Avonte Mystery Ends in Death Win Round One with Mickey D Family’S Lawyer Vows to Sue City for Negligence After Boy’S Remains Found in College Pt
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LARGEST AUDITED COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER IN QUEENS Jan. 24-30 2014 Your Neighborhood - Your News ® 75 cents THE NEWSPAPER OF FLUSHING, AUBURNDALE, KEW GARDENS HILLS & FRESH MEADOWS # )'(+#: FLI@<I C @=< 9 > Huang’s Audrey Realty Special D Celebrate failed to pay its taxes pullout GAME TIME New Year’s Where to go, section what to do, Pages 4, 4433 Page 7 & how to celebrate this Super Sunday Korean elders Avonte mystery ends in death win round one with Mickey D Family’s lawyer vows to sue city for negligence after boy’s remains found in College Pt. BY ALEX ROBINSON A Flushing McDonald’s fran- chise and a group of Korean se- niors the fast food chain said had outstayed their welcome have of- ficially ended a feud that drew in- ternational attention last week. The group of seniors had been coming into the McDon- ald’s, at 144-01 Northern Blvd., buying a $1.09 cup of coffee each and sitting for hours on end chat- ting, before employees eventually decided to call the police when Continued on Page 51 An NYPD dive unit wades into the water in Powell’s Cove in search of remains belonging for autistic teen Avonte Oquendo (inset), who went missing from his Long MAILING ADDRESS GOES HERE Island City school in October. AP Photo/Jason DeCrow-Inset courtesy NYPD BY ALEX ROBINSON which thousands of volunteers Fontaine had continued to hold hattan office. joined his mother and plastered out hope even when police found When police also found Fruit Avonte Oquendo’s mother his picture in posters all over the size 5 1/2 sneakers and size 16 of the Loom underwear near the refused to believe her son was not city. jeans near the boys remains, remains, Perecman asked Fon- coming home until she had abso- The search for the 14-year- which were what Avonte was taine if Avonte had any under- lute proof. old boy ended Tuesday afternoon wearing when he ran out a door wear of that make. She respond- Avonte, who had severe au- when the city’s medical examiner at his school. ed she did not know. Perecman tism and was unable to speak, confirmed the human remains “She did everything she asked her why she had not looked disappeared from his Long Is- that were found on the shore could not to have to recognize in Avonte’s drawer to find out. land City school more than three of College Point last week were this reality,” David Perecman, “She said ‘I don’t want to,’” months ago. His disappearance those of Avonte. the family’s lawyer, told a news Perecman said. triggered a citywide search in The boy’s mother Vanessa conference Tuesday in his Man- Continued on Page 57 A CNG Publication Vol. 23 No. 4 64 total pages 2 FT Bayside school wins award Kim warns residents COM . of IV fl uids misuse PS 46 celebrates National Blue Ribbon for academic achievement BY ALEX ROBINSON fection and serious health TIMESLEDGER problems, Song said. State Assemblyman Intravenous solutions Ron Kim (D-Flushing) are typically used in hospi- joined Asian-American tals on patients who are un- health professionals last able to hydrate themselves. week to warn residents of Song said the solution pa- . 24-30 2014 2014 . 24-30 AN the dangers of the inappro- tients receive in private , J priate use of intravenous clinics is typically water fluids in the Asian commu- with some electrolytes and EDGER L nity. is similar to Gatorade. IMES T There is a prevail- “In terms of what the ing belief in some Asian patients feel, there’s prob- cultures that IV solutions ably a large placebo effect. cure aches, pains and ill- They think they’re get- ness and as a result they ting something. They see are commonly asked for in something happening, so Chinese and Korean hospi- they assume they should tals, said Dr. Jason Song, a get better and feel better,” cardiologist at North Shore Song said. “When patients University Hospital. are fatigued from working PS 46 students Lindsey Domiano (l.-r.), Arthur Stewart, Hannah Yang, Natalie Ha and Victoria Kim perform music during a ceremony to “When they come here a long day, and they sim- celebrate the school’s 2013 National Blue Ribbon Award. Photo by Kelsey Durham and are unaware of the lev- ply get to relax in a chair el of care they can access, for one or two hours, that BY KELSEY DURHAM year. Last year marked the complishment. how dedicated the students they simply demand the just makes them feel bet- first time PS 46 received City Councilman are to hard work. same type of treatment or ter. And they’re attributing The students and staff this award and Goldberg, Mark Weprin (D-Oakland PS 46 is also home to expect that that is the most that to the solution.” at PS 46 in Bayside know who is in her 11th year as Gardens), state Sen. Tony several special needs and they can get,” Song said. The injection of intra- that academic success is principal at the school, said Avella (D-Bayside) and English as a Second Lan- This is problematic as venous solutions to cure not just about getting good she never imagined such U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D- guage students, and Gold- many immigrants substi- maladies has become so grades. success. Flushing) presented the berg said that diversity tute actual medical care prevalent in China that the “It’s about everything,” “When I got into educa- school with official resolu- gives another layer of ac- with intravenous injections country’s health officials said Marsha Goldberg, the tion years ago, I never, ever tions honoring PS 46 for its complishment to achieving at private clinics and the have been urging the popu- school’s principal. “Hard expected that anything like achievement. the national honor. misuse of these injections lation to stop using them, work, the joy of learning, this would have happened,” “This is such an excit- “It’s an added dimen- can heighten risks of in- Continued on Page 51 being a well-rounded child. she said. ing honor and it’s about sion and shows that we’re a That’s what we celebrate.” To celebrate this dis- time you got recognized,” microcosm of what society Earlier this month, PS tinction, the school de- Weprin said during his re- should be like,” she said. 46 was one of just 18 schools clared last week “Blue marks to the packed audito- “No one feels differently or in all of New York state to Ribbon Week” throughout rium. “It’s nice to be nation- is treated differently.” be designated as a 2013 Na- the building and held a ally honored for something City Comptroller Scott tional Blue Ribbon school ceremony Jan. 17 honoring we’ve all known for a long Stringer also spoke at the by the U.S. Department of the students and teachers time, and that’s that PS 46 event and praised the entire Education, recognizing the who made the remarkable is a very special place.” school community on the high level of performance achievement possible. Sev- With the recent chang- hard work it took to achieve the school has recorded eral elected officials, from es to Common Core curric- the National Blue Ribbon over the past few years. local to federal levels, ac- ulum that called for more distinction. He thanked the To be named a Blue cepted invitations to attend rigorous testing among parents for their dedication Ribbon school, a building the event and offered their students as young as third- to their children and for en- must have test scores that congratulations to the graders, Goldberg said the forcing the importance of State Assemblyman Ron Kim, flanked by medical professionals, place it in the top 15 per- young learners and their school’s success is even education in their homes. warns residents of the dangers of IV solution misuse. cent for the most recent educators on the major ac- more significant and shows Continued on Page 57 Photo by Alex Robinson IN THIS ISSUE HOW TO REACH US Police Blotter ........................................................8 Super Bowl ....................................................27-38 MAIL: 41-02 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, NY 11361 Editorials and Letters ................................. 12-13 QGuide ...........................................................43-48 PHONE: Display Advertising: (718) 260-4521 — Editorial: (718) 260-4545 Political Action ....................................................14 The Play’s the Thing ..........................................44 FAX: Advertising: (718) 224-5821 — Classified: (718) 260-2549 QueensLine ...........................................................14 Business ............................................................... 50 Editorial (718) 224-2934 New Voices ............................................................15 Sports ............................................................ 53-56 E-MAIL: Editorial: [email protected] Display Advertising: [email protected] Remember the Date ...........................................15 Classified ......................................................58-62 Classified: [email protected] Focus on Queens ................................................26 TO SUBSCRIBE: Call (718) 260-4521 Copyright©2014 Queens Publishing Corp. FLUSHING TIMES (USPS#03925) is published weekly by News Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., 41-02 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, NY.11361, (718) 229-0300. The entire contents of this publication are copyright 2014. All rights reserved. The newspaper will not be liable for errors appearing in any advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Periodicals postage paid at Flushing, N.Y. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the FLUSHING TIMES C/O News Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. 41-02 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, N.Y. 11361 3 Group kicks off effort to preserve site of 1964 World’s Fair BT T IMES L People for the Pavilion to hold fi rst event in campaign to rehabilitate historic structure EDGER , J BY ALEX ROBINSON signed by architect Philip and started to do some in- take place at the Queens AN Johnson and opened in 1964 tensive research on the Theater, at 14 United Na- 2014 .