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Grace Meng (D-Flush- victims of the crash made it ing), along with business a tragedy that hit home for leaders and advocacy groups many borough residents. have launched the Health Nail Just six days after the dev- Salon Network to address il- astating Amtrak derailment legal working conditions, an that took the life of Laura exploitable workforce and un- Finamore and seven others, realistic pricing. including Justin Zemser of The heads of the Korean Far Rockaway, more than 200 American Nail Association of of her family members and New York, the Korean Ameri- friends gathered Monday for can Association of Greater her funeral at St. Anastasia New York, Asian Americans Roman Catholic Church in for Equality and the New York Douglaston. Asian Women’s Center led pri- The large number of people vate meetings to determine who had come to show their short-term and long-term solu- respect and share their memo- tions since many Asian wom- ries of the Douglaston native en work in these salons. underscored how many lives The network is calling on she touched in her lifetime. local, state and federal govern- “The truth is this is such ments to dig deeper and work an incredible shock to all of with nail salon businesses to us. It is certainly something I determine the root cause of the couldn’t have given a second practices that takes advantage of thought to merely six days of vulnerable immigrants. ago,” said Laura Finamore’s “For every turn, confron- brother, Peter Finamore, who tation or setback, there are delivered the eulogy. opportunities to learn and to The engineer of the train, become better at what you do,” Brandon Bostian, lives in For- Kim said. “Those who will re- est Hills. main and protect the status Finamore, 47, was the man- quo by finger-pointing or pick- aging director of the Cushman ing fights will not be able to Wakefield real estate firm, use this chance to become bet- where she worked for seven ter businesses.” years. She was a resident of Meng said as the daughter Manhattan, but she grew up of Asian immigrants, she fits in northeast Queens and was a the profile of both a nail salon graduate of Benjamin Cardozo worker and a owner, but ac- High School. She was also an Continued on Page 58 alumna of George Washing- ton University in Washington, DC. INSIDE THIS ISSUE Finamore’s wake was held Whitestone fears homes .....2 over the weekend at Fairchild On the Great Lawn in front of the library at St. John’s, more than 2,200 graduating students wait to Sons Funeral Home. By special Macy’s fireworks off LIC .....4 hear their names called. See story on Page 5 and additional photos on Page 46. request from her family, Rev. Rapper shot in Briarwood ...6 Photo by Michael Shain Frank Tummino delivered the sermon for the mass at St An- David Weprin to stay put ...18 Continued on Page 58 A CNG Publication Vol. 24 No. 21 68 total pages Whitestone rallies Bowne playground Residents, civics oppose developer over home site to undergo revamp BY MADINA TOURE Misty March, a landscape BY SADEF ALI KULLY architect at Hargreaves As- The Bowne Playground sociates, who is working on Dozens of Whitestone resi- located adjacent to PS 20 the project. dents rallied against overde- in Flushing is undergoing Active recreation will velopment in their neighbor- a renovation to update the consist of improving the play hood Sunday, following the park’s facilities for children equipment, the spray show- sale of a trash-ridden water- and adults alike. ers, swings and adding adult front property to a major New The park consists of a seat- fitness, but will keep every- York developer. ing area to the north, a multi- thing that exists, including Edgestone Group, a real purpose asphalt field used the basketball and handball estate and development firm, during recess by the school courts. recently bought the 18-acre in the center, a comfort sta- Passive recreation will waterfront property located on tion to the south surrounded consist of improving the 151-45 6th Road. The city has by 2- to 5-year-old play zones green space and adding per- permitted the firm to build and 5- to 12-year-old play- formance. only 52 single-family homes on ground, a handball court and Existing drinking foun- the property, including park a school garden. tains, rest rooms and lighting space that is open to residents The park is surrounded by will be improved, along with and the public. 12-foot or 16-foot high fencing, upgrading ADA access to the Rumors of an unapproved which the city Parks Depart- existing comfort station. plan to build a 200-residential- ment plans to replace with A new corner entrance unit building had set the rally a 4-foot high iron-wrought will be added. The entrance in motion. The We Love Whit- fence. There are also out- west of the comfort station estone group, elected officials dated concrete pavement and will be moved eastward to and community members benches in the sitting area. create a more direct route stood in front of the property Community Board 7 voted from one side of the play area entrance with picket signs, to approve the project for 1.28 to the other. chanting “Stick to the plan, no Whitestone residents and support groups rally to make sure the owners acres, which will cost $3.43 The project will also in- deal.” of a controversial lot at 151th Street and 6th Road do not build additional million, at its monthly board clude the addition of game “This is approved for 52 homes. Photo by Sadef Kully meeting at Union Plaza Care tables and adult fitness to the homes. Edgestone shows up Center at 33-23 Union St. in north, reducing the multi- and basically says we are go- said. “If they want to go do Sultana mentioned that Flushing Monday night. purpose courts, a perfor- ing to build 200 units and anything else, then they will Edgestone tried to expand the “You can see that active mance space and moving the shove it down your throats. have to start over. Whoever plan to include more homes, recreation is high on the play area to one side of the That’s not going to happen,” comes to this site and deviates based on the original approval list and then after that was comfort station. The hand- said Alfredo Centola, presi- from the plan faces this com- for 114 homes, but when his of- improving the passive rec- ball court and the garden dent of We Love Whitestone, munity.” fice started receiving an out- reation and then also the ex- will remain in the park.