Ready to Rumble Bay Terrace fi Ghts Against Proposed Development
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LARGEST AUDITED COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER IN QUEENS July 27–Aug. 2, 2018 Your Neighborhood — Your News® 75 cents THE NEWSPAPER OF FLUSHING, AUBURNDALE, KEW GARDENS HILLS & FRESH MEADOWS Ready to rumble Bay Terrace fi ghts against proposed development BY STEVEN GOODSTEIN posal for 214-10 15th Ave. Resi- but only if it matches the neigh- dents fear their quality of life borhood’s identity, which it does More than 100 Bay Terrace could be compromised in the not. It’s out of character.” residents, along with communi- coveted residential area. Avella also warned the com- ty leaders and elected officials, The rally took place at the munity that chaos could envel- A former Douglaston stockbroker is back in prison after attempting to avoid have voiced their displeasure site of the proposed four-story, op the one-way street from the restitution payments to his fraud victims. Courtesy of Attorney General’s office with the plans for a future de- nearly 30,000-square-foot build- day care center’s drop offs and velopment that would include ing which would have 18 apart- pick ups. nearly 20 new apartment units ment units and a day care cen- The senator said he had been and a day care center. ter. trying to reach the architect of Former Douglaston broker The Bay Terrace Communi- “Having a day care on this the project, Tan Architect P.C., ty Alliance, supported by state block would be a disaster for the for over a week. He said he has Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) residents on this street,” said spoken and set up a meeting locked up once again: AG and Assemblyman Edward Avella, who has vowed to stall with Dun Xing Zhang of Bay- Braunstein (D-Bayside), drew the development process until side 215th Realty, the owner and BY NAEISHA ROSE has shown zero remorse for his a large turnout of concerned the area is successfully rezoned. developer of the property. victims and a complete disregard neighbors at a rally last Friday “I am in great support of having Dun Xing Zhang could not Franklin Marone, a former for the law,” said Underwood. against the development pro- a day care center in this district Continued on Page 46 stockbroker from Douglaston, In early 2014, Marone started was sent back to prison last week missing court-ordered restitu- after a failed attempt to avoid res- tion payments, according to Ra- titution payments to victims of chel Shippee, a spokeswoman at IGHTS AMERA CTION his securities fraud scheme and the AG’s office, and instead of L , C , A ! stealing from loved ones, includ- paying back the remaining $1.2 ing his elderly mother, according million to the ski patrollers, he to state Attorney General Barba- claimed he had no assets and ra Underwood. minimal income, and took mon- Once he was released from ey from loved ones in order to prison in 2010 after serving six live a lavish lifestyle. years in prison for defrauding In one instance, between $5.4 million from 29 members of May and June 2016, Marone the Windham Ski Patrol whom impersonated his mother while he worked with part-time at a speaking to a representative of mountain resort in the Catskills, a financial institution in an at- Marone would go on to commit tempt to steal $50,000 from her, grand larceny and scheme to de- according to the AG’s office. He fraud $360,000 in January 2014 to did manage steal $45,000 from an September 2017 from a military ex-girlfriend and family friend, veteran, an ex-girlfriend, a fam- prosecutors said. ily friend, and his 89-year-old While he claimed to have no mother in Queens and L.I., ac- money in affidavits, he received cording to Underwood’s office. over $55,000 in checks payable “A fter previously being con- to himself, spent $64,000 in Jeep victed of fraud, the defendant Continued on Page 46 Predictions of high winds and rain chased the 5th Annual Louis Armstrong Wonderful World Festival out of Flushing Meadows Corona Park and into a concert hall at Queens College. Flushing’s own Action Bronson was the headliner. See photos on Page 16. Photo by Michael Shain A CNG Publication Vol. 27 No. 30 52 total pages APEC gets new signal Two streets near PS 163 Little Neck has wanted traffi c light for many years converted to one-ways BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED tion in the Queensboro Hill area.” Lawmakers and commu- Responding to traffic nity leaders celebrated new congestion caused by pick- street conversions near PS up and drop-off of kids at 163 at 159-01 59th Ave. in PS 163, Rozic, Stavisky, and Flushing last week, after Koo contacted the DOT re- years of advocacy from the questing a traffic study to school and civic leaders to determine the feasibility of ensure the safety of stu- potential additional safety dents and families. measures for the area sur- State Assemblywom- rounding the school. The an Nily Rozic (D-Fresh agency had determined Meadows), state Sen. Toby that the school was eligible Stavisky (D-Flushing), for street conversions and Councilman Peter Koo (D- scheduled implementation Flushing) and other com- to occur July 17. munity leaders thanked “Converting 159th Street the city Department of and 160th Street to one- Transportation for con- ways will simplify vehicu- verting 159th Street and lar movements around the Pushed by City Councilman Paul Vallone, the Alley Pond Environmental Center will soon get a traffic light to 160th Street from a two-way school and make pedestrian make driving safer for motorists. Google Maps street to a one-way street. crossings safer and more “The PS. 163 Flushing predictable,” said Nicole BY STEVEN GOODSTEIN “The community has re- exacerbate the problem.” Heights community has Garcia, DOT’s Queens bor- quested this for years and I’m “We are very happy that the gone for far too long with- ough commissioner. “DOT City Councilman Paul Val- happy that the DOT heard our DOT has moved forward with out additional measures to is excited to implement this lone (D-Bayside) has announced call,” said Vallone, who first re- this safety improvement - an im- make streets safer for lo- change around PS 163.” a new traffic signal for the Alley quested the signal three years provement we have supported cal families and children,” Francine Marsaggi, Pond Environmental Center in ago. “Having a traffic light at for years,” said Victor Dadras, said Rozic. “I am glad that principal of PS 163, said she Little Neck to increase the safe- this intersection will go a long vice president of the Douglaston the city Department of was thrilled that the street ty and access for vehicles when way towards improving the Local Development Corpora- Transportation has imple- changes surrounding the they are entering or exiting the safety of the students, parents tion. “We consider APEC a real mented these changes and building were taking ef- nature center’s parking lot. and teachers that visit APEC asset to the community and the am confident that they will fect and would be in place The signal will assist both each year.” addition of a traffic signal to im- significantly ease conges- Continued on Page 46 eastbound traffic for exiting Northeast Queens organiza- prove pedestrian safety is very vehicles and westbound traffic tions that have also requested welcome.” for vehicles entering or exiting the traffic signal in the past The traffic signal is expected APEC at 228-06 Northern Blvd. include the Douglaston Local to be installed and operating by A left-turn bay will also be in- Development Corporation and the end of the summer or the cluded in the implementation, the Auburndale Improvement beginning of the fall, just before which will further assist west- Association. the start of the school year. bound traffic. “It’s very difficult for ve- “This traffic signal will Westbound traffic now has to hicles to enter and exit there,” drastically improve the safety cross an entire boulevard strip state Assemblyman Ed Braun- of children, students, adults and to enter or exit APEC’s parking stein (D-Bayside) said of APEC’s volunteers that visit or com- lot with no signal. location. “Especially during mute here on a regular basis,” According to a DOT spokes- rush hour, that entire portion of said APEC executive director man, the city Department of Northern Boulevard is backed Irene Scheid. Transportation conducted a up with traffic, which also con- APEC, which first opened study for APEC’s traffic in re- tributes to the problem.” in 1976, is a non-profit organi- sponse to community safety con- “If it makes the traffic situa- zation which provides students cerns, which resulted in the ap- tion worse, we will have to reach and adults with environmental proval of the traffic signal. The out to DOT so they can make the and ecological education. The DOT concluded that the area appropriate changes,” Braun- organization provides class The City Department of Transportation will convert 159th Street and was in need of additional traffic stein said. “Hopefully, the DOT visits and workshops for 50,000 160th Street by PS 163 Flushing Heights School to one-way streets controls at the intersection of will do its due diligence to make children, over 23,000 students to help ensure pedestrian safety and ease traffic congestion in the Northern Boulevard and APEC. sure this traffic signal doesn’t and 20,000 adults each year. area. 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