26 THE COURIER SUN • JUNE 27, 2013 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.couriersun.com TAKE A SPIN ON A LANDMARK BY LIAM LA GUERRE The century-old Forest Park Carousel will be ridden for many generations to come now that it is an official New York City landmark. The Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC) made the classic Woodhaven ride a city treasure and ensured its preservation Crowded ‘Campus’ BY MAGGIE HAYES mhayes@queenscourier.com Parents and students worry that adding another school to Cambria Heights’ Campus Magnet High School could crowd artistic minds. The high school is home to three separate schools, all geared towards enhancing students’ artistic and professional ambitions. There is the Humanities and Arts Magnet High School, Law-Government High School and a Mathematics, Science, Research and Technology High School. “It can get crowded in there,” said one sophomore student. “Sometimes it’s hard to walk through the halls.” Parents are reportedly attempting to block the plan to put in a new school. They came up with a proposal to increase enrollment at existing schools by offering more arts and engineering classes. The Panel for Educational Policy will vote on whether to put another school in the building or not. Attempts to reach the panel went unanswered as of press time. Meanwhile, the city is reportedly going through with its plan to phase out two schools on the campus and open up two new ones. JFK’s Worldport terminal lands on endangered list BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO aaltamirano@queenscourier.com John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Worldport terminal has flown into new territory — a list naming it one of America’s most endangered historic locations. On June 19, the flying saucer shapedterminal was chosen for the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s latest list of America’s 11 most endangered historic places. The site has been slated for demolition by 2015. The terminal, owned by the Port Authority and leased by Delta Air Lines, made the leap to the list through the dedication of “Save the Worldport,” a preservationist group cofounded in 2011 by New Jersey residents Kalev Savi and Anthony Stramaglia. Although Savi is from New Jersey, he felt a connection to the site after growing up in an airline family. He got his first impression of the terminal at a very young age. “I just remember approaching this enormous glass sculpture, I thought I was going into a flying saucer,” said Savi. “It was the symbol of a new era.” Savi started a Facebook group after being made aware of the Port Authority’s plan to demolish the terminal in order to create a parking lot for airplanes. He met Stramaglia through the group. The two have been trying to come up with renovation plans for the terminal. “What this list really does is give legitimacy to our cause,” said Savi. “It really is a validation.” The National Trust has listed 242 sites to date, and only a handful of those locations have been lost. “Save the Worldport” hopes the extra attention for the terminal John F. Kennedy Airport’s Worldport Terminal, scheduled to be demolished by 2015, recently made the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of America’s 11 most endangered historic places. will inspire architects, engineers and other organizations to save the site. “We listed it because we feel it’s a significant part of aviation history, design history,” said Roberta Lane, the National Trust’s senior New York field officer and attorney. “The threat is obviously very real. We wanted to raise awareness of this threat and of this place.” Yet the threat came closer to being realized when a bulldozer started tearing up the roadway leading to the terminal earlier this week. “The old Pan Am Worldport terminal at JFK served this region for more than a half century, Photo Courtesy of Anthony Stramaglia/Save the Worldport but is obsolete for 21st century aviation purposes,” said Delta and the Port Authority in a joint statement. “Unfortunately, JFK is a land-constrained airport and the choice we face is between job creation today in Queens and preservation of a facility that is no longer functional.” The preservationist group will work together with the National Trust to continue meeting with the Port Authority about various repurposing ideas. Those include turning the terminal into a longterm rest facility for delayed visitors and bringing the retro, cool feeling back to travel. with a unanimous 8-0 vote on Tuesday, June 25. “This designation is long overdue, but now that it’s here, we’re thrilled,” said Edward Wendell, president of the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association. The association is one of the groups that have been fighting to get the carousel landmarked. “With the carousel landmarked, we know it will be around for posterity, which is exactly how it should be.” The carousel was shuttered from 2008 to 2012. Last year, New York Carousel Entertainment LLC, which also owns the carousel in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, decided to buy and revitalize it. The carousel joins a small group of landmarked rides operating in the city. The other two are the Cyclone roller coaster and Deno’s Wonder Wheel in Coney Island. “This is great news,” said Shirley Sullivan, a local resident. “I actually thought the carousel was a landmark all along. I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t be.” But not all residents felt the same way as Sullivan. “I know it’s been here for a while and everyone loves it and it has a lot of history,” said Mathis Johnston. “But I think the title of landmark should be saved for things with actual historical significance, not just things that have been around for a long time.” The carousel was crafted in 1910 by master carver Daniel Carl Muller. In 1973, it was brought to Forest Park. The ride features vibrant horses, lions and tigers and paintings depicting settings in Woodhaven and other parts of Queens. “Designating the Forest Park Carousel is a tremendous win for our community that once feared it may never spin again,” said Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley, who lobbied LPC to designate the carousel. “Preserving our history strengthens our neighborhoods.”
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