FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.couriersun.com AUGUST 13, 2015 • THE COURIER SUN 3 $8.9 million secured for JFK Airport runway upgrades BY ANGELA MATUA [email protected] @AngelaMatua The second of a three-phase improvement plan for one of JFK Airport’s runways will use $8.9 million in federal funding to improve safety measures and reduce the time planes spend on the ground, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced on Aug. 7. The project, which began construction in July 2014 on Runway 4L-22R, will be completed in December 2015 with a number of key upgrades, including high-speed taxiways to allow airplanes to exit runways at higher speeds. This addition will allow the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to more efficiently use the airfield and avoid delays. The safety zones at both ends of the runway will also be extended 1,000 feet to comply with an enhanced FAA requirement. Navigational aid and electrical systems will be replaced and upgraded as part of the $292 million reconstruction project. “This funding is another step forward in our efforts to reinvent New York’s airports for the 21st century,” said Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who secured funding along with Gillibrand, Senator Charles Schumer and Mayor Bill de Blasio. “By upgrading JFK’s runways and its supporting infrastructure, we are fundamentally improving its ability to meet the demands of modern air travel. That means reducing delays for thousands of passengers every day, and I look forward to seeing this project get underway.” The temporary closing of Runway 4L-22R has resulted in headaches for Hamilton Beach and Howard Beach residents. Constant air pollution and low-flying airplanes have plagued these neighborhoods now that one less runway is being utilized. According to State Sen. Joseph Addabbo, residents have been calling his office to express their concerns about the increased noise and airplane traffic. “Whenever the Port Authority or any federal employees are repairing a runway, I do appreciate the work being done there but of course it does also mean a detriment to my constituents because it changes air traffic patterns,” Addabbo said. “Once they started the work on the runway at JFK, certainly there has been a significant increase in complaints from my constituents.” Addabbo noted that a constituent reached out to him recently after witnessing infrastructure damage to his house because of low flying planes. A recent Hamilton Beach town hall meeting was interrupted every two minutes because of airplane noise, he said. Addabbo, who has lived near JFK Airport in Ozone Park his entire life, said that while technology has allowed for airplanes to emit less noise, air traffic has become more frequent in the last several years and skies will continue to become more crowded as the airline industry expands. He encourages that people experiencing problems because of the construction reach out to city, state and, more importantly, federal officials and to fill out a noise complaint form on the Port Authority website. “It can’t happen fast enough,” Addabbo said of the construction, which is supposed to largely be completed by September. Photo courtesy of Port Authority of New York and New Jersey NEW SOUTH JAMAICA MAKEUP STUDIO OPENS BY ANGELA MATUA [email protected] @AngelaMatua High school friends and longtime Jamaica residents Shanda Evans and Madegine Gauthier have created a makeup studio that embodies Marie Antoinette-era decor and the hustle of rapper Lil’ Kim. Vanitee Suite, which opened on July 29 on 157-11 Rockaway Blvd., is a full-service makeup studio offering makeovers, facials, nail services, henna, eyebrow threading, eyelash extensions, teeth whitening and classes to teach customers the appropriate makeup to wear for job interviews. “We just decided that we wanted to bring something different to our neighborhood and something with class that kind of represented woman of all walks of life, how to help them enhance their beauty outside and inside,” Gauthier said. Gauthier, a nurse and fashion designer who owns a daycare in Jamaica was approached by Evans, a Geico claims examiner, to open the makeup studio in May. Though Gauthier said she already had several responsibilities, she could not pass up the opportunity to work with her friend. Gauthier and Evans have their own line of lipsticks and lip glosses that they use called Vanitee Cosmetics and are also looking to provide classes to the community on a number of topics like backto school makeup tips for teenagers and business tips for aspiring entrepreneurs. Prices range from $15 for lash extensions to $35 for acrylic nails and Gauthier says they keep prices “reasonable” for the middle-class neighborhood. Vanitee Suite also provides birthday specials and two-for-one specials to its customers, and a Ladies Night is scheduled every Friday for community members to meet the owners and six makeup artists at the studio. The walls are painted mint green, Gauthier said, to evoke a sense of calm. The chairs, which are also mint green, are adorned with gold trim to make customers feel like “royalty.” “We wanted to do something that is just a place where a woman could come and leave her problems at the door,” Gauthier said. “We want them to feel royal. We want them to feel like kings and queens when they are here. Just to get away from everyday life, everyday hustle and bustle.” Gauthier said she and Evans hope to expand the makeup studio, turning the business into a franchise to allow makeup artists to run their own studios. “We’re just happy to have the establishment within our own community and we hope to get as much community support as possible,” Gauthier said. Photo courtesy Kendall Ravenell Vanitee Suite is a full-service makeup studio offering makeovers, facials, nail services, henna, eyebrow threading, eyelash extensions, teeth whitening and classes to teach customers the appropriate makeup to wear for job interviews.
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