26 The Courier SUN • SEPTEMBER 28, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com
26 THE QUEENS COURIER • SEPTEMBER 28, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
sun
THE QUEENS
editorial
WWW.COURIERSUN.COM
PUBLISHER & EDITOR
CO-PUBLISHER
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
VP, EVENTS, WEB & SOCIAL MEDIA
ART DIRECTOR
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
STAFF REPORTERS
CONTRIBUTING REPORTERS
ASSISTANT TO PUBLISHER
CLASSIFIED MANAGER
CONTROLLER
PRESIDENT & CEO
VICE PRESIDENT
VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS
JOSHUA SCHNEPS
BOB BRENNAN
ROBERT POZARYCKI
AMY AMATO-SANCHEZ
NIRMAL SINGH
EMILY DAVENPORT
KATRINA MEDOFF, ANTHONY GIUDICE, ANGELA MATUA
SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
CLIFF KASDEN, SAMANTHA SOHMER, ELIZABETH ALONI
DEBORAH CUSICK
CELESTE ALAMIN
MARIA VALENCIA
VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS
JOSHUA A. SCHNEPS
Schneps Communications, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361
718-224-5863 • Fax 718-224-5441
www.qns.com
editorial e-mail: editorial@qns.com
for advertising e-mail: ads@qns.com
Entire Contents Copyright 2017 by The Queens Courier
All letters sent to THE QUEENS COURIER should be brief and are subject to condensing. Writers should
include a full address and home and offi ce telephone numbers, where available, as well as affi liation, indicating
special interest. Anonymous letters are not printed. Name withheld on request.
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publishers will not be responsible for any error in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the
error. Errors must be reported to THE QUEENS COURIER within fi ve days of publication. Ad position cannot be
guaranteed unless paid prior to publication. Schneps Communications assumes no liability for the content or
reply to any ads. The advertiser assumes all liability for the content of and all replies. The advertiser agrees to hold
THE QUEENS COURIER and its employees harmless from all cost, expenses, liabilities, and damages resulting
from or caused by the publication or recording placed by the advertiser or any reply to any such advertisement.
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Don’t let Puerto Rico
become a forgotten tragedy
A human tragedy of incomprehensible proportions is unfolding in Puerto
Rico in the days since Hurricane Maria delivered a direct blow to the island.
Puerto Rico’s population of 3.2 million is roughly equal to that of
Connecticut. Th e commonwealth is considered American territory, and
its population count as American citizens. Yet the federal government’s
response to Hurricane Maria has been horribly unequal to the eff ort made
just weeks ago when Hurricane Harvey fl ooded much of southeastern Texas
and Hurricane Irma ravaged Florida.
New York, as always, is stepping up to the occasion, as the state and city
governments — along with a litany of charities and nonprofi t organizations
— are scrambling to bring much-needed supplies and relief to Puerto Rico.
Governor Andrew Cuomo and Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, who is
Puerto Rican, toured the devastated island this past weekend while delivering
essential items to help in the recovery.
Make no mistake, however, that the road to recovery for Puerto Rico will
be long. Basic infrastructure essential to human life has been wiped out. Th e
power grid was obliterated; it will take months for it to be rebuilt. Cellphone
service is severely limited. Water supplies are running low; water service is
completely gone in some areas. One dam, in particular, is damaged to the
brink of being breached, creating a situation for even greater tragedy.
Puerto Rico has experienced something beyond the worst-case scenario of
a major hurricane.
Both Congress and the president were quick to act just weeks ago to help
the victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Th e same sense of urgency, however,
doesn’t seem to be there for Puerto Rico, whose damage is much more
devastating.
FEMA said that there are 10,000 federal employees on the ground to assist
in the recovery. Airplanes and ships with supplies are also on the way. Th e
president signed a disaster declaration and pledged to visit the commonwealth,
but he didn’t give a date of when that visit would take place. Even so,
the great devastation in Puerto Rico requires that the federal government’s
response be signifi cantly stepped up to save as many lives as possible.
We urge our readers to not only donate what they can to reputable charities
assisting Puerto Rico such as United for Puerto Rico (unicosporpuertorico.
com), but we also ask them to contact their local member of Congress
and their senators urging them not to allow the tragedy in Puerto Rico to be
overlooked.
STORY: Major bus crash in Flushing injures at least 17 people
SUMMARY: Two buses collided in downtown Flushing last week,
sending at least 17 people to the hospital.
REACH: 29,303 people (as of 9/25/17)
Publisher & E ditor Victoria Schneps-Yunis
Co-Publisher Joshua A. Schneps
Associate Publisher Bob Brennan
E ditor-In-Chief Robert Pozarycki
VP, Events, Web & Social Media Amy Amato-Sanchez
Art Director Nirmal Singh
S ocial Media Manager Emily Davenport
S taff Reporters Katrina Medoff, Anthony Giudice, Angela Matua
Suzanne Monteverdi
Contributing Reporters Cliff Kasden, Samantha Sohmer, Elizabeth Aloni
Assistant to Publisher Deborah Cusick
Classified Manager Celeste Alamin
Controller Maria Valencia
President & CEO Victoria Schneps-Yunis
Vice President Joshua A. Schneps
Schneps Communications,15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361
718-224-5863 • Fax 718-224-5441
www.qns.com
editorial e-mail: editorial@qns.com
for advertising e-mail: ads@qns.com
Entire Contents Copyright 2017 by The Courier Sun
All letters sent to THE COURIER SUN should be brief and are subject to condensing. Writers should
include a full address and home and office telephone numbers, where available, as well as affiliation,
indicating special interest. Anonymous letters are not printed. Name withheld on request.
No such ad or any part thereof may be reproduced without prior permission of THE COURIER SUN. The
publishers will not be responsible for any error in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by
the error. Errors must be reported to THE COURIER SUN within five days of publication. Ad position
cannot be guaranteed unless paid prior to publication.
VIctoria Media Services assumes no liability for the content or reply to any ads. The advertiser assumes
all liability for the content of and all replies. The advertiser agrees to hold The Courier SUN and its
employees harmless from all cost, expenses, liabilities, and damages resulting from or caused by the
publication or recording placed by the advertiser or any reply to any such advertisement.