20 THE QUEENS COURIER • OCTOBER 4, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Elected offi cials celebrate the expansion
of an overcrowded school in Flushing
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com/ @jenna_bagcal
Several eastern Queens offi cials joined
together last Th ursday to celebrate the
expansion of P.S. 24Q Andrew Jackson
in Flushing.
On Th ursday, Sept. 27, Councilman
Peter Koo, Assemblywoman Nily Rozic
and state Senator Toby Stavisky joined
school leaders for ribbon-cutting ceremony
in honor of the state-of-the-art
improvements made to P.S. 24Q, located
at 45-57 Union St. Enhancements included
488 new seats for every grade, 28 new
classrooms, a rooft op playground, dance
studio, science and technology labs and a
pre-K program.
“With our new building, our youngest
students are able to attend pre-K with their
older siblings, our kindergarten students
have returned from P.S. 107Q, and all of our
children have the opportunities to explore
in their new music, dance and art studios,
create and experiment in their technology,
science and STEM labs, and enjoy the beautiful
surroundings in their classrooms,” said
P.S. 24Q Principal Debra Cassidy.
In 2015 120 kindergarten students at
P.S. 24 have had to attend classes in trailers
due to an overcrowding issue. QNS
reported that the trailers were parked on
the school’s basketball court. Students
from the school had also been temporarily
transferred to local school P.S. 107
Th omas A. Dooley in Flushing.
A year aft er the complaints of overcrowding,
the school announced that it
would create a new building to better
accommodate its student body and also
make improvements to the school.
“Th is new expansion will provide critical
overcrowding relief and instructional
space to one of our area’s fl agship elementary
schools,” Councilman Koo said.
“Flushing is undergoing a period of rapid
growth, and it is imperative that the infrastructure
of our schools keeps pace with
the population. Many thanks to the leadership
at P.S. 24, the SCA, and School
District 25 who pushed for and prioritized
this needed expansion.”
Photo courtesy of the offi ce of Councilman Peter Koo
Improvements to P.S. 24Q were made
thanks to the eff orts of School District
25. In addition to the current expansion,
future improvements to the school are
also in the works, including the construction
of two additional classrooms, lobby
renovations, bathrooms and offi ces for
the special education team, parent coordinator
and aft er-school program.
111th Pct. tells residents to stay vigilant
following rise in car & home break-ins
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com/ @jenna_bagcal
Car break-ins and burglaries are on the
rise in northeast Queens, according to
offi cers from the 111th Precinct.
Police Offi cer John Erdman of the
111th Precinct Community Aff airs Unit
warned residents about this increasing
trend during the Oct. 1 Community
Board 11 meeting at M.S. 158 in Bayside.
Erdman said that local parents, particularly
women, were reporting stolen bags,
wallets and phones aft er picking up their
children from school.
“Th ey get there early, responsibly parking
a distance from the school and walk
down and get their children. However,
it seems to be aff ecting mostly women;
they leave their pocketbooks in their
vehicle — whether it’s on the front seat,
the fl oor, in the backseat,” said Erdman.
“Th ese people are opportunistic. Th ey
see you have a car. Th ey see you walking
down the street with nothing. Th ey
see you turn the corner of the school and
then they go to your car.”
Th e offi cer said that even if people’s
windows and doors are locked, thieves
may still make an attempt to get to valuables
left in people’s cars. Erdman pointed
out that thieves may be on the lookout
for expensive designer bags which
oft en cost upwards of $1,000.
“Take your bag with you. Gentlemen,
take your wallets with you; don’t leave
them behind. It takes two seconds to
throw it in your pocket,” Erdman said.
Th e offi cer added that similar breakins
were also happening around Alley
Pond Park and other local parks
within the 111th Precinct’s confi nes,
which includes all or parts of Bayside,
Douglaston, Flushing and Little Neck.
Erdman also highlighted the rash of
home burglaries that have been happening
in the area. He defi ned a burglary as
someone breaking into someone’s home
using force.
“If you’re leaving, even for a short time
— whether it’s 15 minutes going to the
store, 20 minutes to pick up a child from
school, whatever it may be, maybe you
pick up a husband or a wife from the
train — lock your doors. Close your windows,”
said Erdman.
He invited residents to get their homes
evaluated by the NYPD with their free
home security surveys, during which
NYPD offi cers check doors, windows
and door frames for their structural
integrity. Th e offi cers then tell residents
Image via Shutterstock
what they can improve in their homes in
order to make them safer from breakins.
For more information or to request
a home survey, call the 111th Precinct
Crime Prevention Unit at 718-279-5281.
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