14 THE QUEENS COURIER • DECEMBER 20, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Kew Gdns. airs grievances at Stringer over jails & bike lanes
BY MARK HALLUM
mhallum@cnglocal.com
@QNS
City Comptroller Scott Stringer bonded
with residents at a community meeting
Photo: Mark Hallum/THE COURIER
Comptroller Scott Stringer engaged the community in Kew Gardens to hear their grievances on local
and citywide issues.
Ozone Park Catholic Academy fi nds unique ways to raise funds for school technology
BY NAEISHA ROSE
nrose@cnglocal.com
@QNS
Divine Mercy Catholic Academy in
Ozone Park is trying to raise funds to get
iPads in its classrooms, according to the
school’s fundraising coordinator Michelle
Bernabo.
Th e Catholic school is located at 101-60
92nd St. and is trying to raise funds for 191
iPads for Kindergarten to grade eight students,
according to Bernabo.
“Th ey eventually want them all to have
them,” said Bernabo about the New York
State Education Department, which
implemented a policy in 2016 to transition
to computer-based testing for grades
three to eight students taking English
Language Arts and math state exams.
Eventually, the current 17 nursery to
Pre-K for All students and future incoming
pupils will have to utilize the iPads
too once they are old enough to take state
exams, according to Bernabo.
Th e computer-based testing is to
get 21st-century learners an improved
test-taking experience, according to the
state’s Education Department. Th e purpose
is to have enhanced test delivery and
integrity, better scoring validity, and a
faster turn-around time on testing results.
“Th e older kids will also being doing
science exams on them as well,” said
Bernabo.
Th e school intends on fi nding ways to
utilize the iPads in classrooms for curriculum
at Divine Mercy as well, said
Bernabo.
“We already have smart boards and I
think the iPads could be connected to
the smart boards too,” said the fundraising
coordinator of 20 years.
Bernabo believes that the iPads could
be utilized for social studies, science, and
math notes through the smart boards in
the school’s classrooms.
“A lot of the children are not good about
taking notes,” said Bernabo. “Th is puts
more information at their fi ngertips.”
Apple iPads could range from $329 for
the 7.9-inch screens to $999 for the brand
new 12.9-inch iPad Pro devices, according
to www.apple.com. Th ese prices don’t
include the insurance or the accessories
the school might have to consider to get
for each unit.
Th e Catholic Academy has come up
with many creative ways of raising funds.
“We sell Christmas wreaths, we did a
lunch with Santa, I did a brochure, we did
a candy drive, bake sales, a talent show,
and we are going to do a fashion show,”
said the fundraiser.
On March 28, 2019, from 6 p.m. to 10
p.m. the school will do a fashion show to
further help raise funds.
“Th e children will model everyday wear,
formal wear and sportswear in a makeshift
runway,” according to Bernabo.
“Th ere’s always a variety.”
Divine Mercy Catholic Academy hopes
to raise enough funds by September 2019.
at Kew Gardens Community Center
on Dec. 18 discussing de Blasio administration
policies that they believe have left
neighborhoods in a lurch.
Community jails and Vision Zero road
redesigns had residents airing grievances
about being left out of the process of
change in their city which Stringer condemned.
One resident was angry that there was
no community involvement in the decision
to redevelop the Queens Detention
Complex located at 126-02 82nd Ave.
Many in the audience want the de Blasio
administration to revamp Rikers Island
instead of closing it within the next
decade.
“It’s critical that elected offi cials come
into communities and listen to what people
say, to have an intelligent conversation
on how we allocate resources, how
we look at economic development projects
and how we look at contentious
issues as well whether it’s the placement
of a prison facility or a homeless facility,”
Stronger said. “Th is administration
has not done that and I fi nd the way in
which they’re siting the prisons in the
middle of the night ... Th ey are ruining
the community planning process
because they think it is better to do it in
the dark without community planning.”
During an October meeting with de
Blasio administration offi cials at Borough
Hall regarding the community jail, city
offi cials were not able to get a word in
edgewise over the voices of more than
100 people who turned out.
Stringer acknowledged that Rikers
poses a dangerous situation for both
guards and inmates, but said he had his
own frustrations about the number of
New Yorkers who claim the administration
has taken action either without or
despite community input.
In regards to street redesigns, audience
members felt as though the city
Department of Transportation has put
the needs of bicyclists above car owners.
“DOT hates motorists,” one man
said, arguing against MuniMeter rates
being hiked recently. “Th ey’re asking us
to pay more but we’re not getting anything
back.”
Complaining that bike lanes were taking
away from parking while crackdowns
on existing parking were unfair, a few in
the audience felt the interests of bicycle
advocates were better represented.
Stringer agreed that there Vision Zero
was an eff ective plan to decrease the number
of fatalities on the streets throughout
the city, but agreed that some locations
just are not suitable.
“Th ere is no question of bias. We
demand safe drivers, that’s what Vision
Zero is, but we also want safe bicyclists,”
Stringer said.
Over the summer, Community Board
2 fumed over a bike lane proposal from
DOT that eliminated over 100 parking
spaces on Skillman and 43rd avenues.
Despite holding multiple hearings and
revising the plan, CB2 voted against the
installing bike lanes.
De Blasio ordered DOT to move forward
with the plan regardless.
“You can’t go to people in Brooklyn
and Queens and tell them, ‘You need
to get out of your cars when there’s
no transportation build-out,” Stringer
said. “Th e people in Kew Gardens and
Forest Hills are being pushed out of
the decision-making and discussion process.
We’re here today to say that has to
change.”
Photo: Facebook/Divine Mercy Catholic Academy, Ozone Park
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