To make an individual appointment with Dr. Lee, contact Tamara Michel, Community Health Coordinator, at (718) 990-5197 or tmichel@queenslibrary.org.

Cops this week were still investigating an incident in Equity Park in Woodhaven in which a 14-year-old boy was beaten with a baseball bat, according to police and a city parks activist.

The boy was jumped last Thursday evening inside the 91^st Street park by three other teens who fled on foot, said Geoffrey Croft in a Friday afternoon post on his A Walk in the Park blog.

The victim was rushed to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center with head injuries.

The assailants are described as Hispanic boys, 14 and 15 years old, between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-7.

In recent Participatory Budgeting sessions in Woodhaven with City Councilman Eric Ulrich’s (R-Ozone Park) office, civic leaders have called for safety improvements at the 1.6-acre park.

By Michael V. Cusenza michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

When operating outdoor equipment such as this snow blower, use extreme caution to ensure your safety and that of others.
Four Leaf Public Relations, LLC

As winter weather approaches, experts at the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute are suggesting that homeowners, contractors, and business owners familiarize themselves with their snow blowers and prepare for an extremely cold (and snowy) winter.

According to weather forecasters, the winter of 2014 will see below-normal temperatures in about three-quarters of the nation, which means that outdoor equipment is likely to get a workout this season.  OPEI recommends the following safety tips before powering up your snow removal equipment.

Before the first flakes appear, make sure it works.  In other words, change the oil, install new spark plugs, and inspect the belts.  Drain any remaining fuel from last year.  Check that the auger is in the “off” position and adjust any cables.  Start it up.

Review your owner’s manual.  Check safe handling procedures recommended by the equipment manufacturer.

Before it snows, remove debris from any pathways you intend to later clear of snow.  Items that snow obscures can clog the chute of a snow blower.

Use the right fuel.  Gas stations may be closed if there’s a power outage after a snowstorm, so make sure to have a properly-stored fuel supply, and make sure you’re storing the appropriate fuel recommend by your equipment’s manufacturer.  It is illegal to use any fuel with more than 10% ethanol content in outdoor equipment.

Handle fuel carefully.  Fill up the tank before you start the engine, while the engine is cold.  Never smoke around fuel.

Operate your snow blower in visible conditions.

Wear the right kind of clothing (nothing too loose or dangling), safety glasses, and non-slip footwear.  Tie back long hair.

Never allow anyone to stand in front of your snow blower.  Keep children or pets away while it is operating.

Use caution on slopes and hills.  Don’t try to clear steep slopes or change direction on a slope.

Turn off your snow blower to repair or unclog it, waiting for all moving parts to come to a complete stop.  Disconnect the power cord.

Your hands should never go inside the auger or chute.

Be aware of where the power cord is at all times.

Unfortunately, every year there are cases of serious injury when people ignore snow blower safety warnings. Following these straightforward guidelines should allow you to get the most from your outdoor equipment while ensuring your safety in wintery conditions

By Eugénie Bisulco

Nail salon patrons may be more inclined to purchase certain services, if Diaz’s rating system is installed. Photo by Eugénie Bisulco

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. has introduced legislation in the City Council that would create a new system of letter grades for cosmetology businesses, including nail salons, spas, barber shops, beauty parlors, and other similar businesses throughout the five boroughs. The legislation is being sponsored by Council Member Rafael Espinal, chairperson of the City Council’s Consumer Affairs Committee. The new grading system would be modeled after the one currently in use by the Department of Health to monitor food service establishments and would likely be enforced by a new hybrid city government division under the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

“Unlike nail salons, each of New York City’s 24,000 restaurants is inspected at least once a year,” states a report by Sarah Walsh, assistant district attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Walsh’s Brooklyn Law paper “Beyond the Polish: An Examination of Hazardous Conditions in Nail Salons and Potential Solutions for the Industry in New York City” appears to be the basis for some of the proposed Diaz legislation.

The proposal comes in response to that document and other reports of health and sanitation issues arising from dirty salons and spas; specifically, that hazards such as staph or MRSA, hepatitis, fungus, and other infections can be contracted as a result of visiting substandard salons. Of the roughly 5000 nail salons in the five boroughs, there are only 27 inspectors. Of the nearly 11,000 cosmetology business citywide, Queens county is home to 3,554.

Borough residents welcome the letter grade system. “It would definitely make me more or less likely to visit a salon,” says longtime Howard Beach nail salon patron Miriam Balot, 85. A cataract sufferer and legally blind, Balot can’t afford to rely on her vision to tell her what’s sanitary and what isn’t. “We don’t let them cut our cuticles or do pedicures because of [the lack of regulation] says Sherry Off, also of Howard Beach, adding, “I might consider it if they were to use a rating system.”

As for the businesses themselves, though Espinal foresees pushback, many view it as an opportunity to demonstrate their elevated standards, seemingly undaunted by the potential for extra scrutiny. At the European Wax Center on Cross Bay Boulevard, a staffer in the pristine, well-lit lobby said, “We don’t double dip.”

Of course, others are less enthusiastic about the Diaz proposal. A manager of a local nail salon, who didn’t want her name printed, expressed frustration at the prospect of more inspections. “Dealing with different inspections and inspectors isn’t easy,” she said. “It’s a different type of inspection every time. Sometimes they check drawers, sometimes awnings. Very strict, very confusing.”

John DeSio, Diaz’s communications director, says that the bill is still being fine-tuned, but that in all likelihood, some additional inspectors will be hired. “We’re not going to put a price on people’s health,” he said, but also noted that businesses would be given an opportunity to get “up to speed” on any new procedures implemented or restrictions enforced.

Diaz also introduced a resolution calling on the New York State Division of Licensing Services, which provides licensing for cosmetology professionals, to expand its health and safety training options. “The health and safety of this city is our top priority, and these bills will go a long way towards protecting New Yorkers from unhealthy, potentially dangerous conditions,” said Diaz.

by Eugénie Bisulco

Some Woodhaven residents are still concerned about parts of the mayor’s affordable housing plan.
Photo by Michael V. Cusenza

Perhaps the most ambitious project of his mayoralty, Hizzoner Bill de Blasio’s 10-year, five-borough affordable housing plan is not without its critics.

Just ask some residents of Woodhaven.

“It’s a cheap way for the city to provide ‘affordable housing,’” said Sherman Kane at last Thursday’s meeting of the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association. “It costs the city nothing. We, as middle-class homeowners, would be providing the solution.”

In late July, the WRBA reached out to the mayor’s office via a letter expressing their concerns and requesting more information, and has even circulated a petition decrying the $41 billion project. The civic has not received a response.

“We just wanted to be more educated on what [de Blasio] is trying to do,” said WRBA President Martin Colberg last week.

Colberg noted that one of the main concerns is zoning, and how the plan will involve green-lighting basement and attic apartments. Published reports indicate that de Blasio is keen on converting previously illegal basement and cellar dwellings.

“We worked hard to keep the zoning the way it is, to keep the character the way it is,” he said. “Just shoving people into a basement or attic is not the answer.”

De Blasio unveiled the 200,000-unit plan—the most expansive in the nation’s history—barely four months into his first term. It outlines more than 50 initiatives that will accelerate affordable construction, protect tenants and deliver more value from affordable housing investments, including: Implementing mandatory inclusionary zoning; increasing the number of homes for the lowest income New Yorkers; launching a new affordable housing program for middle-income New Yorkers; doubling the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s capital funding for affordable housing; spurring development of small, vacant sites; stemming the tide of rent deregulation and protecting tenants; expanding affordable and supportive housing for seniors; offering energy efficiency retrofits in exchange for long-term affordability; and creating new strategies to prevent and reduce homelessness, and develop additional supportive housing.

“We have a crisis of affordability on our hands,” de Blasio said. “It touches everyone from the bottom of the economic ladder, all the way up to the middle class. And so we are marshaling every corner of government and the private sector in an unprecedented response. This plan thinks big—because it has to. The changes we are setting in motion today will reach a half-million New Yorkers, in every community, and from every walk of life. They will make our families and our city stronger.”

Colberg said the mayor’s sweeping response cannot come at the expense of a community’s character and the lives therein.

“We’re talking about safety—of the NYPD, of the FDNY, if they have to go into the [converted] house, the safety of neighbors,” Colberg posited. “Whether you’re a renter or a homeowner, you’re going to be affected by this.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

Civic leaders in Forest Hills and Kew Gardens are seeking ways to make life better for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers on the notoriously dangerous Queens Boulevard. Photo courtesy Transportation Alternatives

Community leaders in central Queens are hoping to breathe new life into the “Boulevard of Death.”

Pedestrian safety continued its streak of being one of the borough’s hottest buzzwords this week as Community Board 6 grappled at its meeting last week with ways to make Queens Boulevard safer than its grim nickname suggests. Officials discussed a bunch of potential fixes, included protected bike lanes and wider medians in order to coincide with Mayor Bill de Blasio’s “Vision Zero” initiative to curb fatalities to zero within 10 years.

“Queens Boulevard is the most integral route through the borough, but it is simply not safe,” said Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives – one group working closely with CB 6 to find a solution. “The majority of New Yorkers who use it every day, transit riders, pedestrians and bicyclists, are all at serious risk.”

Transportation Alternatives has been collecting crucial data about Queens Boulevard for years and reported that 17  pedestrians and two cyclists died there between 2002 and 2011 with roughly 890 other pedestrians and 205 cyclists suffering injuries. Some of the best fixes for the boulevard, the group, came in the form of longer crosswalk timers and wider medians for pedestrians.

Some of those changes have already been put into motion, a city DOT spokesman said, with parking lanes and fences being erected along the 12-lane boulevard. The median was also being widened near 67th Avenue.

Michael Perlman of the Rego Forest Preservation Council has kept a close eye on the efforts to make Queens Boulevard safer and said he was encouraged by the collaboration between Transportation Alternatives and CB 6.

“I like the concept of the DOT working to widen some medians along the boulevard. It is definitely a step forward,” Perlman said. “Previously, the medians were very narrow and pedestrians would stand there because they couldn’t make the light and get hit by speeding cars. Hopefully, our vision of a safer boulevard will be adopted in the long run.”

Perlman said lowering the speed limit should also not be ruled out in the discussion in alleviating what he called “the borough’s biggest super highway.”

Peter Beadle of Rego Park has been working with Transportation Alternatives, providing them with essential community perspective as potential solutions are mulled over. His enclave of Queens has been a home to populations that are particularly vulnerable to dangerous streets, he said, like senior citizens and young people who do not drive.

“Safety on Queens Boulevard has come a long way over the past 20 years, but we still have more work to do,” said City Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills), who has worked closely with both CB 6 and Transportation Alternatives. “I look forward to working with my colleagues, the community and Transportation Alternatives in order to ensure that Queens Boulevard is a safe place for all.”

The city announced two public workshops on the topic of pedestrian safety in the borough of Queens with one on May 21 and the other May 29.

“We look forward to hearing feedback at those workshops, including ideas about steps that can help make Queens Blvd. and other streets even safer,” a DOT spokesman said.

By Phil Corso

U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley, center, joined area leaders Monday to announce legislation that would bring federal resources to areas where there have been an increase in pedestrian fatalities or injuries. Photo courtesy U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley’s Office

Queens lawmakers have kept busy drafting bills that they say would help Mayor Bill de Blasio’s vision of safer city streets become a reality.

U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Queens, Bronx) joined with safety advocates and elected officials Monday morning to push for the Pedestrian Fatalities Reduction Act of 2014, which would force the state to address traffic-related injuries. The Queens congressman said his home borough was a great place to start since it has historically ranked first, or at the top of all fatal accidents throughout the city over recent years.

Under current law, states are only required to file a Strategic Highway Safety Plan to the Federal Highway Administration in order to access federal dollars. But the problem, Crowley said, lies in the fact that those plans are not required to include statistics on pedestrian injuries and fatalities.

Not only would Crowley’s legislation make such information mandatory in states’ safety plans, but it would also require states to articulate exactly how they planned on addressing any increases in traffic-related incidents at both the state and county levels, he said.

“The recent string in traffic-related deaths in and around Queens demands our immediate attention to find solutions,” the congressman said. “That’s why I am introducing a bill that requires states to do just that. We need to ensure the federal highway safety funds at their disposal are put toward achieving our goal of reducing pedestrian fatalities to zero. It’s time to put an end to the tragedy on our streets.”

Crowley joined with safety advocates not far from where an 11-year-old boy was fatally struck while crossing Northern Boulevard on his way to school in Jackson Heights. The busy boulevard was only one of several transportation hubs in the borough in desperate need of reform, the congressman said.

Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, has been working closely with lawmakers and community organizations to make the city’s streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. His name has been in the mix much more since de Blasio unrolled his Vision Zero initiative, which seeks to reduce incidents to zero within the next decade.

“The congressman is already known for his leadership on safe streets. He worked with community partners like the Jackson Heights Green Alliance to help create Diversity Plaza and the 78th Street Plaza, along with bike lanes for his district,” White said. “This new legislation will provide crucial support to Mayor de Blasio’s Vision Zero initiative to end traffic deaths and serious injuries on New York City’s streets.”

Makes Queens Safer advocate Cristina Furlong stood beside Crowley as he plugged his latest legislation, praising the politician for making pedestrian safety a priority. She said the congressman has been active in her cause by hosting multiple pedestrian safety town halls and drafting key legislation on the matter.

“For too long, the people of New York City have seen repeated injuries in areas that have been proven to be dangerous and high risk,” she said. “With the passing of this legislation, New York will be able to provide the resources necessary to transform our dangerous streets.”

Not far from Jackson Heights, state Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky (D-Flushing) also celebrated her legislative body’s passing of crucial Vision Zero legislation that would increase license suspension penalties for drivers illegally passing stopped school buses.

“Passing this bill is one step towards realizing Vision Zero and to making our communities safer for drivers and pedestrians alike,” she said.

By Phil Corso

State Sen. Jose Peralta, left, and civic activist Pat Martin have long been advocating for the city to place a crossing guard at what they said is a dangerous intersection frequently crossed by young students on their way to PS 206. File photo

Pedestrian safety has become a hot topic in Queens, and state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) used the opportunity to renew his push for safer streets outside a public school in Rego Park.

Peralta has been calling for safety reforms, such as speed cameras and assigning a new crossing guard to PS 206, for the better part of the past year. And with recent launching of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Vision Zero initiative to curb traffic fatalities throughout the city, the senator said he hoped his requests would gather more traction.

Peralta argued that precincts serving the Rego Park area have denied his previous request for a school crossing guard to be reinstated at the busy intersection of Junction Boulevard and Horace Harding Expressway because guards were already assigned to other nearby locations.

“There is no question that there are a number of dangerous intersections in the area, with the Long Island Expressway, Queens Boulevard, Junction Boulevard and Horace Harding Expressway all intersecting or running parallel to each other in close proximity,” Peralta wrote in a letter to the New York Police Department earlier this week. “Perhaps the most threatening of these, however, is the one at Junction Boulevard and Horace Harding Expressway, which hundreds of children and parents navigate on their way to and from PS 206 and Lefrak City, located just off the northeast corner of the intersection.”

Joan Thomas, PS 206’s principal, echoed Peralta’s pleas when she requested the reinstatement of a crossing guard to serve the Rego Park community, but to no avail. She also argued that change was needed to combat recent incidents in which some walkers were harassed on their way to school in the morning in the absence of an adult present to help them cross the street.

“This intersection is very challenging and dangerous due to its close proximity to the Long Island Expressway,” Thomas said. “It has a heavy traffic pattern due to all of the traffic due to the shopping in the area. The children and the parents are in great danger each time they navigate this intersection because the drivers do not drive with care or follow traffic regulations.”

The intersection is particularly problematic, area residents have said, because it is often traversed by large trucks and cars going far above the speed limit as they enter the expressway.  A crossing guard had been stationed there until three years ago but was removed due to city budget cuts.

Pat Martin, president of Friends of LeFrak Library and a civic activist who has long been fighting for a guard at the intersection, told The Forum in a previous interview that it is only a matter of time before a child gets seriously hurt there – unless the city does something to address the situation.

“We’re all so scared of the day a child gets hurt there – and after that, the city will put in a crossing guard, but we shouldn’t have to wait for that,” Martin said in the same interview.

The state senator then spearheaded a petition against the Department of Transportation, demanding the designation be among the several locations at which speed cameras were piloted. It was not selected.

Peralta’s letter addressed Chief of Transportation Thomas Chen, who testified before the City Council that the city’s crossing guard ranks were understaffed by nearly 200. His letter argued that PS 206 was undoubtedly counted among those priority vacancies that should be filled.

“In light of the response from the local precincts, my staff and I subsequently were in regular communication with the Department of Transportation throughout 2013 about measures the agency could take to help ensure the safety of the children of PS 206,” Peralta said. “Please note that in all of my correspondence with the DOT, I made it clear that there is no substitute for the direct, hands-on traffic control and help that a crossing guard provides to children.”

By Phil Corso

Civic leader Dmytro Fedkowskyj, center, and other community advocates gathered in Maspeth Tuesday to urge the city to implement policies that will prevent the pedestrian deaths that have plagued Queens – and the rest of the city. Photo by Phil Corso

The city got a closer look at Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Vision Zero campaign to curb traffic-related deaths, and some of Queens’ pedestrian advocates said they were big fans with high hopes.

De Blasio’s initiative set out to reduce pedestrian fatalities to zero over the next 10 years and laid out several developments over the past week, including plans to reduce the citywide speed limit from 30 miles per hour to 25 and installing red light cameras throughout the boroughs. His message has been under the microscope especially in Queens, where traffic fatalities were the highest throughout the city in 2013.

Borough politicians and community leaders have been keeping a close watch on the Vision Zero campaign, and so far, feedback has been positive. What was most important, advocates said, was whether or not lawmakers can deliver on the final product.

“The mayor’s Vision Zero initiative is welcome news to all of us in Queens and I strongly support his comprehensive crackdown on dangerous drivers and hazardous conditions in our streets,” said Assemblywoman Marge Markey (D-Maspeth). “Locally, I have been working with the borough DOT Commissioner about several street safety problems in Maspeth, most urgently where a senior citizen was recently killed in a crosswalk on Grand Avenue by an unlicensed driver making an illegal turn. We look forward to improvements at this intersection very soon and I have also asked DOT to revisit improvements near Ridgewood Gardens and the busy intersection of Grand and 69th Street.”

Markey plugged legislation she introduced along with state Sen. Mike Gianaris (D-Astoria) that would increase penalties on unlicensed drivers who cause injury or death when behind the wheel. Both lawmakers also stood beside City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) earlier this month along a busy strip of Northern Boulevard, urging the mayor to include the road in his initiative.

Community advocate Dmytro Fedkowskyj has also been in support of making changes to Maspeth roadways, specifically zoning in on Grand Avenue, where 68-year-old Angela Hurtado was killed while crossing the street in January. With red light cameras already in place in parts of the borough, Fedkowskyj said the next step was to bring physical changes to dangerous intersections and educate the youth.

“Many parents would like to see more crossing guards at their schools,” he said. “Far too many of them need more than one or two protecting their children. Knowledge is power and I would like to see a short pedestrian safety lesson outlined for high school students every year. This short lesson can reinforce pedestrian safety before they become part of the driving population.”

City Councilman Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows) was one of the many in attendance at a Council hearing on the Vision Zero initiativeMonday and said the city needed to do more to include the Education Department in the project.

“As I visit with schools in my district to hear their priorities and chart an agenda to meet their needs, I am constantly told that traffic safety at our schools are among the highest concerns of parents, teachers and principals,” Lancman said. “It’s critical that the Department of Education be included in the Vision Zero process, and be held accountable for its role in making the traffic environment around our schools safer.”

Celia Castellan of Transportation Alternatives has long been pushing for changes to some of Queens’ most dangerous roadways such as Queens Boulevard and said de Blasio’s ongoing rollout of Vision Zero has been promising. Moving forward, she said the group hopes to see the City Council take leadership on the issue and fight for a home rule on the speed limit decision.

“We are consistently one of the most dangerous boroughs to walk, bike and use public transit,” she said. “This is really about ushering in a new era for New York. We know Queens has to be a central focus of this plan to take on the high-speed, high-volume streets like Queens Boulevard that function like highways.”

By Phil Corso

Halloween is a great time to dress up and go trick-or-treating, but it’s important to keep several tips in mind to keep you and your children safe. Here are a number of helpful tips to ensure a safe and fun Halloween from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Flame Resistant Costumes: When purchasing a costume, masks, beards, and wigs, look for the label Flame Resistant. Although this label does not mean these items won’t catch fire, it does indicate the items will resist burning and should extinguish quickly once removed from the ignition source. To minimize the risk of contact with candles or other sources of ignition, avoid costumes made with flimsy materials and outfits with big, baggy sleeves or billowing skirts.

Costume Designs: Purchase or make costumes that are light and bright enough to be clearly visible to motorists.

• For greater visibility during dusk and darkness, decorate or trim costumes with reflective tape that will glow in the beam of a car’s headlights. Bags or sacks should also be light colored or decorated with reflective tape. Reflective tape is usually available in hardware, bicycle, and sporting goods stores.
• To easily see and be seen, children should also carry flashlights.
• Costumes should be short enough to prevent children from tripping and falling.
• Children should wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes. Mother’ s high heels are not a good idea for safe walking.
• Hats and scarfs should be tied securely to prevent them from slipping over children’s eyes.
• Apply a natural mask of cosmetics rather than have a child wear a loose-fitting mask that might restrict breathing or obscure vision. If a mask is used, however, make sure it fits securely and has eyeholes large enough to allow full vision.
• Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be of soft and flexible material.

Pedestrian Safety: Young children should always be accompanied by an adult or an older, responsible child. All children should WALK, not run from house to house and use the sidewalk if available, rather than walk in the street. Children should be cautioned against running out from between parked cars, or across lawns and yards where ornaments, furniture, or clotheslines present dangers.

Choosing Safe Houses: Children should go only to homes where the residents are known and have outside lights on as a sign of welcome.

• Children should not enter homes or apartments unless they are accompanied by an adult.
• People expecting trick-or-treaters should remove anything that could be an obstacle from lawns, steps and porches. Candlelit jack-o’-lanterns should be kept away from landings and doorsteps where costumes could brush against the flame. Indoor jack-o’-lanterns should be kept away from curtains, decorations, and other furnishings that could be ignited.

The Federal Drug Administration also offers various tips to prevent food-borne illnesses from treats.

• Children shouldn’t snack while trick-or-treating. To help them resist temptation, a small snack or meal should be served beforehand.
• Don’t accept or eat any treat that is not commercially wrapped.
• Parents of young children should remove choking hazards like gum or small toys.
• Pares should carefully inspect all treats for signs of tampering, including unusual appearance, discoloration, tiny pinholes or tears in wrappers.