22 THE QUEENS COURIER • NOVEMBER 14, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Study say residents are against LaGuardia AirTrain project
BY MAX PARROTT
mparrott@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
On Monday Nov. 4, the Federal Aviation
Authority released the results from a series
of heavily criticized public forums, and
ensuing comment period, over its plan to
construct an automated AirTrain system
from the Willets Point Long Island Rail
Road station to LaGuardia.
Th e agency received feedback from 255
residents in opposition to the existing
AirTrain plan and from 55 who support it.
Th e criticism ranged from the process the
agency chose for its environmental survey
to how the proposed plan would cater
toward more affl uent communities, without
benefi tting local residents.
Th e most popular subtopic of the
responses was the 7 Subway line. A total
of 185 residents complained about the 7
train’s problems with capacity, overcrowding
and deteriorating infrastructure.
Th e materials released by the FAA don’t
make it abundantly clear whether these
commenters are arguing that the AirTrain
would or would not address this issue, but
rather that residents argued these concerns
should serve as the basis of whatever plan
does come to fruition.
Commenters did say that the train does
not have the capacity to handle additional
riders, specifi cally those with luggage.
Th e second most common subtopic
was the socioeconomic impacts of the
AirTrain. As a result of the large minority
and low-income population in the
neighborhoods surrounding LaGuardia,
responders argued that those communities
were being engaged in the survey process
and benefi tted in the long-term.
Residents criticized the FAA for not
doing enough to engage the community.
Th ey complained that the scoping materials
were not presented in enough languages
for the local community.
Th ey also pointed out that the area
Far Rockaway hospital hosts breastfeeding education event for new mothers
BY SAMANTHA WANDERER
St. John’s Episcopal Hospital (SJEH),
which serves the diverse community of
Far Rockaway and Five Towns in southern
Queens County and southwestern Nassau
County, has begun taking steps to become
a designated Baby-Friendly Hospital.
Th e hospital recently held a Celebration
of New Life Event, where expecting mothers
received education about breastfeeding.
To make the learning more exciting,
St. John’s Episcopal Hospital included a
Jeopardy-style game that gave attendees
the chance to win prizes at the event.
“We wanted to create a learning environment
that was also fun, and we accomplished
just that,” said Denise Potts, MSNED,
RNC, director of maternal child
health.
Th e event was a step towards the hospital’s
goal to be a part of the Baby-Friendly
Initiative — a global program led by the
World Health Organization and UNICEF.
Th e program is designed to encourage
practices that support breastfeeding
because of its benefi ts to newborns.
Breastfeeding can improve a child’s survival
and health, but it also can prevent
chronic conditions that occur later
in life like obesity, childhood leukemias,
and high blood pressure, according to
UNICEF. To become a Baby-Friendly hospital,
education must be provided on these
benefi ts and others.
Several ideas are highlighted in the
SJEH’s new education programs, which
begin when expecting mothers attend
their obstetric and gynecological appointments,
including the hospital’s belief in
the importance of early skin-to-skin contact,
frequent feeding on demand, eff ective
positioning and attachment and exclusive
breastfeeding in the fi rst six months.
Th is education is designed to give
expecting mothers the information they
need to decide for themselves if breastfeeding
is the best option for their child
and themselves. It also helps mothers
learn about other ways they can bond with
their newborns early on.
“We have reinvented our labor and
delivery procedures to ensure that mothers
can make an informed decision about
breastfeeding, and are educated about the
importance of practices such as immediate
skin-to-skin contact at birth to begin
forming a bond with their babies,” said
Gwen Pinckney, RN, MSN, NEA-BC,
chief nursing offi cer.
SJEH said patients have comprehended
the information their providers have told
them at their regular obstetric and gynecological
appointments so far. Th e hospital
applies the teach-back method, in
which patients teach the information back
to their doctor, to ensure expecting mothers
process the information they learn.
“We found the Celebration of New Life
event to be successful in that our expecting
mothers were engaged and excited to
learn,” Potts said.
For more information, visit www.ehs.
org.
Image courtesy of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s
report on LaGuardia transit alternatives
immediately south of
the airport is located
in a transit desert,
which would be better
served with a subway
connection.
Th e other environmental
objection to the
plan focused on how
the AirTrain’s route
would impact the
Flushing Bay, Flushing
Bay Promenade and
World’s Fair Marina.
Responders were concerned
that the project
would cut off them off
from these natural features
and that the construction could contaminate
them.
Th e feedback was not all negative though.
One popular alternative to the AirTrain
plan involved an extension of the N/W
subway from Astoria Boulevard Station.
A total of 105 responders wrote about
this in their responses — more than any
other proposed alternative. Th is alternative
involves the construction of an elevated
subway structure on the Astoria Line that
would provide bi-directional service along
the residential neighborhood.
Th e responders pointed out that N/W
line has greater capacity than 7 line and
was recently renovated.
In response to the release of the scoping
report, both the Port Authority of New
York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) and Better
Way to LGA coalition, released statements
that they welcome the feedback and will
take into consideration as they move forward.
“A Better Way to LGA also looks forward
to continuing the ongoing dialogue with
the community as we learn more about the
Port Authority’s vision to build this critical
rail link without displacing any homes or
businesses,” wrote Tom Grech, co-chair of
A Better Way to LGA.
A spokesperson from the PANYNJ said
that while the FAA’s environmental review
included several community forums to
date, there will be additional meetings with
the public and elected stakeholders before
the federal review is completed.
Courtesy of St. John’s Episcopal Hospital
Photo: Max Parrott/QNS
A resident speaks to an FAA representative at the AirTrain public hearing in July.
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link
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link
