14 The Courier sun • december 31, 2015 for breaking news visit www.qns.com s year in photos Dramatic rescue in Little Neck They decided to walk on ice and almost paid with their lives. Two teenagers had to be rescued by firefighters on Valentine’s Day after they became stuck on cracking ice while walking over a frozen portion of Little Neck Bay, about 300 to 400 feet from the shoreline. Video later published on YouTube showed the harrowing rescue, as firefighters stretched a ladder over the cracking ice to allow the teenagers to reach solid ground. One of the teens had to be hospitalized for exposure to the freezing water but made a recovery. RIFT OVER DEVELOPMENT STUDY AT SUNNYSIDE YARDS Having sparked redevelopment projects over the Hudson Yards in Manhattan, New York City turned its attention to western Queens in seeking the next big development project. The city’s Economic Development Corporation announced on Feb. 20 a request for proposals for a yearlong feasibility study regarding building over the 200-acre railyards utilized by Amtrak, the MTA and New Jersey Transit. In his State of the City address, Mayor Bill de Blasio indicated that the Sunnyside Yards development would result in the creation of more than 11,000 housing units. The development idea, however, drew disapproval from both Governor Andrew Cuomo and concerns from local elected officials including Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, state Senator Michael Gianaris and City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer. february MELVA MILLER NAMED NEW DEPUTY BORO PREZ Queens Borough President Melinda Katz named on Feb. 10 economic development official Melva Miller as her deputy borough president, succeeding state Senator Leroy Comrie. Miller previously served as director of economic development for former Borough President Helen Marshall and was the founding executive director of the Sutphin Boulevard Business Improvement District. “I am grateful that Borough President Katz chose to promote from within and is allowing me the opportunity to continue building the economic viability of the borough and expand to other service areas of the borough,” Miller said. QUEENS COURIER BUYS RIDGEWOOD TIMES Schneps Communications, which owns The Queens Courier and 18 other publications, purchased on Feb. 6 the 107-year-old Ridgewood Times and Times Newsweekly from their previous owner, Maureen Walthers. The deal further expanded the company’s presence in western Queens and resulted in a dramatic change in the paper’s format, as Schneps introduced an allcolor layout and an enhanced digital presence. Ridgewood Times and Times Newsweekly stories began appearing daily on The Queens Courier’s website.
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