcasting for music students and the college community as a whole. The anticipated completion date is January 2019. LaGuardia will also get $1 million toward the construction of the Center for Career and Employment Training at LAGCC. The center will serve all of the students and allow them to connect to a wide network of employers and have access to real-time labor market data. The total projected cost of the project is $6 million, with a possible $2 million from the New York City Council and $3 million from New York State. Design is set to begin in July 2017, with construction beginning in January 2018 with the anticipated completion date of August 2018. Another million dollars will go toward creating a modern kitchen and dining hall at Queensborough Community College that will replace the school’s undersized basement dining hall. The allocation is toward the balance of city funding needed for Phase 2 based on current estimates, with a possible $1 million from New York State. Anticipated completion date is March 2019. Finally, $640,000 is earmarked for renovating the greenhouse at York College. “Queens Borough President Katz had provided critical and generous funding for CUNY projects that will enhance program quality, student experience and college value at Queens, York, LaGuardia and Queensborough Community Colleges,” said CUNY Chancellor James B. Milliken. “I deeply appreciate her commitment to CUNY, which has such a positive impact on the borough and city.” Photo via Yellow Red Studio THE COURIER/File photo Four city colleges throughout Queens are getting major improvements thanks to $3.64M from Queens Borough President Melinda Katz.
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