INSIDE: QUEENS AMBASSADOR AWARDS LARGEST AUDITED COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER IN QUEENS Nov. 3–9, 2017 Your Neighborhood — Your News® 75 cents THE NEWSPAPER OF FLUSHING, AUBURNDALE, KEW GARDENS HILLS & FRESH MEADOWS Pols want tax Subway delays still on the rise exemption on Three Queens curb repairs DIAL M FOR MEURTES rail lines among BY MARK HALLUM worst offenders City Councilman Barry BY MARK HALLUM Grodenchik (D-Oakland Gar- dens) and state Assembly- New data from the Com- man David Weprin (D-Fresh munity Service Society shows Meadows) called for the pas- low-income New Yorkers from sage of a bill which would the outer boroughs would ben- provide a tax credit to make efit most from the Gov. Andrew up for the financial burden Cuomo’s Move NY Fair Plan, placed on homeowners for also known as congestion pric- sidewalk and curb repairs. ing, with only 2 percent of the The two lawmakers stood city’s working poor expected to in front of the home of Paul pay a bridge or tunnel fee in or- Krasanoff in Hollis Hills last der to get to work. Friday to point out an exam- A report from the city’s In- ple of a curb which had been dependent Budget Office shows destroyed by a snowplow and Queens public transit commut- where rainfall has started to ers could possibly benefit most erode the family’s lawn. The from the plan, with the sharp- Krasanoffs have been with- est increases in delays occur- out a curb for years, and the ring on subway lines serving Continued on Page 59 the borough with the most pal- try options for transportation. According to the IBO report, the J train came in with the SEE QUEENS highest level of delays with a 72 percent increase in the time VOTER GUIDE passengers are waiting on the PAGES platform. The No. 7 was the sec- ond highest in Queens with a 61 4-6,8,22-23 More serious than Halloween — but still a lot of spooky fun — it’s the Day of the Dead, celebrated in percent increase in wait times Mexico and much of the rest of Latin America, not to mention this festival in Corona’s Park of the and the E train came in with 49 Americas. See photos on Page 28. Photo by Michael Shain percent spike. Continued on Page 59 A CNG Publication Vol. 26 No. 44 68 total pages Medical Center Blessed Hands Chiropratic P.C. SERVICES PROVIDED: We Treat Neck & Back Pain, Spine -Rehabilitation -Physical Therapy Injuries, Post Surgical Rehabilitation, -Internal Medicine -Chiropractic High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Muscle -Sports Medicine Treatment -Orthopedic -Acupuncture Spasm/ Strains, Meniscal Tears, -Pain Management -Weight Management Disc Herniations and Displacements, No Appoinment Necessary Nerve Damage and More 180-09 Jamaica Ave, Jamaica, NY | Tel: 917.300.5566 / Fax: 917.300.5567 | Email: [email protected] FLIP DOH looks for answers MacNeil Seawall Health Dept. running tests to fi nd cause of Legionnaires’ repairs set for 2018 BY GINA MARTINEZ porters, asking Lewandowski to demand a contract be award- After years of delays, con- ed last fall. struction on the long-awaited “Demand that the contract MacNeil Seawall is set to begin be awarded ASAP so that work this spring. can begin this fall and we can City Councilman Paul Val- get the path fixed and reopened! lone (D-Bayside) and Queens College Point has been ignored Parks Commissioner Dorothy for too long - make your voice Lewandowski announced last heard!” the petition read. week that a $4.4 million con- At several community tract has been awarded to AAH board and civic meetings resi- Contractor to repair College dents were obviously losing pa- Point’s crumbling seawall. tience and complaining to elect- College Point residents have ed and Parks officials about the been fighting for repairs to be delays. made to the waterfront path Despite the long wait, Val- and seawall for years. lone counts the contract as a According to residents, victory for the College Point there are holes in the seawall community. which only worsened after Hur- “After meeting with the ricane Sandy, but despite multi- Coastal Preservation Network ple bids to contractors over the and the Parks Department in years the Parks Department did my office, the urgency of award- The Department of Helath is continuing testing to determine what caused the recent Legionnaires’ outbreak not make any serious progress. ing this contract was made in Flushing. AP Construction on the sea- clear,” he said. “I look forward wall was initially set to begin to continuing to work with BY GINA MARTINEZ “We’re hopeful that the ex- cooling towers, whirlpool spas, in 2015, but nothing was done the College Point community posure that caused this cluster hot tubs, humidifiers, hot wa- and the path was fenced off, so that the dream of a vibrant After two new cases of is over because we haven’t seen ter tanks, and the evaporative angering many residents. Then MacNeil Park with waterfront Legionnaires’ disease were anybody diagnosed since Octo- condensers of large air-con- in December 2016 two bidders accessibility is fully realized.” confirmed, the New York City ber 19, but we’re very vigilant, ditioning systems, the DOH withdrew their bids when they The Parks commissioner Department of Health held a we’re very concerned to get the said. did not meet a mandate from added that her department community meeting in down- word out to residents that they The Alliance to Prevent Le- the mayor’s office, further de- was happy to select a contrac- town Flushing giving updates should seek care early,” Bassett gionnaires’ Disease spokesman laying the search for a contrac- tor and it is moving forward on and tips. said at the Mondays meeting. Daryn Cline said if the DOH tor from spring until this fall. finalizing the contract so that Health Commissioner Dr. The Health Department is is truly committed to finding Last year environmentalist construction can begin this Mary T. Bassett, Deputy Com- actively investigating the clus- the source of the outbreak, it Kathryn Cervino began a pe- winter. missioner Dr. Demetre Daska- ter and has taken water sam- should expand its investigation tition page on thepetitionsite. “Once complete, this espla- lakis and City Councilman Pe- ples from all cooling tower sys- beyond cooling towers. com which got nearly 500 sup- Continued on Page 59 ter Koo (D-Flushing) gathered tems within the investigation “First and foremost, Legion- at Flushing Town hall Monday zone in downtown Flsuhing to naires’ disease is fundamental- and answered questions about test for Legionella, the bacteria ly a water issue,” he said. “DOH the cluster of Legionnaires’ in that causes Legionnaires’. should consider all possible the central business district. Symptoms typically include transmission points potential- In the last two weeks DOH fever, cough, chills, muscle ly infected with the Legionella has confirmed 14 cases of Le- aches, headache, fatigue, loss bacteria coming from the wa- gionnaires’ disease in the of appetite, confusion and diar- ter distribution system and not downtown Flushing area, with rhea and appear two to 10 days singularly focus on one piece two new confirmed cases as of after significant exposure to of equipment. The department Oct. 19. According to Bassett, 13 Legionella bacteria, according should not short-circuit the patients have been discharged to the DOH. investigation by solely testing from the hospital and one pa- Legionnaires’ disease can- cooling towers.” tient is currently still hospital- not be spread from person to ized. person and most cases can be Reach Gina Martinez by e- Bassett advised Flushing traced to plumbing systems mail at gmartinez@cnglocal. residents to get tested if they where conditions are favorable com or by phone at (718) 260– College Point’s MacNeil Seawall will finally be repaired this spring. begin to feel sick. for Legionella growth, such as 4566. Photo by Christina Santucci IN THIS ISSUE HOW TO REACH US Police Blotter................................................10 Day of the Dead...........................................28 MAIL: 41-02 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, NY 11361 Editorials and Letters.................................12 Boro Beat......................................................40 PHONE: Display Advertising: (718) 260-4521 — Editorial: (718) 260-4545 Rhymes with Crazy......................................14 Q Guide ...................................................47-54 FAX: Advertising: (718) 224-5821 — Classified: (718) 260-2549 New Voices.....................................................14 Sports ......................................................57-58 Editorial (718) 224-2934 E-MAIL: Editorial: [email protected] On Point..........................................................15 Classifieds..............................................60-66 Display Advertising: [email protected] Classified: [email protected] TO SUBSCRIBE: Call (718) 260-4521 Copyright©2017 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 2017. 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 2 TIMESLEDGER, NOV. 3–9, 2017 FT TIMESLEDGER.COM FDNY proposes Fort Totten wind turbine $460K project would reduce electrical cost at department’s academy in Bayside BY GINA MARTINEZ tall. for the Fire Department,” he “If this is approved, it said. “Most people see us as Community Board 7 held would be the first wind tur- very conservative in what we its monthly meeting and at the bine placed on city property do. On our side we’re always top of the agenda was a poten- ever in the city of New York, trying new things, we’re al- tial wind turbine on Bayside’s “ Paul DeRocchis, director of ways trying to innovate and we Fort Totten military base.