Author: Dan Rose

How did each city department do in 2017? State Senator Tony Avella, who is often critical of agencies, has posted his grades.

The pol based his scores on performance, management and responsiveness to his constituents. He made sure to point out that the grades are reflective of the leadership of each agency, not the workers.

Here are his grades for city and state agencies:

• Department of Buildings: F
  • “DOB is still not responsive to illegal or out of character construction. Clearly, DOB does not have sufficient staff to timely respond to community complaints.”
• Department of Transportation: D
  • Avella slammed DOT for their “bureaucratic approach to policy issues” and lack of responsiveness. Let’s not forget the ongoing Northern Boulevard bike lane battle that rolls over into 2018.
• Department of Parks and Recreation: F
  • Where did Parks go wrong? Avella says in handling trees and sidewalks, park maintenance and capital construction. He also called for Commissioner Mitchell Silver to resign in 2017.
• State Department of Environmental Conservation: F
  • This grade was mainly due to their handling of the Waterpointe development in Whitestone.
• Mayor’s Office: F
  • This is an obvious one.
• Human Resources Administration: F
• Department of Homeless Services: F
  • “This F needs no explanation.”
• Department of Consumer Affairs: F
  • “Totally worthless.”

Okay, so he gave the failing/poor grades out first. How about some “mediocre” grades?

• State Department of Financial Services: B
  • Avella wants DFS to improve their timeliness.
• NYPD: C
  • The main complaint is their handling of quality of life issues.
• Department of Environmental Protection: C
  • Avella says he’s pleased DEP is willing to compromise on bioswales, but hasn’t provided a full opt-out that his constituents desire.
• Department of Finance: C
• State Department of Health: C

Which departments got the good grades?

• FDNY: A
• Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: A
• Department of Housing Preservation and Development: A
• State Department of Agriculture and Markets: A
• Department of Sanitation: A
• Governor and Governor’s Office: A
  • This one makes us all think why the guv got an A.

For the 5th consecutive year, Assemblyman Ron Kim’s office in Flushing will serve as an office for the Home Energy Assistance Program, or HEAP.

HEAP is a federally-funded program that provides financial assistance to both renters and homeowners, and helps cover the cost of home heating equipment and repairs.

Kim’s office will offer HEAP application assistance on Wednesdays and Thursdays every week by appointment from November to March.

Translation will be available in Chinese and Korean.

On Sunday, December 31st from 10:30am-12:30pm ring in the New Year as you discover the physics of sound at the New York Hall of Science ( 47-01 111th Street). Design and make noisemakers to use for your family’s holiday celebration. Children’s tickets can be purchased for $5 and adults at $6.

Sometimes creativity can get messy, so dress your little maker (and yourself) in old clothing that can be splattered with things like paint, ink, and oobleck.

This program is supported in part by funding from the New York Community Bank Foundation, the Liu Foundation and the Lily Auchincloss Foundation. Maker Space is made possible thanks to an investment by Cognizant through its Making the Future education initiative.

For tickets, visit: https://goo.gl/9t2Vfe

Well, it’s about time!

The Department of Transportation finally got around to resurfacing Depot Road near Northern Boulevard in Flushing after eight years of waiting.

The main proponent of this project was 93-year-old Teddi Kavanaugh, president of the Off-Broadway Homeowners Association.

She considered this a bucket list item, and finally, Kavanaugh can cross that off her list.

Discover the New York City that might have been through original prints, drawings, models, installations, and animations at the Queens Museum. Attend the Never Built New York Exhibition at the New York City Building in Corona.

Never Built explores a city where you could catch a football game in Manhattan, travel via a floating airport, and live in an apartment also acting as a bridge support.

Never Built will be on display now through February 18th, 2018. For more information visit, http://www.queensmuseum.org/2016/10/never-built-new-york

The City Council has passed a bill, authored by Councilman Peter Koo, that includes discriminatory threats and requests for proof of citizenship under the umbrella definition of tenant harassment.

This change in law will allow tenants to bring harassment claims to Housing Court. Landlords convicted of harassment are subject to civil penalties between $1,000 and $10,000.

Now, the definition of harassment includes this language:

Threatening any tenants based on age, race, creed, color, national origin, gender, disability, marital status, partnership status, caregiver status, uniformed service, sexual orientation or alienage or citizenship status, status as a victim of domestic violence, status as a victim of sex offenses or stalking, lawful source of income, or because children are, may be or would be residing in the unit; and Requesting proof of citizenship after a current government-issued I.D. has already been provided.

“The message this legislation sends to bad landlords is clear: if you harass your tenants, or make any threat based on status, you will face consequences,” Koo says. “In New York City, we support and stand by our immigrant communities, and this legislation will provide additional protections from harassment.”

Assemblyman Ron Kim and Assemblyman Edward Braunstein are spearheading a push to expand the Korean Dual Language program to other schools in the area.

Kim, the first Korean-American elected official in New York, and Braunstein, whose district had a large Korean-American population, say the dual language programs have mostly been limited to Spanish and Chinese.

Currently, the only Korean Dual Language program available in New York is at PS 32, but it ends after the 5th grade. In a meeting with DOE officials, Kim and Braunstein said they want the program to expand, especially in neighborhoods like Flushing, Whitestone and Bayside.

Here’s what Kim had to say about the program:

“Limited choice can prevent otherwise interested parents from enrolling their kids in enormously beneficial dual language programs. As a Korean-American whose two daughters will likely grow up speaking English, Korean and Chinese, the importance of this kind of education is clear to me. The current program at PS 32 is a good start, but remains limited; it’s the only Korean dual language program in the whole city and ends after elementary school. By the time its participants graduate from high school, many may already forget what they learned. They should be offered a chance to continue their bilingual education, and their peers who live in other similar school districts should have an equal opportunity to enroll in these valuable programs.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please consider donating to Catholic Charities this holiday season to support children and families in need.

Additionally, Catholic Charities and Citywide Meals-on-Wheels is hosting a Christmas Dinner from 11am to 2pm on Christmas Day. Volunteers are needed! To volunteer or for more information call Pat Critelli at 718-847-9200.

 

Queens College’s Josephine Cooke has been selected as one of 43 college students nationwide to receive the 2018 Marshall Scholarship.

The prestigious award will allow Cooke to continue her post-graduate studies at a university in the United Kingdom.

Cooke is the third student from Queens College’s history to win the Marshall Scholarship. She’s studying neuroscience and psychology, and will graduate in spring 2018.

She plans to complete a PhD at either Imperial College London or Brunel University on how dance therapy can be used to rehabilitate neurological disorders.

The Marshall Scholarship program began in 1953 under the Marshall Plan. It offers scholarships to American students to study for up to three years at a UK university. Today, it’s a way to deepen the transatlantic relationship through education and cultural exchange.

A senior at John Bowne High School has been chosen as a nominee for the Career and Technical Education for the 2018 Presidential Scholars Program.

Emily Ramprashad joins 24 other high school seniors across New York State who were nominated for the program.

Students who are chosen as U.S. Presidential Scholars go on a trip to Washington, D.C. in June and attend a medallion ceremony. They will also get to meet government officials, authors, educators and other national figures.