16 The Courier sun • DECEMBER 12, 2013 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com Flood fix on its way BY MAGIE HAYES [email protected] Southeast Queens neighborhoods that have long suffered from perpetual flooding may soon see some relief. A multi-year, $6 billion sewer-upgrade plan to manage the area’s flooding is already in place, but the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has launched smaller, targeted projects that can control the issues in the interim, including new storm sewers and catch basin upgrades. “I am very much looking forward to these essential improvements,” said City Councilmember Donovan Richards. “For far too long, large sections of southeast Queens have had to deal with subpar sewer systems and I eagerly await the relief these new initiatives will bring.” Storm sewers and 14 new catch basins were installed on 111th Avenue between 155th and 158th Streets and 113th Avenue between 156th and 157th Streets in South Jamaica. There are currently a number of other flood-prone locations under consideration for similar upgrades which will be approved in 2014, according to the DEP. These targeted sites are being chosen based on input from elected officials, community groups and 3-1-1 flood reports. “Ground water and flooding issues within southeast Queens cannot be resolved without total cooperation from all involved and we must stay vigilant to ensure the funding continues,” said City Councilmember Leroy Comrie. More than $383 million has been allotted over the last 10 years to continue to extend the area’s sewer system and the DEP has allocated an additional $380 million for the next 10 years. FILE PHOTO The DEP has initiated small, targeted projects to alleviate flooding in southeast Queens neighborhoods. FILE PHOTO The DEP has initiated small, targeted projects to alleviate flooding in southeast Queens neighborhoods. O’NEILL’S CELEBRATES 80 YEARS BY LIAM LA GUERE [email protected] Janet Burt recalled that she first went to O’Neill’s, the popular Maspeth bar and restaurant, when she was just 19 years old. Naturally, Burt missed the eatery when she moved to Virginia, much like the community was distraught after the tragic fire two years ago that caused O’Neill’s to close until this past September. When Burt, now 54, heard about the neighborhood bistro’s 80th anniversary, she made sure to make the journey north to celebrate with old friends. “When I heard about the 80th anniversary I knew I had to show,” Burt said. “It’s awesome. It’s so different than it used to be. It was much smaller.” Since the bar had its grand reopening, owners have increased the size, expanded the fine dining menu and added some more formal and private room space. Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley hosted a party in one of the private rooms to thank her staff and supporters, before presenting a plaque and proclamation to the restaurant from the City Council for the anniversary on Wednesday, December 4. “Everybody knows there was a big fire and it took down the walls, but it could never take down the memory,” Crowley said. “We’re so glad to be here today and celebrate 80 years. O’Neill’s has never looked better.” Civic leaders and community residents came out in droves to celebrate. They congratulated the owners and also enjoyed special deals. Because O’Neill’s was founded in 1933, a day after Prohibition was repealed, numerous beers were offered at the 10 cent price from that era. Additionally, four special cocktails were half price. There were also free roast beef sandwiches, which is an O’Neill’s tradition on Friday nights, and DJ Johnny Guerrero was spinning music that spanned eight decades. “As you saw by the turnout, the neighborhood is happy we’re back and we’re just looking for another 80 years,” O’Neill’s manager Danny Pyle said. THE COURIER/Photo by Liam La Guerre O’Neill’s owner George O’Neill (center) received an 80th anniversary proclamation from Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley (right). THE COURIER/Photo by Liam La Guerre The Department of Homeless Services has voiced support for the unpopular Glendale homeless Glendale homeless shelter one step closer to reality BY LIAM LA GUERE [email protected] Once it was a rumor. Now it’s almost reality. The Department of Homeless Services (DHS) sent a 22-page letter to the mayor’s office in favor of a proposal by non-profit Samaritan Village to transform the abandoned factory at 78-16 Cooper Avenue in Glendale into a homeless shelter for 125 families, despite strong objections from the community residents. Members of the community and elected officials have been protesting against the homeless shelter, saying that the site doesn’t make sense for the incoming struggling residents because of the lack of transportation in the neighborhood and also because the abandoned factory, which used to make plane parts, sits on very contaminated ground. “I am utterly disgusted by the initial reaction one year ago that it was a rumor, and I say to those people now that their negligence has caused this to occur,” said Kathy Masi, president of the Glendale Civic Association, which collected more than 4,000 signatures against the shelter. “If they were vigilant this would have never come to this point.” DHS provided a list of reasons why the agency believes the site is appropriate. Among them was the compatibility of the site, since it’s similar to buildings in the neighborhood. They also feel there will be no negative effects on the community. In addition, DHS noted it will provide a commodity the area is lacking, since there are no homeless shelters in the community. “In proposing the building as a site for temporary, emergency housing for homeless families with children, the DHS has carefully considered and balanced such factors as effects of the facility on neighborhood character, the concentration of similar facilities in the community district, the efficient and cost-effective delivery of services, alternative sites elsewhere in Brooklyn and the other boroughs, and the need for the proposed shelter,” the letter said. shelter proposal.
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