8 The Courier sun • AUGUST 21, 2014 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com Resorts World Casino to clean up Hamilton Beach Park BY SALVATORE LICATA slicata@queenscourier.com/@Sal_Licata1 After a long losing streak, Hamilton Beach’s Gateway Park finally hit the jackpot. Resorts World Casino is sponsoring the restoration of the rusted and graffiti-stricken park, located on 104th Street in Hamilton Beach. The park was hit head-on by the flood waters of Jamaica Bay during Superstorm Sandy and has not been repaired since. Funding for repairs has been sought by community leaders and local officials since the storm but nothing has come of it until now. “It’s extremely difficult to get funding for a federal park,” said state Sen. Joe Addabbo. “We appreciate the efforts of Resorts World Casino for helping one of the hardest hit places during Superstorm Sandy.” Sometime in the next two weeks Resorts World, with the help of Local 79 of the construction laborers union, will start to work on the park. The old jungle gym will be fully recycled and they are hoping to have the new one up by the beginning of September. Councilman Eric Ulrich was the first to look for the funding. He then joined Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder and Addabbo for a meeting with Resorts World to see whether they would sponsor the park rebuild. Not long after their efforts, more than $30,000 was put aside for the park to purchase new floor mats, benches, a jungle gym and landscape work. “We are really grateful for Resorts World,” Ulrich said. “They have always been there, quietly working with us.” Legislation passed to keep toxic waste dumping out THE COURIER/Photo by Salvatore Licata of Jamaica Bay. GOVERNOR CUOMO SIGNS LEGISLATION TO PRESERVE JAMAICA BAY BY SALVATORE LICATA slicata@queenscourier.com/@Sal_Licata1 Jamaica Bay, long known as a dumping site for toxic waste, now has a law to prevent some of the hazardous material from making its way into the body of water. Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation that prohibits state regulatory agencies like the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) from issuing permits to allow dumping hazardous materials in Jamaica Bay. This law will ultimately limit the risk of water contamination in the bay. “Communities surrounding Jamaica Bay can now breathe a little easier with the passing of this bill, both figuratively and literally,” said state Sen. Joe Addabbo, who, along with Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder, drafted the legislation. “In the district, we were all fortunate enough to grow up with Jamaica Bay and I hope this legislation will ensure future generations can enjoy the serenity and beauty for years to come.” Prior to this bill, there were no guidelines that the DEC had to follow when issuing permits for dumping into the bay’s burrow pits, which are areas with increased depth as a result of dredging projects by the Army Corps of Engineers that removed sand from parts of the floor to fill in others. Both Addabbo and Goldfeder believe this will be a huge victory for Jamaica Bay and its surrounding neighborhoods. “Dredged materials leaching with toxins have no right to be dumped in our waters and now we finally have the laws in place to keep our families away from harm and preserve the natural ecosystem of Jamaica Bay for years to come,” concluded Addabbo and Goldfeder. “We commend Governor Cuomo for signing this legislation into law.”
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