Category Archives: Ozone Park
Residents of several neighborhoods around the city got a small taste of what it’s like to be involved in the city budget process. Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) was among the four council members that were involved in a participatory budget, which allowed residents of their district to vote on what programs or local facilities get funding in their neighborhoods. Ulrich did this for people that live in the Rockaways and Broad Channel, which is part of his district. They … Continue reading
Laura Latham can appreciate the value of watching her children play just like regular kids, even if only for a little while. A parent of two children, one with autism, Latham was one of several members of New York Families for Autistic Children (NYFAC) in 2008 that were approached by Terry Flanagan, president of the Woodhaven- Ozone Park-Richmond Hill- Kew Gardens-and South Ozone Park (WORKS) Little League, with a new idea—having NYFAC’s children play baseball with the South Queens baseball … Continue reading
In a shocking announcement at 10 this morning, Republican City Councilman Eric Ulrich posted a video saying he will challenge Democrat Joe Addabbo for his New York State Senate seat. Just this week, City and State reported that Ulrich, a second-term councilman, was unlikely to run for senate. He is, however, a top choice of Queens GOP officials. The 27-year-old is viewed as a rising star on the Republican horizon. Addabbo and Ulrich will battle for the 15th District, … Continue reading
Almost 70 years passed between the time Anton Dietrich Jr. was wounded during a battle in North Africa and when he received a Purple Heart for his bravery just last week. Dietrich is a 93-year-old WWII Army veteran who lives in Richmond Hill. He fought in Tunisia, landed in Sicily as well as Normandy, and spent 32 months at Walter Reed Medical Center when a mortar shell tore into his legs, arm and back. Dietrich was awarded a host of … Continue reading
As another Queens hospital closes, concern is growing on Community Board 5 that there’s an epidemic lack of beds in the borough. At CB 5’s meeting last week, the chairman of the board’s Health and Human Services Committee introduced a resolution urging local politicians to find a fix. Bob Cermeli, the committee chair, said he’s seen too many bankrupt or shuttered hospitals leading to a systemic crisis of space. “We’re always in constant threat of disasters, man-made, natural, and if … Continue reading
The Queens Public Library is introducing a pilot program that will allow people to rent e-readers from its central branch in Jamaica. The program, which started on April 12, has 50 e-readers available and allows people with a library card and a photo ID to take out the device for free. They can rent it for seven days and have the option of renewing it twice before returning it. The e-readers have books on five different themes: best sellers, romances, … Continue reading
Members of Community Education Council 27 (CEC) discussed changes to how special education will affect the way a child with special needs will learn in school at their latest meeting on Monday, April 16. Michele Lloyd-Bey, the community superintendent for district 27, presented the special education reform plan to CEC members and residents, which will affect all schools citywide. She spoke about the plan as how it affects district 27, which covers Richmond Hill, Woodhaven, Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, … Continue reading
Construction will start on a new elementary school in Ozone Park, which will take the place of a catholic school that is there now. The new school, Public School 316, will be on 90th Street and 101 Avenue and will hold about 416 seats. According to Councilman Eric Ulrich (D-Ozone Park), the school will be for students in grades kindergarten through 6th grade and is expected to open in September 2014. The actual construction of the school, Ulrich said, will … Continue reading
A special edition series of bicycles that will benefit the Wounded Warrior Project was introduced last week by Worksman Cycles, based in Ozone Park. The Wounded Warrior Project is a nonprofit organization that raises awareness and provides aid to members of the military who have lost their limbs while defending our country. Wayne Sosin, president of Worksman Cycles, said that they wanted to create a bicycle that had Wounded Warriors graphics on it, which would help raise money for … Continue reading
Under the supervision of her grandfather, 11-year-old Aimee Teplitskiy drew back the string on a wooden bow and let an arrow fly at a target down an indoor range. It whacked into the backstop about ten feet away, and Teplitskiy casually turned around to hang up her equipment—as if she’d been doing this for years. Teplitskiy recently read “The Hunger Games”—a book starring a bow-and-arrow-wielding teenager. It brought her to Pro Line Archery Lanes in Ozone Park Tuesday night to … Continue reading
The final defendant in the plotted home invasion and murder of Gerardo Antoniello— the 29-year-old son of a Cross Bay Boulevard pizzeria owner— is guilty. On April 2, a jury convicted Francis LaCorte of Ozone Park for the shooting death that started with an armed robbery at the home of Bartolomeo Antoniello, who owned Romeo’s Pizza on Cross Bay Boulevard, LaCorte was part of a four-man crew that geared up to rob homes between August and September 2009, until they … Continue reading
Community Board 9 Chairperson Andrea Crawford will remain in that position for this year. The board discussed a possible revote at this month’s meeting after there was uncertainty over the vote at the previous meeting. At March’s CB 9 meeting, it was originally announced that Joan Decamp, a CB 9 board member from Richmond Hill, had won the election over Crawford by a count of 18-17. The next day, CB 9 sent out a statement saying that the wrong person … Continue reading
Concerns revolving around a project proposing the building of a pipeline from Brooklyn to Queens within Jamaica Bay were among some of the issues that came up at the latest meeting of the Jamaica Bay Task Force last week. The project, known the Rockaway/Gateway gas pipeline project, is designed to tap into the Transco Williams Pipeline via a proposed three-mile pipeline running under Jamaica Bay and connecting Brooklyn and Queens. The pipeline project is part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s PlaNYC … Continue reading
In a move that will save tax payers millions of dollars, New York State will remove the four percent sales tax on clothing, footwear and related items that are sold for less than $110 dollars. The sales tax exemption, which started on April 1, applies to all of those goods that are bought in person, online, by telephone or by mail. It’s the second straight year for the program. The qualifying amount for this year’s program has doubled. Last year, … Continue reading
New Yorkers might not have to wait months past the deadline to see their budget this year. Governor Andrew Cuomo, along with Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, announced on Monday, April 9, the early passage of the 2012-2013 New York State Budget. The new NYS budget totals $132.6 billion, which is a reduction of $135 million from last year. According to a statement from the New York State Senate, This budget eliminates a $2 billion … Continue reading