FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM SEPTEMBER 5, 2019 • THE QUEENS COURIER 31
WHY WAIT IN FLUSHING?
Why has no Queens public elected offi -
cial held the MTA accountable for the
lack of any progress toward looking into
the potential feasibility to construct a new
downtown Flushing Bus Terminal?
Th ere is seed money in the current MTA
$32 billion 2015-2019 Capital Plan to look
into the possibility of the long-forgotten
Flushing Bus Terminal, which closed in
1954. Th is need has been previously documented
in planning studies going back
to the 1960s.
What is the current status for progression
of this study? Has a consultant been
hired? When will the public see a fi nal
report?
Construction of a Flushing intermodal
bus terminal could facilitate a smoother
transfer between bus and subway.
A short-term improvement could be the
construction of bus holding lights at bus
stops. Th is would assist riders transferring
from the subway to buses when a train
arrives several minutes aft er scheduled
bus departures. Missing a bus by a minute
or two during off -peak hours (when buses
operate with longer intervals) is frustrating
to riders.
Why not also invest in installation of
bus holding lights at other major bus to
subway transfer connections at other locations
as well?
Larry Penner, Great Neck
A LIFESAVING TEST
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness
month and is a time for men ages 40
and over to get tested. Th e test is called
the Prostate Specifi c Antigen test, better
known as the PSA test.
Prostate Cancer is 99 percent curable
when caught early. It is estimated by the
American Cancer Society that in 2019
there will be 174,650 men diagnosed with
Prostate Cancer, an increase of 6 percent
over 2018. Th ere will be an estimate of
31,620 deaths of this disease which is an
increase of 7 percent over 2018.
I can attest to the value of getting tested.
I had a physical four years ago by my
doctor, who discovered my PSA was on
the high side. She then sent me to a specialist
who discovered I had an aggressive
prostate cancer and required an aggressive
surgery. Th ese doctors truly had saved
my life.
Four years later, my PSA is low and I
am cancer-free. My advice to all men is
get tested.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.,
Glen Oaks Village
TIME TO BE COMPLIANT
Editor’s note: Th e following letter was
addressed by the author to Amazon founder
Jeff Bezos.
I write to address the disturbing
reports that items found on the Amazon
Marketplace are non-compliant with federal
regulations. As such, I urge you create
more transparency in your Marketplace
and create plans to remove recalled or
unsafe products.
I am deeply concerned over investigations
that found 4,152 items for sale
on your website have been declared
unsafe by federal agencies, are deceptively
labeled, or are banned by federal
regulators. Among these items, at least
2,000 toys and medications lack warnings
about health risks to kids. Of the reported
cases, one included the lead poisoning
of a child from New York City who likely
ingested lead from a musical instrument
set purchased on Amazon. Testing
showed that this set contained 411 times
the lead legally allowed. Further, this
investigation found that products that
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
have been recalled by manufacturers
remain for sale on your Marketplace. Th is
is simply unacceptable, and I am appalled
that such products are still purchasable
on your site.
Amazon is a trusted name in the market,
and consumers around the world rely
on your brand to know that the products
they are purchasing are safe. Th is
is doubly true for busy parents who use
Amazon to expeditiously order necessities
for households in an otherwise chaotic
season of life. Busy parents, however,
need to be able to rely on the safety of
products they buy. Amazon’s spokespeople
have claimed, “Safety is a top priority
at Amazon.”
As the founder and co-chair of the
Congressional Kids Safety Caucus, I am
committed to ensuring the safety and
well-being of our children. I sincerely
hope that you will do all that you can to
do the same.
Th ank you for your attention to this
issue. I look forward to your response.
Congresswoman Grace Meng, Flushing
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Th e views expressed in all letters and
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MORNING WALKS IN SUNNYSIDE // PHOTO VIA INSTAGRAM @hionbliss
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A Q17 bus in downtown Flushing
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